Hi Kim,
I know you said "as far north as possible",
but.......
Naples, on the lower west coast, is really nice, IMHO, and while it may be a bit pricey, the area is beautiful, and interesting. Good restaurants, hotels, shopping, fine beaches. Not as crowded as the more touristy areas, but I guess it depends what you are looking for. Might have a look at the website for Naples and the SW Florida area.
bj-21.
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'Tis better to have played and won, then never to have played at all.