The Spread:
Inviting St. Pete Beach stretches along the southern end of the Pinellas County island chain. Two resorts make up the 20-acre TradeWinds: the 159-room Sandpiper Hotel & Suites and the 585-room Island Grand Resort, the more family-friendly of the two considering its proximity to the kids' club and other amenities and its varied room categories. Both

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properties, however, front a wide, white-sand beach and share amenities. TradeWinds Island Grand offers a full range of family activities from tetherball and water trikes to mini-golf and tennis.

Why Families Love It:
Families can navigate a paddleboat along the canal that runs through the lush property as well as jump and zip down the High Tide Slide, a bounce house and three-story slide that sits beachfront March through Labor Day (fee is $3 per slide or $30 per day). Pizza Hut is among the many options for on-property dining. Parents will like the "grown-up" restaurants, spa, and sunset wine-tastings.

The KONK (Kids Only, No Kidding) Club supervises children ages four to 11 Tuesday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. Cost is $25 per session, including lunch or dinner. Daily themes range from Kids in the Kitchen and Finding Nemo to an evening Kids' Luau. Families can participate in other à la carte activities such as poolside bingo, Family Feud, glow-in-the-dark mini-golf and volleyball, magic shows, and karaoke. Red Cross-certified instructors teach swimming lessons starting at $15 for 20 minutes. The resort mascot, Beaker the Pelican, tucks children in at bedtime ($14, including a stuffed mini-Beaker toy).

Special Activities & Events:
Wednesday and Saturday evenings, the Captain RedBeard's Pirate Show is held outside RedBeard's Tavern, followed by KidCare at a Moonlight KONK, from 8:30 until 11:30 p.m. KidCare costs $15 but is free with a receipt for at least $15 from the tavern.