White sand beachy of Clearwater, Florida

Since moving from NJ to Florida 5 years ago, we have been living on the West Coast.  I love the white sand beaches and the calm waters of the Gulf.  A vacation to Florida doesn't have to be to the amusement parks, there is so much to do in Florida without going to Orlando.

One of the best beaches in Florida is Clearwater Beach.  There is a wide white sand beach for volleyball and any kind of beach activity you can think to do.  Pier 60 is a great place for viewing a sunset or fishing at night.  There are great restaurants right on the beach.  My favorite is Frenchys.  

Tarpon Springs is a great place for taking a dolphin sighting cruise.  It is also the place to see how the sponges are collected and cleaned.  I enjoyed shopping the stores on the famous Sponge Docks.

Palm Harbor is home to the famous Innisbrook Golf Course where the pros play every March.  There are also many courses for the beginning and intermediate golfers.  My husband can tell you about quite a few of them.

If you're not a beach person or golfer, there is plenty to do in Tampa.

You can visit the old city of Ybor (pronounced E-bor) where cigars were hand rolled.  There are also many small breweries where you can taste the different beers.  My favorite place is the Tampa Zoo.  It's not too big or too small and they have many educational programs.  If you're a sports fan, you can watch The Lightning(ice hockey), The Bucs (Football), The Rays (baseball) or the Rowdies (soccer).  

If I haven't enticed you to visit the West Coast of Florida, call or email me and I'm sure I can find just the right hotel, restaurant, and activities for your vacation.