The Pier At Clearwater Beach, Florida - Vitality Magazine Cape Cod

12 million vacationers visit the St.
Petersburg/Clearwater area every year.
And no wonder; the average temperature
is 73 degrees. there’s not much the area
doesn’t offer in this sun and fun mecca.
There are 60 marinas and yacht clubs,
50 public golf courses, 2,000 restaurants,
dinner cruises, dinner theaters, the Arts,
and great shopping--with 78 major
shopping centers and malls. But unique
to the St. Pete area is three Grand Hotels
accommodations that offer wonderful
hospitality and a real sense of history: The
Belleview Biltmore, The Don CeSar, and
the Renaissance Vinoy. These are Grand
Hotels in the finest tradition--all offering
warm and gracious surroundings, bringing
back repeat customers year after year.
Florida, undaunted, Plant experiments
with grasses, fertilizers and soils. He even
imports trainloads of topsoil from Indiana
and finally accomplishes his goal--grass
greens.
The guest list over the years has
been impressive, including Bobby Jones,
The pier at Clearwater Beach, Florida
suites, 15 sun parlor suites and one 3,400
sq. ft. Presidential suite. There are also four
red clay courts, a fitness center, a dinner
theater (Saturdays), indoor and outdoor
restaurants including: The Magnolia Cafe
and Patio for breakfast and lunch, The Palm
Grill , which offers dining in a Victorian
and the Fleischmanns, for example--along
with Hollywood stars, celebrities and
presidents.: Jimmy Stewart, Babe Ruth,
F. Scott Fitzgerald, Calvin Coolidge and
Herbert Hoover all visited the Vinoy.
During its earliest days, the main lobby
contained a flower shop, cigar booth, candy
THE BELLEVIEW BILTMORE
RESORT & SPA
Built in 1897 by railroad magnate and
West Central Florida pioneer Henry Plant,
the 292-room Belleview Biltmore Resort
& Spa holds an honored position on the
National Register of Historic Places and is
the oldest major resort in Florida. Situated
on a high coastal bluff near the Intercoastal
Waterway near Clearwater Beach, the
resort is located in Bellair, one of the
smallest cities in the St. Petersburg area.
The Biltmore is reputed to be the largest
continuously occupied wooden structure in
the world. The corridors are so grand that
carpet is ordered by the mile, rather than
by square yards. Its Tiffany Ballroom alone
boasts 13,000 square feet.
The early success of the hotel was
in part due to Henry Plant hiring Donald
Ross to design two golf courses. Even
though it was commonly believed that
grasses for greens wouldn’t grow in
Page 2, Vitality, February 2004
Babe Ruth, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford,
Vanderbilts, the Duke of Windsor, Tony
Bennett, George Bush and many, many
more.
Elegance is seen throughout the hotel.
Tile setters from Italy installed the more
than one million multicolored ceramic
tiles in the resort’s Olympic size 200,000
gallon swimming pool. (There is also an
indoor pool as well.) The facility has 247
Victorian style guest rooms, 43 balcony
The Renaissance Vinoy Grand Hotel proudly overlooks its marina on Tampa Bay.
The meticulously kept Don CeSar Beach Resort & Spa
atmosphere and the Lobby Bar. There’s an
old-fashioned ice cream parlor (with coffee
bar). There’s the 15,000 square foot Eclips
Spa and Salon, which is a complete spa
offering: active marine facials, seaweed
wraps, body polishing, aromahydrotherapy
baths and hot stone therapy massages. It
also offers manicures, pedicures and hair
care. Golfers will enjoy the hotel’s Donald
Ross-designed Golf Course--complete
with its own bar and grille, and a unique
hole-in-one practice green. Also for dining,
there’s a beach restaurant on Sand Key--
the Cabana Grill and Bar. The latter should
not be missed as you can dine with a
magnificent view of the Gulf.
The hotel offers a wonderful historical
tour daily at 11 am that offers a privileged
glimpse into turn of the century tradition. Of
note are the secret passage ways and dining
rooms built for the children. Although
children have always been welcomed at the
resort, the rule--even as recently as 1950--
was that they remain out of the public eye.
(www.belleviewbiltmore.com)
THE RENAISSANCE VINOY RESORT
& GOLF CLUB
Built by Pennsylvania businessman
Aymer Vinoy Laughner, the Vinoy Park
Hotel was the grandest of all the 1920’s
boom era hotels. Entire families would
arrive for the winter season--the Pillsburys
shop, sundries shop, telephone and cable
office, and a lace shop.
