This month our quest for adventure brought us to Orlando, the Theme Park Capital of the World, but how could we come nearly 3,000 miles and not visit a beach. Being from the Pacific Northwest we are accustomed to 3 things when it comes to beaches: rocks versus sand, cold water, and awe-inspiring views.
Since we planned to spend a week in Orlando, I needed to look for an easy road trip, and after I stumbled upon Clearwater Beach I was 100% sold on visiting!
Clearwater Beach is nestled on Florida’s coast along the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 40 minutes outside of Tampa or a little over 2 hours from Orlando airport.
*Tip on tolls: If you decide to take this trip bring a roll of coins for the toll! There are few things that incite more fear than driving on a strip of highway and quickly running out of pocket change and dollar bills because you weren’t prepared!
Clearwater Beach is rated as one of the best beaches in the country and with its powdery soft white sandy beaches, it’s clear water (get it… clear water), and the sweet small beach town vibe it gives off, I am definitely not surprised!
I also read that Clearwater has the best sunsets in the country, but sadly we witnessed it in the car driving to Clearwater so we didn’t get to soak it in that beautiful sunset on the beach.
There are tons of things to do in Clearwater, but before you dive into the excitement you need a home base! This is where the Pelican Pointe Hotel comes in!
Pelican Pointe Hotel is an adorable, all-suite hotel that offers a balcony view complete with chairs for lounging.
The rooms are large, clean and comfortable. The room we stayed in had a kitchenette that was stocked all of the kitchen necessities.
Their pool is HEATED which is a big deal when you have kiddos and they want to swim, but are miserable 5 minutes after they get in because the water is too cold. In addition they offer beach towels for you to use at the beach, and if that wasn’t hospitable enough they offer beach chairs and umbrellas (first come first serve).
But wait, folks, there’s more! They also have a toy box filled with beach buckets, shovels, and toys for kiddos to use at the beach. At the hotel itself, if you aren’t swimming challenge your family members to a game of table tennis or corn hole.
The biggest plus mark for staying at Pelican Pointe Hotel, aside from the FREE parking, is that they are 200 steps to the beach! This can make a picnic on the beach a reality, which is always a bonus for me.
My only regret is that we didn’t have more time to spend at Pelican Pointe to access their wide array of amenities!
Right next door to the Pelican Pointe Hotel is Salty’s Island Bar & Grille. Guests of the Pelican Pointe Hotel are able to enjoy 10% off their bill when they show their room card! We are always a bit leery about bringing babies into a bar, but the folks at Salty’s were more than accommodating and so friendly!
Salty’s offers beachy dishes with an island twist, and man was it delicious!
Now, if we weren’t from the Pacific Northwest with our lack of quality sandy beaches or we didn’t already have a slammed packed schedule for the rest of the week we would have visited the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The aquarium rehabilitates injured marine wildlife. They even have marine life celebrities with Winter & Hope, the two dolphins from A Dolphin Tale!
If Aquariums aren’t your thing they also have Pirate Ships and a sunset celebration every day on the Pier!
But since we were both from the PNW and we had a jam-packed schedule the rest of the week we opted to be beach bums for the day!
Every member of our family agreed that spending the day at the beach was the highlight of our vacation to Orlando!
The girls got to float in WARM water for a change. Roo was able to see tiny schools of fish and assert her swimming independence because the water is nice and shallow.
We spent the day swimming, building, sand castles, and just soaking in all of the salty-sweet sights and sounds of beach time.
Before we knew it, it was time to head back East to Orlando. I couldn’t believe how fast the time seemed to zip by, but I cannot wait to come back to Clearwater to experience even more beachy goodness!
