Orlando in March- Best Beaches & Resturants?

Going to Orlando in March- what are the best beaches for swimming in and around Orlando and what beaches are best for digging for shells and where are the best resturants in and around Orlando?

Orlando in March- Best Beaches %26amp; Resturants?

No ocean beaches in Orlando, only the occasional manmade beach on a lake at a resort or water park. Around Orlando, Cocoa Beach and Daytona Beach and Canaveral National Seashore are 1 hr from Orlando on the Atlantic Coast, while Clearwater and St. Petersburg Beach are 1 1/2 - 2 hours away on the Gulf coast, and to the south are Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key and Siesta Key. 3-4 hours away, on the Southwestern gulf coast is Sanibel Island, the best shelling beach in the USA. Check back posts for discussions/debates about beaches, using the forum search box in the middle of the page.

Go to orlandosentinel.com, and click on Dining for restaurant options. Look at the 2005 Foodie Awards for award winning restaurants. Also check back posts for restaurants. Orlando has everything from $3.99 buffets to themed restaurants to dinner shows to places ranging from $50-$100 a plate. The ultimate splurge: Victoria %26amp; Alberts at Disney%26#39;s Grand Floridian Resort %26amp; Spa. Jacket required, and its $95 a person, and more on top of that if you sit at the chef%26#39;s table and/or get wine pairings with your meal.

Orlando in March- Best Beaches %26amp; Resturants?

We go to Clearwater when we go to Orlando....its about 1.5 to 2 hour drive but is a straight road so easy enough to find.....Clearwater has a lovely white sand beach and if you go onto the end of the pier there is a great view of the sunset - magnificent!!

Also at clearwater on the beach front is a seafood restaurant called Jonny Laverocks....the food their is delicious and if you ask for a window seat you can sometimes see the Dolphins jumping around in the sea.

I second the vote for Leverocks Restaurant. I%26#39;ve been to the one in Clearwater Beach and the one in Madeira Beach, and I love them both. I%26#39;ve even driven from Orlando just to eat there.

You won%26#39;t find a lot of shells at the Atlantic coast beaches. For good shells, you have to go to the Gulf coast. Sanibel Island is known for the best shelling, but I have found great shells in the Madeira Beach and Redington Beach areas. You can do a day trip to the Gulf easily, but keep in mind that you have to drive through Tampa, so you don%26#39;t hit it at rush hour. I find leaving Orlando about 7:30am gets you out of Orlando before rush hour and into Tampa just after.

Check out the back post:

';In town for a convention....any good places to eat?';

There%26#39;s a couple of lists of nice places to eat in the touristy area of Orlando. For cheaper places, check out posts on ';Fast Food'; and ';Best Burger';. Also, do a forum search for ';Local restaurants'; and ';Non-touristy restaurants'; and you will find more, some outside the touristy areas.

One restaurant that is mentioned over and over again here is ';Sweet Tomatoes';, though since its a chain, its possible you could have encountered it elsewhere. Its a salad buffet with soup, pasta, pastry, focaccia (Pizza, really), and mostly vegetarian, and is about $9 for the evening buffet. Its on International Drive at Kirkman Rd. across from Universal Studios.