Today, the Renaissance Vinoy Resort
& Golf Club is a full service, luxury,
waterfront resort overlooking the heart of
downtown St. Petersburg, which carries
on the proud tradition of that bygone era.
The 360-room resort was originally built
in 1925 and underwent a $93 million, 2-
year restoration in 1992, which included
34,000 yards of carpet, 17,000 yards of
draperies, 66,000 pieces of silver, china
and glassware, 5,600 king-size sheets,
more than 1,000 pillows and 2,200 bath
robes. Last year, there was an additional
$4 million refurbishment to all of its
rooms. The Vinoy is now on the National
Register of Historic Places and a member
of the Historic Hotels of America--a
Meditteranean Revival masterpiece of
carved archways, bas-relief portals and
elaborate detail. It has been the recipient
of the AAA Four Diamond Award; it is on
Conde Nast Traveler’s “gold list”; it has
been named one of the Top 30 “Best in
the World of North American Resorts by
Conde Nast Traveler magazine.
The hotel offers an elaborate fitness
facility, golf at the newly redesigned course
at the Vinoy Golf Club (a course that offers
one of the toughest holes in Florida, a
535 yard par 5). Greens have also just
been refurbished to the faster Tifeeagle

Ultra dwarf Bermuda grass. There’s
also tennis, a swimming pool next to a
cascading waterfall, a salon and day spa
and unparalleled boating facilities. Boating
World magazine named the Vinoy the #4
in its list of top 10 Boating Resorts, citing
its sizable marina, which includes 74 slips.
There’s flat-boat rentals, fishing charters
and cruises also available out of the Vinoy
Basin. There’s also loads of shopping
within walking distance of the hotel.
The Vinoy has five wonderful
restaurants. Marchand’s Bar and Grill
offers Mediterranean creations and live
jazz on weekends, and has been honored
with Florida Trend’s Golden Spoon award
for the fifth consecutive year. You can
also experience the gracious tradition of
Afternoon Tea, served from 2:30 to 4:30pm
Tuesday through Saturday in the Terrace
Room.
Whether or not you are staying at the
Vinoy, do plan on taking advantage of their
daily historical tour/lunch package. It’s a
colorful history, the lunch is superb, and
you receive a keepsake history book as
well. Also ask about the Arts Pass offered
at the Vinoy, which gives purchasers a
discount to event admissions to six area
museums. (www.renaissancehotels.com)
DON CESAR BEACH RESORT & SPA
Opened in 1928 during the Great
Gatsby era, The Don CeSar Beach Resort
& Spa was the dream of Irishman and
Boston-born Thomas Rowe, who found his
fortune in Florida real estate. The resort,
built to resembele the Royal Hawaiian in
Waikiki Beach for $1.2 million, was nearly
300% over budget.
Of the three Grand Hotels in the St.
Pete area, the Don Cesar is the only one
right on the Gulf of Mexico. It was featured
as as one of America’s “Great Hotels” on
the Travel Channel. The resort has received
a Four Diamond Rating 22 years in a row.
It was voted Favorite Beach Resort Hotel
by readers of Southern Living magazine .
In 2001, rooms and hallways at the
Don received an $18 million facelift, which
works out to $55,000 a room. The new
look features furnishings with a brighter,
tropical feel, updated wallpaper, two-line
Decked out for the holidays, the beautiful corridor at the Biltmore
phones and high speed internet hook ups,
80 channel TVs, new carpet, and soft,
peach-toned lighting.
Driving from the mainland to its St.
Petersburg Beach location, it looks like
a flamingo-pink castle rising from the
horizon off in the distance. A member of
the Historic Hotels of North America, listed
on the National Register of Historic Places
and named a historical monument by the
National Archives, the Don CeSar is as
rich in luxury as it is in history. The “Don”
was appropriated by the Military during
World War II and eventually abandoned. It
was restored in 1973. Known as Florida’s
Legendary Pink Palace, the luxury resort
is known internationally for its sprawling,
sugar-white Pass-a-Grille Island beach,
unparalleled dining, rejuvenating Beach
Club & Spa, fabulous fishing, nearby tennis
and golf (Available to Don Cesar guests is
golf play at the Isla Del Sol, a private golf
club. The 6,251 yard course is riddled with
An aerial view of the magnificent Belleview Biltmore Resort & Spa
87 bunkers and 27 water hazards. There’s
a restaurant there as well.) There are two
Gulf-front pools with underwater sound
systems and complimentary beach clinics
that teach surf skimming on wave-runners
and catamarans. Also available are paddle
cats, kayaks and aqua-bikes. The resort
features 277 newly renovated guestrooms
including 2 penthouses and 50 suites. 70
one-bedroom condominium-style suites
are located at The Beach House Suites by
The Don CeSar, located one half mile north
of the Main Resort.
