The Gulf Coast

Beyond the fine white sandy beaches, this area offers an amazing array of food, fun and culture

by PETER GREENBERG

The opening draw to the triumvirate of Florida’s Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater is straightforward: sunny days, fine white sand beaches and fresh seafood. Add a vibrant arts scene and the opportunity to sample Greek, Cuban and Thai culture and food—spread along 64 kilometres of seashore—and the Gulf Coast area makes a great year-round destination.

Tampa

In Tampa, a great food stop is the Columbia Restaurant, decorated with thousands of hand-painted terra cotta tiles and known as Florida’s oldest restaurant. Founded in 1905, the restaurant has been family-owned and operated for five generations. The “1905” Salad is mixed at your table; the Paella “a la Valenciana” is a family recipe and the restaurant’s signature dish. My favourite is the Ybor City Devil Crab Croquettes.

To experience a bit of Asia, plan your trip to include a Sunday visit to Wat Mongkolratanaram, or Wat Tampa for short. Enjoy an open-air riverfront brunch that you build yourself with items from the dozens of Thai food vendors at this Buddhist temple’s 30- year-old weekly market. Bring cash and arrive early to grab a picnic table and to avoid the lines for pad thai, fried bananas and mango sticky rice.

St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg is home to collections of the works of two famous artists, Salvador Dalí and Dale Chihuly.

The Dalí Museum contains the largest collection of the Spanish surrealist’s work outside of Europe, and includes the melting clocks of his masterpiece, The Persistence of Memory. Be sure to go in the morning to catch the light coming off the water through the Enigma, a geodesic bubble made up of 1,062 triangular pieces of glass.

The Dalí Museum
© SEANPAVONEPHOTO / STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Also check out the nearby collection of Chihuly glass art, including colourful, unusually shaped sculptures— abstract interpretations of sea creatures, submerged landscapes and floating tumbleweeds. Your ticket to the Chihuly Collection includes admission to the Morean Glass Studio and Hot Shop for a glass-blowing demonstration. And you don’t have to be limited to watching. If Chihuly’s work inspires you, you can sign up for a class.

Clearwater

A must stop in Clearwater is the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. What distinguishes this aquarium is that it’s also a working marine life hospital best known for its two rescued dolphins Winter and Hope, whose stories were told in the movies Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2, respectively.

Hope at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium
© CLEARWATER MARINE AQUARIUM

The aquarium is also home to otters, turtles, pelicans and, most recently, to two very rare orange lobsters.

If craft beer is your thing, check out some of the breweries that have led the area to be labeled the “Gulp Coast.” Down a beer at Grindhaus Brew Lab and its pub, where you can take in not just beer, but also, on occasion, classic and quirky movies.

End your day by celebrating the sunset either on Pier 60—complete with artisans and street performers— or with a cocktail and the signature grouper sandwich at the seaside Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill.

Bonus: Tarpon Springs

I’m reminded of the Aegean Sea whenever I head to Tarpon Springs, about 24 kilometres north of Clearwater. Sponge divers brought their Greek heritage to the area in the early 1900s. You’ll find belly-dancing, bouzoukis, baklava and a Greek Orthodox cathedral, St. Nicholas.

For dining, try Mykonos, a third-generation family restaurant, and their signature dish: sautéed octopus. For dessert, stop in at Hellas Bakery, which has been making Greek pastries since 1970. Try the flogeres, phyllo flutes with an almond and honey filling.—PG

HANDE BAYAR

Peter Greenberg is the multiple–Emmy Award–winning travel editor for CBS News and host of The Travel Detective on public television (petergreenberg.com).

Costco Connection: Costco Travel offers Gulf Coast vacation packages, as well as car rentals, hotel-only options, cruises and additional vacation packages for destinations in Canada, the United States and around the world. To learn more, visit CostcoTravel.ca or call 1-855-863-0357.