Be ready to wait in line a long time so make sure you have a full tank of gas. It's a worthy cause…read more(Hospice) but if you live in this neighborhood either get home before dark or don't come home until after 10:30. The traffic flow is beyond terrible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! K.C.

Wanna see Christmas lights but don't want to drive all over the place? This is a great option. This…read moreplace has been around for years and is very well organized and laid out. There are signs directing traffic and telling you which route to go, since it can be confusing. It's impressive the amount of work that goes in to coordinating all these houses and getting everything together. There were definitely some very clever displays, and this is a good way to see them all. There's also a music section where you tune to a specific radio station and the lights dance to music. Technically this is only supposed to go until 10pm, but we got there just around 10pm and the majority of the houses still had their lights on. Some had turned them off- understandably - but we were able to see most of the lights and get lots of pictures. Plus, there was a lot less traffic than I imagine their normally is. So if you want to see the lights but spend less time waiting in traffic, try to go closer to 10.

The Bowling Ball House in Safety Harbor is one of the wildest, most chaotic, and unforgettable…read morethings you'll ever come across hands down a five-star experience just for the sheer creativity and madness of it. This place is packed with personality from every angle. Bowling balls are everywhere stacked, lined, and worked into the yard in ways that make you stop and stare. It feels like someone took a simple idea and just ran completely wild with it in the best way possible. Then you start noticing all the unexpected details: random statues scattered throughout the property, SpongeBob characters popping up in places you wouldn't expect, and CDs hanging from strings that catch the light and move with the breeze. It's like stepping into a fully DIY art installation where anything goes and more is more. What makes it so great is that nothing about it feels normal or restrained. It's loud, weird, colorful, and totally unique. Every time you look around, you notice something you didn't see before, which makes it feel like the house keeps changing as you explore it. Overall, the Bowling Ball House is pure creative chaos in the best way possible. It's fun, bizarre, and completely unforgettable a true local landmark that proves art doesn't have to make sense to be amazing.

Like stepping back in time. Being in the Hippy era. Cool house and decorations. Bowling balls,…read moremermaid, lots of decorations on the trees. Great for taking pictures. We didn't know you could go inside but someone later told us you could. Not sure but I bet it would be cool.

July 4th fireworks at Clearwater Coachman Park was the best! We haven't been here in a couple year…read moreand just knew it would not disappoint. Free parking in the City Hall Parking Garage, a couple blocks walk, misters to cool off, food trucks and vendors, clean bathrooms, awesome music and fireworks. Can't beat this! Definitely will be back for more and keeping this review so I don't forget how awesome and carefree and fun these fireworks are!!! A+++

They advertised and talked about how amazing Clearwater fireworks were, so my family and I had to…read moresee them for ourselves. At midnight there were people all over the beach waiting for these amazing fireworks show and there was nothing! There was no celebration of fireworks to bring in the New Year. Nothing but a complete waste of time and a complete disappointment!!

What a way to do Christmas Eve and even better with the convertible down!…read more I haven't enjoyed Christmas lights this much since I was a little kid. This really made my day-night. It was hard to find a spot that didn't twinkle. We had 2 fav's... The house who's lights went with the radio Christmas music and Santa riding a Dinosaur!!!! I suggest this for anyone who hasn't been before and if you have family visiting (like we did), take them to see it...Its a great memory to keep and share. See u Soon!

Great neighborhood for Christmas lights!! Easily marked which direction you should travel, and we…read moredid so via car. Dropped the top on the convertible so we could capture everything! Not EVERYONE lights up their yards, but most did, and some were so over the top with lights we'd hate to see their Duke energy bill. It CAN get busy right before Xmas, but seems to taper off after. It took us about 15 minutes to get in the hood from Alderman due to the line of people moving in from both directions. If you can park across the street and walk (if its a nice night) that may be a good way to explore as well!! Kudos to the hood on an excellent holiday display!!

We were in the area and I really wanted to check this out. I love art and this is a really…read moreinteresting medium. If you decide to go, just know that there is no admission fee and you are free to come and enjoy the beach and sculptures, but it will cost you $5 per hour to park plus a small convenience fee and parking is quite limited. I was disappointed to see that though sculptures made with sand from treasure Island. I assume there was a logistical reason, that it seemed a little strange to me. I was also a little surprised by the designs and styles of the sculptures. There were actually very few that had an ocean or sand theme, with many artists choosing things that work personal to them. It was a very interesting experience. Also they leave the statues up, so if you are unable to attend, you can come and see the statues for a few weeks after the event.

I am always blown away by the creativeness and skill set that the sand artists have. This is my…read morefirst time to experience Sanding Ovations. It is located on Teasure Island Beach in front of Sloppy Joes. If you get there early enough there is the beach parking you can use but also plenty of event parking throughout the area that you'd just have to walk a little from. The beach parking is hourly so if you plan on spending some time down in that area walking around or eating after you see the sculptures it may be worth your bang to get into one of the flat rate parking locations. This event had an opening weekend with all the works, vendors, music, etc but was open all week basically 24/7 because it is not in tents or a secured area like the Sugar Sand Festival in Clearwater is. I went during the week early to avoid as many people as I can for my photos. They were also having an encore weekend the following weekend that would also have all the vendors, etc. Each piece you could fully walking around to get different angles for photos and see just how much detail went into these temporary pieces of art. Just beautiful and though a little windy when I went, the weather was perfect. This is a free event but they did have a donation box out that noted to help keep this free, donations are welcomed.

This stunning picture within a picture mural in St Pete is worth seeing. It's definitely unique and…read morevery striking, with it's own style and composition. I don't know about you but I smile every time I see it. I love the arts and St Pete has more wonderful outdoor murals than any city I know. If you know of a place with more, please let me know too!

