Biking, Festival, and Crashing Weddings on the Beach

Another great February weekend in the Bay area...met up with some friends at the North Westshore Green iguana for Happy Hour and Dinner...this Green Iguana located int he Westshore Hotel offers a very large dining area, outdoor patio, and small stage, where a great acoustic guitarist was being backed up by another musician playing electric drums...very entertaining...it was a cool evening in the upper 40's, so most were inside...we enjoyed the juicy burgers and some apps. Afterwards, went to the Grand Opening of Green Iguana's newest venture, Hula Bay Club and Duke's Retired Surfers Island Bar, a South Tampa waterfront restaurant/bar on Tampa Bay where the old Rattlefish used to stand, off Westshore Blvd, a little south of Gandy. The place has the same Floribbean atmosphere, large outdoor deck, and now has a pool with cabanas.

Saturday, couldn't resist taking in the great blue skies, and cool temps in the low 70's to get on the bike. So after doing a little yard work and raking up about 10 bags of leaves(who ever said Florida has no seasons obviously does not have a 100 year old Oaks on there property)...I ventured on the bike to the Pinellas Trail. Starting in Largo, rode up to downtown Clearwater, and the SeaBlues Festival was happening. Took in some great fresh seafood on the lawn, listening to some live blues, where there were at least a few thousand out enjoying the perfect day along the waterfront in downtown Clearwater. The bike ride back took some detours through the neighborhoods along the Intracoastal...big beautiful homes, and then into the Belleview Biltmore Estate, where it looks like they are still rehabing this over a century year old hotel and resort..it is said the Biltmore is the largest, oldest wooden structure in the country that is still being used.

It was then on to St. Pete beach where some friends had rooms at the Tradewinds Resort. A very nice sprawling resort along St. Pete Beach...a huge complex of rooms, suites, bars and restaurants , even a river where you can take boats through the property. I checked into my buddies suite, large, clean and comfortable, that was at the time overlooking a Pirate Show with great views of the beach and Gulf from the balcony. Heading down to walk around, I ran into the bride of the wedding, and even though I wasn't invited, she asked that I attend the wedding...who a I to say no to a huge ballroom full of happy people, a large buffet, open bar, and kickin' DJ providing the entertainment. Too much fun!!!
After a few hours, and then closing the wedding, the fun people went out to Shark's Bar on the grounds of the resort, and later walked along the beach over to Ricky T's and then Jimi B's. A great live band at Jimi B's (Phoenix), and had everyone still dancing till closing time.

Tampa's St. Paddy's Parade and Beach Theater

Saturday evening was the 16th annual St. Patrick's Day parade held in Ybor City. It is an night time Illuminated Parade that runs down 7th avenue in the Historic District. There was a big crowd out for this years festivities, most in Green, and with over 95 floats, a few Irish bands and Bag Pipe players in Kilts, there were numerous Green Beads being thrown to the crowds. It's only March, and I feel like Tampa is all a big parade, as this is the fourth of the year. I think we are done for now until the Mama Guava Stumble in October for Guavaween, Tampa's annual Halloween celebration.
Before the parade, we headed to one of the best Irish pubs in Ybor City, the James Joyce Irish Pub, upstairs from the Green Iguana. Lots of International beers on tap, a separate dart room with real darts, and always live Irish music, and windows looking out on 7th Avenue. After literally climbing about 50 stairs to get there, you are ready for a Pint of something. They dont serve food, so it gets a bit smokey from cigarette's.
We all viewed the parade from in front of Green Iguana where they had live music in one half, and club tunes playing in the other half, and serving Green Beer of course, any beer poured could be made green with a little food dye. I got to see a few people in the parade that I recognized, it was a nice touch to get some primo beads that way.
After wards we headed to Blues Shark where some great live Jazz/Blues was playing, then The Forge, Club 714, Streetcar Charlies, and ended the evening close to home at the Green Iguana Westshore.

