Neil & Debbie in St. Pete-Clearwater
We sent Neil & Debbie (and producer Kriss) to the place that has 360 days of sunshine a year. One of the best beaches in Florida, and one of the biggest prides... St. Pete, Clearwater in Florida and this is why you should visit...
Is it safe?
Lets face it we all hear about Florida in the news isn't the best.. so is it safe? We asked everyone we spoke to this question; The short answer is Yes. From one of the biggest prides in the country, some amazing LGBTQ+ owned places like, Atlas Home & body a menswear shop, to amazing food places, to places in the Gaybourhood, like adults only Mari Jean Hotel & COCKtail, or the more peaceful Coconut Inn
We faced a community of LGBTQ+ people that look out for each other, that felt safe and welcomed others to the area, and EVERYONE said they had the support of the local councilors.
PRIDE & THE SCENE
Have you heard of St Pete Pride? It's the largest festival of its kind in the state, and one of the biggest in the United States, with over 300,000 attendees for the street parade last year alone.
St. Pete-Clearwater is home to a jubilant, thriving, and defiantly loud LGBTQ+ population which comes together annually for the entire month of June to celebrate its history and shout from the rooftops about the future.
Starting at 2pm in North and South Straub Parks, the St Pete Pride Parade Day Festival, presented by CAN Community Health, features local vendors, food trucks, community partners, 2 entertainment stages, family area, and MORE! Check out all the Pride offerings in the park while you watch the Parade march by, and don't forget to stay for SAUCY SANTANA, headlining the main stage!
It's not all about that one event a year though. St. Pete is LGBTQ+ all year round... they even have a rainbow crossing..
It has a Gaybourhood where you can enjoy a Cocktail at The West Spot, or if like things a little quirky, make sure you check out the secret Shhhh The Saint Speakeasy. You'll need a password to enter which if you do some digging can be found on there insta page, and you'll need to confess before entering...
If hustle and bustle isn't your thing, and you like things a bit more chilled, check out Coconut Inn located in Pass-A-Grille small town in the south of St. Pete beach. The sunsets here are amazing, and the beach has to be checked out.
THINGS TO DO
As much as the beach is amazing, bars are great at night, what other activities are there to do. How about spending the a couple of hours next to a furnace and do a spot of glass blowing. That's what we made Neil & Debbie do at the Morean Glass Studio.
Or you can do a spot of shopping, from the trendy 'Edge District' make sure you pop by Atlas Body & Home, or you can check out the Gulfport Fresh market which takes place on Tuesdays.
If culture is more your thing, then the biggest Dali exhibition outside of Europe lives at the Dali Museum here, where you can immersive yourself in the Dali Alive 360 show.
FOOD
Lets face it, food is a key part of going away and St. Pete didn't disappoint. From the place where we stayed, 32 Degrees at The Saint Hotel, some amazing fish food at Trophy Fish (Everyone spoke about this place, you have to check it out) Breakfast at Stella's, or check out the amazing The Society Table at the Don CeSar which you can grab some great food, and even enjoy the facilities with a day pass if you're not staying there!
WANT MORE?
There are daily routes from the UK to Tampa International airport, which is just a 30 minutes drive to St. Pete- Clearwater. We stayed at the brilliant The Saint Hotel, which have amazing rooms, complete with mini kitchen, and great bathroom essentials (They also have more towels than you'll know what to do with!)
To find out more about St. Pete, Clearwater just visit here and see everything you can get up to on your visit!
