St. Petersburg • Clearwater 2008 - (Page 9) » St. Pete Beach Your tour of St. Pete Beach starts with the Loews Don CeSar. Its pink-painted Moorish/Mediterranean architecture has, for the last seven decades or so, drawn a host of notables. Those to whom the sea calls enjoy the beach’s bounty of fishing and snorkeling charters. You’ll also find scads of gift and clothing shops. » Pass-a-Grille Pass-a-Grille sits on the southernmost tip of St. Pete Beach and offers four miles of beach. Charters are available for snorkeling trips to Shell Key barrier island. Landlubbers enjoy strolling Eighth Avenue, visiting galleries, boutiques and restaurants. The Hurricane, on Gulf Way, is the region’s premier quaffing spot. Admire Gulf views, and nosh on entrées ranging from fried grouper to New York Strip Steak. The Hurricane restaurant in Pass-a-Grille. : SMALL-TOWN GEMS • Belleair overlooks Clearwater Harbor. With home styles ranging from cottages to mansions, it’s a draw for architecture buffs. Make sure to check out the grandfather oaks. • Belleair Beach is a residential hamlet consisting of roughly 55 homes and no businesses. Beachgoers will find four public beach-access points. • Indian Shores is home to the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, one of the largest not-forprofit bird hospitals in the United States. (Its goal is to re-introduce injured birds into the wild.) Tours are available. • At only one square mile, Kenneth City is the smallest incorporated community in Pinellas County, hence the hometown feel. • In Largo, you’ll find Pinewood Cultural Park, home to Heritage Village, the Florida Botanical Gardens and the Gulf Coast Museum of Art. Heritage Village is a perennial favorite. This 21-acre, open-air museum features 28 historical structures, including a restored school, church, railroad depot, store and log cabin. The 182-acre Florida Botanical Gardens, meanwhile, serves up wetlands, rose beds and a tropical walk. • You can’t visit Madeira Beach without a stop at the nautically themed John’s Pass Village & Boardwalk. An outdoor shopping and dining venue, it boasts more than 100 stores and restaurants, many sporting tin roofs and featuring water views. Spot dolphins and other Florida fauna on a water sightseeing tour. • North Redington Beach is a barrier island, primarily residential, but popular with visitors for its mile-long stretch of white sand and the Doubletree Beach Resort Tampa Bay. • Oldsmar is named for Ranson Eli Oldsmar, inventor of the Oldsmobile and REO cars. • Ozona is a tiny hamlet nestled along Clearwater Harbor. You’ll find lots of Old Florida here – cottages shaded by ancient oaks dripping with Spanish moss. Molly Goodhead’s Raw Bar is an area local favorite. Sit outside and try the crab cakes, complemented by a Greek salad. The atmosphere is beyond casual. • Pinellas Park sports the England Brothers Bandshell in Town Square Plaza Park, a popular spot for outdoor concerts and local festivals. • Redington Beach is a largely residential community, but there are three hotels on Gulf Boulevard. • In Redington Shores, you’ll find a quiet, but visitor-friendly atmosphere, replete with hotels, shops and a seemingly endless shoreline. • Visit Seminole to boat and fish the popular 37 ,500-acre Lake Seminole. • Retirees rule in South Pasadena. In this residential beach community, the median age is 71. • In 2005, “Dr. Beach” named Fort De Soto Park (five interconnected islands off the southern tip of the Pinellas peninsula) the best beach in the nation. That stretch of sand is a great reason to visit Tierra Verde. • Treasure Island is a favorite area tourist spot with beautiful beaches, and a host of beach town amenities. Check out charters, restaurants and beach shops. Boca Ciega Millennium Park in Seminole. www. F loridas Beach. com 9 http://www.FloridasBeach.com
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