Dining options at the Don CeSar
include the Maritana Grille, a Four Diamond
restaurant surrounded by more than 1,500
gallons of saltwater aquariums containing
indigenous Florida fish. The cuisine is New
American served from a pecan and cherry
wood grill. The beach-front Sea Porch Cafe
offers magnificent Gulf sunsets as well as
a garden atmosphere. Sunday Brunch in
the King Charles Ballroom offers 180 or
more selections. And the Beachcomber
Grill offers lighter fare by the pool deck.
There are also three cocktail lounges on
the premises and an old-fashioned ice
cream parlor. (www.doncesar.com 800-
282-1116)
***
You could spend an entire vacation
at either of these three charming Grand
Hotels. But you’ve come to the St.
Petersburg/Clearwater area, and there’s
loads to do here:
Begin with the world famous Salvador
Dali Museum. This facility offers the most
comprehensive collection in the world
devoted exclusively to this Spanish master.
Located on the scenic St. Petersburg
waterfront, the museum houses 94 oils,
many watercolors, sketches, sculptures and
other objects of art - more than 2,500 items
in total. Surprisingly to most Dali novices,
the artist was so much more than a noted
surrealist. In his early years, Dali’s early
works are full of wonderful landscapes,
portraits and still-lifes. His later works
astound with fascinating double images
and immense religious paintings. Of the
18 so-called “master works” produced by
Dali, six are located in the St. Petersburg
museum.
World-class museums, symphony
performances, Broadway shows, rock
concerts, ballet and art festivals are
presented throughout the year. St.
Petersburg’s Bayfront Center with the
2,000-seat Mahaffey Theater and an
8,250-seat arena is the scene for many
of these activities. Ruth Eckerd Hall, the
2,000-seat theatre in Clearwater’s Richard
Baumgardner Center for the Performing
Arts, offers a wide array of cultural
activities. County and community parks
are regular sites for art shows and open-air
concerts like the Clearwater Jazz Holiday
in October, acclaimed as one of the
South’s premier jazz festivals. There are
15 community theatres, four professional
theatres and more than 15 museums
throughout Florida’s Beach.
Major attractions include: Busch
Gardens, Tampa Bay is less than a 35-
minute drive away from any point on
Florida’s Beach. The Walt Disney World
Resort, Sea World and Universal Studios
Florida are only 90 minutes away. The Pier
in downtown St. Petersburg is a popular
festival marketplace of shops, restaurants
and entertainment. (www.stpete-pier.com)
Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg was only
the seventh domed stadium in the United
States and offers various entertainment and
sporting events as well as being home to
Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Devil
Rays.
Just north of Clearwater, the town
of Dunedin salutes its Scottish heritage
each spring with the Highland Games and
Festival. Clearwater’s Jazz Holiday in
October is one of Florida’s premier jazz
festivals offering four days of free music.
This city also heralds the arrival of spring
with a two-week Fun ‘n Sun Festival. St.
Petersburg’s Festival of States is another
springtime rite that includes parades,
art shows, sporting events and concerts
A fisherman tries his luck at Weedon Island Preserve
Page 3, Vitality, February 2004

and has become the South’s largest civic
celebration.
A day trip to Tarpon Springs should not
be missed. This place is charming, and is
one of Florida’s most unique communities-
-becoming America’s sponge capital when
Greek sponge divers settled there in the
early 1900s, and sponge boats still operate
from its scenic docks. A visit to Tarpon
Springs transports one to a small fishing
village in Greece and the Greek heritage is
maintained with religious, music and food
festivals during the year.
