St. Petersburg Fun

Teresa:The South Paddling Trail is about 4 miles long and takes about 3 hours. It’s a unique and beautiful trail through lush mangrove tunnels and shallow open water. Numbered markers help guide you along the trail. You can find a map and useful info here: http://www.weedonislandpreserve.org/pdf/WIP_South_Paddling_Trail.pdf A +1 foot or higher is required to get through the mangrove tunnels. Tide info here: https://www.tides.net//florida/994/ You can rent kayaks here: https://ecomersion.com/weedon-island-kayak-tours/ Ecomersion also offer 2-hour guided tours, which must only go through a portion of the whole trail since they are only 2 hour tours and the whole trail takes 3-4 hours. There are also walking trails through Weedon Island Preserve. Visitor guide here: http://www.weedonislandpreserve.org/pdf/WIVisitorsWeb.pdf Hiking Trail maps here: http://www.weedonislandpreserve.org/images/WIPVisitorMap.jpg More general info on Weedon Island Preserve: http://www.weedonislandpreserve.org

Teresa:In the winter, there are often 100+ vendors with fruits and vegetables, humanely raised meats, cheeses, breads and bakery treats, flowers, gifts, clothing, artwork, and food trucks. Winter Saturdays, 9am - 2pm 100 1st St. SE (at 1st Ave S) on the Downtown Waterfront Summer: Williams Park Saturdays, 9am -1pm Williams Park, 301 1st Ave N, 33701 More information here: https://saturdaymorningmarket.com

Teresa:There are many parks downtown to explore. You can walk, feed the squirrels. Even go to the small beach. It’s shallow, so you can wade out far into the water, especially during lower tides. (Though Spa Beach at the Pier is nicer if you want to hang out on the beach for a while, and the Gulf beaches are better for spending a day at the beach.) There are a ton of restaurants, cafes, art galleries, etc, along Beach Drive. Of course, there is St. Pete Pier, but I will list that separately. There are bathrooms, outdoor showers, volleyball courts, etc. You can bike or walk from our house to Coffee Pot Park and then continue south along the water through various parks until you get to downtown. If you do that, see the dressed-up rhino at 2260 Coffee Pot Blvd NE and check for manatees at the freshwater inlet near Coffee Pot Blvd and 23rd Ave NE.

Teresa:The pier is 26 acres, more than a half mile long, and includes restaurants (including quick serve places) a splash pad, beautiful spa beach with white sand and lounge chairs, cool walking paths, a playground, wetlands, a place to fish at the end, and a small discovery center. Friends have taken their kids to Pier Teaki for lunch and enjoyed the experience. It's on the top floor (open air) of the building at the end of the pier and has a fun atmosphere. https://pierteaki.com Teak is a restaurant one floor down from Pier Teaki with large glass windows and a great view. View and atmosphere is great. Food is nothing to write home about, but still worth a visit. Cool video of the Pier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwJvJjX0kZw&t=8s Map of the pier with various attractions: https://stpetepier.org/explore/ More things to do on and around the Pier. https://alwaysontheshore.com/st-pete-pier/

Teresa:The Sunken Gardens are 4 acres of well-established botanical gardens, and are located at 1825 4th Street North about 2 miles from our house. The Gardens have existed for more than a century, and are one of the oldest roadside tourist attractions in the United States. Trip Advisor reviews and photos: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g34607-d296622-Reviews-Sunken_Gardens-St_Petersburg_Florida.html

Teresa:Great museum if you like the works of Chihuly. There is a 20 foot glass sculpture outside the museum that was created specifically for the site. More info at: https://moreanartscenter.org/chihuly/ Fun for all ages. Doesn’t take very long to see. Usually not crowded at all. Very unique layout of the exhibits, including a tunnel where you walk under a plexiglass? ceiling covered with glass sculptures and a large glass “garden.” We even like the film at the end. While you are in that area, you can check out unique shops and eateries along Central Ave. A favorite of ours is Hawkers Asian Street Food. https://eathawkers.com/locations/st-petersburg/

Teresa:Great museum right near the downtown area. The building itself is an amazing piece of architecture. The café is very good and they also have a cool little garden.

