<p>Yeah, it is hot, but not as hot as you might assume, because you get the on and offshore breezes (caveat, a heat wave can make it unbearable, we’ve gone every summer for 15 years for a week or two, and we’ve only had a couple of unbearable heat waves).
You have to live like a native - afternoon naps or movies, rocking on the porch under a ceiling fan, flip-flops, shorts and T-shirts.
The unbearable weather comes in Aug and Sept, because the thunderstorms stop, and the Gulf gets so warm, the onshore breeze slows up. Typical Gulf temp - 82, may get up to 85, but it is like swimming in a bath</p>
<p>Also close to some great golf courses, but that IS hot, only for the diehard golfers and the acclimatized! Some fine courses, though.</p>
<p>Because - there are beaches AND cool wildlife AND rain forests AND beautiful lakes AND erupting volcanos AND as many micro-climates as Hawaii AND even UFO sightings. Not to mention the tasty, fresh, and inexpensive seafood and fruit juices. La Pura Vida!</p>
<p>Oh Yulsie, you had me until you got to the UFO sightings - that sounds like my son’s room. Volcanoes, hhmmm, beraches, you say, how’s the fishing?</p>
<p>We love Key Biscayne off of Miami. There’s a great little motel called the Silver Sands that has nice rooms, a pool and small kitchenettes. (Key Biscayne only has three motels/hotels). KB is great because it’s very quiet, great beaches, there’s a toll of $1 to get onto it that keeps a lot of the riff-raff away, and you can drive to South Beach in Miami or Coconut Grove at night to explore restaurants, movies, etc. Probably a relatively cheap flight from SF and it would give you a real feeling that you went somewhere. If the kids want more nightlife right there - stay in South Beach at one of the Art Deco hotels. I like The Wave Hotel. Probably fairly cheap in the summer.</p>
<p>Some one mentioned Cabo- took a girls holiday a few years ago with my DDs and it was a great place for them to find busy things to do and felt very safe.</p>
<p>A few yrs ago we took the 7 day cruise to Mexico. We enjoyed each stop, booked the snorkel tour w/the ship. Other stops went on our own-lots cheaper. Son had a great time. From that visit I would not hesitate returning to Cabo. As I recall, price was very reasonable. We left from San Diego. Another yr we did the 4 day Mexico cruise-visited Ensanada & Catalina-it was lots of fun.</p>
<p>If you like amusement parks, Cedar Point in Ohio. Stay in the hotel out on the point, I think Sandcastle Suites (get a room overlooking the Lake as you have a small balcony) if you want to be off the beaten trail - or if you want a traditional hotel, Hotel Breakers. This is the kind of place you can park and not get in your car again. There are shuttles and the park is within walking distance so the kids can come and go at will. We went with two 14 year olds and two 16 year olds.</p>
<p>Kona, Hawaii and stay at the King Kamehameha. It’s clean, decent, and cheap (less than $100/night).</p>
<p>From Kona, with a rental car, there is great surfing, great snorkeling, great SCUBA, a volcano with lava flowing that you can hike to or helicopter over, fascinating geology, orchid and coffee farms, challenging hiking and easy hiking, fantastic restaurants, great beaches. Oh, and just for amusement, what is possibly the best fabric store in the entire US (Kimura’s). I understand lots of people go gollfing but I’ve never tried it.</p>
<p>Anyone know of some w/Medical Continuing Ed? We have gone to the USC Hawaii and a Mexico cruise. This yr the cruise starts in Puerto Rico-want something West Coast.</p>
<p>If we’re including the East Coast, how about Hilton Head Island.More moderate summer temps than Florida.great golf.lots of teens around in the summer.Not quite sure about the surfing though…</p>
<p>Sayulita, Mexico. 20 minutes drive north of Puerto Vallarta on a jungly Pacific beach. Not commercial. Surf and snorkeling and fishing and hiking right there. No high rises. VERY HOT though in the summer time. (go to Sayulita.com to look at rentals)</p>
