St. Petersburg, Florida: Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, Waterfront and Sunshine

 

A Few Morsels On Why to Visit St. Petersburg

If only I had more time, I would have seen and done far more in what this resort-town had to offer.  St. Petersburg is known as the City of Arts and its beloved 244 miles of shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico.  On this trip, I ended up focusing my discoveries at a nature preserve, experiencing their downtown waterfront and soaking up the beachy vibes.  

Thank goodness for smartphones and GPS directions, as I navigated this area with ease and put 160 miles on my rental car exploring and getting familiar with this area.  With a couple of extra days, I could have easily enjoyed more of this "Sunshine City."  When visiting, be ready for a steady flow of traffic on the main roadways around the city and pack your patience at traffic lights.  Driving around the beachfront and tourist locations can creep at a "no one is in a hurry" pace and, of course, why not take on the same attitude.  After all, it is St. Pete, so capture the coastal beachy mood.

Boyd Hill Nature Preserve

St. Petersburg has 2300 acres of land dedicated to parks and recreation.  One unique park is the 245 acre Boyd Hill Nature Preserve. You could easily spend hours in this park.  It has five trail loops consisting of different natural habitats.  All trails are nicely marked and at the time of this visit, it only cost $3 to enter.  An absolutely cost effective way to immerse yourself in wild tropical landscapes.

Maintained trails and boardwalks

Capture sights of wildlife

Great trail signage

 

See unusual sights - below are Cypress Knees

They are cone shaped structures that grow vertically from the roots of the Cypress Tree.

Downtown St. Petersburg

St. Pete has a lively downtown area with many museums, art galleries, shopping, dining and the waterfront marina and pier. Visit St. Petersburg City website here for ideas of things to do and following is the link to other St. Pete Pier attractions.

Beautiful hotels and condos

Lovely sidewalk dining

So many food and drink options

Fun artistic style and shopping boutiques

Then kickback at the rooftop Pier Teaki

Grab a cocktail and savor the view

After all that, settle in at a beachfront bar to soak in the music and joyful beach vibes.  

Then, wrap up the day with the peacefulness of a glorious sunset!

I hope this little taste of adventure has

inspired the sweet spot in you!

Laurie