The area’s public parks and nature
trails are a showcase for Florida’s natural
beauty. Ideal parks for nature study,
fishing, swimming and picnics are Fort
De Soto Park, south of St. Petersburg,
plus Honeymoon and Caladesi Island
state parks near Dunedin. All three are
undeveloped barrier islands. Fort De Soto
and Honeymoon Island are connected to
the mainland by causeways. Fort De Soto
Park - (#4 beach in the United States; Blue
Wave Beach) A historic fort built during
the Spanish-American War is located on
Mullet Key, the largest of the five islands
which make up this unique area just north
of Egmont Key.
The park consists of 900 unspoiled
acres, seven miles of beaches, two fishing
piers, picnic and camping areas, a small
history museum and 2,000-foot barrier-free
nature trail for guests with disabilities. A
concession stand, bathrooms and covered
picnic shelters are available. The area has
a popular biking and skating trail as well
as rental facilities for canoes, kayaks and
bicycles. Mullet and Egmont keys span the
mouth of Tampa Bay, one of the busiest
ports in the nation. Visitors to the area
often walk out on the fishing piers to watch
large ships pass through the channel.
Caladesi Island is accessible only by
a ferry service operating from Honeymoon
Island and downtown Clearwater. The
Pinellas Trail is a 37-mile linear park
perfect for bicyclists, walkers, joggers
and roller-bladers. Fort De Soto Park is
ranked as having the fourth finest beach
in the United States, followed by Caladesi
Island at #5. Clearwater Beach rated as
the #1 city beach in the Gulf Region. The
St. Petersburg/Clearwater area is the only
destination in the United States with two
beaches in the top 10.
The Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary
in Indian Shores is the largest wild bird
hospital in North America. More than
500 birds are on display including a large
nesting colony of permanently injured
brown pelicans. Samples of marine life
are on exhibit at the Clearwater Marine
Aquarium, a research center that conducts
a “head start” program for baby sea turtles
and is the area’s licensed marine rescue
facility.
Egmont Key: This 440-acre island is
distinguished by its 1858 lighthouse. Now
a wildlife refuge, Egmont Key was a camp
for captured Seminole Indians during the
Third Seminole War and was a Union Navy
base during the Civil War. The Florida
Department of Environmental Protection
cooperatively manages Egmont Key with
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the
U.S. Coast Guard.
Several operators offer snorkeling
excursions to this island, which is accessible
only by boat. The island is home to Fort
Dade established because of the Spanish
threat during the Spanish-American War
of 1898. Fort Dade had approximately 250
troops and offered tennis, baseball a gym
and movie theater for the soldiers. The fort
was abandoned on May 25, 1923. Parts of
the fort have eroded into the Gulf offering
a unique snorkeling opportunity.
Shell Key - Named one of the most
important birding sites in the state by
Audubon of Florida, this undeveloped
barrier island is known for excellent
shelling, sunbathing and bird watching
opportunities. The Shell Key Preserve was
developed to protect the island as a nesting
site and yet continue to allow its use as
a recreational destination. Numerous
boats offer sightseeing packages that take
guests to Shell Key’s recreation area for
sunbathing and dolphin watching near the
island. The conservation of the island’s
preserve resulted in Audubon of Florida,
the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation,
Audubon of Florida, local Audubon
chapters and Pinellas County government
to create the annual Florida Birding
Festival. Held in October, it is one of the
largest urban bird watching festivals in the
United States.
Long Key - (St. Pete Beach - Blue
Wave Beach) This island contains the
communities of Pass-A-Grille Beach and
St. Pete Beach. Pass-a-Grille was the first
established town on Florida’s West coast
barrier islands and contains a registered
National Historic District. The area has no
“high-rise” buildings keeping it a unique
slice of old Florida. The peninsula is only
two blocks wide and features a history
museum and 22 historical structures
including the first homestead dating back
to 1886. St. Pete Beach is a popular family
beach with some of the largest resorts in
the area including the Don CeSar, known
as the “Pink Palace.”
Treasure Island - (Blue Wave Beach)
Known as the “Sand Sculpture Capital
of Florida,” Treasure Island is one of the
widest beaches in the area and plays host
to several sporting activities including an
annual kite-flying contest, sand sculpting
contest and has held the Guinness World
Record for largest sand castle.
