Florida
I just returned from a few days visiting family in Florida. From my experiences with travelers, people either love Florida or they hate it. I am a Florida fan. While growing up, my parents had homes in Florida and Colorado and when my sister and I were not in school in Illinois, we were growing up on the beaches of Florida or the ski hills of Colorado. I had a large group of friends in the small town of Gulfport Florida were we lived and have kept in touch with many of them during the last 25 years.
I had a lot more freedom as a teenager in Florida than in Illinois, maybe it was the freedom of a lifestyle lived on the beach where your main concern of the day was trying to fit in a swim before the afternoon rains.
As an adult living in the Chicago area we often have 4 seasons in 1 day so about this time of year I start craving Florida, clear warm nights, the smell of salt water and the boardwalk of Gulfport.
My parents currently live in Punta Gorda, which was heavily damaged by a hurricane a few years ago. They live on a waterway in a lovely home with a warm pool. The community where they live is a maze of streets, all backed by waterways or golf courses. The small town feel of where I grew up in Gulfport is absent, mainly because Punta Gorda is a newer planned community and because so many buildings were blown away in the hurricane.
During my previous visit last winter, I was able to spend a day driving up the coast to the St. Pete Beach area and visiting Gulfport. My grandparents home is still standing on Beach Blvd, but is sadly neglected since it was sold a few years ago. Gulfport under went a transformation in the late 90's and early 2000's when it was discovered as the quaint sleepy bay town it is. Many of the small storefronts were bought and the waterfront downtown area was transformed into a artist community and gay friendly place to life. Gulfport is tiny, but along the beach there are numerous restaurants and bars that throw their french doors open so you can mingle in between strolls on the beach. The Casino is also a favorite place, especially with the Seniors on dance nights. There are no decent hotels in Gulfport, but there are a few charming B&B's near the beach. Across the bay you can see the buildings on St. Pete Beach which is only a 15 minutes drive.
St. Pete Beach and Pass-a-Grille Beach, home of the famous Don CeSar Hotel (pink castle), is a favorite spring break destination. I grew up pool hopping, sunbathing and skim boarding with friends on this beach and know every restaurant and bar for miles. It is still my favorite place in the world to go and relax. If you happen to be in the area, don't miss The Hurricane Restaurant. The roof top bar is the best place for a grouper sandwich, a beer, a game of pool and the perfect view of a Florida sunset.
I had a lot more freedom as a teenager in Florida than in Illinois, maybe it was the freedom of a lifestyle lived on the beach where your main concern of the day was trying to fit in a swim before the afternoon rains.
As an adult living in the Chicago area we often have 4 seasons in 1 day so about this time of year I start craving Florida, clear warm nights, the smell of salt water and the boardwalk of Gulfport.
My parents currently live in Punta Gorda, which was heavily damaged by a hurricane a few years ago. They live on a waterway in a lovely home with a warm pool. The community where they live is a maze of streets, all backed by waterways or golf courses. The small town feel of where I grew up in Gulfport is absent, mainly because Punta Gorda is a newer planned community and because so many buildings were blown away in the hurricane.
During my previous visit last winter, I was able to spend a day driving up the coast to the St. Pete Beach area and visiting Gulfport. My grandparents home is still standing on Beach Blvd, but is sadly neglected since it was sold a few years ago. Gulfport under went a transformation in the late 90's and early 2000's when it was discovered as the quaint sleepy bay town it is. Many of the small storefronts were bought and the waterfront downtown area was transformed into a artist community and gay friendly place to life. Gulfport is tiny, but along the beach there are numerous restaurants and bars that throw their french doors open so you can mingle in between strolls on the beach. The Casino is also a favorite place, especially with the Seniors on dance nights. There are no decent hotels in Gulfport, but there are a few charming B&B's near the beach. Across the bay you can see the buildings on St. Pete Beach which is only a 15 minutes drive.
St. Pete Beach and Pass-a-Grille Beach, home of the famous Don CeSar Hotel (pink castle), is a favorite spring break destination. I grew up pool hopping, sunbathing and skim boarding with friends on this beach and know every restaurant and bar for miles. It is still my favorite place in the world to go and relax. If you happen to be in the area, don't miss The Hurricane Restaurant. The roof top bar is the best place for a grouper sandwich, a beer, a game of pool and the perfect view of a Florida sunset.
posted by Shannon Distel Scanlan at 11:00 AM
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