Looking at the pics toolz posted http://www.oprano.com/msgboard/index.php?a...d37b7ac1580709a of Marc De's wedding cruise - very nice!

Giving me the urge to travel
Taking Sebastian and his Mom to Disney World for the first week of December
Might be able to free up some time in February of next year
Any suggestions?

Usually I stick to the US and late winter I usually go to New Orleans but might be time for something different

Looking for somewhere warm, excellent dining, interesting history, good shopping, some nightlife, somewhere that invokes the senses and provokes thought

Vick,

I hear SoFl is nice.
Come on down, and
visit us.

Vick, wanna join us and Meat on our way to NZ, OZ, Japan?
;-)))

Thanks voodooman
Key West might be an idea but will be in Florida in December
The only time I was in Miami I didn't care for it much but that was only 3 or 4 days at a convention so that's not really a good measure

Well, Serge is in Boca, Im in Fort Lauderdale. :)

But, Key West is excellent in Dec. I spent xmas there
a coulple years ago and it was a nice change.

Serge - When are you going? I'd like to see Japan

When I posted I thought (painful I know) you might suggest Italy

Serge - When are you going? I'd like to see Japan

When I posted I thought (painful I know) you might suggest Italy[/b][/quote]
not in February..
;-)))

we are planning to go in February for 3 weeks:
Tokyo - 5 days,
than to Brissbane, Sydney and 5-7 days in NZ...we'll see what comes out of it, all those cazilions of hours in the air is tough
;-(((

Vick,

S.Fl. can accommodate all those requirements, as long as you cover a wide area, from Miami to Key west.

My opinion of each section on a scale of 1-10 in each of your categories:

------ Miami - Middle Keys - Key West
Warm --- 10 --- 10 --- 10
Dining --- 8 --- 8 --- 6
History --- 7 --- 7 --- 7
Shopping --- 8 --- 0 --- 4
Nightlife --- 9 --- 0 --- 6
Senses/Thought --- 4 --- 9 --- 4

Suggestions:

Dining:

Miami: Joe Allen Restaurant http://www.joeallenrestaurant.com/
Keys: Little Palm Island http://www.littlepalmisland.com/

History: Dry Tortugas http://www.nps.gov/drto/

Provoke thought: Rent a boat and cruise around the backcountry islands of the middle Keys. http://www.raysrentalboats.com/

Of course, "interesting" is subjective of what you like, too. Key West "nightlife" is entertaining, but much different than Miami.

Serge - I'll have to take a look and see what the weather is like in Japan in February
At the end of winter I like to go sun somewhere and get warm

DaveAFX - Much thanks!!!!

From a 10 year old article

My favorite time to visit Japan is during the winter. January and February are usually sunny, with very little rain. The weather is cool, but nothing like the freezing temperatures that batter the northern U.S. during the same period. The first two weeks of January can be a good time to visit Japan for reasons other than the weather. Americans get over the New Year levity rather quickly and get down to business. However, Japan closes completely from December 28 until January 4. The next 10 days or so are replete with a series of "firsts". Many Japanese attach mystic significance to these events. The first writing of the year, the first phone call, the first visit, and many other events, are observed with great solemnity.

The hanami (flower viewing) season is definitely one of the best times to visit Japan. This coincides with the best time for viewing sakura (cherry blossoms), and occurs at different times based on the climatic conditions of the region. In Tokyo, the cherry blossoms usually bloom in late March or early April.

Tokyo Average temperature Average rainfall
Spring March - May 8 - 17oC 122mm
Summer June - August 20 - 28oC 143mm
Autumn September - November 13 - 21oC 178mm
Winter December - February -1 - 9oC 56mm