Sand Key - (Sand Key Park - Blue
Wave Beach) This 14-mile long key is the
longest of the barrier islands and contains
several beach communities including
Madeira Beach, Redington Beach, North
Redington Beach, Redington Shores, Indian
Shores, Indian Rocks Beach, Belleair
Beach and Sand Key. This island recently
received a $22 million beach nourishment
project adding tons of powder-white
sand from the area’s shipping channel
to several beaches. Fishing is popular
from several public piers. Madeira Beach
features John’s Pass Village & Boardwalk,
a quaint shopping district which overlooks
“fish famous” John’s Pass. The Village is
home to a large commercial and charter
fishing fleet. Art galleries, restaurants and
boutiques are located in the area and the
boardwalk provides a scenic view of the
many beaches, especially with families.
Clearwater Beach offers just about every
water and beach activity imaginable. Pier
60 Park on Clearwater Beach features a
family recreation complex on Clearwater’s
expansive beach with covered playgrounds,
fishing and concessions. The Sunsets at Pier
60 festival features music, entertainment
and a beautiful Gulf of Mexico sunset
throughout the year from two hours before
sunset until two hours after.
Caladesi Island - (#5 beach in the
United States; Blue Wave Beach) One
of the few remaining large undeveloped
barrier islands on Florida’s Gulf Coast,
Caladesi is only accessible by boat. The
island is ideal for swimming, shelling,
fishing, picnics, skin and scuba diving and
nature study. The park also has a three-mile
A piece on display at the Florida International Museum
waterfront. It is the site of several festivals
and special events. On the northern tip of
the island, Clearwater’s Sand Key Park has
been ranked among the top beaches in the
nation.
Clearwater Beach - (#1 city beach in
the Gulf region; Blue Wave Beach) This
island is the most popular of all the area’s
nature trail winding through the island’s
interior. The park is open daily from 8
a.m. to sunset. A ferry departs hourly from
nearby Honeymoon Island. Docks are
available on the island for private boats. A
snack bar and shelters are also available.
Honeymoon Island - (Blue Wave
Beach) This state park features sunbathing,
The colorful commercial strip at Tarpan Springs
Page 4, Vitality, February 2004

Glass art by Dale Chihyly at the
Museum of Fine Arts
shelling, swimming, fishing, picnic
pavilions, bathhouses and a park concession
building. Honeymoon features two bird
observation areas, a pet beach, two nature
trails and one of the few remaining Florida
virgin slash pine stands. These large trees
serve as nesting sites for osprey and bald
eagle.
Honeymoon Island has more than 200
species of plants and several threatened
and endangered species of shore birds. The
island originally was settled by members
of the Tocobaga tribe of Native Americans.
A wave of explorers, pirates, traders
and fisherman were the first visitors.
Honeymoon was named Hog Island in the
1880s. A hurricane in 1921 separated what
is now Caladesi Island. In the 1940s, 50
palm-thatched bungalows were built for
honeymooning couples but eventually used
as R&R sites for wartime factory workers.
Anclote Key - Blue gulf waters lap
gently upon this state preserve’s 4-milelong
beach. A picturesque 1887 federal
lighthouse stands sentinel on the southern
end of the island while ospreys nest in the
tall pines found throughout the upland areas.
Located three miles off Tarpon Springs on
the northern end of the Pinellas Peninsula,
Anclote Key is accessible only by boat. Six
biological communities provide habitat for
dozens of species of bird life including
bald eagle and piping plover. Anclote Key
is an excellent swimming and nature study
site. However, guests must plan ahead by
bringing all water and supplies, and then
carrying all litter out.
Non-Barrier Island Beaches - The
area has several great beaches on the Gulf,
Intracoastal Waterway and Tampa Bay that
are popular with visitors and residents alike.
Fred Howard Park (Blue Wave Beach) in
Tarpon Springs and Crystal Beach are both
white-sand beaches on the Gulf of Mexico
that are attached to the mainland. Gulfport
Beach and Maximo Park Beach are both on
the Intracoastal’s Boca Ciega Bay. Tampa
Bay beaches such as North Shore Park,
Spa Beach and Gandy Beach offer a beach
experience from the Bay side.
Weedon Island Preserve combines
a wonderful nature experience on a site
with fascinating historical significance.
