Last Days in Clearwater

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Monday was our last full day in Clearwater, so we started the day off right. We headed over to Broadway Cafe in Dunedin. I had an amazing egg white omelet that had vine ripened tomatoes inside, alongside a ton of veggies. I may have also had another side of grits... Can't stop with that stuff.

Afterward, we headed back to my in-laws'. My husband had some work to do, so he holed up in the living room with his computer and spent some time on conference calls. Personally, I had a conference call with the sun. It was very successful.

By the time the afternoon rolled around, everyone was a tad bit hungry. We headed back over to the Hyatt and split some chips with guacamole and salsa. I kicked my anti-blended-drink issue and ordered a peach daiquiri,  my FIL had some kind of blended drink as well, but my poor husband had left his ID back at his parents', so he was not served.

Trying to choose our drinks... (Before my husband realized he had no ID)

We spent a bit of time lounging up there, despite the intense wind, because the view was spectacular.

View from the Hyatt's swim bar

After snack time, we headed back to my in-laws' to regroup and get ready for a boat ride and dinner. We grabbed some beer for the ride and boarded the boat around 5.

Having spent almost all of our trip on land, it was neat to see everything from the boat. I had no idea that the intercoastal waterways were so expansive!

Look at that hunk!

After the boat ride, we headed to a bar and restaurant called Pier 60. It is located on the top floor of a building, and has amazing, panoramic skyline views.

They specialize in the sunset hour, and we arrived about 30 minutes before sunset. We ordered a couple Rum Runners and a White Russian and then watched the sun slowly sink into the sky.

Just as the sun was setting, they passed out shots and all the patrons took a shot together as the sun finally slipped below the horizon!

After our sunset shot, we headed to Sandpearl resort for dinner. I loved this place from the start; from the decor inside to the self-playing piano, I was sold.

We started our meal with a toast to my brother-in-law and his fiance, who had just gotten engaged that weekend. We were all so happy for them that we wanted to let them know we were thinking of them!

A couple of cocktails later, we walked home. On our way, we ran across these monstrous sized chairs and had to get a shot of me in them. Just one of the perks of being a shorty who married into a tall Dutch family (we're about to inherit another shorty, YES!).

When we got home, we watched a movie before passing out for the night. The following morning, we awoke to some serious fog...

We went out to breakfast and then I did some shopping with my in-laws while my husband did some more work. By the time the sun finally made its way through the fog, we ended up with a bit of time left for laying out (2-3 hours) and then headed to the airport!

What about you?

• What do you like to do on a foggy day on vacation? Sleep in? Go shopping? Watch a movie?

Beach Time Trumps Blogging

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Sorry I went missing for a while there... a full week to be exact! Not sure how long it's been since I took an entire week off from blogging. Let's just say... I procrastinated and I'm sorry.

That said, I was pretty freaking busy. Between work events, Bulls (I mean Pistons) games, and a trip to Florida, I've been a little bit all over the place and I'm a lot okay with it.

On Friday, my husband and I headed down to Florida. I took a half day for our late afternoon flight, and things went pretty smoothly.

We flew Chicago > Atlanta > Tampa. My MIL/FIL picked us up at the airport and drove us to Clearwater Beach, where their place is. It was pretty late, so we ended up chatting and then hitting the hay. In the morning, I awoke to a pretty stellar view.

Not a bad way to wake up, eh?

We headed over to the Hyatt for breakfast. I went with an asparagus and goat cheese omelet that left me STUFFED to the brim. Afterward, we went back to my in-laws' place to regroup and get sun ready.

Did I mention I am blessed to have married into a family with great taste? My mother in law and father in law gutted this place and decorated on their own, and it turned out to be a wonderfully modern take on beach living.

Sun and gratitude exercises

We went outside, where there is a large patio with a pool, lots of deck chairs and umbrellas, and a nice view of the Gulf of Mexico. For the next few hours, we sunned ourselves. 

When early afternoon rolled around, we were hungry for a little snack and bar action. We got some fish spread and crackers. Everyone got a Strawberry Daiquiri, but I am a weirdo who is skeptical of blended drinks at bars, so I opted for a Corona.

Post-snack, my husband and I took a walk down the pier to get a view of the beach from out on the water. 

We walked along the beach on our way back, and then spent a bit more time in the sun before going back inside to get ready for dinner.

My husband's grandmother had made us reservations at Carlouel Yacht Club, so I went ahead and busted out the black dress on our first night in town.

We headed over to Carlouel, which was a short drive away, at the end of the island. 

Once we got back from Carlouel, we weren't fully ready to hit the hay yet, so we ordered Stuck In Love On Demand. I had mixed feelings about it at first, but ultimately the movie just made me want to publish a book. And be nice to people more. Two good things to want to do!

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

• Do you spend time in the sun on vacations?
• Have you seen any good movies lately?