Tag Archives: St. Pete Beach

Duck Key
Florida, Florida Keys, Key West, Palm Beach, South Walton, St. Pete Beach

Florida Fall Beach Resort Specials

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Ah Fall. Football, leaf season, a hint of chill in the air. If you are ready to flip the script on the autumn season, why not plan one more escape to the beach. And there’s no need to max out the credit card to do so because resorts across the state of Florida are offering special enticements and savings to travelers who show up after the summer rush. Here are four top picks.

Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa

Escape to Florida’s Emerald Coast with the Beauty & The Beach package and you’ll enjoy special rates and complimentary perks such as daily breakfasts and spa treatments. This 2,100-acre property is located on one of the Gulf of Mexico’s best powder- soft sand beaches, and includes a championship golf course, three pools, award-winning dining and the Serenity by the Sea Spa. There, you can indulge in signature treatments that incorporate sea salts and seawater pearls. In addition to a complimentary spa session, the package also provides 20 percent discounts on additional treatments. Experience the Serenity Sea Escape Facial, Seawater Tonic Wrap or splurge on the Tranquility half-day spa journey. Afterward, enjoy some retail therapy with a special shopping pass to the Silver Sands Premium Outlets. The package is available from September 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018. Minimum night stay is two nights and the package must be booked at least three days in advance. Rates start at $289 for a two or more night stay. www.hiltonsandestinbeach.com; use code PB; 800-559-1805

Sandestin Hilton

An admiral suite at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa rewards guests with panoramic views of Destin Beach and the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Photo: Hilton Sandestin

Sirata Beach Resort

The all-inclusive lifestyle comes to St. Petersburg Beach, where the Sirata Beach Resort is offering luxury accommodations, fine dining, libations and a full range of resort amenities at special all- in-one rates. This family friendly hotel in St. Petersburg sits directly on the Gulf of Mexico surrounded by 13 acres of palm- shaded tropical landscape. Each luxury appointed guest suite features a separate bedroom, spacious living and dining area and a fully equipped kitchen; suites include garden, ocean or pool views. Amenities include three beachfront pools, two whirlpools, three award-winning restaurants, a fitness center, premier game room, bike share service, live music, family activities, water sports and more. All inclusive package rates include all taxes and gratuities, and will be available all year. Packages start at $399 per night for two guests in a one-bedroom king, with a four night minimum stay. Additional adult guests are $150 per night per person. Children 12 and under are an additional $75 per person per night. www.sirata.com; 877-214-0421

Sirata Beach Resort St Pete

Sirata Beach Resort sits in a prime section of St. Petersburg Beach. This location combines ocean views with easy access to area attractions such as shops, galleries and museums. Photo: Sirata Beach

Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa

This fall, you can vacation like the other half for a third less. The Eau Palm Beach Resort is one of only two Forbes Five-Star resorts on this upscale island, situated on a private beach with seven acres of oceanfront with lush tropical gardens, breathtaking ocean views and cooling tropical breezes. All guest rooms and suites offer private balconies with ocean, pool and gardens views. Suites have separate bedroom, living room and two bathrooms. Club level rooms include a personal concierge, four indulgent meal periods in the Eric Villency designed Club Lounge, unlimited featured beer and wine selections, and daily pressing service. The resort features five restaurants, a fitness center with, spinning, yoga and Pilates classes, three Har-try clay courts, two pools, a range of child and youth programs and a 42,000-square- foot spa. Stay a minimum of three nights through October 31, 2017 and get the third night on the house. Enjoy! www.eaupalmbeach.com; 844-482-1788

Eau Palm

The Eau Palm Beach Resort is an upscale oceanfront enclave of luxury. A recent redesign of the property’s 309 rooms and suites showcase the design work and furnishings of Johnathan Alder. Photo: Eau Palm Beach

