As the weather begins to warm up in the North and the spring time thaw starts people’s thoughts turn to warm weather activities and they start looking forward to venturing outside for more than 15 minutes without freezing to death. Many people envision warm breezes, caressing their faces, palm tress gently swaying in the breeze, in short they picture Florida beaches.

Activities at Florida Beaches

I have lived in Florida over 25 years and when people come down to visit they always ask me where the best Florida beaches are and while I want to give them an honest answer it’s really, honestly, hard to choose just one. Having been all over the state and having visited more beaches than I can count I have to say there are too many to call just one my favorite or give it the title of ‘best’. When I’m asked this question tend to I ask a few myself, for instance I ask “What do you like to do at the beach, for instance do you like to fish?” It’s true you can cast a line off of any beach but if you’d actually like to catch something there are a few areas that are better than others. Destin, in the Panhandle, for instance, is known to have Cobia and other species running right off shore this may have something to do with the fact that the 100 fathom curve is only ten miles offshore at Destin and provides the fastest access to deep water fishing in the Gulf, surly the fish must use it too.

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As I watch the news, I see drivers up north getting stuck in snow storms and I think how nice it is to be able to drive on the beach. It’s a much nicer, more friendly environment and getting stuck in the sand isn’t nearly as awful as getting stuck in the snow. Winter is a great time to visit any of our Florida beaches and when you live on the beach as I do, winter is a great time for people watching and driving on the beach. Nearby Orlando is one of the premiere Florida vacation spots, as a matter of fact, it’s one of the premier vacation spots of the world. Winter is a great time to visit Orlando because it isn’t as crowed and it’s much cooler than in the summer, but still not as cold as the winter up north.

Motorsports Capital

When people ask me, as a Floridian, what I like to do during the winter, one of the places I always mention is Daytona Beach. Daytona Beach is known for many things, like the Daytona International Speedway home of NASCAR. During February, I try to go to Speed Week in Daytona, the many races and qualifying for the iconic Daytona 500 make it the place to be.

Harley Bikers and other motorcycle enthusiast gather for Bike Week in March. All these things are great draws to Daytona Beach but what I like about it is that you can drive on the beach there, that’s something you can only do on a few beaches in Florida.

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I have a friend I met while in college recently come back for a visit. He’s French and is used to international type beaches, shops, cafes and clubs and often brags that there isn’t anything like them anywhere else in the world so while he was here I set out to change his mind.

I just love Miami South Beach. Some people think of it as the international playground for the rich, famous and beautiful people but not me; I live in Miami Beach so I know the ‘real’ South Beach and trust me you find all kinds there.

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Cocoa Beach has got to be one of the best Florida beaches of all; there is so much to do in such a small area, you see, Cocoa Beach is only 15 square miles and ten of that is water. When I am asked “What’s so great about Cocoa Beach?” Many things spring to mind; there’s Ron Jon’s, unique clothing and souvenir shops, many restaurants, and a lot of family fun with two miniature golf courses, a go cart track and of course, the beach with a fantastic pier. It’s also great to be so close to so many other things to do, like in Orlando, but I what I really love is just the town it’s self.

Cocoa Beach started to come on the radar when in the 1960’s two things happened: One, NASA came to the area in the form of the Kennedy Space Center. One of the coolest things you will ever do is watch a rocket launch and there is no better place to be when one goes off than standing on the beach. There are no buildings to obstruct your view and on a clear day you think you can literally see them achieve orbit. If it’s a Space Shuttle Launch not only can you see and hear it but on the beach you can feel the sound of it go through you, it’s wild.

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When I think of Daytona Beach several things come to mind. I remember hanging out on the beach during the day getting ‘the perfect tan’ then going back to the room to freshen up, out to dinner and then clubbing all night. I really enjoyed meeting all the people from all over the country there to party and have a good time.

Biketoberfest

Many of the bars of Daytona Beach are on the Main Street strip. One of the draws to Daytona Beach is Biketoberfest 2010, held in October. Bikers from all over the country and world converge on Daytona Beach for a few days of booze, bikes and babes. The Hogs Breath, Dirty Harry’s, Froggy’s and the Boot Hill Saloon, the Bank and Blues club; these are just a few of the names you’ll see. If you go to any one of these places during Bike Week or Biktoberfest you’ll find a party going on, wet t-shirt contests, live music, drink specials, food, fun and some fabulous bikes, its well worth the trip.

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Tucked into the Florida coastline just as you pass the border in from Georgia you’ll find a great little spot for a nice, quiet, fun filled family vacation, it’s called Amelia Island. Amelia Island is the southernmost of the Sea Islands, which is a chain of barrier islands that stretches along the east coast from South Carolina to Florida. Because it is just inside the boarder from Georgia, Amelia Island still has some of that Southern charm, the streets are lined with oaks rather than palms and the businesses are more sedate meaning you’re more likely to find them advertised in wood block signs than neon. It’s a little more subtle than the rest of Florida; it’s very quaint and peaceful.

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There are so many things to do in St. Augustine, the historic district is full of restaurants, coffee shops and small shops with craftsmen who are knowledgeable in the trades of the period. The small narrow streets are a excellent for taking a romantic stroll. Two trolley tours offer transportation along a route with over 100 points of interest throughout Saint Augustine.

The beaches of St. Augustine located on Anastasia Island home of Anastasia State Park. There is pier that is a favorite of fishermen and those who want a panoramic view of the beach. The beaches here are a favorite and considered by many the best Florida beaches.

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