Help please.... very confused

My husband and I have decided to come down to the Gulf COast for about 10 days in early December. We usually go to the east coast (lauderdale by the sea) but wanted a change. We can not decide between Siesta Key and St. Armands Key. They both look really nice with so many places to stay. Can someone tell me the benefits of one over the other. We will have a car so can get about easily. We are both a young 50, not looking for a party scene but like to have shops and restaurants we can walk around by. Not looking to stay at the Ritz, but want clean, comfortable and near or on the beach. If the weather is warm, we are happy just spending the day on the beach or by the pool and then going out in the evening..... wandering around. Love to eat (not fancy though) and love to browse the shops.

Any thoughts would be very much appreciated

Anita

Help please.... very confused

Anita, we have not been to St. Armands, but we have been twice to Siesta Key. Siesta Key fits the bill for what you are looking for. We had difficulties finding a room directly on the beach and wound up staying at the Holiday Inn Express 1 mi from the beach. Honestly, it was great. We loved the public beach, one of the best I%26#39;ve seen. There were several other smaller beaches that we tried, but parking could be challenging. With Siesta Key, you are on the fringe of Sarasota, tons of shopping/restuarants are waiting for you. Whatever you decide, I hope you have a great trip!!

Help please.... very confused

These are very different type places.

Lido Key (St. Armands Circle) is more upscale. If you stay in a condo or rent a room at the Lido Beach Resort etc. you can walk or take a shuttle to St. Armands for dining, shopping etc.

I highly recommend the Lido Beach Resort. It is full service and even has a Tiki Bar on the beach. www.lidobeachresort.com...If you go to the Sarasota TA page and click on the ';Hotels'; heading you can see options and read reviews.

Siesta Key is less upscale but a great place to vacation, as well.

You can rent a condo or stay at a motel/cottage type place.

There aren%26#39;t any full service resorts on Siesta. It is relaxing and laid back. There are small shops and restaurants in Siesta Village and Crescent Plaza.

You can find condos on www.vrbo.com or www.siesta4rent.com.

You can click on the ';Hotels'; section on this TA page and read reviews and see options for motels etc.

Having lived on the FL East coast for many years, I can tell you that you will be very happy here.

~SRQgirl

Having just returned from Siesta Key and vacationing at Lido Key, St Pete Beach, Treasure Island over the previous years, my opinion is also that Lido Key was a little more upscale than any of the others. Since I have kids, laid back was just fine. But even so, I do like a little more ritzy once in a while. The shops at St Armands were great to browse. In fact, I still regret not going into the shoe store to check out a reallycute pair of shoes all those years ago.

We stayed at the Half Moon Beach Resort but it seems difficult to find any info about it. The location on the beach was fantastic. But all the places along there looked great.

Thanks.... thats what i figured. Cant really decide which i would prefer. When we stay on the east coast, we stay in a small motel on the beach...very basic but really nice. Walking distance to some shops/ restaurants and a quck car ride to almost anything else. A little further and of course we have ft. lauderdale or miami. How is the weather usually in early december.... how about crowds ( i dont expect it to be crowded but maybe i am wrong) How do the beaches compare on both places?

Thanks again

I don%26#39;t think you would go far wrong staying at Tropical Shores resort on Siesta Key.

It is reasonably priced, a few hundred yards from the excellent beach and close to restaurants/shops.

It%26#39;s also a good base for seeing the rest of what the Sarasota area has to offer. Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key, Lido Key, Casey Key, Venice and downtown Sarasota.

Jono

The best beach in the area is Crescent Beach on Siesta Key.

Having said that, there really aren%26#39;t any ';bad'; beaches in the Sarasota area. The beach on Lido Key is great.

For shopping and dining, the St. Armands area is your best choice.

The beaches in December will not be as crowded as they are after New Years. The FL west coast traffic is nothing like the Lauderdale/Miami corridor.

With a car, you will be able to see all the different areas from Anna Maria Island to the north to Venice to the south. Yo%26#39;re not talking great distances to drive.

Downtown Sarasota, Longboat Key etc. all have their own appeal.

If you need more info, just ask.

~SRQgirl

Thanks to everyone for their input. Unfortunately i still cant decide...guess i will draw straws and see what i come up with. Doesnt sound like I will go wrong with either place. It looks like it is a little easier to drive to the different points from Lido Key as it doesnt look like I have to go back to the mainland... but I would if I stay at Siesta Key (is this correct and does it really matter) i have been reading about Siesta Village and Siesta South.... are these nice places to wander around? How about the weather in early december.... not planning on swimming but is it usually warm enough to lay on the beach. Of course, compared to NY, I expect it to be downright balmy.

Any more ideas or suggestions are welcome

Anita

Lido Key, Longboat Key, Siesta Key and Anna Maria are islands.

They are connected by bridges. A map of the area would help you understand the locations. (You would have to go to the mainland to get to Siesta.from Lido, Longboat and Anna Maria.)

The weather here in December is usually pleasant and yes, much better than NY.

Siesta Village is nice, but nothing like St. Armands. There are some little shops and places to eat, but not of the same caliber.

~SRQgirl

asnp, pull up Google Maps (or get a Florida map from AAA or Wal-Mart) and you will see that Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key and Lido Key are all islands that are interconnected i.e. you do not have to go to the mainland to get from one to the other - and it is a very scenic drive. However, Siesta Key is not interconnected to those three - you have to go to the Sarasota mainland on one bridge and come back across another to go from Siesta Key to Lido Key - but still only about a 20 to 30 minute drive depending on traffic and where on Siesta Key you are.

Thanks for all your responses. Yes I do have a map and I see how the keys are set up... That is actually what I had referred to in my previous post.... just didnt know if it made that much time or traffic distance if one had to go back to the mainland first. But apparently it isnt much of an issue which is what i had thought. We do like to drive around and explore the different areas especially if it is too cool to go to the beach. Just trying to find something to sway me one way or the other. I think I am leaning towards Lido Key but I could easily be pushed the other way

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