St. Pete-Clearwater on Florida’s gulf coast has it all – sun, sea and sport – offering so much more than a relaxing sunshine break, writes Rachel Beresford
Clearwater Beach in Tampa, Florida
When I set off for St. Pete-Clearwater last month, I never thought I’d end my visit in the kitchen!
Located on Florida’s gulf coast and boasting over 45 kilometres of white-sand beaches, I pictured myself basking in some much-needed sunshine and swimming in crystal clear waters.
Naturally, that does happen – temperatures here reach up to a lovely 25 degrees in March so laying by the beach and cooling off in the sea is a pleasant pastime for us of Celtic descent – but I also found that St. Pete-Clearwater offers so much more than just relaxation.
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At first glance, you’d be forgiven for assuming this is where older generations go in their retirement. The vibe is cool and calm and the pace of life is seemingly far slower than the mile a minute we go here. Locals take leisurely strolls with their dogs from early morning or enjoy a brisk run.
On our first morning, I felt a million miles – not just over 4,000! – away from the hustle and bustle of Dublin and, more importantly, the kitchen… Or so I thought!
Landing in Tampa on February 28, we were just in time for a cracking weekend of sport across St. Pete-Clearwater.
The Toronto Blue Jays were in town for spring training – the Canadian baseball team escape their harsh home weather conditions for sunnier climes, holding their training camp at TD Ballpark in Dunedin – and I was lucky enough to be one of thousands of revellers in the stands for their game against The Phillies.
The Phillies train just down the way in BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater so this is a fierce rivalry – even among the two mayors. Tradition sees the losing mayor forced to wear the winning side’s jersey.
I’ve never been a fan of red so on the day I chose to support the Blue Jays and, as Irish luck would have it, I ended up on the winning side.
Rachel at TD Ballpark in Dunedin
It wouldn’t have dampened my spirits had I not been though – a day out at the ballpark is everything I expected and more. Rival fans mingled, mascots got the crowd amped up, hot dog and Cracker Jack (caramel-coated popcorn and peanuts mixed together in one bag, very American!) vendors shouted for sales much like the traders of Moore Street and there were smiling faces all round. What could be better?
Well, a lot, it seems, in St. Pete-Clearwater.
This was a visit of plenty of firsts for me, including finding myself in the kitchen on holiday!
But this was no ordinary kitchen – in fact, despite having a serious competitive streak, this is the most fun I’ve found myself having while in a kitchen. At home, I cook to eat, not for fun.
And while finding yourself in the kitchen at St. Pete Shuffleboard Club is not supposed to be fun – the kitchen is the area behind the primary scoring zones called the ’10-off’ area where 10 points are deducted when landed in – I had a blast.
St. Pete Shuffleboard Club
We were given the rundown on the rules by club director Amy and the resident pro (no pressure!) and, after two games, while the only award I’ll be winning is a participation medal, I picked up a new hobby that I never would have tried before my visit here.
And that is the type of trip I love – somewhere that takes you to places you’d have never dreamt of going before. Somewhere new and exciting.
St. Pete-Clearwater offers that in spades.
And nowhere is as exciting and new to the area than St. Pete Athletic where we headed for another first, my first – but absolutely not my last – game of pickleball. To say I am hooked is an understatement.
Previously, I’ve always been a ‘couch’ sports enthusiast in so far as I love watching sport rather than playing any. But pickleball is a game I can – and will – get onboard with.
St. Pete Athletic is the newest addition to the St. Pete’s sports scene and it is INCREDIBLE – a premier pickleball and panel club that feels exclusive but welcomes both members and non-members and even caters for those looking to work remotely in a space that will make you feel like you aren’t working at all.
St. Pete Athletic is the newest sporting addition to St. Pete
As the fastest growing sport in the US, St. Pete offers a space where you can hone your pickleball skills while also doing so much more – there’s a restaurant, a cocktail and coffee bar, private conference rooms, work spaces, a sports shop and gym. This is all in addition to the pickleball and padel courts.
After a hearty lunch in the onsite Rose’s Cafe (probably not so wise) we were put through our pickleball paces – and, while exhausting, this hour-lesson is the most fun I have had in years.
The rules are, erm, complicated – there is a lot of math involved – but that almost adds to the fun of the game. As does winning – and one out of two ain’t bad, right?
The weekend we visited, the IndyCar Firestone Grand Prix was also taking place in St. Petersburg.
This event dates back to 1985 – with Indy cars first competing in 2003 – with drivers racing along the streets as well as one runway of Albert Whitted Airport. It’s quite a sight to see – race cars whizzing by as small aircrafts take off and land around you.
Pato O’Ward seemed to be the driver of note of the weekend as young fans sported his merch and cheered as his car roared by. I followed suit, assuming ‘Pato’ was Irish. So imagine my surprise when I realised he was Mexican and had absolutely no Irish ancestry whatsoever.
Ex-Formula 1 drivers Mick Schumacher and Romain Grosjean were two of the names I recognised, as both now race in IndyCar, but it was Alex Palou – a four-time IndyCar Series champion – who took the win on the day.
The Firestone Grand Prix IndyCar race
And there must be something in the water in St. Pete because in my Wikipedia-ing of Alex after the race, I found he is also a keen pickeball player. Touche.
After a couple of days of being a good sport (see what I did there?), it was time for that famous relaxation I mentioned earlier. So we headed out for some time on the water. Bliss.
Or miss… if you have two left hands like me. Thankfully, I am the only one who has those so it was just my kayak that kept veering off course on our clear bottom kayak excursion at Shell Key Reserve.
This was recently named the top outdoor and nature activity in the US in the TripAdvisor Best of the Best Awards – and, with the beauty that surrounds you in St. Pete Clearwater, it’s easy to see why. Being out on calm, crystal clear waters is indeed something special.
After four days of eating American-size portions, the exercise didn’t do any harm either!
So everything comes full circle, we’ve landed back in the kitchen…