There’snobetterplace tokickoff your shoesandunwind
than this
COZY ISLAND
community justoutsideTampa.
BRIEF:
GO
.
IF
YOU
GO
LoewsDonCeSarHotel
GulfBlvd.
( )
-
PostcardInn
GulfBlvd.
( )
-
SpinnersRooftop
RevolvingBistro
GulfBlvd.
( )
-
CrabbyBill’s
GulfBlvd.
( )
-
St.PetersburgNights
SunsetWay
( )
-
EvanderPreston
ContemporaryJewelryDesign
thAve.
( )
-
BrassMonkey
GulfWay,Suite
( )
-
SurfShack
GulfBlvd.
( )
-
FortDeSotoPark
PinellasBaywayS.,
TierraVerde
( )
-
AWeekendin…
St.PeteBeach,Fla.
T
HE FLORIDA KEYS are a great vacation destina-
tion, but they aren’t the only game in town when
it comes to island escapes in the Sunshine State.
St. PeteBeach, awaterfront communityonLongKey—partof
achainof islands located30minutes fromTampa— isanother
favoritegetaway spot forbaseball fansheaded to spring train-
ing, fishing enthusiasts andbeach bums alike. Established in
1957asSt. PetersburgBeach, the townwasofficially renamed
St. PeteBeach, a long-usedand fittingly less-formal nickname,
in 1994. Nomatter what brings you here, we’ve got the best
the seaside villagehas tooffer.
SLEEP
Located at the entrance of town and painted
Pepto-Bismol pink, the
LoewsDonCeSarHotel
ishard tomiss.
Built in 1928, it still holds court as themost luxurious lodging
inSt. PeteBeach. If you’re looking for somethinga littlecozier
(andeasier on thewallet), checkout the
Postcard Inn
, a retro-
fittedmotelwith thehip traveler inmind. Theirpool, ringed in
oversize lounge chairs, is oneof thebest on the island.
EAT
For dinner with a view, head to the
Spinners Rooftop
RevolvingBistro
atop theGrandPlazaHotel. It iswhat thename
implies: a rotating restaurant with unparalleled 360-degree
viewsof the island. Looking foramorecasual nosh?Try
Crabby
Bill’s
, a seafood joint that serves staples like conch fritters
alongsidenot-so-commondishes likealligator bites.
DRINK
Take a trip to another well-known St. Petersburg for
aneveningat
St. PetersburgNights
, anauthenticRussianbar
and restaurant locatedablock from thebeach. Here, you can
enjoy a belly-dancing performance while sam-
plingmore than25 typesof vodka. Ifyouprefera
brewski, skipyourusual lightbeerand insteador-
der anEvander,which isbrewed just a fewhours
away inMelbourne, Fla. Don’t be intimidatedby
themenacing, long-bearded faceon the label; it’s
merely the likeness of local artist Evander Pres-
ton,whodrinks itdaily (andwhoseworkyoucan
see at
Evander Preston Contemporary Jewelry
Design
studio). Our top spot to swig one? The
BrassMonkey
bar and restaurant.
DO
Adventure-seeking souls should head
straight for the
Surf Shack
. Not only can you
pick up a board and gear, but you can glean
tips from the staff, who live and breathe surf-
ing. Want to know the best places to hang ten
or how to keep from falling? The friendly folks
at this family shop are the only resource you’ll
need. If you’re the exploring type, head to
Fort De SotoPark
, a 1,136-acre park comprising
five interconnected islands with sevenmiles of
waterfront.Well worth the half-hour drive from
St. Pete Beach, this immaculate reserve has no
residencesorproper restaurants— just avariety
of outdoor recreationoptions, including trails, a
dogpark, picnicareas, kayakingand threemiles
of pristinewhitebeaches. Andof course, there’s
Fort De Soto, which was built in 1899 and still
stands today.
FROMLEFT:
theLoewsDonCeSar
Hotel, FortDeSotoPark, the
Postcard InnandCrabbyBill’s
FORTDESOTOPARK: PANORAMIC IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES
24
DECEMBER 01, 2011
AA.COM/AMERICANWAY
