Day at the Ocean

[bobpfef]

My wife says she wants to go to the ocean for at least half a day during our upcoming trip. Well, that has sure thrown my plans in a tizzy

Any recommendations on which beachs are the best, which routes to take, how much time we'll need to schedule. We will be going in Jan, so I assume the water will be too cold to go into. Thanks

[Figaro]

Well good news is, you're smack dab in the middle of the state. You can go to either coast, Atlantic or Gulf. Melbourne Beach and Cocoa Beach are about an hour and a half to the east, while St. Petersburg and Tampa are about the same amount of time to the west. I personally prefer the Atlantic side and have been to Melbourne Beach and Cocoa a time or two. You can get to Melbourne and Cocoa by taking I-4 to 528 and then all the way to I-95 South. You also have the option of going to Daytona which is a bit farther northeast to which you can just pretty much take I-4 all the way. I've never been to the Gulf Coast around the Tampa area, so I'm not sure how the beaches are, but I've heard they are still nice.

[dnickels]

If you head over to Cocoa Beach just know that there's more than just the beach right near downtown/RonJons. I hear a lot of people complain that they thought Cocoa Beach was 'dirty' and I think "well duh, if you go to the busy areas of course" but there are miles of beach just south of the downtown area and along the air force base where you can have the beach almost to yourself.

[Missy_Mouses_Dad]

We go to Siesta Keys for one day every time we go to Florida. The beach is fantastic and we like it much better than the east side. It is a longer ride, but we feel the ride is worth it.

[DDuck66]

The beaches around St Pete and Clearwater are pretty nice to go look at and are about and hour and a half from the Main Gate. The beaches around Bradenton are nicer but are a little farther away. We live in Tarpon Springs within 3 miles of the beaches. It is 90 minutes to the parks unless you hit Tampa traffic. Caladesi Island and Honeymoon Island are really nice.

[bobpfef]

Which beaches are the best for getting shells? My wife and kids would like to search for seashells and that was their number on request for a beach.

[Womble]

Which beaches are the best for getting shells? My wife and kids would like to search for seashells and that was their number on request for a beach.

I have two places I'd recommend shell hunting.
First is Egmont Key it is an Island in the mouth of Tampa Bay. To get there we used to get a ferry from Fort DeSoto Beach.

The other is Honey Moon Island which can be driven to Via Clearwater and using the Dunedin Causway. Which I believe is called Causeway Blvd (586). We were there after a heavy storm came through and the beach was littered with shells.