I’m not a swimmer, yet I like being near the water. We have made two trips to Indian Shores, Florida and we have enjoyed ourselves immensely. Indian Shores is located between Clearwater Beach and St Pete’s Beach on the Gulf of Mexico. It is a good 45 minutes from the Tampa airport but not a difficult drive.
We were there in August two years ago and October this year. Both times we found properties right on the beach through VRBO (HomeAway) and they worked out perfectly. The first place has been sold and I do not think it is being rented any longer.
The second house will serve two couples nicely and still have one bedroom left over! There is also a one bedroom house on the property to rent as well. Parking works well and is off the street. The property is located close to good restaurants and only a few steps to the beach for miles of walking! The owner is very good at communicating and we had no issues. The website gives some of the property details. http://Adagiobeachvillas.com
There are grocery stores in the area and we seemed to keep going back to the “Publix”. There are a number of locations as you drive around.
We enjoy the quiet and peaceful setting of Indian Shores. We walk the beach and enjoy the weather. There are people fishing and playing in the sand. This time we saw groups of small stingrays while on our morning walk.
Kathy is a quilter and there are excellent quilting shops within easy driving distance to Clearwater and Dunedin. My quilting knowledge has peaked and I cannot absorb much more. I have been to the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky so my life is complete.
We went into Tampa for two hockey games as we are hockey fans. The tickets were reasonably priced on StubHub and parking was good around Amalie Arena. Not much to do in downtown Tampa, so be prepared to eat around the Arena. The River Walk is nice and worth doing.
October was a better time to go because we found the weather to be better. Late August was very humid, whereas, October was perfect. We understand the crowds arrive in the winter months and that is not really for us.
We drove up the Clearwater Beach and Dunedin and enjoyed lunch at Frenchy’s Outpost on the deck. Good food and decent value.
John’s Pass is south of Indian Shores and there is some shopping and restaurants. The shops are typical of what you would expect for tourists. Same goes for Clearwater Beach.
At John’s Pass you can have lunch on the water and there are few places to choose. The place we were at had a good view and the food was okay. I will leave this one up to you.
For supper we have been to the Conch Republic Grill three times and it does not disappoint. Expect a busy place with a colourful decor – this is not fine dining. Good menu and good service. Best check for a reservation any day of the week.
The Salt Rock Grill is more upscale, although, you would not have known it from the guy wearing his ball cap backwards while eating his meal. This is not a fast food place and the ball cap should come off. A reservation is needed and we really enjoyed our meal. There is a good selection of steak of ANY size, including a 42 oz for the big appetite. We will definitely go back. The price tag is a bit higher; however, it is worth it. I had the lamb and it was excellent.
There are Outlet stores in Ellenton which is an hour drive to the southeast and good for a drive.
I could easily make Indian Shores a “go to” place for a week or two getaway!
My second cup is now empty……………………..
