Sicily

Debbie, Although Sicily may look different than other parts of Italy, I find it just as beautiful albeit in a slightly different way. Some of the larger cities (ie: Palermo) can be a bit "gritty", but no more so than Napoli or other places. That's part of the character which is a reflection of the Moorish influence and other components of the history. The foods are also somewhat distinct, again due to the colourful history. I find the towns to be beautiful, one example being Cefalù, and the historic sights are magnificent (ie: Valley of the Temples, Segesta, Villa Romana del Casale). I'm not sure looking at the sights on Google Earth provides an accurate picture of the "real" Sicily. It has to be seen and experienced in person. Whatever your Dad's home town looks like, "it is what it is" and it's where that side of your family originated from. Good luck and happy travels!

Debbie, I absolutely loved Sicily. We were there several years ago on a tour and our guide happened to be from Sciacca, so even though it wasn't a planned stop on the tour he took us there for our lunch stop because he needed to meet his mother and sister for some reason. I liked Sciacca, it's a center for lots of ceramic artists so in addition to a quick lunch we checked out a couple of artists' ceramic studios and also wandered along the waterfront. We stayed in Agrigento (for the temples), Palermo, and Giardini Naxos,a beach resort near the town of Taormina which we visited. I loved the town square and the Greek theater there is a must see. In Palermo don't miss the market - "gritty" is a good word for it, but fascinating. Also the marionette museum is very intersting and entertaining. Of course seeing and walking on Mt Etna was on my bucket list so that was exciting for me. Also at night we could see the fire and lava spouting from it's summit from our hotel, other-worldly comes to mind. I could go on and on. There's so much to see and it's really different. The hill towns reminded me somewhat of Tuscany and the ancient sites are some of the best to be seen. Go to the top of this page and type Sicily in the search box and read some of the responses to other posters' questions.

Here is a site I used to plan my trip and learn about where to go and what to see.... Best of Sicily I LOVE Sicily - one of my favorite parts of Italy.

If you google earth some places you have already been to, you might be just as disappointed in what you see on the map. Sicily is beautiful, with a great diversity of culture and history. In addition to the places mentioned, there is Siracusa and the volcanic islands. Try google images of a particular city and see what you think (Taotmina would be a good example).

We were in Sicily for 28 days in April and May. We had been to Italy twice before and we loved Sicily! We drove around the island counter clockwise from Palermo and visited many ancient ruins, medieval towns, Baroque towns, beaches, and more. The people in Sicily were very helpful, some of them even leading us to our hotel when we got lost (the GPS works fine on the roads, not so well in the old towns). Sicily is different because through the ages they have been invaded by so many different cultures, each leaving a bit behind. But Sicily is special and beautiful. We stayed in Sciacca for 3 nights at B&B Porta di Mare and ate delicious seafood at Il Faro. While you're in Sciacca be sure to eat Cassata Siciliana. We had this dessert in a few towns but the one in Sciacca was easily the best! We also think that Sicily has the best pasta in all of Italy. There are some great trip reports on tripadvisor.com that will give you a good feel for Sicily. We loved it and hope that you will, too!

Italians consistently vote Sicily as the most beautiful region in Italy (out of 20 total) or at least on the top two. Either they are crazy or they haven't loaded Google Earth on their computer.

We were in Sicily at Easter time and wildflowers covered the countryside everywhere we went. They were spectacular. The beautiful scenery and impressive archaeological sites were buried in flowers, which made them even more wonderful. I hope you'll be able to go in the spring.

Oh, Debbie! Do not be disheartened! I've been to Italy 7, maybe 8 times. We have family in the North on the Adriatic (Eastern) side. Two family weddings, Been to Milan, Florence, Siena, Rome....and then four years ago decided to make a leap of faith and go to Sicily! It was absolutely magical beautiful in every possible way! The people, the food, the sites and I literally dragged a reluctant husband who always thought Rome was way too far South! He loved it, I loved it, our friends who travelled with us loved it. I stumbled upon this website by accident after looking at other websites online: legendofsicily.com They rent apartments, and arrange tours. The people there especially the owner is kind, warm, funny and very willing to work with you. We went for a week and stayed for ten days. This business is based in Taormina on the Northeast side of the Island. From Taormina you can tour the entire Eastern side of the Island, including Mt. Etna, Cyclopes Riviera and even Syracusia all the way to the Southernmost part of Eastern Sicily. Taormina is spectacular. We're going again in September the produce is in, and I've never had a tomato or a grape that tastes like that in my LIFE!
Maybe in a year we'll go in the Spring and see the wildflowers! Go to Sicily! For sure don't miss Taormina. If you prefer to rent a car, they have several apartments that offer free parking - or you can skip the car altogether and tour with these people. Private Message me if you want more information. Ciao! Happy Travels

Thank you everyone for you comments. This has really helped. Please keep them coming. Also if anyone can suggest some inexpensive B&B's or other places to stay that would be great. Please include must stop restaurants! Can't wait. Thanks again.

Debbie, I usually stay in Hotels, but I'm sure the others will have lots of good B&B suggestions. When in Sicily, be sure to try Pasta alla Norma. I tried it for the first time there, and really enjoyed it. I had another helping at an Italian restaurant in Seville in June, and it was excellent. Which restaurants to suggest may depend on which part of each city you're staying in.

The apartments on legendofsicily have many different price points -- and all have kitchens! Some are large enough to host you, your husband and parents, and some are smaller. Take a look!

Sicily is beautiful. It can be pretty dirty in cities and towns but it is what it is. Have been to Sicily a few times and if there were only one place I could ever travel to again in my life it would be Sicily.

Me too, Ron! Taormina is spotless!!

Here's an interesting NY Times article, written by someone who went Sicily to find family roots, and had a very positive experience: http://travel.nytimes.com/2013/08/18/travel/digging-up-family-roots-in-sicily.html?pagewanted=all