Early December is an ideal time to visit the St. Petersburg and Clearwater area, which calls itself Florida’s Beach. I was fortunate enough to speak at a convention on St. Petersburg Beach last week, and while most of the rest of the country was bracing for snowstorms, the temperatures there were in the mid-80s and we had the place practically to ourselves.
Here are four reason to check out Florida’s West Coast now:
The Don CeSar. This was my second visit to the historic 1928 resort, which was built to resemble the Royal Hawaiian in Waikiki Beach. I was impressed the first time, but the property has made some significant improvements since 1999. Many areas of the hotel have been refurbished, and the property is opening a new spa next year. You can see the construction in this photo. My verdict? It’s a great hotel for couples, but I think we’ll wait until our kids are a little bit older before taking them back.
The Salvador Dali Museum. “Dad, why are the clocks melting?” is a question you don’t get every day. But you do if you’re taking your family to the Dali Museum, where the largest collection of the Spanish surrealist’s work is on display. Those include bizarre and provocative works such as Eggs on a Plate Without a Plate, Slave Market with the Disappearing Bust of Voltaire and, of course, Daddy Longlegs of the Evening-Hope! I could spend all afternoon at this museum, pondering the creative genius of Dali. The fact that we managed almost two hours with our no-attention-span offspring said more about Dali’s artistic skills than our parenting ability.
Sailing in the bay. We hitched a ride on one of the sailboat tours of Boca Ciega Bay through Dolphin Landings on St. Pete Beach. It was the first time our two youngest kids, Iden and Erysse, had been sailing, and they loved it. It was Aren’s second sailing trip (his first was the legendary annual party of the Fulbright Association’s South Florida chapter) so he felt more comfortable with the boat’s movement, and the idea that the wind was powering the vessel. The highlight was seeing bottlenose dolphin in the bay. It’s unlike any other dolphin encounter, because these creatures are checking you out as much as you’re looking at them. They showed a special interest in one-year-old Erysse, surfacing right next to her on several occasions and keeping their heads above the water.
The Florida Aquarium. If you’re taking a cruise out of Tampa, give yourself a few extra hours to see this remarkable facility, which is located right next to the terminals. What makes this aquarium so compelling is that it tries to bring you as close to the fish as possible without climbing into a wet suit. Although you can do that, too and go diving with the sharks. The kids were particularly mesmerized by the sea dragon exhibit, which featured members or relatives of the Syngnathidae family — fish with bony plates surrounding their bodies and tube-snouted mouths. They also could have spent the rest of the afternoon at the aquarium’s nautical-themed playground.
(Special thanks to Historic Hotels of America for inviting me to their conference and to the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau for their hospitality.)
✓ Get the latest travel news, tips and commentary from Elliott’s E-Mail, the subversive newsletter from industry gadfly Christopher Elliott. You’ll travel like a pro. Sign up here. It’s free.
Sign up for my 
