Room to Roam in St Petersburg, Florida

We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

The Sunday before Thanksgiving, we drove south to Florida for our winter getaway. We were surprised to find light traffic in the Atlanta area.  As we got closer to the Florida border, the traffic got heavier, slowing to a crawl in Gainesville and again in Tampa. Guess people were not heeding CDC's plea to stay home for the Thanksgiving holiday. Covid-19 cases were rising in many states, with Florida ranking top 3 as of  Dec 4.  We only stopped to fill up our gas tank and for bathroom breaks, so we got to our destination an hour earlier than our usual 12 hours drive.

With so many county parks and open spaces in the Tampa Bay area, we have room to roam, safely. It's a good thing the new St Pete Pier, which opened in July, is so open, airy and spacious, with 26 acres of land for outdoor activities. We met a friend for lunch at the rooftop bar Pier Teaki, and later explored the new pier and downtown by bike. 
Looking at downtown St Pete from the rooftop bar Pier Teaki
Walkway to the St Pete Pier
Pier Plaza, with a cafe, chairs and interactive fountains
Looking at the Pier from Spa Beach

Taking a break to soak up some sun

a blue heron waiting patiently for a meal 
Vantage point of the pier from the Dali Museum area
We wanted to see Van Gogh Alive at the Dali museum, but the tickets were sold out. Just as well. The exhibit runs until April 11, 2021, so we'll catch it next year. With vaccines out soon, it'll be safer to be indoors then.
Biked to the Vinoy Point
View of  the St Pete Pier from Vinoy Point
 
Gelato and brownies - sweet endings to a great workout!

Music and gelato, how sweet it is!
 My favorite Louis Armstrong song summed up our day:
I see skies of blue
And clouds of white
The bright blessed day
The dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

Y'all have a good day. Be well and stay safe!


You might also like:
The Salvador Dali Museum moves to its new home in St Pete, Florida Come and find the sun in the Tampa Bay area Homebound: life amid coronavirus pandemic

Comments

  1. welcome to Florida! You're close to me. Enjoy your stay and stay safe.

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  2. Oh the beach looks beautiful. It’s not exactly beach weather up here in New England although until this week the weather has been unseasonably warm.

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  3. Florida certainly looks like the ultimate place for a winter getaway! Love the fabulous photos.

    Happy Wednesday!

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  4. That really is a wonderful place to spend time! Your photos made me smile.

    Your link at 'My Corner of the World' this week is an exciting addition! Thanks for joining us!

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