St. Petersburg the Sunshine City

St. Petersburg is the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area. The city is located on the Pinellas Peninsula between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. It’s connected to mainland Florida to the north. Because the city has on the average 361 days of sunshine annually it has been given the nickname “The Sunshine City”.

Art lovers will enjoy the Salvador Dali Museum with a comprehensive collection of paintings by surrealist master Salvador Dali. In the collection are over 2,000 artworks. His work is represented starting from his early artwork Impressionism and Cubism.

The Dali Museum Library and Center for the Avant-garde has also found its home in the museum. Here you can find books, magazines, newspaper clippings and other documentation that is related to Dali, Surrealism and Avant-garde influences.

Take a walk to the Sunken Gardens which started as the hobby of a plumber named George Turner. He transformed a lakebed into a six-acre tropical garden. There are rare plants to enjoy and paths to stroll along.

You’ll see tropical flora from all around the world. There’re are waterfalls, footbridges, and flamingos.

The brand-new St. Pete Pier is the place to enjoy activities, food, fun, and entertainment. You can choose from six different restaurants or have a snack by the beach at the Spa Beach Bistro. The St. Peter Pier stretches for 3,000 feet and is a great place to take a walk. You can also choose to take a tram ride.

All throughout the pier area are public artworks like the Bending Arc by Janet Echelman.

At the end of the pier is the unique Olnetopia by Nick Ervinck.

The sculpture the Benoist Airboat was first flown by Tony Jannus in 1914.

Fort DeSoto Park is the largest park in Pinellas County. Visitors enjoy the beaches and the many nature and recreation trails for hiking, biking, and rollerblading. There are also two fishing piers.

This park is named for the fort that is located on the southern end of Mullet Key. It was built in 1898 during the Spanish-American War.

In the former Quartermaster Storehouse you’ll find a small museum with historical information. Other on-site buildings include civilian quarters, barracks, a bakery, and the former hospital.

It is a great place to see birds particularly pelicans and shore birds.

Enjoy the Waterfront Arts District which is home to many museums like the Dali Museum, the St, Petersburg Museum of History, and the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art. There are many shops and restaurants with shady patios.

St. Petersburg’s Museum of Fine Arts is home to more than 20,000 artworks. The collection includes Greek, Roman, and Asian antiquities, African art, ancient art from the Americas, and European art. There is a large photography collection, a gallery of glass art, and a sculpture garden. It is located on the beautiful waterfront.

The Boyd Hill Nature Reserve is a lovely par with walking trails and boardwalks. You can explore the area’s varied ecosystems among them swamp woodlands and a willow marsh.

The Great Florida Birding Trail within the reserve is home to the Birds of Prey Aviary. The park has nature camps and picnic facilities. You can find a playground, picnic areas, and shelters. To see the park you can take a tram tour.

See the beautiful Sunshine Skyway Bridge which crosses the water at the entrance to Tampa Bay. The bridge stretches for twelve miles with over four miles of bridge rising above the ocean to let large vessels pass through. Two main pillars rising high above the road give the bridge a dramatic look.

The Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail was created along an abandoned railroad corridor. This is a 37-mile-long park and recreation trail. It is enjoyed by walkers, runners, cyclists, and skaters. Along the way are shops, cafes, and restaurants. There are nine sculptures marking the various communities through which the trail passes.

The Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail, created along an abandoned railroad corridor, is a 37-mile-long park and recreation trail, running from the downtown waterfront of St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs.

Dunedin is one of the beautiful areas along the trail. It is a quaint town that began as a seaport and trading center.

Just off the Dunedin coast are the Honeymoon Island State Recreation Area and the Caladesi Island State Park.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium is best-known as home to the film dolphins Winter and Hope. These dolphins inspired and starred in the “Dolphin Tale” movies. Other marine residents are sea turtles, otters, pelicans, sharks, and stingrays. The aquarium has regular shows as well as special tours and activities.

Sand Key Park located on the barrier island of the same name is home to a lovely beach and a diverse nature area. The park is making an ongoing effort to create an artificial reef in the Gulf of Mexico. It works closely with the Clearwater Aquarium to ensure the safety of sea turtles. The park is also are great place for bird-watching.

You can see birds like herons, roseate spoonbills, great horned owls, anhingas, and common moorhens feed and nest in the salt marsh.

At the John’s Pass Village & Boardwalk you’ll enjoy strolling along the boardwalk that is lined with restaurants that offer great views over the water and constant boat traffic. There is a retail area with more than 100 retailers among them souvenir shops and ice-cream stands.

Tour boats leave from here for excursions into the Gulf of Mexico.