Hawks Cay Resort

It’s a tropical island you can drive to. Hawks Cay sits on the small island of Duck Key, half way between Key Largo and Key West, and just a short causeway away from the Overseas Highway. The resort’s 60-acre grounds face a private lagoon with direct access to coral reefs and the aquamarine water of the Atlantic Ocean. Guests enjoy offshore, flats and backcountry fishing, diving, kayaking, kite boarding and standup paddle boarding programs. The resort boasts 177 guestrooms and 250 two- and three- bedroom villas, a full-service marina, six restaurants, saltwater lagoon, five swimming pools, kid and teen clubs and the award- winning Calm Waters Spa. During the fall, the resort is offering the Fall into the Keys activities special that includes a $50 dining credit, half-hour kayak rental for two, half-hour paddleboard rental for two and one-hour bicycle rental for two. The package is available when two or more guests book a three night or more stay. Bookings must be prepaid and travel completed by December 21, 2017. www.hawkscay.com

Hawks Cay

Hawk’s Cay is a small slice of the Caribbean set in the heart of the Florida Keys. Its waterfront location makes it a favorite with divers, fishermen and boaters. Photo: Jason Stemple/Hawks Cay

 

 

Fort Lauderdale Beach
Florida, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, South Walton, St. Pete Beach

Florida’s Best Memorial Day Parties

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Memorial Day is certainly a time when we should pause to remember and honor those who gave service to our country. But it’s also a three-day weekend, and the start of the summer season. Cities across the State of Florida will celebrate the holiday with concerts and beach parties. Here are six of the best.

Great American Beach Party, Fort Lauderdale Beach

The Venice of America kicks off the summer season in style with an all-day beach party. Seven bands perform everything from surf rock and oldies to funk and country. There are plenty of vendors, food and drink, and activities that include a sand castle building contest, classic car show, family fun zone and a military tribute to our service men and women. It all starts at 10 a.m., Saturday May 27.

Sunset Music Festival, Tampa

On Saturday, May 27th and Sunday, May 28th, fans will gather to dance the weekend away to the hottest acts in electronic music. More than 50,000 are expected to fill Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium to take in performances by more than 40 artists on three stages. Headliners include Major Lazer, RL Grime, Above & Beyond and Zeds Dead.

Jacksonville Jazz Festival, Jacksonville

Now in its 36th year, this event has grown to become one of the country’s largest jazz festivals. From May 25 to 28, a 15-block area of Jacksonville’s downtown will be transformed into a lively street festival, with local food, art, vendors and live jazz on three stages. The all-star lineup of performers includes jazz icons and Grammy winners such as Chic Corea, the Rippingtons, Commodores and the Pacific Mambo Orchestra.

Taste of Brickell Food & Wine Festival, Miami

Exceptional tastes from more than 40 of Miami’s premier restaurants will be complemented by fine wines and spirits when the 6th annual Taste of Brickell returns to downtown Miami on Saturday, May 27. Festivalgoers will enjoy gourmet samplings, cooking demonstrations, and interactions with featured vendors. The event also includes live concerts throughout the day and evening, an exotic car exhibit, and arts and crafts booths.

Johnny Chisholm’ s Memorial Weekend Party

In a tradition dating back to the 1960s, LGBTQ groups from across America will gather at Pensacola Beach over the Memorial Day weekend. Since 1991, a weekend-long series of celebration has been organized by nightclub owner Johnny Chisholm. Nightly happenings include stage shows, costume contests, dances and concerts. The party runs from Thursday, May 25th through Monday, May 29th.

Bands on the Sand, Treasure Island

This small oceanfront community just west of St. Petersburg will once again host Bands in the Sand. This two-day beach party and music festival kicks off on May 25th with a lineup that includes some of the top names in the Tampa Bay music scene. Now in its ninth year, this family friendly event includes food, art exhibits and crafts tables. The grand finale of the event is a fireworks show over the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Bermuda Southhampton
Barbados, Bermuda, Caribbean, Florida, Hawaii, Oahu, Palm Beach, St. Pete Beach, Stay, Trip Ideas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Iconic Pink Beach Resorts

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The historic pink hotels that grace beaches in Florida and the Caribbean harken back to the palazzos built by wealthy Italian families in the 19th century. When pink crossed over to the New World it was embraced by builders of the 1920s and beyond.

Bermuda is a destination that is all about pink; there are pink sand beaches, pink mopeds, pink Bermuda shorts and pink buildings. Here, the pink Fairmont Southampton stands out among the green landscape of Southampton Parish.

