Best areas to stay from Dunedin to St Pete Beach?
Jun 30th, 2016, 06:13 PM
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Best areas to stay from Dunedin to St Pete Beach?
Which beaches/areas would you suggest along the west coast?
There are a lot of rentals available and it'd be helpful to know if there are areas we should avoid or how far north or south we should be considering.
Maybe we should stay around the halfway point near Indian Shores so we could explore both the north and south beaches? We'll be flying in/out of Tampa.
Looking for a warm, relaxing stay over the Christmas holidays for an active couple that will spend a few days at the beach, and the rest visiting things like the Chihuly museum. We'll get a rental car but it'd be nice to be in an area that we could just walk to some restaurants for meals.
Any input much appreciated...enjoy-la!
There are a lot of rentals available and it'd be helpful to know if there are areas we should avoid or how far north or south we should be considering.
Maybe we should stay around the halfway point near Indian Shores so we could explore both the north and south beaches? We'll be flying in/out of Tampa.
Looking for a warm, relaxing stay over the Christmas holidays for an active couple that will spend a few days at the beach, and the rest visiting things like the Chihuly museum. We'll get a rental car but it'd be nice to be in an area that we could just walk to some restaurants for meals.
Any input much appreciated...enjoy-la!
Jul 1st, 2016, 03:40 AM
#2
I love the downtown St Pete area...not to stay, in your case, but there is plenty to do, and if you are interested in things like the Chihuly, then concentrate your search on the southern part of your target area. Clearwater Beach is a beautiful beach with plenty of restaurants, but it's quite a drive down to St Pete from there.
That entire strip has very pretty beaches and I doubt you would be disappointed by any of them, although the weather that time of year can disappoint. Warm is not a guarantee. Odds are good that it will be very pleasant, and as I recall you live in MA, so it will be a treat for you, but the stray cold front can occasionally push through.
The Pass-A-Grille section of St Pete Beach is my personal favorite, with lots of small places to stay, and one quite large and quite nice hotel, the Don CeSar. (And quite expensive too
). It is far less congested than CWB and parking is a snap. From there it's an easy 10 or so minutes to downtown St Pete, easy drive to Ft Desoto, there's a ferry to Shell Key, and if you want to explore Sarasota for a day, it's only about 40 minutes away.
Enjoy...hope you get perfect weather!!
That entire strip has very pretty beaches and I doubt you would be disappointed by any of them, although the weather that time of year can disappoint. Warm is not a guarantee. Odds are good that it will be very pleasant, and as I recall you live in MA, so it will be a treat for you, but the stray cold front can occasionally push through.
The Pass-A-Grille section of St Pete Beach is my personal favorite, with lots of small places to stay, and one quite large and quite nice hotel, the Don CeSar. (And quite expensive too
). It is far less congested than CWB and parking is a snap. From there it's an easy 10 or so minutes to downtown St Pete, easy drive to Ft Desoto, there's a ferry to Shell Key, and if you want to explore Sarasota for a day, it's only about 40 minutes away.Enjoy...hope you get perfect weather!!
Jul 2nd, 2016, 08:34 PM
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Good to see you here Klam chowder. I remember when you moved to Buffalo. You should see it now. Lots of great things happening with many new restaurants and hotels downtown. Where are you now? For the west coast of Florida I love Siesta Key which is just south of Sarasota. Perhaps the best beach in Florida.
Jul 3rd, 2016, 04:16 PM
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OO, thx a mint for the detailed reply - much appreciated. I will research your info and it will definitely help me decide. I used to live in MA and I've moved even farther north - so "warmer" will be relative...LOL! Thx for the good wishes too! (=
KathyK, it's certainly been a while - hope this finds you well! In Ottawa now and we miss Buffalo - actually, will visit friends over a long weekend in the fall this year so I'll be sure to drive around and check out the new offerings. Great to hear that the area is doing well - it deserves it. I'll check out the Siesta Key suggestion too...sounds fab - thx thx!
KathyK, it's certainly been a while - hope this finds you well! In Ottawa now and we miss Buffalo - actually, will visit friends over a long weekend in the fall this year so I'll be sure to drive around and check out the new offerings. Great to hear that the area is doing well - it deserves it. I'll check out the Siesta Key suggestion too...sounds fab - thx thx!
