Treasure Island, Fl

Another one of my favorite places to hang. Checked in to the Residence Inn on the beach and what a great place this is. There was a managers reception this evening and they had food and comp beer and wine to get things started. I had worked all day so it was a perfect way to get the evening going and the Hotel GM was pouring drinks and doing some pretty good magic tricks.

There's a lot to do here and you can leave the car at the hotel for my favorite round. Walk down to Sloppy Joe's on the beach and have something light maybe and a drink or two. I now compete in the Hemingway look alike contest in Key West so we had o go to Sloppy's. Friendly staff and some locals but mostly tourists come in. Food's decent. Next cross the street and have a couple at Ricky T's. Usually live entertainment. There's another option right next store at VIP Mexican Bar. Great Mex food if you're in the mood but the Rita's and the beer are both excellent and cold. Fresh servers make it half the fun.

For a more serious dinner or a fine wine walk back towards Middle Grounds Grill. Family owned and it shows. Everybody helps and service is excellent. I eat here every time I come to town and have never been disappointed,\. Nightly specials and good sized portions. Breakfast at the hotel is free and bountiful including make your own Belgian waffles. Great walk along the beach and they have walking paths. You can do an easy 3 mile walk and stay on hard ground or beach. They also have a great gym if you need to stay in.

Tons of stuff to do in area and so close to St Pete museums and fine arts. Water sports abound. Just ask the desk and they'll point you the right way or just relax at the pool or the beach and start all over again. If you get hungry for lunch give Dockside Dave's a try as they have the best grouper around. John's Pass is a little touristy but still worth a stop to walk the docks and maybe catch some dessert. Enjoy!

Lido Beach

What a great place to fun, sun, and dine. Stayed at the Lido Beach Resort as was in town on business. Had a couple of drinks at the Tiki bar as we watched the sun head down. Two great pools and a gorgeous beach complete the experience. It got a little cool so we decided to grab the complimentary shuttle and to head over to St Armands Circle for dinner. Very crowded this night as March is in full swing and the tourists are a plenty. Stopped in for one quick drink at Tommy Bahamas and live entertainment was just getting started and sounded pretty good but we were in the mood for some seafood so we moved on.

Headed over to the Crab and Fin and a 45 minute wait. Ordered a bottle of wine at the bar and the time passed very quickly. By the time we sat down we were told the last order of stone crab just went to the table next to us. We ordered some Oysters instead and were not disappointed. Our fish selections were outstanding and perfectly prepared. We were stuffed and there was no room for dessert this night. There are so many good choices on the circle you can find a better one each evening. And don't leave without a trip over to Kilwin's for some Ice Cream or some Chocolate. Plenty of music and places to have a drink if you're in to the late night thing.

The Resort makes an awesome breakfast if you want to get a good start and there's excellent walking along the beach or the sidewalks through town. Head out Washington and you'll go through some pretty cool neighborhoods. A walk to the bridge and back is about a 4 mile jaunt. The Resort also has a great Gym if you'd prefer to stay in. Concierge will help you with anything else you need from kayaking to fishing, etc. Enjoy this great part of Florida.

Welcome to my world

OK so here's the deal. We all love to travel, dine, and enjoy all that life has to offer. I'm no exception, except that from time to time, some unusual things happen on the way to the Forum that don't seem to happen to other people. Perhaps it's a little more of a discerning eye, Murphy's law, or just the scrutiny of middle age. Either way it's always been fun and I'm looking forward to sharing experiences of this journey with others as well as hearing from theirs.