A weekend is not enjoyable for me without some kind of physical activity. I can't relax unless I've gotten my heart pumping. To indulge my body and mind, I invited my mom (whom I'd recently duped into walking a half marathon) for a much more relaxing time walking the arts districts of the St. Pete/Clearwater area. With the promise of wine and cheese versus sports drinks and bananas, my mother, Debbie, agreed and we were now walking through downtown Gulfport on a warm Friday night, just a few steps away from Boca Ciega Bay.
Gulfport
The intimate small town of Gulfport holds an artist's walk the first Friday and third Saturday of every month with drinks and appetizers offered by the galleries and restaurants along Beach Boulevard.
Debbie and I strolled through the small, but lively crowd, stopping at Stillwagon Studios viewing out-of-this-world astral backgrounds with earthly animals in the foreground. Most of our time was spent discovering Domain Home Accessories. The décor boutique appealed to my whimsical side with gothic wall sconces, wine bottle night lights and gypsy-inspired stained glass paintings.
As sun set over the nearby island chain of St. Pete Beach, the crowd thinned with many people making their way into the handful of local restaurants like Basque French Restaurant. To rest for the next day's tours, Debbie and I returned early to our room at Sea Breeze Manor B&B Inn. Set on Shore Boulevard, each suite at the inn has its own sitting area, as well as a balcony or patio within the lush, walled compound.
Tarpon Springs
The next morning we left our tropical "Jamaica" room for a decidedly Mediterranean sojourn to the Greek fishing town of Tarpon Springs. There are more than 21,000 residents, but Tarpon Springs is big on art and heritage. We hopped aboard the Tarpon Springs Trolley near the historic Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks where the scent of baklava mixes with the ocean air. The trolley headed a mile or so south to the Historic Greek District, stopping at Unitarian Universalist Church of Tarpon Springs, where visitors can view paintings November through April by George Inness, Jr., a former winter resident of Tarpon Springs in the early 1900s.
The trolley ride continues to the Historic Downtown Arts and Antique District. The entire downtown is an outdoor museum of sorts with the district on the National Register of Historic Places, where shops and galleries line the brick-paved sidewalks.
Just outside of the downtown, notable artwork is on display at St. Petersburg College's local campus. The Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art shows the paintings and sculptures of the expressionist Abraham Rattner and his wife Esther Gentle. The museum was funded by Rattner's stepson, Allen Leepa, an artist himself, as well an art educator, who retired to Tarpon Springs.
Dunedin
To return south, we took Alternate U.S. 19, a two-lane highway that winds along the coastline. Down the road, we were greeted by the low brick gates that flank the entrance to Dunedin, a town known for its Scottish ancestry.
At Pioneer Park on Main Street we wandered upon the Creative Artists Guild's monthly art show and sale. Depending on the season, 10 to 20 artists display their paintings, and crafts across from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
A steady stream of joggers and cyclists coming off of the nearby Pinellas Trail strolled past the artwork on their way to brunch. The pedestrian-friendly, 34-mile Trail that runs throughout the county helped Dunedin earn The Walking Magazine's ranking of "Best Walking Town in America."
With more than 100 shops, galleries and restaurants, Debbie and I were pressed to figure out where to begin exploring. We started with the An Olde Feed Store on the trail. The building is stuffed with antiques. We also stopped in Firehouse Gallery before pushing on to our next stop, St. Petersburg.
St. Petersburg
Now late afternoon, we had a short window of time to visit an exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts on Beach Drive in St. Petersburg. The admission includes a tour of the museum's permanent collection, which includes work by French Impressionists and Pre-Columbian Art figurines.
With the sun starting to dip, it was too late to visit the city's five other museums, which include the Chihuly Collection and the Dali Museum, housed in a stunning new building. We had, though, planned perfectly for taking advantage of the one special night a month (the second Saturday) on which galleries in downtown St. Petersburg stay open late and often have artists on hand to discuss their work.
As our second evening of strolling through galleries wound down, my mom raised her wine glass to me and toasted to our twilight walk. "To art, exploration and the absence of Gatorade and blisters," she said. "This is one long walk that I will do again."
Dali fans, watch a video, read more and see the new Dali Museum layout here.
