Planning a visit - what should we not miss?

[NYmikef]

Originally Posted by overit2

OH, when in Dunedin you MUST take your kids to Straachan's Ice Cream...you would be a sucky parent if you don't ha!

Or the one in Palm Harbor. I could go for a Cocoanut ice cream in a chocolate dipped waffle cone right now.

[NYmikef]

Originally Posted by charlino

Thanks for the tips! This is what I have so far. Does this seem reasonable for 5 days? We'll be traveling with a 2 and a 5 year old. Some of the activities listed are for them!


Dunedin

• Downtown & Marina
• Neighborhood
• Honeymoon & Caladesi Islands
• Kiwanis Sprayground

Safety Harbor

• Downtown & Marina
• Neighborhood
• Philippe Park

Palm Harbor

• Ozona Marina
• Ozone Neighborhood

Tarpon Springs

• Harbor & Greektown
• Sunset Beach

Clearwater Beach

• Beachwalk & Beach
• Captain Memo's Pirate Cruise

For Palm Harbor you may want to add a visit to Wall Springs Park
Pinellas County, Florida, Park and Conservation Resources - Wall Springs Park

In Tarpon Spings you may want to check out Fred Howard Park/Beach. It very close to Sunset Beach, it's a little bigger and I find it to be a little nicer.
Pinellas County, Florida, Park & Conservation Resources - Fred Howard Park

Anderson Park in Tarpon Springs is right on beautiful Tarpon Lake
Pinellas County, Florida, Parks & Conservation Resources - Anderson Park

Can you tell I really like the parks in Pinellas County. There are a bunch more but these 3 are some of my favorites.

[charlino]

With Howard Beach added to my list how prevalent are stingrays in shallow waters at beaches on my list?

[jabbolito]

Go drive over the Skyway! it's quite a sight and recognition of engineering.

[overit2]

Oh yeah, the Skyway...we haven't yet but you could see it from Ft. De Soto. I was telling the OP we're vacationing their in a couple weeks...I think we may just do that also. How long does it take to cross the bridge? Any good fishing places off the bridge?

[lavender]

If you are coming this far, then you should not discount south county.
Downtown St Pete is a fabulous place to visit, depending on what you are thinking for schools, there are great private ones, state schools can be tricky down there no argument about that. However lifestyle is fun for all ages. So much culture, theaters, outdoor events, art, restaurants, markets, grand prix, shakespeare in the park, loads of 5k-half marathons. Water sports for all, fabulous waterfront marina and parks. Fort De Soto is one of the best beaches or drive over to St Pete Beach/Treasure Island.
Depending on your budget fabulous waterfront homes, (from $600s for 3/2 on deep water up to millions). Or cute 1920s homes in Historic Old North East, walking to downtown. Mid County are the less developed beaches of Belleair/Indian Rocks/Indian Shores/the Redingtons/Madeira Beach, all of which have lots of regular residential property behind and some good schools mid county in Seminole. Central county area is good for access north and south and east into Tampa - 35 mins TPA, 20 mins PIE.
Five mins to a beach and out of flood zone is appealing to many. Anyway, put those areas on your drive about too.

[charlino]

Originally Posted by lavender

If you are coming this far, then you should not discount south county.
Downtown St Pete is a fabulous place to visit, depending on what you are thinking for schools, there are great private ones, state schools can be tricky down there no argument about that. However lifestyle is fun for all ages. So much culture, theaters, outdoor events, art, restaurants, markets, grand prix, shakespeare in the park, loads of 5k-half marathons. Water sports for all, fabulous waterfront marina and parks. Fort De Soto is one of the best beaches or drive over to St Pete Beach/Treasure Island.
Depending on your budget fabulous waterfront homes, (from $600s for 3/2 on deep water up to millions). Or cute 1920s homes in Historic Old North East, walking to downtown. Mid County are the less developed beaches of Belleair/Indian Rocks/Indian Shores/the Redingtons/Madeira Beach, all of which have lots of regular residential property behind and some good schools mid county in Seminole. Central county area is good for access north and south and east into Tampa - 35 mins TPA, 20 mins PIE.
Five mins to a beach and out of flood zone is appealing to many. Anyway, put those areas on your drive about too.

We started our research with St. Pete, however the public school ratings appear far below what we are looking for. Its not in our budget to go private with 2 kids in elementary school, so that's where towns further up north seem to make more sense for us. Crime statistics were also a concern. We'll have 5 days on our visit, which means prioritizing places to go and things to see. We're not looking for a big city to live in. What interests us most is being in a small to medium sized town that is close to a larger city with a walkable downtown area, local shops (not over run with major chains), and a neighborly feeling. We want to also get away from the urban sprawl feeling and "village after village of HOAs." On the West Coast the city of Los Gatos, CA comes to mind. Unfortunately to purchase a home there we would need over a million for a modest 3 bedroom.

[SueBSouth]

Just a correction on Palm Harbor downtown - Ozona is a separate "town" -well, really, just one street with restaurants and little shops. It is straight out on Tampa Rd going west and it dead ends at this street (Orange?);continue to the left and you get to the Marina and then back out to Alt US 19.
Palm Harbor does have a little downtown area, where all the street names are state names. Florida and Georgia around 11th are the main streets of the downtown, little shops and restaurants here - between Alt. US 19 and Omaha (CR 1) This little area has some heart, with great little street fairs and a real hometown-y Santa Parade. It is a little bit of old Florida surrounded by suburban sprawl.