Travel :: St. Petersburg, Florida

The last two days of our trip to Florida were spent in St. Petersburg.  We stayed at the historic Vinoy Resort & Golf Club and absolutely loved it.  The hotel was built in the 1920's and overlooks the beautiful marina and town of St. Pete.  After nearly a week of bad weather we were thrilled to be greeted by endless sunshine, and spent much of our time lounging by the pool reading and drinking cocktails.  In the evenings we strolled through downtown St. Petersburg stopping in shops, eating ice cream, and taking in two very beautiful sunsets.  A few of my recommendations...

THE BIRCHWOOD: We absolutely loved this rooftop bar and wished we had more time to spend there.  They serve wonderful craft cocktails and small plates {the truffle frites were so so good}.  Go up at sunset and watch the sky turn vibrant orange and pink over the Maria and town of St. Pete. 

VINOY RESORT & GOLF CLUB: Out of all the hotels we looked at in St. Petersburg, the Vinoy was by far my favorite.  The location is top-notch and hotel itself is absolutely stunning.  The facade reminded me of The Royal Hawaiian hotel and the service was just as wonderful.  My only complaint was the room decor seemed a bit stale, but since we hardly spent any time in our room it was absolutely fine.  We booked our room on a website called Otel.com and were able to save $100 {YAY!}  If you're staying in St. Pete Beach, I would recommend the Don Cesar resort which has a similar ambiance.

400 BEACH SEAFOOD & TAP HOUSE: This restaurant has a great outdoor dining area with a casual seafood centric menu including Lobster Mac & Cheese, Florida Grouper Oscar, and fish tacos {Ryan said they were some of the best he has ever eaten}.  Plus, it was a five minute walk from the Vinoy which was that much better.

THE MARINA: Grab a scoop of ice cream and dangle your legs over the edge of the Marina and watch the sailboats go by.  So peaceful.

Travel :: Disney World

During our recent trip to Florida we decided to make the best of the imclemete weather and take a last minute trip to Disney World.  We hopped in the car at 7AM and were on the road.  As a girl, we would visit Disney almost every year, but it had been years since I had last been back.  To be honest, I was absolutely giddy with excitement to be going back to 'The Happiest Place on Earth,' but unfortunately due to absolutely insane crowds our trip to Disney definitely left a bit to be desired.

As a child, we rarely went to Disney World on Spring Break and instead would typically visit either over our Winter Break {in February} or my parents would pull me out of school for a few days to go. I have never, never seen anything like the tens of thousands of people literally shoulder to shoulder throughout the entire park.  We pulled up to Disney around 9AM, and didn't get on our first ride until nearly 2PM because it took that long to buy our tickets, get into the park, and wait in line for the Fast Pass.  The Fast Pass itself was an extremely frustrating experience, as after standing in line for over an hour {and still not even being close to the reservation booth}, we found out that all of the major rides {Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, etc.} were booked until 10PM.  So, dejectedly, we left the line and were almost ready to give up on our Disney dreams...but thankfully the tried-and-true Teacups had only a 20 minute line so we ran over and after 90 seconds of Disney magic were back to enjoying the day.

Overall, I was definitely a little frustrated by the experience.  We were only able to ride three rides {albeit good rides - the Teacups, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Haunted Mansion} the entire day, and weren't truly able to get the full Disney experience because of the crowds.  There were lines to buy food, lines to get into restaurants, lines to get into bathrooms, lines to get in lines...literally lines everywhere.  I can only imagine how much more upsetting the situation would be if we had been there with children and had come to Florida specifically with the intent of visiting Disney.  Lesson of the story...if you go to Disney World, do NOT go over Spring Break!

Travel :: Clearwater Beach, Florida

The first stop on our recent trip to Florida was Clearwater Beach.  Ryan's family rented a house near the ocean and we spent five days reading, laying by the beach, drinking tropical cocktails, and eating loads of seafood.  Unfortunately the weather was not the best, alternating between sunny but chilly and very, very rainy.  But, we made the best of it and took the opportunity to plan an impromptu trip to Disney World {more on that later} and catch up with Ryan's extended family.  If you ever find yourself in clearwater, a few of my favorite things to do, see, & eat are:

THE BEACH {obviously}: I have been to quite a few beaches in my lifetime, and while most certainly not the most scenic {I'd have to say the Amalfi Coast wins the prize for that one} I have never, ever felt softer sand.  Seriously, the only way I could describe it would be like laying in fluffy baby powder.

BOB HEILMAN'S BEACHCOMBER: Out of all the restaurants we visited this was by far my favorite.  It has a decidedly upscale, old-school vibe with wool paneling, big windows, and an extensive menu of fresh seafood and steaks {the mussels and oysters were unbelievable}.  That paired with music by all the classic crooners, makes for a perfect night out on the town.  

THE BAIT HOUSE: The definition of "a hole in the wall," The Bait House is a great place to go for a super relaxed beer by the marina.  

CLEAR SKY CAFE: I wish would have discovered this breakfast joint on our first day, because I would have eaten there everyday.  The menu is huge and the food was simple but delicious.  I ordered a Lobster and Brie Benedict which was as delicious as it sounds :)

EXPLORING: I felt like Clearwater Beach had a very 1980's 'Miami Vice' vibe.  There are dozens of kitschy motels {Note: I didn't stay in any so I can't tell you if they were funky or just plain seedy on the inside} that make for some amusing exploration and photos.

PALM PAVILION: The food here was only average, but it has a great vibe and is a fun place to listen to music and grab a drink by the beach.

WATCH THE SUNSET: Thanks to Clearwater Beach's westward-facing location, if the sky is clear you will be treated to some absolutely unbelievable sunsets.  Sadly, the inclement weather meant I was only able to see one...but you bet I took advantage of it!  Watching the sky, surf, and sand change from blue to gold to red to the faintest pink was a memory I will always remember.