You have to go to Eastern Lake Nursery. I'm sure it is still there. It used to be The Gourd Garden. Anyway, it's in Santa Rosa Beach on hwy 30-A (east of Destin). (You'll have to eat at the Donut Hole on the way to or fro...yummy!!!) It is my all-time favorite nursery. It's been about 2 years since I've been, but they always had fun herbs, cool ferns, natives, etc... And the location is so quaint. Google it for more info. There's also the Crestview Nursery, north of Fort Walton Beach in Crestview. It may a bit more of a hike, but it is pretty big. The spring is always nice there, but it was always hit or miss for me. I still think that you would be pleased. Here's their url: http://crestviewnurseries.com/default.asp Well, enjoy the white sand beaches and have a meal or two at The Back Porch for me. PS. I love their grilled amberjack. It is so yummy and mild! Let us know how your trip went!

We took a fabulous all inclusive to Playa del Carmen, which is about 45 miles south of Cancun. Our kids were 12 and 16, and as long as they stayed together we let them have the run of the resort. It was great because they could play tennis, swim in one of the five pools, snorkel, get something to eat or drink etc. They loved going in and ordering all kinds of 'virgin' drinks -very fancy and delicious. The food was excellent. We also took separate snorkeling trips, swam with the dolphins, etc. Beaches are white sand and the water is truly turquoise. Go to tripadvisor.com and search on Playa del Carmen. You'll get great recommendations for places to stay as well as activities.

At holiday time, Florida can be in the 80's. It can also be in the 40's - I've been there for both. There's just no guarantee, even as far south as Miami. It's bound to be warmer than wherever you're coming from, but that doesn't necessarily mean swimming weather. I think it was 3 years ago we were on Anna Maria Island just after Xmas. First day was almost 80, then dropped into the 40's for the next 5 days before it climbed back into the upper 60's. The entire west coast of FL was like that and the water was c-o-l-d!!!!

The nothern Ca coast is perfect for a road trip, with many sights along the way. To make it easy on yourself, fly into the small Santa Barbara airport(if possible), and rent a car from there. Santa Barbara itself is a lovely, wonderful, bustling little village with plenty of shops, great food, the pier, and of course the magnificent beach! Oh, and USB is right on the ocean. You'll only be about an hour(a gorgeoous drive!)from San Simeon where Hearst Castle is located, but you would need to book your tours online beforehand~we dId two, one after the other, but don't recall which. I swear the views from the estate are a look into heaven! You will also be close to San Luis Obispo, a great little village with a ban of fast food chains. There's a tree~lined street you can't miss, which is reminiscent of a scene out of Gone With the Wind with the mighty Oaks and also the college with it's gorgeous grounds. I can't remember how far you will be from Solvang, but it's a short drive and well worth seeing this bit of Sweden-in-America! Monticeido and Summerland, are other small villages worthy of a bit of time, and close to each other. As an aside, i'm also somewhat of a 'food snob' and was happy to learn the majority of the small restaurants along the way have their own organic gardens and if not, the produce is bought locally from organic farmers/farmers markets. It's definitely a trip i'm planning to do again, and will take in Monterey and Carmel, possibly as far as San Fran/Sausilito. As for San Diego, I lived there for 27 years before moving to Austin, and it can get crazy on the freeways. Parking places at the beach are rare, restaurants can be a 2 hour wait, and if there's a baseball game, traffic can be at a standstill in every direction. The Del Mar Fair is in late June ending on July 4th, but two weeks later horse racing season starts~all this creates more traffic, etc in SD. Just a heads up, as it can become frustrating(and overwhelming!)and may be more than you bargained for. Just something to keep in mind if you plan a visit. Looking forward to your decision. You've been given some great ideas!