Clear skies at Clearwater

This post is made possible in part by my Patreon supporters, and for Rasmussen Travels for setting the trip up. Thank you.

A group and I went to Clearwater Beach, Florida. There is so much to see and do on the island of Clearwater Beach that leaving the mainland is unnecessary. We drove down, spent two nights there, and then drove back. Overall, it was a successful trip.

We stayed at a yacht on the south end of the island, which was walkable to everything we wanted to see. That was fantastic.

The first day, we spent all day at the beach. The beaches are of white sand, and stretch for a little more than 2 miles. The water is clear and blue. It is no wonder than resorts line the beaches of the island. We spent a few hours at the beach that day, and then went to dinner at Palm Pavilion Beachside Grill. I highly recommend getting dinner there at least one evening. It is a great place to listen to great live music while having a cold drink and watching the ocean.

Day 2, we spent all day walking up and down the storefront part of town, and engaged in touristy things. After breakfast, some of us went to do parasailing and jet ski. Others found a speed boat tour, and enjoyed a time viewing Clearwater at 40+ knots. Regardless, there is a sizeable dolphin population, so everyone got to encounter a dolphin at least once.

Being on the Gulf of Mexico, the cuisine is heavy on the seafood. It is not hard to find a restaurant with freshly caught seafood. The fresh seafood includes: grouper, mahi mahi, shrimp, and then some. Seriously, it does not matter where you go, you will find fresh seafood. Or just stay at Palm Pavilion. That works too. (No, they are not paying me to write this article.)

Clearwater Beach is renowned most for its famous sunsets. When the conditions are just right, there is even a green flash as the sun sets. Almost everywhere you look, there is a countdown to the sunset. Almost every bar has a sunset special (or specials), and there is even a specific dinner cruise for viewing the sunset. We went to a rooftop bar on Night 2 to watch it.

My only regret for this tour was that it was too short. There is so much to see on Clearwater Beach, and the surrounding area, that 2 days is simply not enough. Not only is there Clearwater Beach, but also Clearwater on the mainland, which has a number of theatres, museums, and an aquarium, and the headquarters of the Church of Scientology, but also Tampa, which is only 20 miles away, is also full of things to see. The next time we go, it would have to be a week, minimum. And I do want to go back soon.