The recently opened Learning Center at
Weedon Island Preserve keeps the area’s
Pre-Columbian Native American culture
alive for future generations. It features
classrooms and exhibit areas designed
by anthropologists, historians and Native
Americans to reflect the art and history
of the area’s first people. Weedon Island
Preserve is a group of low-lying islands
in north St. Petersburg whose history goes
back 10,000 years when early peoples such
as the Timucuans and Manasotas made the
island their home. These early dwellers
developed an elaborate culture including
burying their dead in sand mounds along
with ornate ceremonial pottery. Evidence
of this life has been found throughout the
preserve and is featured in the Learning
Center. The center combines a look at
artifacts excavated from the site by the
Smithsonian in the 1940s, as well as the
chance to experience aspects of Native
American culture including dance, cooking,
art, crafts and more. The Island also
features a 4-mile canoe trail, boardwalk
and observation tower. A 9-mile hiking
trail and additional boardwalk showcases
and protects the natural beauty and wildlife
aspects of the preserve, along with a fishing
pier and waterfront picnic sites.
St. Petersburg is home to another
major museum with a growing international
reputation. The Florida International
Museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian,
brings world-class, Smithsonian exhibitions
to St. Petersburg on a regular basis. The
museum’s permanent exhibits feature
the world’s largest private collection of
President John F. Kennedy’s personal items
and an interactive exhibit on the Cuban
Missile Crisis. The collection transports
visitors back in time to experience the
Night falls upon the Biltmore’s enormous olympic-sized pool
Kennedy era. Galleries include a recreation
of Kennedy’s Oval Office and a
life-size facade of the PT 109 collision.
There’s also a fascinating visiting tour of
Russian artifacts that will be at the museum
through May.
The Museum of Fine Arts, also in St.
Petersburg, is highly respected throughout
the southeastern United States and is
best known for its collection of French
impressionist paintings, along with
European, American, pre-Columbian and
Far Eastern art. Special exhibits feature
works on loan from other metropolitan
museums.
At last count, nearly 30 art galleries
are located in the downtown St. Petersburg
area including the state headquarters for
the Florida Craftsmen Association and
signature gallery for noted artist P. Buckley
Moss. The Downtown Arts Association
features a Monthly Gallery Walk in
St. Petersburg. Visitors start at Gallery
Central (on Central Avenue between 4 th
and 8 th Streets) and travel from there to
the Waterfront, the Dome and SoHo Art
Districts and then on to 4 th and 9 th Streets
North. Tours are given from 5 p.m. to 9
p.m. on the second Saturday monthly.
Just west of St. Petersburg is the city
of Gulfport. Gulfport’s Art Village features
A sponge fisherman looks over his catch at Tarpon Springs
more than 40 galleries, studios, boutiques
and restaurants all within walking distance
in this pedestrian-friendly historic district.
Gallery Walks with free trolley service,
street entertainment and snacks run from 6-
10 p.m. the first Friday and third Saturday
of the month.
The Gulf Coast Museum of Art at
Pinewood Cultural Park in Largo is another
large facility which features a variety of
classes, workshops, educational programs
and a diverse exhibition schedule. The
Museum operates in conjunction with
the Florida Botanical Gardens and
Heritage Village as three attractions in one
convenient location.
The Dunedin Fine Arts Center features
a variety of exhibitions, workshops and
demonstrations to foster the growth and
development of visual arts. It is also home
to the David L. Mason Children’s Art
Museum. This museum presents interactive
exhibits that help children, in partnership
with adults, to be creative and get a new
understanding of the arts. Numerous other
galleries are located throughout the area,
especially in downtown Clearwater and
Tarpon Springs.
The performing arts are also well
represented with the Mahaffey Theater
in St. Petersburg’s Bayfront Center and
Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. Both are
state-of-the-art facilities which showcase
traveling Broadway shows, other leading
entertainment and performances by the
Florida Orchestra, Florida Ballet and
Florida Opera. American Stage community
theater is in St. Petersburg and offers
regularly scheduled performances along
with a popular “Shakespeare in the Park”
series in the spring.
Special events are numerous
highlighted by Artworks!, St. Pete’s monthlong
celebration of the arts held each
May and Sunsational Museums Month in
November. Plus, music lovers will enjoy
the Clearwater Jazz Holiday which brings
in top-name jazz recording artists for four
days of free concerts each October, and the
Tampa Bay Blues Festival in St. Petersburg
every March.
Within easy driving distance of
Florida’s Beach are the Tampa Museum of
Art, Henry B. Plant Museum, Museum of
Science and Industry (MOSI) and Florida
Aquarium, all located near the heart of
downtown Tampa. The famous Ringling
Museum complex is only about an hour
south by car in Sarasota.
