For Families

Despite a thriving nightlife and sometimes R-rated (or worse) sensibility -- and dress code (or lack thereof), South Florida is definitely a kid-friendly destination. While we don't recommend you taking the little ones to South Beach, there are tons of other places that are family friendly and won't have the kids screaming that they wish they were at Disney World!

Days 1 & 2: Key Biscayne

Both the Sonesta Beach Resort and the Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne have fabulous children's programs, not to mention pretty cool diversions for adults, too. Spend a day checking the resorts out, and then skip the Miami Seaquarium -- unless the kids want to swim with the dolphins -- and spend the day at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center where the entire family can explore an ancient fossil tidal pool. If there's time left, check out the Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park and rent a hydrobike.

Days 3 & 4: Coral Gables & South Miami

Get an early start and head south to Homestead's legendary Coral Castle. After the kids tire of seeing this wacky attraction, grab lunch at the family-friendly, family-run Mexican mainstay, El Toro Taco. On your way to Coral Gables, make a stop at Miami Metro Zoo or Monkey Jungle depending on your preference in animals, and then clean off that stinky animal scent with a splash in Coral Gables's resplendent, refreshing Venetian Pool. If you're up for it, check out Vizcaya Museum and Gardens and/or the Miami Museum of Science and Space Transit Planetarium. After working up an appetite, take the kids for a big dinner at Porcao, where they'll enjoy holding up their signs when they're ready to eat more meat!

Days 5 to 7: Miami-Port St. Lucie

Before leaving Miami, make sure to stop at the Miami Children's Museum where the kids can spend a few hours channeling their inner grown up in a bona fide TV and recording studio. Grab a TV dinner at the G-rated Big Pink on South Beach and then hit the road to Vero Beach where you will check into the Club-Med Sandpiper on the St. Lucie River, where there are four different children's clubs for ages 4 months all the way up to 13 years. En route to Vero, you may want to take the kids to West Palm Beach's whimsical Playmobil Fun Park or on a safari through Lion Country Safari and then grab lunch at Jupiter's legendary Nick's Tomato Pie.

Day 7: Vero Beach

As if Club Med doesn't have enough for the family to do -- or not do, you may want to take the kids out to Dodgertown, the place where the L.A. Dodgers spend Spring Training, or to Disney's Vero Beach Resort, which is situated on 71 acres of beach and features that Disney vibe the kids may be in the mood for at this point!