Romantic Weekend Getaway in St. Pete/Clearwater

On a Friday evening after a long workweek, my husband, Chet, and I decided on a whim to escape for the weekend. We headed north from our Sarasota home across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge as the sun sank into the Gulf of Mexico, taking with it the worry and responsibilities of everyday life.

We made our way to the northeastern section of St. Petersburg, where there are several Victorian bed and breakfasts. Thankfully, Inn at the Bay, a 1910 house with 12 rooms and suites, had space for us at the last minute. We checked in before heading two blocks south to find a late dinner in the main shopping and dining district.

We found ourselves in the banyan tree-cloaked courtyard of the Garden Restaurant on Central Avenue. Flavorful and well-done dishes like lamb chops and gourmet pasta have kept the Garden a St. Petersburg favorite since it opened more than a decade ago. On the weekends, jazz musicians entertain throughout the restaurant, or you can go up a flight of stairs to the Lobby Bar (housed in the lobby of the former Detroit Hotel) for martinis.

Artistic Pursuits

The next morning after waking up in the yellow-painted Sunrise Room and enjoying a quiet breakfast, we were inspired to visit a few of the city's museums thanks to the Inn's collection of Highwaymen paintings. (The term refers to a group of self-taught black artists whose roadside paintings of the Florida landscape are collector's items.)

Using the downtown trolley system, the Looper, we first went to the Florida International Museum. Open since 1995, the museum attracts world-class exhibits that vary in their relevance from a collection of Barbie dolls to the treasures of Russian czars. I jokingly picked out anniversary gifts I would like at a Smithsonian exhibit of jewels and baubles on our visit.

Since we'd both visited it recently, we bypassed the famous Salvador Dali Museum, which houses more works by the surrealist painter than any other museum outside of his native Spain. We instead spent the afternoon slowly wandering the Museum of Fine Arts, set right on Beach Drive overlooking Tampa Bay. We saw works by 19th-century impressionist Claude Monet and figurines from the pre-Columbian Americas in the comfortable museum for a few hours before breaking for a late lunch.

Once a month, downtown galleries host an art walk, but not while we were visiting, so Chet and I headed to the beach. An hour before sunset, we brought our own bottle of wine aboard a sailboat cruise by Dolphin Landings in St. Pete Beach (water and sodas are available on board). The two-hour cruise brought us within a few feet of some dolphins cresting in our wake near the bow of the boat. We could here their high-pitched noises since there wasn't the whir of a motor. In the winter, the crew passes out blanket to snuggle beneath – truly romantic!

A Cultural Tour
For the last day of our mini vacation, Chet and I drove north to the Scottish- and Greek-influenced towns of Dunedin and Tarpon Springs.

In Dunedin, we navigated the tree-lined sidewalks to several art galleries and antique shops before settling in for brunch. At the center of town, we stopped to watch cyclists, joggers and rollerbladers make good use of the 35-mile-long Pinellas Trail, which runs the length of the area. "Cheers to them," we said while sipping mimosas (athletic pursuits would have to wait for another weekend).

After brunch, we took advantage of the free tours given from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sundays at the Andrews Memorial Chapel. The church was built in 1888, and its Gothic archways and simple, wooden finish make it a popular wedding location.

In Tarpon Springs, we visited the historic Sponge Docks, which brought much prosperity to the area. The smells of strong Greek coffee and afternoon sweets pouring out of the village surrounding the docks transported us to the land of islands without having to show our passports.

On our drive home, refreshed and facing another workweek, we made plans for our next escape to St. Pete/Clearwater.