My first time on the trail. Rode my bike several miles on the west end from East Lake Oaks…read moresubdivision. LOVED IT! Will be going further east in a day or so. Beautiful trail, lots of shade, bridges, and wide in most parts to pass walkers, etc.

One of my favorite running trails in the area. Very clean and maintained. My fiancé come here to…read morerun a few miles, bike or bring the dog to the park. They have a dog park, several baseball fields, children's park and plenty of space for running and cycling. There are plenty of poop stations along the way which makes it a perfect spot for a long walk with your pup. The trail is open sunrise to sunset and offers beautiful views of the Lake Tarpon Canal.

Great place and amazing food!!!! Some of the best Italian around!!! The owners are so nice and you…read morewill not be disappointed!!!

My husband stumbled across this place when I was out of town and raved about how amazing his meal…read morewas, so we went back last weekend and realized we found our new favorite Italian restaurant! Wow!! The food...the service...all were excellent. Our server gave alot of wonderful recommendations based off our preferences and really nailed it on wine and dinner choices! We highly recommend: Burrata Bruschetta Ceasar salad Lobster ravioli Tortellini So far....I am sure we will have more more recommendations in the future!

I found this cool piece of public art right before you enter the pier in St. Petersburg, Florida…read more This large free flowing net sculpture is very eye catching. The piece was made by internationally known, Tampa Bay native Janet Echelman. The title of the piece, Bending Arc is taken from Dr. Martin Luther King's words "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice." Echelman decided to honor the civil rights movement because the site where the sculpture hangs was a location where local citizens protested segregation in the 1950's. The protests led to the 1957 US Supreme Court ruling that allowed people of all races to use the city beach and pool. According to the artist the new pier was designed to be welcoming to everyone. She has said "When I look at the piece moving in the wind you see these arcs move across as the wind blows through. It's a moment to contemplate the interconnectedness of the entire human race. And it's a reminder for us to be grateful for and celebrate the courage of the people who came before us. Who brought us to where we are and the job that we have to do bring ourselves forward again." The art installation was created to coincide with the open of the new 26 acre St. Petersburg Pier. Echelman has created several other net sculptures that are located all around the world. She took inspiration for this piece from historical postcards that had blue and white striped beach parasols and combined the colors with the geometric forms made by colonies of barnacles growing on the underside of the pier. When the wind blows it changes the shape of the soft sculpture. Bending arc is made of 1,662,528 light weight fiber knots and 180 miles of twine. It is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), an engineered fiber which has been turned into a thread like textile. The strands are braided together and wrapped around sewing bobbins to form the mesh netting that is knotted by hand. The sculpture is 424 feet long and it is 72 feet at its tallest point. It covers 47,500 square feet and weighs a total of 5,330 pounds. The sculpture was paid for by private donors and its infrastructure was part of the new Pier District project. Echelman's contract for the piece with St. Petersburg was for $1.47 million dollars. During the day Bending Arc is blue and white. At night it is illuminated with LED lights so that it appears purple and magenta. You can see it across the water from the parks lining the bay. There are some chairs set up under the sculpture so you can sit and watch the wind blow the netting overhead. I love public art and this is just one of many interesting elements that have been added to the new pier.

Many neat murals all throughout the town. We really enjoyed exploring and seeing all the colorful…read moremurals

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA is home to one of the largest collections of Street Art I've seen anywhere…read morein the South. The sheer range of styles is sure to please a wide audience from mural fanatics to newbies! --- At my core is a wild & eccentric looking guy dressed in casual clothes (probably made of linen) and holding a DSLR camera in one hand and an artists paint brush in the other. I have been into the arts for as long as I can remember. I spent many a morning as a child sketching everything from the scenery outside my window to abstract thoughts that lodged into my mind. My ability to tap into my right brain continued to be developed through my high school years where I created some of my best pieces only to find them stolen after being submitted to a local art fare. I honestly don't think I ever recovered and for a long time I tried to recreate those pieces, but couldn't. As an adult, my focus shifted to architectural, landscaping  & interior design as well as photography. On ANY given day you will find me designing my dream home or working on photobook projects of my family or sketching landscaping plans for friends, family, and neighbors or hiking in beautiful scenic trails as I immerse myself in the beauty of God's artistry. My love for art is deep and infinite. You probably could not separate the molecules that make me a person from those that make an artist an artist. They are in every fiber of my being. So when I came across the mural project going on in downtown St. Pete around 2015, I nearly leaped out of my car (as I was driving) just to be among the colors and thoughts of those who created each of the individual pieces. The displays range in size from small street planters to the entire sides of buildings. In 2015, most of the murals were concentrated in alleys between Central Avenue and 1st Avenue North, from 4th Street all the way to 24th Street... but now they are literally all over the city. SHINE is a not-for-profit mural art project made up of local artists and members of the community and they have been hosting festivals for a number of years now. Each year new murals have been created and continue to enhance the city landscape for the enjoyment of local businesses, residents and tourists like me. There are paid walking tours available, but if you are crafty, you will find maps online that will self guide you on your own [free] walking tour. 2017 Mural video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVZjedi4wBg --- FINAL THOUGHTS I am completely in my element each time I wondrously drifted through the streets, alleyways and parking lots of St. Petersburg. Time seemed to be irrelevant as I was lost in each of the pieces and the creativity of the artists vision. I truly believe EVERY city should have a mural project that continuously expresses the beauty of thought. I'm so grateful my hometown of Atlanta has such a program. I am also grateful to have witnessed the beauty of this artistry alive all over St. Pete and happy to see it continues to expand and grow. If you have the capacity to truly appreciate the power of expression through art, you should make it a priority to experience these murals for yourself. But if travel is not possible, I've documented as many as I possibly could in the following pics. ENJOY! 2021 / 92