The alcohol-free Children’s Gasparilla Parade this Saturday is the G-rated version of the drunken bead hunt that is the big parade. But it can still be a tough scene if you don't plan ahead. Instead of drunks peeing in the bushes, you can have a toddler peeing his pants because you didn't think about how long the lines are for a portable potty.

Though I was tempted to list ways to stash a flask of Captain Morgan's in your fanny pack among my list of surivival tips, I kept my advice G-rated, too. You can read here what many experienced parade-goers told me were the best ways to navigate a crowded sea of pirates.

-- Sharon Kennedy Wynne