After our busy day on Saturday, we took it easy on Sunday – just going to church in the morning and then walking around at the Big Red Barn Flea Market for a little while afterwards. We didn’t find anything to buy – just looked around for a little while.
Monday was the MLK holiday for me, so we decided to put the top down on the Jeep and go for a drive. We’d never been to the Clearwater/St. Petersburg beach area, so we crossed the Sunshine Skyway Bridge,
and made our way to the beach.
St. Petersburg Beach had a cute little downtown with several small shops, and restaurants. We walked around, and then continued north along the coast.
Our next stop was John’s Pass/Madeira Beach. It was a bustling area of shops, restaurants and fishing charters along the pier.
Walking along the pier, we watched while a group of pelicans waited for treats to be thrown to them.
The charter boat captain was cleaning the day’s catch.
He would toss the scraps into the water for the pelicans, where they would fight to catch them, often catching each other’s bills in the process.
Sometimes there was a pretty lively ruckus over the scraps of fish.
We walked through several shops, and stopped for a milkshake before we continued on our drive. As we got closer to Clearwater Beach, the neighborhoods became more exclusive, and we passed several beautiful homes.
When we crossed the last bridge taking us to Clearwater Beach, the amount of traffic noticeably increased and it took us some time to find a place to park. Lots of people were enjoying the beach on this beautiful afternoon!
Lined with high-rise hotels, the beautiful white sand beach stretched in both directions.
We walked along the beach for awhile, watching the kids and adults enjoying this beautiful January day.
This group going out on a banana boat looked like they were having fun!
From the pier, the view was especially beautiful.
We were getting a little hungry, so we decided to go in search of a restaurant for dinner. Clearwater was too crowded, so we headed back south, looking for a good option.
We ended up at the Waterfront Pub in Indian Shores, in time for the early bird dinner specials. The outside seating along the inter-coastal was perfect on this warm afternoon.
Tom had oysters and clam chowder, both of which he said were really delicious, and we both ordered off the early bird menu – Tom had salmon and I had steak.
The meal was great, and we even got through it without seagulls stealing any of our food. The woman at the next table wasn’t so lucky – a seagull swooped down and snatched her dinner roll right out of her hand!
After dinner, we continued south, enjoying the sight of the setting sun along the way.
As we reached St. Petersburg Beach, we stopped for one last glimpse before it slipped below the horizon.
It was dark by the time we reached the Sunshine Skyway Bridge – it’s even more impressive when it’s all lit up!
As we crossed the bridge, a cruise ship had just passed underneath.
It was a beautiful day, and we enjoyed exploring the beaches of St. Petersburg and Clearwater! I can see why so many people love to vacation here, but I think we’ll stick with the quieter beaches of Anna Maria Island and Venice!
You guys are making us Jealous. I think this is the first moderately warm day we've had since we've arrived. Glad You two are having fun.
ReplyDeleteBe Safe and Enjoy!
It's about time.