Thinking of taking a vacation with my wife in February 2024 to Florida, never been there and don't even know which area we would like to visit so open to any and all suggestions. Wanting a break from the wisconsin winter to a warmer area so also open to other suggestions that are within the United States. We plan on it being one week saturday-following Sunday, probably fly out and then rent a car once we land.

We do it every year. Go around Okeechobee. My in laws have a place there and we stay with them and do quite a bit of fishing. It’s a really nice break from the cold and ice.

If you do, be sure to swing by the Okeechobee Fish Co for lunch or supper.

where is okeechobee, in Florida gulf??

we used to go to Bradenton beach area but in February there are too many people.

I have been going to Okeechobee in February the past couple years, doing a little fishing and just looking over the countryside. Stay in or around Fort Myers or Clewiston. Of course I have to take a couple of the obligatory trips to the beach with my wife. This year I am going to do an alligator hunt I think.

Crappie and bass fishing is good in February.

Go on down to the Keys. Duck Key , Marathon, Islamorada. Great fishing, plenty of good food around and things to do/places to see. The Dry Tortugas are neat, a lot of history. My grandparents used to go down for Jan-April and we visited often. Great place, highly recommend

I used to go to the keys every winter, Keys are awesome just a bit expensive
.personally I prefer big pine or further down towards key west.

For many years we used to stay with the in laws the first two weeks in February. They lived in No. Fort Myers. Father in law and I would go ocean fishing. Caught lots of speckled trout, sheepshead, and some grouper. All very good eating. Weather was perfect that time of the year.

My brother has a condo in PCB. February will be mainly snowbirds, not a lot of traffic and do whatever you want as far as the beach and being lazy.

Besides the other comments here on places to see, I would go more north...to Ocala. It is the horse farm of the country, rivaling Kentucky. A tour around Ocala , seeing the farms and Studs operating in such pretty habitat . Orange groves , Silver Springs, and along the border, Okefenokee Swamp is a special place too. The Glades to the south, near Okeechobee lake are my stompin grounds, along with Ocala and other places. Alligator Alley , otherwise known as Tamiami Trail, takes one through the glades too, with spots to turn off at the Seminole and Miccosukee Tribal lands. When I was there, long ago, they had produce stands, gift shops of handmade items, and some small restaurants that serve unique foods from the glades.

There is nothing on earth like a fresh mango from FLA.

Clewiston good place to be might even run into Roland or Scott down at the marinia

Used to party hard there in March back in the younger days,before the place got over run with Cubans.

That's two reasons to stay somewhere other than Clewiston.

Where are you flying into? Orlando or Miami? You could split your vacation up a bit and go to the Keys for 3 days or so then somewhere like St. Augustine & Daytona. St Augustine is a cool area with a lot of history. Do a hop on off tour if you go there that's my opinion.

My next vacation in Florida will be somewhere near Pensacola. Still on the gulf to fish or charter a boat, plus your 3hrs from New Orleans. So you have Alabama and Mississippi to explore. Just a thought, but I live here in central FL and stay inland.

It's a pretty good restaurant.

Stay south of Tampa that time of year, east west or otherwise. Had some property for years about 45 minutes north of Tampa up near Homosassa and Jan-Feb you can wake up to frost as we had on the golf course often.
No point in going south to have freezing mornings.

Osky

yep- it can be 60 to 80 in the day time.

x2... 1st couple weeks of Feb can be iffy . South of Tampa is a good idea for warmer weather