Clearwater FL and vicinity

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

We are settled into our marina, just at the foot of downtown Clearwater and have rented a car to see more of this area.

The main post office, built in 1933, is nearby.  The downtown area has been revitalized and has numerous restaurants and shops and is a safe area to walk at night.

A water taxi boards just steps from our boat for the short trip across the harbor to the city's sister marina on Clearwater Beach.

We enjoyed dinner at a waterfront restaurant and live music on the beach at sunset.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Today we drove north about 15 miles to the waterfront town of Tarpon Springs.  The town is home to many Greek immigrants and their descendants, who introduced European sponge harvesting methods to the States in the early 1900s.




The northeastern Gulf of Mexico's shallow waters are known as one of a few locations where natural sponges grow.  The Tarpon Springs sponge industry began in the 1870s and by 1900, Tarpon Springs was the largest sponge port in the US.  The sponge business is still active today with most of the sponge boats operated by Greek descendants of the original settlers.

One local resident is known for his decorated bicycles that can be seen all over town.  We were told the wife of the man who decorates them has some sort of dementia.  If she gets lost in this small town, she can follow the colorful bikes and when sees the red one, she knows she is home.

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Today we drove to St. Petersburg, a very upscale community across Tampa Bay from Tampa.  We had lunch at a nice restaurant overlooking the city marina, then toured the Chihuly Collection. 

Dale Chihuly is a world famous glass artist, known mostly for his blown glass creations.  Ceiling fixtures such as these are one of his signature creations.

Many fascinating vases were represented in the collection.






Friday, October 28, 2016

This evening we celebrated Carolyn's birthday at a delightful country French restaurant, Chez Colette, near our marina. 

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Today we drove to Tampa to visit Ybor City, a Cuban district, for lunch and cigar shopping. We throw off the lines on Monday to head south toward Ft. Myers.