It’s a quiet evening on Clearwater Beach. There’s just a hint of a breeze, and even the waves softly lapping against the flour-white sand seem muted. The Sandpearl Resort rises above the dunes as if in a watercolor painting — soft yellow, orange and white reflecting against the Gulf of Mexico.
They say this is is the first new resort to be built on Clearwater Beach in a generation, and I believe it, because the last time I was here, it was a construction site with two gutted buildings — all that remained of the former Clearwater Beach Hotel.
No one would argue that this is a fitting upgrade. There’s a spa, a fine-dining restaurant, and the rooms are spacious and elegantly decorated.
One thing they couldn’t change — wouldn’t want to change — and that is the beach. At sunset, the I got this riveting snapshot of a lifeguard tower.
Who else loves Florida in August?
Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.
Elliott is consumer advocate 
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