Family Fun and Free near Clearwater Beach

The April issue of Jack & Niki’s Suncoast Snowbird Visitors’ Guide is now live on the ‘Net.

In this issue we suggest ten local nature parks to visit. All are within a ten mile radius both in and surrounding Clearwater and all offer something special for visitors.

All are FREE to visit. Most have picnic areas, children’s play areas and trails to visit Nature’s flora and fauna. They are also a great source to find “Art Rocks”.

So get out and enjoy Spring and the beautiful paradise that surrounds us.

You can find it here: http://www.tampabaysnowbirder.com/

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Welcome to “America’s Best Beach”

Our New March issue of Niki & Jack’s Suncoast Snowbird Visitor’s Guide welcomes everyone on Spring Break to “America’s Best Beach” – that’s Clearwater Beach, Florida” with places to go, things to do and our favorite eateries near The Beach.
Come join the fun at http://www.tampabaysnowbirder.com/.

It’s why we live here and why you should visit!

Have you been wondering about the best place to spend Spring Break or your next family Beach Vacation?

BIG NEWS! Clearwater Beach has been ranked Number One Beach by Trip Advisor on their 2018 list of America’s Best Beaches! Sugar sand, emerald green water, and 365 days of sunshine are just a few reasons why!

Trip Advisor’s List of America’s Best Beaches:
1. Clearwater Beach, Florida
2. Siesta Beach, Florida
3. Ka’anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii
4. South Beach, Florida
5. Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Oahu, Hawaii
6. Fort Lauderdale Beach, Florida
7. St. Pete Beach, Florida
8. Hollywood Beach, Florida
9. Santa Monica Beach, California
10. Lanikai Beach, Oahu, Hawaii

Psssst! Trip Advisor has also ranked our Clearwater Beach as Number 7 of the Best World Beaches as well!

On March 1st check the newest issue of our Jack & Niki’s Suncoast & Tampa Bay Visitors Guide to see fun things to do while you visit us in March. See http://www.tampabaysnowbirder.com/. We’ll give you some other great ideas of things to do!

February on Florida’s Suncoast – Things to Do!

Okay, what do an Italian-American Festival, a concert band, community chorus, running in your underwear, Mardi Gras, a State Fair and a Flamingo Festival have in common?

To find the answer to this and other more serious conundrums check out Jack and Niki’s Tampa Bay – Suncoast Snowbirder. Our new February issue of things to do and places to go on Florida’s West Coast – the Suncoast and Tampa Bay area – is free and online at http://www.tampabaysnowbirder.com/.

Exploring Florida’s Suncoast in November

Jack and Niki bring you the November issue of our Suncoast & Tampa Bay Snowbird Visitor’s Guide. It’s now up on the Internet at http://www.tampabaysnowbirder.com/.

 

This issue explores a 12-mile scenic stretch of the 45-mile Pinellas Trail that runs along a former railroad bed with Parks and other interesting places to visit as you bike, walk or jog. Where to park, what to see and some interesting mile markers.

 

Did you know the Beach Markets are reopening for the Season? When and where are they?

 

How about a list of area restaurants open for a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner?

 

All of the above plus our regular features including what’s playing this month at the Pier 60 Sunset Cinema, a listing of November’s local art & craft fairs and festivals, area attractions by city/town, webcams, shopping, parks, dining and more.

Happy November from Niki & Jack Armstrong!

Dunedin, Florida – because it is!

In the new August Issue of our online Suncoast Visitor’s Guide we’ll take you on a photo tour of Dunedin Florida. This special little community is located on St. Joseph Sound and the Gulf of Mexico. The Main Street recalls an earlier time without fast food eateries and big box corporate stores. It sits begging to be strolled and window shopped while you enjoy an old-fashioned ice cream cone you’ll find hard to resist. We’ll end this visit down at the end of Main Street where it meets the Dunedin Marina for a peek at a golden Gulf Sunset. It’s just that kind of a fun and colorful place to visit for many reasons. – Niki and Jack

Photos that tell stories – sometimes fairy tales

Get the Nature Children’s story at more examples on our website page at
“Nature’s Children”

What can’t an artist do with a pile of sand?

Pier 60’s SUGAR SAND FESTIVAL on Clearwater Beach

The best Sand Sculpture Artists from around the World are invited to the Suncoast to spend a week doing their thing in the white sugar sand of Clearwater Beach creating masterpieces for the World to see. I – being part of said World – spent a wonderful morning, this past Friday, perusing their artwork. It’s difficult to believe it’s just sand, water and talent! The following photos are a few of my favorites and you can see more on our Pinterest page at This is Tampa Bay USA!

It’s the Annual Pier 60 SUGAR SAND FESTIVAL
This year’s theme – “FantaSea – a magical journey above and below the sea”
presented by St. Petersburg and Clearwater, Florida.

 

More on our Pinterest page at This is Tampa Bay USA!

Signs of Spring on the Sun Coast of Florida

Spring has arrived in our Tampa Bay Area of Florida! Many think we only have one Season here in the Sunshine State – not true!

The first signs of Spring – for us – are with Niki’s first sighting of a Jacaranda tree beginning to bloom!

A Florida Jacaranda Tree in bloom

Their five-lobed blue to purple flowers are easy to spot on the large otherwise leafless trees. Beautiful to look at but it becomes a nuisance to the landowner when the “fruit” capsules fall holding numerous slender seeds. They all have to be raked and removed usually numerous times during a Season or they become serious projectiles for a lawnmower.

Orange Hibiscus bloom

Another harbinger of our Southern Spring are the Hibiscus which cover bushes in shades of bright red, yellow, and orange to pink and purple.

A Lavender Hibiscus bloom

Now did you ever stop to ponder where dates come from?

Orange fruit of the Palm Tree

Different types of palm trees produce different types of fruit. We found this one on the Sun Coast in Port Richey, Florida.