Our Florida Getaway

Here I am in front of a Range Rover that I would love to take for a ride...if only this one had an engine in it.

Here's a shot of a turtle I took while we were walking through the Hippo pool observation area. I have a photo of the Hippos that I'll post later.

We stayed at the Trade Island Winds Resort in St. Pete's Beach. It was a pretty nice place, decent rooms, pools, cabana, and beach facilities. The restaurant was fine for dinner, but as overpriced as most hotel restaurants are. I'd say it is probably a three-star resort, not the four that all the travel web sites say it is.

Saturday night we went to dinner at a great Japanese Steak House in St. Pete Beach, called Blue Fugu. We went all out and sat at the grill and watched the chef cook our food right in front of us. It was very entertaining and the food was incredible! It was the best dinner we had on the trip.

Sunday we each went for massages at the hotel spa, then dined on the hotel's breakfast buffet. The food was okay and the wait staff half-conscious, though the place was packed so I guess I should be a little nicer. Nah.

On Sunday afternoon we went into St. Petersburg and visited the Salvatore Dalí Museum. I didn't know very much about him beyond his painting with the melting watches and his funky mustache, so this was a great experience for me. I have a newfound respect for his skill as a painter and the fact that someone with that twisted and bizarre of an imagination could stay focused enough to produce the volume and quality of work he did over his lifetime. It's simply incredible.

One special exhibit we saw that I feel deserves mention is Tilting at Windmills: Dalí Illustrates Cervantes' Don Quixote. This is a collection of lithographs Dalí produced for a special edition of Don Quixote, which was published in 1957. Dalí's technique and creativity in these works are amazing.

Late Sunday afternoon we went for a relaxing walk on the beach. Again, it was a little chilly, but very enjoyable nonetheless. I dipped my feet in the Gulf Coast waters briefly and while rushing back out nearly stepped on this little fellow:

Sunday night we went into St. Petersburg for dinner and a movie. We had a quick but delicious meal at Dan Marino's restaurant, Marino's, then went to see Hoodwinked at the local multiplex. The movie was pretty good, but would only recommend it as a rental.

On the way out of St. Pete Beach on Monday, we stopped for a leisurely breakfast at the Starlight Diner, a 1950s-era diner down the street from the hotel. It was excellent breakfast fare, a little better than Bob Evans and certainly much more charming in style and decor.