Clearwater, Florida; On the beach, the water or a Gulf front cafe, you’re going to love this place
Clearwater Beach at sunset. People flock here just to watch the show. It's also great for dining, shopping, fishing, dolphin trips, and getting a sun tan. Photo by Rori Paul.
The first time I ever visited Clearwater, Florida & Clearwater Beach it was a happenstance kinda deal. My family was taking our last family-vacation, Florida our destination. My brother and I were old enough we were moving into our adult lives, so one more time we all headed to Walt Disney World.
Flying is tough on my ears, so Cary – my baby-bro – joined me on a road trip, arriving a couple days early and looking for something to do, we “found” Captain Memo’s Pirate Ship - in Clearwater.
Who knew… I fell in love. The water, the beaches, the shops… jeepers, it was all the Florida I’d dreamed of.
That was like two decades ago, Cary has three kids now and I’m back in Florida to live, play and work.
Captain Memo's Pirate Ship - the original pirate cruise - waits to take another crew of rogues and wenches onto the high seas. The Captain was the first to draw me to a place I've come to love. Photo Rori Paul
And that work sometimes takes me over to Clearwater… and its just as wonderful to day as it was all those years ago.
The hotels are mostly bigger now, on the beach, owned more by chains than the mom & pops they used to be. The restaurants are still a good chunk mom & pops, but they’re now completing more with chains – not a lot, but changing.
The shopping is there: t-shirts and sunglasses, melted snowmen in snow globes and shells used for all sorts of things… I love the blasted things! The stores… the places to look at souvenirs and maybe bring something home…
There’s also a dolphin named Winter who has turned the world on its tail flukes with her charming smile, inspirational story, and well, now that she’s a movie star… her bigger than life personality. You can meet her at Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
We sadly don’t get to go over as much as we’d like. It’s only about an hour, hour and a half drive from Orlando, easy to do and easy to find your way around (do bring a good map & use it).
But Clearwater is always dear to my heart, and when we can, we’ll even do a quick drive-thru on the way somewhere else, just to see…
Clearwater and the Gulf Coast are known for the great boating. Boats of all shapes and sizes call this area home - or come here to enjoy the amazing Gulf of Mexico waters. Photo by Rori Paul.
Clearwater Marine Aquarium, the Marina, Captain Memo (he’s still there!), dolphin trips, beaches, dining, shopping, the Pier 60… so much to do, so much to enjoy, so many beautiful sunsets… Clearwater…
Clearwater Marine Aquarium is dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating marine life. Photo by Rori Paul.
Grab a picture, a t-shirt, a meal or a sunset... Clearwater Beach has it all. Photo by Rori Paul
Ever seen a Florida Snow Plow... Check out our Florida Snow... Photo by Rori Paul
Clearwater Marine Aquarium is home to Winter Dolphin, a little girl rescued and saved when her tale became caught in a line. She lost that tail and has defied the odds to become a worldwide celebrity, with her own motion picture staring her, Morgan Freeman and Harry Connick Jr. Photo by Rori Paul