<p>Definitely consider Hilton Head Island. We have a couple of timeshare weeks in HHI, and have been there many times. It’s really a great place. Outstanding beaches, restaurants, and shopping. All the stores are set off the road and shielded by greenery.</p>
<p>Hilton Head is nice but Kiawah Island is even better. It’s a beautiful, well-planned island resort with a huge variety of accomodations, gorgeous beaches, great restaurants, fabulous golf, and lots to do for those who want that. It’s only about an hour or an hour and a half from Charleston which is a great city and is definitely worth a visit, or you could do like we often have and combine a week (or a few days) in each spot. Highly recommend Kiawah. Whomever was responsible for development on the island did a fantastic job, and it’s a shame that other travel destinations and popular tourist areas haven’t equalled their excellent planning.</p>
<p>Laaaaazy Caribbean beaches - I think these are the best beaches in the world and I KNOW my beaches.</p>
<p>Villa Rentals abound - my favorite is Calicaribe (google it - very reasonable for a villa, if you go in the “off season”) - which allows for privacy and much more relaxation than hotels offer. Also, you’ll have your own private pool which will really please your kids. We love to grill out by the pool at sunset and look out over the other islands…pick passion fruit from the trees and make fresh sorbet…</p>
<p>Teens can take a quick bus ride to the little town of Cruz Bay (5 min drive) for REALLY cool island-style nightlife…lots of young people hanging out…VERY safe. </p>
<p>You will NOT find highrise hotels here…mostly villas and a couple of smaller luxury beach resorts. Most of the island is the US National Park…so the island is anything but overbuilt. I think they just recently installed the first traffic light…not sure if it’s really being used;)</p>
<p>Lots of really great restaurants. </p>
<p>And, if you’re in the mood for a more cosmopolitan evening or day trip, St Thomas is a 15 minute ferry ride away…so are the British islands. </p>
<p>My son can’t wait to go every year…</p>
<p>Once you start taking villa vacations, you won’t go back to hotels!</p>
<p>Otherwise, if you plan to try Florida, maybe Lido Beach would suit you. Or, what abour Sanibel or Captiva Islands. Family fun!!</p>
<p>Rent a villa instead of staying in the horribly over-priced Westin or Caneel Bay. The “plenty for 2 teen D’s to do” may be a little iffy IF they don’t like outdoor activities (snorkel, sailing, hiking). But if they do, you’re golden.</p>
<p>I am notorious for my absolute hatred of Florida. My mother lived there for 12 years (in Ft Myers at the end of the causeway to Sanibel) and every single time I visited her it was disastrous: something nasty bit me (I got stung by a stingray in Sanibel and bitten by something that left an ulcer that took months to heal), food poisoning got me (at least three times, in different Sanibel and Ft. Myers restaurants), or a plant caused a skin reaction (a rose, for example, that left welts up and down both arms–on both me and my sister–that didn’t heal for weeks). Someone was killed by an alligator on Sanibel last fall (after the hurricanes). I would NEVER take my kids there. </p>
<p>Give me the sharks and the volcanic eruptions off Hawaii any time. At least I can see those coming!</p>
<p>But, we recently used Viva Vications <a href=“http://www.vivacations.com%5B/url%5D”>www.vivacations.com</a> for Calicaribe and were very pleased. I think the contract was changing and Cali was going to another firm, not sure.</p>
It’s a beautiful, well-planned island resort with a huge variety of accomodations, gorgeous beaches, great restaurants, fabulous golf, and lots to do for those who want that. It’s only about an hour or an hour and a half from Charleston which is a great city and is definitely worth a visit, or you could do like we often have and combine a week (or a few days) in each spot. Highly recommend Kiawah. Whomever was responsible for development on the island did a fantastic job, and it’s a shame that other travel destinations and popular tourist areas haven’t equalled their excellent planning.</p>