 

Florida Manatee
Clearwater Beach, Florida, Florida Keys, Key West, Orlando, Play, St. Pete Beach, Trip Ideas

Florida’s Best Manatee Encounters

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The first time you see a manatee, it’s amazing. And even after hundreds of encounters, I still get excited when I come across one of these huge “sea cows.” They can be 10 feet long and weigh more than a ton, but they are harmless to humans. In fact, it’s humans who pose a threat to the manatee when we don’t treat them with respect. Fortunately, there are responsible ways to interact with wild manatees, and plenty of sites all across Florida where they can be found. Here are a few of my favorite places to watch them, get up close and even swim with them.

Blue Springs Manatee

Central Florida’s Blue Springs State Park provides a refuge for manatees escaping the colder waters of the St. Johns River. In winter, the spring run may host hundreds of these animals. Photo: Stephen Meese/iStock

From Shore

When wintertime water temperatures drop below 70, manatees look for a place to warm up. They find it in the constant 72-degree water that flows from Florida’s underground springs. A great place for manatee watching is Blue Spring State Park, which is about an hour’s drive north of Orlando’s theme parks. I make at least one trip a year to Blue Springs, and never get tired of seeing as many as 100 of the big sea cows gathered in the clear waters of the preserve. In addition to natural springs, manatees have learned to take advantage of the warm water discharge from coastal power plants. Several utility companies have created viewing stations next to these discharge lagoons, and two of the best are Tampa Electric’s viewing station at Apollo Beach, and the brand new $5-million Manatee Lagoon visitor’s center in Riviera Beach. At these sites, winter months are best, but a few manatees always seem to hang around throughout the year.

On The Water

When they aren’t bunching up to escape winter cold, manatee spread out into rivers, bays and lagoons all around Florida. The areas where they are most often seen become designated manatee zones, with posted speed limits to prevent powerboats from running over these slow moving mammals. I always watch out for manatees when driving a powerboat, and keep my distance. For an up-close encounter, I use a kayak. By loosing the engine noise and moving slower, paddlers stand a greater chance of meeting up with a manatee. One of the best places to do this is the Jupiter Inlet Aquatic Preserve, which is just a few miles north of the Palm Beach area. Other good manatee paddles include the Weeki Wachee spring run, Crystal River and the mangrove islands of the Florida Keys—especially the wooded shores of Key Largo’s Tarpon Bay and the backcountry shallows near Key West. Kayaks are available for rent in all these areas, and most offer guided tours.

In The Water

Back in the day, when there were more manatees and fewer Floridians, there were a number of places where you could get in the water with manatees. To prevent hordes of swimmers from driving the sea cows from their favorite habitats, many of these sites are now designated preserves, with no swimming allowed. Two exceptions to this are the coastal springs at Crystal River and Homosassa, which are about an hour north of Tampa. A number of tour companies run sanctioned manatee encounter programs that allow snorkelers to get a first-hand look at the animals in their natural habitat. Winter months are the best, and because things can get chilly—at least by Florida standards—tour companies will usually supply wetsuits along with snorkel gear. Aside from these sites, there’s always a chance of a manatee swim-by when you are swimming or snorkeling. I’ve been treated to a number of these visits over the years, and always keep an eye out for the swirl of a manatee’s tail, or their car-size underwater profiles.

St Pete Beach Don Cesar Hotel in Florida
Florida, Plan, St. Pete Beach, Trip Ideas

St. Pete Beach: 10 Reasons to Go

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Soft sugary sand contrasting with the glorious blue Gulf of Mexico is the only thing the communities along St. Pete Beach have in common. After that each stretch has its own mood and personality, so depending on what you want—action or relaxation—you’ll find it here. Kick it up a notch with a kiteboard lesson or let the captain lead the way on a fishing charter. Landlubbers can sightsee by trolley or hang out on the sands. Just take your pick because this beach town has plenty to offer.

1  A Beach for your Mood

From pristine to party central, St. Pete Beach delivers. Somewhere on the 15 blissful miles that extend south from Madeira Beach (Mad Beach, to locals) to Fort De Soto Park’s five islands, you’ll find spots that are frenetic and fun-loving, mild-mannered and mellow—most just a quick walk to a tiki bar or shopping. Surfers hang five or ten off the coast of Upham Beach, one of the few surfable areas along the Gulf. Fort De Soto’s beaches are best for families, thanks to a surf-taming sandbar, and boat-only Shell and Egmont keys are perfect for couples. The historic fishing town of Pass-A-Grille boasts the longest stretch of undeveloped beachfront sans high-rises.