For those who love to shop, St.
Petersburg/Clearwater - Florida’s Beach is
a paradise waiting to be explored.
You’ll also enjoy activities such as:
Florida Orange Groves Inc. & Winery -
1500 Pasadena Ave. S., St. Petersburg, FL
33707. Florida Orange Groves is the St.
Petersburg/Clearwater area’s first and only
award-winning winery. This family-owned
facility produces “citrus-based” fruit wines
that are unique in their fermenting process
The view of downtown St. Petersburg from Cha Cha Coconuts, located on “The Pier”
Page 5, Vitality, February 2004

The carved ceilings of the lobby at the Renaissance Vinoy
allowing them to stay fresh for years. The
facility includes a tasting bar with free wine
tasting by appointment. Tours of the small
factory where citrus is packaged and the
wines are bottled are available year-round.
Groups should call in advance. 727-347-
4025 or 800-338-7923 www.floridawine.
com
Museum of Fine Arts - 255 Beach
Drive, NE. St. Petersburg, FL 33701. The
Museum has the only comprehensive art
collection, from antiquity to the present
day, on Florida’s west coast. The collection
of 4,000 objects includes significant works
by Cezanne, Monet, Gauguin, Renoir,
Rodin, Henri, Bellows and O’Keeffe.
Special exhibits feature works on loan
from other metropolitan museums. Period
rooms feature antiques and historical
furnishing. The museum has a collection of
photos by American master photographers
and a Steuben glass gallery. Guided tours
available. Closed Monday. Open Tuesday to
Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sunday 1-5 p.m.
Admission is $6 adults, $5 seniors and $2
students. Free admission on Sunday except
during special exhibits. 727-896-2667
www.fine-arts.org
The Pier - 800 Second Ave. NE, St.
Petersburg, FL 33701. The landmark Pier in
the heart of St. Petersburg is a unique piece
of Florida architecture that offers visitors a
chance to experience the waterfront along
Tampa Bay. Located at the end of a milelong
approach, this five story inverted
pyramid features shops, restaurants, its own
aquarium, live music and even boat docks.
The top floor of The Pier combines both the
tropical dining of Cha Cha Coconuts with
a huge observation deck, giving the visitor
a truly unique observation point on Tampa
Bay. The Pier features plenty of parking,
complete with trolley service linking the
Pier to the rest of downtown. No admission
fee charged. Open daily, most shops open
10 a.m. until 9 p.m. 727-821-6164.
St. Petersburg Museum of History -
335 Second Avenue NE, St. Petersburg, FL
33701. The museum features a permanent
interactive exhibition of the chronology of
St. Petersburg’s history filled with priceless
Page 6, Vitality, February 2004
artifacts, documents and photographs. The
Benoist Pavilion houses a replica of the
world’s first commercial airliner which
made the first scheduled commercial flight
from St. Petersburg to Tampa on January 1,
1914. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-
Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors
and $2 for children under seven. Group
rates/tours are available. 727-894-1052.
Sunken Gardens - 1825 4th Street
North, St. Petersburg, FL 33704. An exotic
collection of more than 50,000 tropical
plants and flowers including more than 200
species bloom year-round at the six-acre
garden. One of the most popular roadside
attractions in Florida in the 1930s, Sunken
Gardens was bought by the city of St.
Petersburg in 1999. The city restored the
property and added more than 6,000 plants
and a butterfly garden. A walk-through
aviary features tropical birds of all types,
and thousands of rare, fragrant orchids
are found in the Orchid Arbor. Open
Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 4
p.m. Adults $7, Seniors $5, Children (3-12)
$3. 727-551-3100.
Clearwater Beach Attractions:
Show Queen - 25 Causeway Blvd.,
Clearwater, FL 34630. Located at the
Clearwater Beach Marina, this boat offers
narrated scenic cruises. Sightseeing and
lunch cruises are $17.95 for adults and $7.95
for children. Dinner cruises are $26.95
for adults and $13.95 for children 4-10.