Teresa:We haven't been here yet, but we hear really good things about it. Manatees gather here in the winter because of the warm water near the power plant. The center has a rays touch tank and a tidal walk as well. There is a live cam here where you can check out the manatee activity along with more detailed info about the center: https://www.tampaelectric.com/company/mvc/

Teresa:Fun boardwalk along the water with great places for outdoor dining with water views. There are lots of little shops, not just along the boardwalk, but down below, and on Village Blvd. You can rent boats and jet skis and book local sightseeing tours. Dolphin tours, dinner cruises, etc.

Teresa:Clearwater beach is beautiful because of its white sand and beautiful water. It’s a huge beach, so even when locals consider it crowded, it is not crowded. It’s easy to rent a cabana. Here’s more info about the beach and activities nearby: https://www.visitstpeteclearwater.com/communities/clearwater-beach

Teresa:30-minute drive from our house. Huge beach, usually not crowded. Beach umbrellas, etc, for rent. Very close to John’s Pass. (We walked there from this beach the last time we visited.) We've not been to the beaches very much and have a slight preference for Clearwater beach, but they are similar and Clearwater Beach is 50 minutes from the house. More about the beach: https://www.visitstpeteclearwater.com/communities/treasure-island#!grid~~~Featured~1 More about the paved beach walk: https://www.florida-beach-lifestyle.com/treasure-island-beachtrail.html The sand sculptures are only there during the festival, but they often have the huge inflatable slide.

Teresa:Horseback riding on the beach and through the water. This is in Bradenton, which is 45 minutes drive from our home. We haven't done it, but it looks incredible. They rescue horses and rehabilitate them, so no need to worry about whether the horses are being treated well. More info: https://cponies.com If you do this, also check out Anna Maria Island, which has spectacular beaches. The Beach House is on Anna Maria Island and is one of my favorite restaurants because you can eat outside right on the beach with your toes in the sand. It’s become more popular, so see if you can make reservations or call them to see if there is a time when it’s not too busy.

Teresa:This important museum helps us remember what happened and inspires us to stand up for justice in our own lives by telling the stories of people who spoke up and took action against the atrocities of the Holocaust. They present great stories from some of the survivors, an Anne Frank exhibit, a racial justice exhibit and an original boxcar used to transport Jewish people to concentration camps. The museum educates students via field trips and other educational programs. This museum is only a block south of Central Avenue, (55 5th Street S) and just a couple blocks from the Chihuly Collection.

Teresa:Explore attractions along the 2.5 mile Riverwalk, including The Florida Aquarium, the American Victory Ship that you can tour, Glazer Children’s Museum, a couple of great waterfront parks with playgrounds and water features for kids, restaurants and bars, Lost Pearl (an interactive 1.5-hour pirate ship experience), Sparkman Warf, Sail Pavilion, Tampa Bay History Center, Tampa Museum of Art, water bike, kayak, electric boat, and SUP rentals, boat tours to see dolphins or learn about the area, meal or sunset cruises, Amalie Arena, and Straz Center for the performing Arts. https://thetampariverwalk.com/visit/family-fun.html https://www.visittampabay.com/things-to-do/tampa-outdoors-nature/riverwalk/?utm_source=Madden&utm_medium=GoogleSEM&utm_campaign=FY-21&utm_content=Riverwalk&utm_mmpxid=81486&gclid=CjwKCAiA-9uNBhBTEiwAN3IlNGEVADvtmH_MYi6KnCMRyKQKb3WYAAQEnYYRbW0oxcdRFTcJMIhqZhoCiQQQAvD_BwE https://outdoorsydiva.com/top-10-things-to-do-on-tampa-riverwalk/ Dolphin Tour from Tampa: https://tampawatertaxico.com/tampa-bay-boat-tours/tampa-dolphin-tour/ One way to get to the Riverwalk from St. Petersburg is to take the Cross Bay Ferry: https://www.thecrossbayferry.com You can also explore the area via the hop-on, hop-off Pirate Water Taxi which stops at many of the major sights: https://www.piratewatertaxi.com

Teresa:Escape Room with three different themes to choose from. Fun, immersive rooms, great people to guide you in your quest, and who make the experience fun. They will adjust the narrative based on your group (suitable for kids to join in the fun.) 1942 2nd Ave S

Teresa:Very highly rated museum. We plan to check it out soon. One reviewer wrote, "The most amazing collection of contemporary glass we've ever seen. Raises the bar on what is possible to create with the medium of glass."