Florida at the end of August was phenomenal. I know it's the beginning of hurricane season but the summer vacationers are almost completely gone and the weather is nice from the seasonal rain and cloud coverage due to the hurricanes trying to hit land.
We stayed in Pompano Beach which sets between Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale. It's also only 20 minutes from Miami South Beach if you take Hwy. 95.
The beaches in this area are pristine and the water is bath water warm. The shore is calmer than the Pacific Ocean and therefore much easier to enjoy. Some of the beaches have lounge chairs on site, which I think is heaven on earth. There are life guards, showers, bathrooms, and shopping and restaurants always nearby and most of the time they are in walking distance.
I understand why snow bunnies come there to thaw out and why others retire there. It's the most beautiful beach environment I have ever been to thus far and is very similar to Grand Bahama beach which is only 56 miles off the coast of Ft. Lauderdale. You can take Discovery Day Cruises and take a 5 hour cruise to get there or take a quick flight to really enjoy the Island. We took the cruise but it was way too long since we are not gamblers or drinkers. 10 hours on a ship was worth the experience but next time I will fly there. We only had 3 hours on the Island before we had to board the ship to return to the mainland.
When you visit the beaches you will have the ability to park in a paid parking structure or find a spot on the street and use your debit card to pay for your spot.
On a different note, the Everglades is a really fun experience if you want to try out an Air boat to see the alligators. You can drive there yourself and go on your own or hook up with one of the tours from the many resorts or hotels you might be staying at. It's only about a 45 minute drive from Ft. Lauderdale to get to the Everglades where you can see on of the experienced guides wrestle an alligator (well not really wrestle, but it's pretty cool.)
If you are itching to see the Keys, the drive to Key West is very long. We tried to make the trip but decided to stay in Key Largo and take advantage of the snorkeling on a catamaran tour instead. Key Biscayne is the closest Key to visit and you can get to it much easier if you are in Miami. The turnoff is very close to Coconut Grove. There is no beach in Key Largo but there is in Key Biscayne. If you are interested in taking the 7 mile bridge to Key West it's worth it to see what Flagler did for Miami.
If you are a snorkeler Key Largo has better snorkeling than Key West according to the Visitor Center on Highway 1 in Key Largo.
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