East Coast of Florida

I am looking for information on how vacationing on the East Coast differs from the Gulf. We are a family of 4 looking to vacation in FL the end of March. We would like to avoid the College spring breakers (no offense to anyone -- we did that before we had kids) and would be looking for an upscale resort with a nice pool and a more relaxed enviornment. Any recommendations or insight?

Thanks

East Coast of Florida

To me the east coast of Florida feels more like the Northeast of the country (probably influenced by the many New York transplants) while the west coast feels more like a Southern atmosphere. Not that one is better than the other, and I really don%26#39;t know what the means to you, but its got that ';feel'; to me. :)

You can certainly find upscale accomidations in Fort Lauderdale now-a-days. The only one I have been in, and really really reccomend is the Pelican Beach resort (it recently ';went condo'; but I beleive they still rent out rooms as a hotel) Directly on the beach, fantastic pool area with a lazy river tube ride, excellent restraunt, and spacious modern rooms. Come visit us on the east coast!

East Coast of Florida

Linkage: http://www.pelicanbeach.com/

Thanks mediaspree -- Are there differences between the water quality -- temperature, waves, cleanliness of the Atlantic vs. Gulf? We%26#39;d like to be able to use the beach and swim in the ocean. We love to play in the waves. I was first looking at Longboat Key, but am concerned about Red Tide keeping us inside the whole week. Does Red Tide affect the East Coast as frequently as the Gulf?

Thanks for the resort recommendation -- I%26#39;ll check them out right now!

In the 5 years I%26#39;ve lived here i%26#39;ve never heard of red tide being a problem. Sadly, unless theres a tropical storm coming, there are very few if any ';waves'; along Fort Lauderdale beach though the beaches are in my opinion really fantastic. Depending on the time of year the water is as warm as bathtub water and very refreshing from the hot sun. Its also really clear. With a mask you can see probably 60 feet down!