Would you pick Florida or Hawaii for a beach vacation in Dec - Jan?
I want to go with my son during his winter break. Never been to any of these 2 but he really likes the beach so I’d like to take him to a proper tropical place this time.
Hawaii. Beautiful scenery, culture, food. Florida has a beach yes , but also ugly cities and some terrible. floridians
Florida is canceled. Hawaii.
Hawaii. I used to live in Florida and while it has some pretty places and neat things, most of it is generic grubby little towns, trailer parks and lots and lots of rednecks. And most of isn't very tropical.
Plus, Hawaii has volcanoes, which are always cool.
YMMV.
I grew up in Hawaii and used to visit Florida because my grandmother had a winter place there. I agree with your comment completely.
Hawaii, because Florida.
In reality, you're asking a VERY left part of the internet. Florida is a diverse and varied pla....
Nah just kidding, fuck Florida. Hawaii is incredible, too, and I'd really consider it if the budget allows. Also look at Bermuda, Bahamas, Puerto Rico
Hawaii has been calling for tourists not to come because it's an exploitative industry iirc.
Like all positions, this is nuanced. There is a lot of rebuilding on hold in Maui due to toxicity concerns with debris. So locals are rather upset tourists are getting lodging while some locals have trouble being housed. Yet at the same time, tourism is the economy. So the locals can’t both want people to stay away from them and expect their money… this isn’t a marriage.
Puerto Rico.
Hawaii is better than Florida in every way. I like Maui the most with Kuaii in a close second. Florida is packed and full of the dumbest people you'll ever meet. Hawaiians are generally chill. The weather is better in Hawaii and the state is leagues of magnitude prettier. I've vacationed multiple times in both states and I would spend the extra to go to Hawaii everytime, both for political reasons and because it's way better.
Puerto Rico is lovely
If travel time and cost doesn't matter, I would always pick Hawaii over Florida any time of year. If travel time matters, then I'd look at the Caribbean before Florida for anyone on the East coast. Florida would be my last choice if I needed to keep things cheaper.
I moved to Florida specifically so that I could live at the beach. Go to Hawaii.
Dec/Jan is the Florida high season, so everything is crowded and accommodations will be pricey. If your vacation truly is in Jan though, Hawaii will actually be quiet (end of December is super crowded tho).
If you do go to Florida, look at Naples up to Tampa on the gulf coast, or key west. The people are much nicer than Floridians on the east coast
People become nicer on the east coast of Florida as you go away from Miami.
I lived in Melbourne for a while and I've gotta disagree with you on that.
Hawaii overall is nicer and more expensive than Florida, however Florida easily has the better beaches. Snorkeling is going to be better in Hawaii, but the beaches themselves are pretty rocky and kind of mid, to be honest. Florida knows its beaches are the money makers and goes the extra mile to make them nice. The sand is well groomed and it's that powdery white sand that feels incredible.
Thanks. My son likes sunbathing / lounging on the beach, playing around / swimming in the water close to the shore the most; so the actual beach is really important.
Florida would be the better option imo. During that time frame it won't be tourist season, so those beaches won't be over crowded either. Florida beaches get kind of nuts at spring break time. The flipside of that is that not everywhere will be open. I visited Destin in Feb before and some of the more tourist spots, like Shed BBQ for example, were closed.
Hear me out: Belize!
We're not going to the States for 10 years now, at least.
Try Aruba.
Depends on which is closer. Also, only South Florida is truly tropical
Florida is going to be absolutely overwhelmed with MAGA during that time-frame.
Where are you traveling from? West coast I’d say Hawaii, southern us I’d say playa del carmen and cancun.
MA.
Hm, that’s a journey anywhere. Assuming money is no object, you’re 8 hrs from hawaii, and 3.5-6 from florida depending on layovers and where. Europe is only 6-8 from you if you stay in western europe.
Having been to both of your choices many times, I’d suggest Kauai for its rugged beauty and hiking.
Have you considered taking him to jersey shore to remind him how good he has it at home? :)
As far as im aware the native Hawaiians actually request tourists not to go because the island is being destroyed by tourism. Its getting so expensive from tourism natives have to leave. So id go somewhere else. Honestly Florida and Hawaii are both very over-done tourist wise imo. If i were you id consider just getting passports now if you dont have them yet and go somewhere in Mexico. Youll save money and probably have a better experience. Another option if you want like a warm American city on the beach is San Diego California, or somewhere along the gulf coast of southern texas like Corpus Christi.
I'm trans. If I went to Florida, I'd die, at worst (just kidding; that's not the worst that would happen), and be sent to prison at best, where I would then probably be killed one way or the other.
I don't know if you're trans (nor is it my business). But if not, then you might have better luck. Maybe.
Hawaii meanwhile is a far more LGBT-friendly locale. So, yeah, Hawaii it is bitches!
We have plenty of trans people here, and one of the bigger LBGT communities. Obviously we also have rednecks in the boonies, like the rest of the country but plenty of openly queer people here, and a big scene.
Now, if you are boycotting because of the tone at the top, that makes sense, I support you. But you don't need to worry about visiting if you want to, it's safe in the cities.
Florida has had Do Not Travel advisories for at least a year for anyone trans (and frankly anyone LGBTQ+ in general).
Well, Florida got it pretty bad this hurricane season, so I guess it partly depends exactly what area of Florida you're considering, plus basically whichever of the two states is generally in better shape after their recent disasters.
Either way, wherever you go, check the specific area you're considering first.
My parents used to take us to Florida in January in the 90s. It was nice and not crowded, including Disney World. It's probably not the same anymore though.
Nice. I was thinking of Key West & the Keys in general for Florida, that area. Not interested at all in parks.
Key West is fun but it's not very beachy. You could go to a Florida beach town and then drive down the keys for a couple of days. Miami is fun. Tampa/Clearwater is nice. Sanibel/Captiva are pretty, but also very quiet.
Where will you be traveling from?
MA.
Portugal or Spain?
Too cold during winter. Also beachy, but not tropical in my mind.
Fair enough. They're in my next places to visit list.
Depends whether you want to just relax in the warm bathtub of the Gulf of Mexico, or be freezing in the water of the Pacific with its dramatic and beautiful waves.
No, I would not.