St. Pete Beach Weather
 

We are leaving Monday to go to St. Pete Beach for a week (Hooray!). How does the weather forecast look? I checked it out on the weather channel web-site, but I'm confused. It said scattered thunderstorms, but do they mean just like the typical Florida weather for this time of year or a tropical wave type thing?

Typical weather for this time of year. There will not be a day between now and September where scattered thunderstorms won't be in the forecast. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. They've predicted them (50% chance) just about every day this week, if not every day. We've had maybe 4 drops in our location.

Hey, OliveOyl<BR>I've noticed that you are quite an expert on the St. Pete Beach area. What are you impressions of the Don Cesar Beach House Suites? That's where we will be staying. Is the beach there nice? Are there restaurants and shops within walking distance? Lots of questions for this time of the morning, Sorry.

Marie,<BR> I think you will love the don's suites. This hotel has always provided wonderful service. Be sure to eat at their "casual" restaurant downstairs- it was one of the best meals we had there. Salt Rock Grill was also great. There is a "trolley" that runs from St Pete to Clearwater. You can pay a daily rate for unlimited use, or pay as you go. We loved it- never had to drive much at all.We will be there in July with our umbrellas packed!

Linda, Thanks for the info. Can we buy the daily passes when we get on the trolly or do we need to purchase them in advance. If so, where can we buy them?

Hi Marie...Beach House Suites is not part of the main hotel of the Don CeSar. They are both owned and operated by same folks, but separated by some distance. You'll be located just a ways north of the main hotel and on an equally nice section of beach. They are supposedly quite nice, more casual than the Don, but I've never been in. I do like the Don...or the public spaces anyway...obviously have never had the opportunity to stay there.<BR><BR>Am really not the expert on the area...Joan who writes here a lot can give you more info on dining if she sees this post. We live in Tampa, and keep a sailboat in Gulfport so are there every weekend. We have a little circle of restaurants we do from there, favorite spots, some very down and dirty. Most of the higher end dining is on this side of the bridge though.<BR><BR>The Hurricane is always very popular with tourists, but I'm not too keen on their food. We love Woody's for a late Sunday afternoons after we get in off the water, snacks and drinks outside overlooking Blind Pass with their singer entertaining with Jimmy Buffet/James Taylor kind of music. We don't miss many! Last weekend we tried The Wharf at Pass-a-Grille for lunch...down and dirty, fun-to-watch local crowd. It's just off the ICW and boaters pull up at their back porch to come in and eat..always fun to watch the comings and goings, but if you go, try to eat outside to catch all the flavor. Had an oyster po'boy...first one since we lived in New Orleans...so bad for you, but was it ever good! Yum.<BR><BR>Fine dining. My husband is very impressed with the Don's executive chef. He's done a chefs table for the managing committee of our hotel and it was evidently out of this world (and he and they are picky picky picky and have our own 4* restaurant). Salt Rock Grill is good, and word has it that its sister restaurant, Island Way Grill in Clearwater Beach is excellent as well. We haven't tried it yet.<BR><BR>I hope you'll have a car. Though the trolley runs all around, I sure wouldn't want to have to depend on it to get everywhere I wanted to go. The area is spread out and driving fairly simple. I hate having to rely on someone else's schedule, but that's just me.<BR><BR>Going back to your original post, I believe there was some sort of tropical wave off south FL between Cuba and the mainland that was giving South FL more rain than normal this week, but it hasn't impacted our weather at all, and is supposedly moving even further away so not a concern. Hope it will be beautiful for you. Get ready for HOT!

OliveOyl, Thank you for the all the information. We are just sooo excited about this trip!! Can't wait-Can't wait-Can't wait!!! We wanted to go pretty casual, shorts, tee-shirts, and flip-flops. Do most of the restaurants allow that?

Hi Marie,<BR>I don't know if you will get this in time before you leave...but if you happen to pass by Plaza Beach Resort would you pass on a first impression:<BR>location, does it look new, etc.<BR>Enjoy your trip. Patty