Florida is supposedly a hot spot for corona but I'm not endangering myself or others by swimming in the ocean especially if the waters are uncrowded.
This was pretty much a last minute decision to go. I read on Magic seaweed that Clearwater Beach, just outside of Tampa would have some pretty decent waves (2-3 footers), which is rare especially in the summer. Rain chances were relatively low as well. It's about a 9 hour drive so I went part way on Thursday night and made it to Bainbridge, Georgia. I actually went an hour further south to Sarasota so I could check out Siesta Key. Here, the waves were minimal (1 foot) but the beach itself was stunning. It's consistently voted as among, if not the best in the continental US. Although it is only about an hour south of Tampa, it definitely has a more tropical vibe with some coconut palm trees. I stayed until sunset then stopped in Bradenton for the night.
The next day was my Clearwater day and it did not disappoint. Aptly named, I found a long stretch of brilliant white sand that almost looked like snow along with crystal clear water. I stayed here until 4 PM. From here, it was about 7 hours to my next destination, which was Fort Walton Beach. I broke it up with a stop roughly halfway in Perry, where I was treated to nice live oak trees in addition to palms.
The next day dawned dreary and rainy but the sun came out later and it was a decent day out there in Fort Walton. Not crowded at all. Once again, I was treated to beautiful white sand and clear emerald water. This is the midsection of the Emerald Coast, which probably has the clearest water anywhere from Panama City to Gulf Shores.
Final Thought:
A little too much driving even for me but I still enjoyed myself. I checked off a bucket list item to catch waves in the South Gulf Coast. I had to check out Sarasota because of the rave reviews but I am unlikely to return there. It's just too far. I'd consider Tampa again. I would have liked to have gone out on the town but no, I won't do anything stupid to put myself at risk of the virus. Perry is a good midway stop but there are really no good swimming beaches in Big Bend Florida. Both Cedar Key and Horseshoe Beach can be skipped.
Options for the Future:
1) Drive to Treasure Island, just south of Clearwater but not as far as Sarasota. Spend a night on the town in Tampa then hit Clearwater. From there, go to Panama City (just under 6 hours) then hit Destin or Fort Walton the next day. The closest beach to home is Pensacola, just under 4 hours. I suppose it can be done in a 1 day trip if I really pushed it. I did Clemson to Charleston and back many times but that was in my early 20s.
2) Fly into Tampa direct and hop to Miami and back. That's only 4 hours. That could be fun around April. I could do Treasure Island, Clearwater, Palm Beach and Sunny Isles with Okeechobee as midway point.
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