Children under 4 are free. (727-461-3113)
Starlite Majesty Dinner Boat - P.O. Box
3335 Clearwater, FL 34630. Docked at the
Clearwater Beach Marina, this ship offers
three-hour (3 1/2 on Saturday) dinner/dance
cruises Tuesday through Saturday. Cruise
admission is $13.80 Tuesday-Friday,
$15.80 Saturday plus the price of dinner
($9.95 - $22.95). Two-hour sightseeing
cruises are offered Tuesday, Wednesday,
Friday and Saturday. Optional lunch is
available Friday and Saturday. Group rates
are also offered. 727-462-2628.
SunCruz Casino - Clearwater Bay
Marina, 198 Seminole Street; Clearwater,
FL 34615. SunCruz Casino features
dining, dancing and a full casino featuring
blackjack, Caribbean stud poker, roulette,
craps and slots. Group rates available. 727-
895-DEAL.
The most popular restaurant on
Clearwater Beach among retirees is the
Beachcomer. It has a very classy bar and
the food is well received. Look for the early
bird special: 2 complete dinners for $26.
TARPON SPRINGS
Anclote Key - Located three miles off
Tarpon Springs. This park and preserve
features four miles of open beach directly
on the Gulf of Mexico. A picturesque 1887
federal lighthouse stands sentinel on the
southern end of the island while ospreys
nest in the tall pines found throughout the
island. Anclote Key is accessible only by
boat. Primitive camping is available with
One of the S-1 Surface to Air missles that were the issue in Cuba during the Kennedy
years -- now on display at the Florida International Museum
more than 75 campsites on a pine ridge in
the center of the 698-acre park. Modern
facilities and a dump station are on the
premises. Five picnic areas with shelters
are available along the shore of Big Lagoon
and the Intracoastal Waterway on the back
side of the island. 727-469-5918.
Inness Paintings - Universalist Church
- 57 Read Street, Tarpon Springs, FL 34689.
Features the largest collection of works by
George Inness, Jr. the American landscape
artist whose most notable paintings were
done in this area. Open November through
May, Tuesday through Sunday 2 p.m. to
5 p.m. (Final tour begins at 4:30 p.m.)
727-937-4682
Island Wind Tours - 600 Dodecanese
Blvd., Tarpon Springs, FL 34689. This 60-
foot, restroom-equipped catamaran offers
one-hour sightseeing cruises around Anclote
Key, a pristine Gulf of Mexico island, and
its historic lighthouse. Sightseeing is $5
for adults and $2 for children. Group rates
available. 727-934-0606
St. Nicholas Boat Line - 693
Dodecanese Blvd., Tarpon Springs, Fl
34689. This 30-minute boat cruise passes
through the historic sponge docks and
includes a narration on the history of sponge
diving, the different types of sponges and a
sponge-diving demonstration. Rates are $5
for adults, $2 for children 6-12 and free for
kids under six. Specialty cruises are also
offered. 727-942-6425
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
- 36 North Pinellas Ave., Tarpon Springs,
FL 34689. Patterned after St. Sofia’s in
Constantinople, this church is an excellent
example of New Byzantine architecture
with an interior of sculptured Grecian
marble, elaborate icons and stained glass.
The Cathedral was built in 1943, replacing
a smaller structure built in 1907 by the
community’s early Greek settlers. Open
daily. 727-937-3540.
Spongeorama - 510 Dodecanese Blvd.,
Tarpon Springs, FL 34689. This exhibit
captures the history of the sponge industry
and Greek settlers who created America’s
“sponge capital.” A museum, movie and
gift shop are included. Daily 10 a.m. to 5
p.m. 727-942-3771
Tarpon Springs Aquarium - 850
Dodecanese Blvd., Tarpon Springs, FL
34689. The aquarium features a 100,000-
gallon main tank with a variety of fish that
are indigenous to the Gulf of Mexico and the
Caribbean. Three smaller tanks showcase
other colorful marine life. Hours are from
10 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily. Admission is
$4.75 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2.75
for children 3-11, with kids under three
free. 727-938-5378
Tarpon Springs Cultural Center - 101
South Pinellas Avenue, Tarpon Springs, FL
34689. This facility identifies, preserves
and promotes the city’s heritage, culture
and natural resources by offering programs,
performances and exhibits of statewide,
national and international interest. 727-
942-5605.
For more information on Florida’s
Beach, call 1-877-FL-BEACH (352-3224).
or write to: St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area
Convention & Visitors Bureau, 14450 46th
Street North, Suite 108, Clearwater, FL
33762.
One of the two Gulf-front pools at the Don CeSar