Footprints - Spring 2007
CLEARWATER, FL, April 19, 2007. With moderate rainfall and average temperatures hovering between 62 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit, spring may be the loveliest time in west central Florida! It's also one of the busiest times of the year in Clearwater and on the area's beaches, so if you're thinking of a visit between now and summer, plan ahead.
NATURE SPOTLIGHT
As we continue to highlight the Clearwater area's nature-based assets this year, we're proud to let you know that the city of Clearwater is dedicated to providing green space and waterways for the enjoyment of residents and visitors alike. The city maintains an impressive number of nature parks and trails, and more are being added. The city's parks are ideal for hiking, birding, canoeing and kayaking, and many include amenities like picnic areas and boat ramps. Existing nature parks include Chautauqua Nature Park, Cliff Stephens Park, Kapok Environmental Wetlands Park, Crest Lake Park, Sand Key Bayside Park and Moccasin Lake Nature Park.
Moccasin Lake Nature Park
Moccasin Lake Nature Park is a 51-acre nature preserve, a tranquil retreat nestled within the bustling city limits, providing visitors a change of vistas from the famous white sandy beaches ... and an opportunity to experience a small piece of Florida's unique wild lands and the flora and fauna they support. In addition to a 5-acre lake and a 1 1/4 -mile nature trail - where visitors might encounter Great Egrets, Ospreys, butterflies, turtles, lizards ... and the occasional American Alligator - Moccasin Lake features live wildlife exhibits, interactive educational displays, a gift shop and plenty of visitor amenities, such as picnic pavilions and shelters, gas grills, water fountains and restroom facilities. In addition, the park offers a wide array of activities and programs such as bird watching hikes, special guided tours including night hikes and interpretive walking tours, fireside concerts featuring local musicians in the park's mini amphitheater and Tai Chi classes for beginning through intermediate and advanced students. Children's science and nature camps are offered throughout the entire summer. Moccasin Lake Nature Park is located at 2750 Park Trail Lane. It is open Tuesdays through Sundays (closed on major holidays); hours vary by day. There are nominal admission fees. For more information about Moccasin Lake and its various programs and activities, call 727-462-6024 or visit the city's web site.
Take a Hike
Additional city of Clearwater green spaces currently under development are Alligator Lake Park, Bayview Environmental Park, Coopers Point Nature Park and the Ream Wilson Clearwater Trail. The Ream Wilson Clearwater Trail, formerly known as Clearwater's East-West Trail, is presently open for four miles from The Long Center in Clearwater (on N. Belcher Road between Sunset Point Road and NE Coachman Road) to Safety Harbor. Upon completion, this National Recreation Trail - totaling over 10 miles in distance - will ultimately pass through and connect over 20 parks and recreational facilities from the Gulf of Mexico at Clearwater Beach to Tampa Bay at Safety Harbor. This multiple use trail will also serve as the link between the Pinellas Trail and the Florida Progress Trail. For more information about all of the parks within the city of Clearwater, visit the "Parks & Recreation" page at the city's web site, www.MyClearwater.com, or call 727-562-4800.
Pinellas County and the state of Florida maintain several other nature parks and trails including Boyd Hill Nature Trail, Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center, Friendship Trail Bridge, Pinellas Trail, Shell Key Preserve and the Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center.
DEVELOPMENT NEWS
Beach Walk, the City of Clearwater's $30 million beautification project, is on schedule. Phase I was completed in March and Phase II began almost immediately. Expected to last 12 months, Phase II construction will focus on the north end of Beach Walk, relocating Gulfview Boulevard, and constructing wide promenades on both east and west sides of the new road. To alleviate some of the parking issues, temporary parking spaces are being made available. The entire Beach Walk project is expected to be completed by 2009. While construction progresses, world-famous Clearwater Beach is open and as beautiful as ever, as are Pier 60, the Municipal Marina and hotels and businesses. Additional information about Beach Walk, as well as a sequencing map, can be found on www.myclearwater.com/beachwalk. A parking lot map is available at www.billiondollarbeach.com.
