As I sit here watching the white caps roll across Assawoman Bay and the nor’easter pummeling our town, it’s a good day to think of Florida’s beaches, compile my Cheap Eats List and ponder my 2010 Adventure to the warm places of our country from early January to late April, when every day here is like this or worse. One thing I know for sure about my trip this year is: It’s going to be different, since two of my prime players are gone and their replacement will facilitate more freedom for me to wander and meander. Coins Sun., Tues. & Thurs. 1⁄2$ menu; Seacrets 1⁄2$ shrimp and apps at HH; & Fagers Prime Rib (coming soon) on Mon. & Tues. are the top CheapEats and lots of bars have pigskin specials. If you want a copy send an email to ocfotoguy@aol.com.
    One of the TV channels routinely rates the Florida beaches; since I visit many of the less visited ones, I have my best list, too. Here, I’m seeing more sweat shirts than T-shirts, the sun is losing the weather war, it’s dark at 7pm, and Halloween is just around the corner. Oh my, no wonder I’m thinking of Florida’s Beaches!
    The best beach in Florida is? The TV says, Siesta Key is it. Of course, I’m going to tell you something different. What was their selection criterion? Who knows, but I know mine was different and your’s would be, too.  I was there, looked at and walked the beach.  I’ve also been lucky enough to visit lots of others where tourists don’t swarm (most important to me). I do remember the program dwelling on Siesta Keys powdery white soft sand. That it has for miles. Your bare feet won’t hit anything hard or sharp, but that means there are no sea shells. I enjoy examining the shells. There are so many kinds and colors and some even harbor some very tasty edible morsels. I leave them for someone else except when I know a scallop, oyster or conch is inside. They are keepers. The King Conch I found in Islamorada was certainly a keeper and adorned the dashboard of my car. Siesta Key is about 50 miles south of Sarasota just off of US Rt. 41. The beach is very accessible, there’s no parking meters and there’s a big free parking lot with a concession stand that sells ACBs, that taste so good as I walked up the beach. I saw no open container problems. Traffic can be a problem, though, so leave your car where you’re staying. There’re few motels, but ample restaurants and bars either in the Village at the north end, where there’s a great farmer’s market on Sunday or near the Stickney Bridge (Rt. 72) to the mainland south of there. I stayed near the bridge where they gave me a break on the price if I paid for three nights and the Village was a delightful 3 or 4 mile beach walk away. There’s a local bus, too. Fish sandwiches were abundant and delicious with red snapper an unusual choice, which has much more flavor than the usual mahi mahi or grouper, which are very good too; especially with rueben fixings. Few tourists, powdery sand, good food, reasonable motel prices, ACBs on the beach and free parking =  instantly on my Don’t Miss List.  
    Siesta Key and the Sarasota area is a little out of the fringe of the range of the summer Florida sun in February and probably why I got a break on the room price. Then the Keys are the place to bask in the sun. There’re public beaches at the bridges in Islamorada MM 79.7 and some other Keys bridges, Ann’s beach at MM 74, a nice beach near the pool bar where Kim serves up the drinks in the sun at Holiday Isle MM 84, and of course, Smather’s Beach in Key West and the almost hidden and little known public beach at Ft. Zachary Taylor State Park within walking distance of Mallory Square right off Whitehead St. in Key West.
    Since I’m not in the Keys after January, but in southwest Florida camped 20 miles deep in the Everglades at the Big Cypress National Preserve, my beach time is spent at Marco Island, Naples City Beach and Ft. Myers Beach. Sanibel’s beaches are still recovering from the hurricanes. Lover’s Key at the east end of FMB towards Bonita is on my list to spend some time with my 2010 new prime player since there’s almost no people there and it’s a short bicycle ride to FMB. Marco Island Beach tops my list. It’s within walking distance of Rookie’s Sports Bar where I watch ACC & Terps Basketball, Nacho Mama’s where I eat wet burritos for breakfast (both in the Marco Walk Shopping Center at Winterberry Dr. & Collier Blvd. Rt. 951), and CJs where O.C.’s Jim Long over winters.  The beach is long, gorgeous and laden with collectible (yeah, edible) shells. Naples City Beach is long and gorgeous, too, with a fishing pier where no license is needed, but I haven’t seen any edible shells so it’s #2. You used to be able to see spoonbills in the lagoon behind the Holiday Inn in FMB.  It has great sunsets, but Jimmie’s B’s panoramic view restaurant was the best place to watch from, but it has given way to a condo! Now FMB is off my DML. See you in Marco where it’s warm in February!