Sunday, we headed over to St. Pete Beach to watch a movie in the Historic Beach Theater. It was my first time to this theater I have heard alot about, I was not impressed. For a historic theater, I had the likes of Tampa Theater in mind, Beach Theater turned out to look like something from the 60's, just very plain, an old movie theater, very tiny lobby area, the concessions person and ticket box office handler with one in the same. Uncomfortable seats, it was what is was, but will not make me take the trek to St. Pete Beach to see an independent film, unless it's not playing elsewhere, like The Savages. The movie was very good though.
It was time for some dinner, so we went down the street to the water from the Theater, and were seated at a waterside table at Woody's. Great beachy crowd, live music, the site of the sun going down into the Gulf with some interesting Sea Fog hanging onto the shore and clinging to the high rise condos and beach front apartments. We had the lady from the table next to us try some of their wings(very friendly of her), they were some of the biggest and tastiest wings this side of the Bay as starters, then we dined on Big Fish Sandwich, huge filet of something, crispy fried, and a burger with spicey fries. All in all, a good meal, great atmosphere for a water front place on St. Pete Beach.

This week work takes me to Atlanta and Baltimore.

Clearwater Beach by day to St. Pete Beach by night

Its been quite some time since I was over at Clearwater Beach, its typically a very busy beach, used to be the prime spot to go when I attended USF, and there are only a few great restaurants I like to visit there now(Frenchy's, Post Corner Pizza, Palm Pavilion, and Island Way Grille). Only about a 30 minute drive from my house in Tampa, I grabbed my bike and headed to the very northern end of Clearwater Beach, a small neighborhood of mixed homes, and private area at the very tip. Biking from one end to the other takes no time, but around the traffic circle you need to watch for novice drivers. I was amazed at the amount of construction on the beach front, towards the South end next to Spyglass there is a huge project, and a new Beachwalk being built. Seems Clearwater Beach is losing its mom and pop type places along the beach, but when riding back, there they all are a block or two away from the beach, some are closed, some in dire need of upgrading and repair. It would be nice to have a more upscale beach area(like a mini Fort Lauderdale Beachwalk) in the Tampa area. Clearwater Beach still seems very touristy and tacky at points, especially when you notice a huge difference going over the Sand Key bridge into Sand Key, with its High rise luxury condos along the beach front, and then Bel-Air. I'm glad I was able to make it back home to watch my Bulls for the USF-FAU game, was an aggravating game, but the Bulls pulled it out to go 5-0 so far for the season. I see them maintaining their #6 standing or possibly moving up one or two at most. GO BULLS!

Saturday evening we headed for a friends birthday get together at St. Pete Beach. He got a few rooms at the Travelodge on St. Pete Beach, which was nice so we did not have to drive back to Tampa after a few cocktails, even though its onyl about half hour ride back to my house in Tampa. The St. Pete Beach Travelodge was just what I had expected, no frills, paper thin towels and pillows, but it was clean. We had his birthday dinner in the attached Shells restaurant. Its been quite some time since I visited a Shells, and I wasnt too impressed. There were about a dozen of us, the service was great! Now for the food, we ordered Calamari, Buffalo Shrimp and Chicken and Onion Rings for starters. Calamari very breaded and crispy fried, Buffalo Shrimp and Chicken were sort of soggy, not as crisp as I thought it should be, the Onion Rings were winners. The bread they serve with dinner is amazing, veyr soft and doughy with alot of garlic butter. Now for the entree's, Shrimp and Scallop skewers on rice with veges consisted of three medium sized scallops and 7 medium shrimps, such a small amount for the price, and were just OK, the shrimp pasta, which they are known for, was very bland, and smaller shrimp than the ones on my skewer. Clam Chowder soup was full of onions, just not a good meal, but as far as service and the company we were with, things were good.

We then ventured to the Swigwam, which is the Tiki Bar behind the Travelodge located on the beach, the breezes were great, the drinks were cold, the crowd was a little less than desirable. It just seemed people had been drinking there all day and could hardly walk, and they just seemed a bit "laid back"..there was a very good raggae band playing, but the courtyard area was very brightly lit which seemed unusual for a beach tiki bar. The good news was that you can walk bar to bar along the beach, and we went next door to Jimi B's. I love this place, much better atmosphere and crowd, and the band playing tonight was Edge of Red, playing classic rock tunes, keeping the beach crowd on their feet and happy. Jimi B's is a grat large tiki area, with three bar area and different levels, and a nice boardwalk out to the water that is dimly lit. Great atmosphere, people and music, we spent most of the night here, before retiring back to Travelodge to sleep on the flimsy mattresses and pillows.

Its off the Madre's for dinner with the family, and watch the Bucs this afternoon!