SIESTA KEY, FL

My family used to vacation down in the Siesta Key area and it really is one of the nicest family oriented beach resorts in Florida. It's on the Gulf coast so the water is calmer than on the other coast of Florida that faces the Atlantic. There are many vacation rentals and family oriented hotels and many of the visitors come from the midwest US (i.e. chicago).Also nearby Sarasota has a good art scene including the Ringling Brothers museum as well as great biking paths and like much of Florida plenty of first rate golf courses.There are some nice shopping areas as well (St. Amands Key is one of my favorite) and other nice attractions nearby. Long Boat Key has some gorgeous beaches that are much less populated than Siesta Key and there are botanical gardens and water parks as well.