2  Water Sports of all Sorts

Whether you crave the adrenaline rush of soaring above the water or tamer pursuits close to sea level, you’ll find your calling. Kayak dark and narrow mangrove tunnels in the 3,700-acre Weedon Island Preserve or paddleboard along the Gulf Coast. The more adventurous take to the sky on a kiteboard or windsurf at Pass-A-Grille. Want the ultimate water-borne experience? Tradewinds Island Resorts offers public rentals of its futuristic water-powered JetLev and electric surfboards.

3  Explore Pirate Lore

Truth be told, the legend of Gaspar, the notorious pirate said to have trolled the waters around the apropos named Treasure Island, is often disputed: Did he really exist? Nevertheless, St. Pete Beach embraces the swashbuckling past and the documented history of smugglers who did exist around Pass-A-Grille. The Pirate Ship at John’s Pass Village and Boardwalk offers two-hour seafaring missions aboard a replica pirate ship flying the Jolly Roger and onboard water-gun battles, treasure hunts and plenty of pirate tales.

4  Gulf Sunsets

By land or by sea, you’ll be drawn to the Gulf come sunset. Salute the greatest show on earth with a Ka’Tiki Sunset shot at the tiki bar of the same name on Sunset Beach, one of the area’s most secluded and best- kept secrets. Join the nightly sunset celebration at Pass-A-Grille’s Paradise Grill or set sail aboard the Shell Key Shuttle’s sunset cruise with a picnic basket and favorite vintage.

5  Great Seafood

Madeira Beach claims the title “Grouper Capital of the World,” and local restaurants serve signature presentations of the Gulf-caught fish. Dockside Dave’s half-pound battered sandwich is legendary, earning kudos as best in the South. Billy’s Stonecrab, Seafood & Steaks, in Tierra Verde near Fort De Soto, prepares grouper five ways and is the go-to place for succulent stone crab claws during Florida’s October-to- May season. Other fish dishes to suit your palate include the smoked mullet at the cash-only Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish, a St. Pete institution.

6  Drive Downtown

If you’re shocked by any recommendation to visit St. Petersburg’s bay- front downtown, chances are you haven’t ventured to the city recently. The past decades has seen the rise of towering condos, top-shelf locally owned restaurants and lounges, boutiques, speakeasies and the arts, all just 10 miles from the beach on Tampa Bay. Plan to spend at least a day.

7  For the Birds

Shell Key and Weedon Island preserves are just two of the stops along Florida’s 2,000-mile Great Birding Trail. Visit at dawn for your best chance of spotting snowy egrets, brown pelicans, pileated woodpeckers and the magnificent great blue heron, some reaching nearly 4 feet tall with 6-foot wingspans. Continue your bird immersion at Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary in nearby Indian Shores, America’s largest nonprofit wild bird hospital and home to Isis, a red-tailed hawk who serves as the mascot, as well as an adorable burrowing owl and other feathered friends in rehab.

8  Stop Wishing, Get Fishing

St. Pete Beach is an angler’s dream with so many opportunities—from offshore deep sea, flats and coastal fishing—and experienced captains who know the best spots; you won’t go home with tales of the one that got away. Charter a boat at marinas anywhere along the coast in search of trout, snook, redfish, grouper and Florida’s No. 1 game fish: the mighty tarpon, appropriately nicknamed the silver king for its massive size and fight.

9  Ditch the Car

The Suncoast Beach Trolley spans the entire St. Pete Beach coast—from Madeira Beach to Pass-A-Grille—and operates from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. With such a convenience, it’s all the more reason to stop-hop during the day or check out the local nightlife at Postcard Inn on the Beach.

10  A Date with Your Dog

St. Pete is one of Florida’s friendliest cities for canine companions, and properties like the storied Loews Don CeSar Hotel and Tradewinds Island Resorts go out of their way to deliver creature comforts, including special play areas, spa services and gourmet dog-approved cuisine. Boutiques on Corey Avenue in St. Pete Beach’s downtown historic district cater specifically to pets, and restaurants along the coast have designated doggie decks. Fort De Soto’s off-leash beach and Paw Playground is the Disney of dogdom.