The Sandpearl Resort, Clearwater Beach's first luxury property in 25 years, opens in August. Featuring 253 luxurious guest rooms - of which 50 are suites - each with a private balcony and Old Florida casual elegance, and located on a 700-foot expanse of Gulf of Mexico beachfront, the property will offer numerous amenities, including a lagoon-style beachfront pool with private cabanas, a variety of fine and casual dining options, a total of nine meeting rooms, event space, a business center, a world-class spa and fitness center, valet parking, concierge services and signature "life-enrichment" programs. The Sandpearl's enrichment programs will be reflective of the surrounding community. Guests will be able to visit birding hotspots with the Clearwater Audubon Society and venture out on marine life excursions with Clearwater Marine Aquarium biologists. Other enrichment programs include an Artist-in-Residence Program, Astronomy Nights, Cooking Classes with the Chef, Wine Education and Tasting, and Cigar Rolling and Cognac Tasting Programs. Camp Ridley, the resort's children's club, will feature a wide variety of programs and activities. The Sandpearl Resort is being developed as a LEED facility by JMC Communities of St. Petersburg, Florida. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating SystemTM is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. The Sandpearl is a member of the exclusive Preferred Hotels & Resorts, a global association of more than 120 independently-owned luxury hotels and resorts. The resort will be managed by Naples, Florida-based Coral Hospitality. For more information, visit www.sandpearl.com or call 727-441-2425. For more information about Beach Walk, the Sandpearl Resort, as well as other private development on Clearwater Beach, visit www.BillionDollarBeach.com.
NEWS & NOTES
New flights continue to be added at St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (PIE). Low-cost airline Allegiant Air, LLC has announced new, nonstop jet service to and from two new destinations. Des Moines, Iowa, service begins May 23 and Greensboro, N.C., service begins May 24. The Allegiant Vacations division of the company allows customers to double their sunshine fun with complete vacation packages at some of Tampa Bay's premier resorts.
In the Clearwater area, hotel partners include the Belleview Biltmore, Hilton Clearwater Beach, Marriott Suites on Sand Key and Sheraton Sand Key. Low-cost packages are available that include hotel, car and amusement park tickets for additional savings. Reservations may be made through the company's website at www.allegiantair.com or by calling the airline's Reservations Center at 702-505-8888. Visit PIE's web site at www.fly2pie.com for more information about all of the airport's airlines.
THINGS TO SEE AND DO
It's a Surreal World After All
The Salvador Dali Museum celebrates 25 years in St. Petersburg! Special events are planned to complement the museum's regular, ongoing programs, such as the interactive Breakfast with Dali, Coffee with a Curator, Contemporary Baroque Film Series and Dali Family Fun Saturdays. The Salvador Dali Museum is located in downtown St. Petersburg. For more information, visit www.salvadordalimuseum.org or call 727-823-3767.
Dying of Laughter
MurderS She Wrote Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre continues to bring evenings filled with fast action and contagious laughter to appreciative audiences. Upcoming productions include Murder on Budget Cruise Lines, A Wedding to Die For and Murder at the Class Reunion of St. Cecelia's All Girls. MurderS She Wrote Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre plays at the Radisson Hotel Clearwater Central on U.S. Hwy. 19 N. in Clearwater throughout the year. Ticket prices include dinner, show, tax, gratuity and valet parking. For more information and reservations, call 813-727-7012 or visit www.murdersshewrote.com.
Music for Everyone
Ruth Eckerd Hall continues to present an outstanding and diverse array of world-class performers. Upcoming are Heart with Todd Rundgren, Steely Dan, Marvin Hamlisch with The Florida Orchestra, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Morrissey. Ruth Eckerd Hall is located at 1111 N. McMullen Booth Rd. in Clearwater. Visit www.rutheckerdhall.com or call 727-791-7400 or 800-875-8682 (outside Pinellas and Hillsborough counties) for more information.
NOT TO BE MISSED
At 54 years, the Fun 'N Sun Festival Parade remains one of Clearwater's most popular events for people of all ages. This year's parade will be an action-packed adventure, filled with colorful floats, Pirate Krewes, bands and clowns. All the fun takes place on May 4 and begins at 7:00 p.m. at Crest Lake Park (at Cleveland St. and Highland Ave.). The parade then heads west along Cleveland Street through downtown Clearwater and ends at Prospect Ave. For more information, visit the Parks & Recreation Department online or call 727-562-4800.
