Florida, Part 3

We spent a couple of days at St. Pete's Beach, just west of Tampa. I wanted to stay here, at this hotel.

But when we were looking at hotels on-line, it was not something affordable for us. So we chose this hotel.

And this was the view from our room!!! No complaints there!

There really weren't many people at all. Off season. There were lots of beach chairs that hotels would rent out (for $20 a day!) and I think I saw one person do that. We were fine sitting on the sand. The sand was so soft - like talcum powder!

It was relaxing walking along the beach. And just sitting and watching the waves. And birdwatching. And watching dolphins leaping in the water.

sandpiper

a snowy egret

Pelicans. They were everywhere!

royal terns

A blue heron.

(I'm a novice birdwatcher so I might have not got all the names right.)

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On Friday we drove up along the barrier island road to Clearwater. We stopped at a little place on the beach called the Snack Shack for lunch. We were the only ones there eating at the time. The young owner gave us a very generous sandwich. He told us that he came to visit from Maryland and never went back.

We got to Clearwater where we were going to go on a dolphin sight-seeing boat. While the young lady was getting us tickets, we asked her if she was from around there. She replied that she had come from Maryland 4 months ago to visit her grandmother and ended up staying here. So we told her about the guy from the Snack Shack who also had come from Maryland recently. "Is he young?" "Yup!" Can't you just imagine that maybe they will hook up???? I see love in the air!

We took a 2 hour trip out on the bay/gulf area. We did see 1 dolphin. They advertize that if you don't see dolphins, you get another day out on the boat. We wouldn't have been able to do another day anyway, but we are happy that we did see dolphins at our hotel and also the next day (pictures later). Oh well, it was a fun trip anyway. The crew of the tour boat were very friendly and nice! And free pop!

Ok. I would like to live here!

Notice that the house and boat match! Both pink.

We passed this pirate ship. Don't worry, Sophia! They did not attack us.

The picture above is a home belonging to Tom Cruise if I remember correctly.

This next home Sylvester Stallone purchased for his mother-in-law.

After our boat trip, we headed back to our hotel. We had passed this Japanese restaurant on the way coming up and I knew right away that it was the real thing. Many of the so-called Japanese restaurants here in America you would not find in Japan. But I could tell this was a place I could get food like we get in Japan!

There were 2 young Japanese boys in their 20's running the place. Well, they are probably American citizens. The waiter said he moved to America from Yokohama when he was 13.

I ordered "omu rice". Yum!!

Watching the sun set.

The end of a wonderful day.