The city of Clearwater and the Tampa Bay Disc Sports Club present the 2007 Fun 'n Sun Disc Golf Tournament - Pro Division on May 5 and 6 at NE Coachman Park (at Old Coachman Rd. and NE Coachman Rd.) This is an officially sanctioned Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) "B"- tier event and part of the Fabulous Florida Tour. Since the early years of Florida disc golf, Clearwater's Fun 'n Sun Tournament has been one of the most popular. Tee times are at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. with a players' meeting at 9:30 a.m. Admission is $60.00. For more information and to guarantee a spot, call 727-392-3940 or visit www.tbdsc.com.
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo - the commemoration of the victory of the Mexican Army over the French at the 1862 Battle of Puebla - on May 6 in downtown Clearwater's waterside Coachman Park. The party runs from 1:00 to 9:30 p.m. (gates open at noon) and will feature acts including Grupo Control, Angel Del Amor, Iman, La Nueva Ilusion and Grupo Eskay. Admission is $6.00; children 10 years and younger are admitted free. The event will include music and dance, carnival games and food and drink concessions. No coolers, food, drinks, canopies, umbrellas or pets are permitted. For more information, visit the Parks & Recreation Department online or call 727-562-4800.
The inaugural Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival will take place from May 17 to 19 at the legendary Pink Palace - the Don CeSar Beach Resort in St. Pete Beach. The three-day waterfront wine and food extravaganza will showcase renowned vintners and chefs, a Chef's Golf Invitational Challenge, Robert Irvine's Iron Chef Challenge, wine and food seminars, a black-tie gala and auction, a Grand Tasting and "Beach Blanket BBQ." The event is hosted by Southern Wine & Spirits; proceeds benefit the Abilities Foundation. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.tampabaywineandfoodfestival.com.
Relive the antebellum past, as Union and Confederate troops "battle" it out when Heritage Village in Largo hosts Civil War Days and the 24th Annual Heritage Village Skirmish on May 19. Lots of other activities are planned, including fiddling and other entertainment, Civil War period memorabilia displays and market, story telling, salt making, cowboy whip cracking and children's activities and crafts.
Heritage Village, operated by Pinellas County, is a 21-acre living history museum located in Pinewood Cultural Park along with the Florida Botanical Gardens and the Gulf Coast Museum of Art. Admission and parking are free. Food will be available for purchase. For more information, call 727-582-2123 or visit www.pinellascounty.org/Heritage or www.pinewoodculturalpark.org.
Did you know that Clearwater Beach has lifeguards on duty 365 days a year? Help support the Junior Lifeguard Program and Lifeguard Competition Team by participating in the 6th annual Ocean Mile Swim Series north of Pier 60 on May 26, June 23 and July 14. Swimmers of all ages compete for awards in various age categories as well as for the top overall male and female competitor. Registration begins at 6:00 a.m., and the races start at 7:30 a.m. The Ocean Mile Swim Series is hosted by the Clearwater Beach patrol which provides medical assistance, emergency response and help with code enforcement on the beach. These lifeguards are one reason that Clearwater Beach has been ranked as the best "City Beach on the Gulf of Mexico" since 1999. For more information, call 727-462-6963 or for online registration go to www.myclearwater.com; click on "Marine & Aviation" under City Departments.
The Tampa Bay area's original and largest annual food festival, the Taste of Pinellas, returns to Vinoy Park in downtown St. Petersburg June 1 to 3. The event will feature 50 restaurant vendors, chef specialties, fireworks displays, concerts and kids' activities, including an arts and crafts tent with face painting, puppet making and much more, throughout the weekend. Event hours vary each day. General admission is $10; children 12 and under are free. Proceeds benefit the All Children's Telethon and will help fund the construction of a brand new All Children's Hospital. For more information, visit www.allkids.org
Put yourself in our shoes
A seemingly endless supply of sun, a mild and temperate climate, world-renowned beaches, nature-based attractions and wide-ranging recreational and cultural activities make Clearwater, Florida, one of the country's most popular vacation destinations. Its proximity to St. Petersburg, Tampa, Sarasota and Orlando make it an ideal "home base" for daily excursions. Come on down and put yourself in our shoes for a while.
Visitors seeking additional assistance with their Clearwater travel plans can contact the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce: 1130 Cleveland Street, Clearwater, Florida 33755; [email protected]; 888-425-3279 (toll free) or 727-461-0011. More information, as well as comprehensive lists and descriptions of accommodations, restaurants, nightlife establishments and shopping options, can be found in the free Official Visitors Guide or at www.visitclearwaterflorida.com.
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