Adventures in Weekending: 10 things to do on St. Pete Beach this weekend

The beaches get a bad rap, you know? Tourists, traffic, drunk college kids… but several of us used to live on St. Pete Beach, so we figured now was as good a time as any to tell you how we spent our weekends when we lived there. Whether you're a local or in town for Pride, here are 10 ways to relax on a quite-crowded but still-quite-awesome beach. Just don't tell too many people, OK?

1. Gayle's diner 

It's cash-only, the restroom isn't big enough to turn around in and you're never gonna confuse it with a gastropub — and thank God, because this ultimate greasy spoon (we say that with love) is perfect the way it is. It's the kind of place where you can order a Bud with your bacon and eggs and no one blinks. As for the food? Hot, tasty and plenty of it — and it's far more reasonable than the also-tasty (but pricey) Frog Pond down the road.

2. Beverly's La Croisette 

OK, but if you do want something fancier, Beverly's La Croisette has it. Two things you must try include the Florida burger and the Monte Carlo. They also have the best home fries on the beach. Not "on St. Pete Beach" but any beach, anywhere, ever. 

3. Escape Room 

Welcome to the Q-zar of the 2010s: Lock yourself in a room and try and get out. Also, odds are we'll have rain at some point this weekend, because Florida summer, so this is inside and air-conditioned.

4. PJ's Oyster Bar

At least one of us fell in love over sunsets and oysters, and while PJs doesn't have that water view, this is the place to go for Apalachicola oysters (they're also the cheapest oysters, peel-and-eat shrimp and clams we've found in Pinellas). Be a tourist: Ask for a Sharpie, write your name on a dollar bill, and staple it to the wall. Periodically, the owners go through and remove the dollars and donate them to charity.

5. Drink like a local at Swigwam 

A smoke-free, dog-friendly beach bar that isn't overrun and hosting a drunk guy from Iowa singing "Brown-Eyed Girl" with the band because he thought it was actually karaoke? Um, yes, please. Owner Rob's a cancer survivor who has had battles over outdoor seating with a ridiculous city commission, and his customers have remained loyal (and vocal in that loyalty), in part because he makes a hell of a drink but also because this is the St. Pete Beach equivalent of Cheers. (Millennials: It's like a tasting room, but cooler.)

6. Check out the wildlife at pocket parks 

Need some down time? All along what's called the "dog leg" (near Blind Pass), St. Pete Beach has created pocket parks — tiny little scraps of paradise with a bench and waterfront views. Take a drive down Boca Ciega Dr. and you'll find a few. 

7. Make a Pride keepsake  

Crystals Bangles and Beads on Corey is a beader's dream — but for the rest of us, it's a cool place to go to make your own keepsake, whether you're on vacation, here for Pride or simply looking for something different to do this weekend. They have literally every type of charm and bead, from a small pewter handgun (second amendment, represent — we know you're out there) to beads in every color of the Pride rainbow. 

8. Dolphin sails at sunset 

OK, so the same two of us who lived on SPB also worked for Dolphin Landings, crewing sailboats for boatloads of tourists who want to see Flipper's kin. And at least one of us (me) will tell you that dolphins are rapey bastards who simply have better PR than the infinitely kinder shark. Nevertheless, odds are at least one or two of you reading this think maybe that's not true and really, really want to see a dolphin. Do yourself a favor: Hop on a sailboat and take a sail of Boca Ciega Bay for this dolphin watch, because sailing is the best way to be on the water, whether you're looking for dolphins, sharks or manatees (hey, if you see all three in one trip, that's a good day).

9. Sandbar Bills 

This is one of two local hangouts on SPB (the other is #5). Is it the sand-front eating? Sunsets while having a drink? The salt air on your skin? No, nope and nyet. It's the burgers. No one has ever tried these Iowa hand-patted beef burgers and not declared them the best ever. 

10. Catch the Green Flash

There's a lot of debate about whether the Green Flash is a real thing. I've seen it and it's real. The thing about it is, people expect it to light up the sky and that's not how it works. On a clear, dry night you can see the sun turn green just before it slides beneath the horizon for bedtime. It's also easiest to see from the water, or at least with an unobstructed view of the water. See that little green glow in the picture? That's the perfect way to end your weekend. See you next week.

Let us know what's happening this weekend in your town; submit your event to local.cltampa.com and we may feature your neighborhood in a future Adventures in Weekending.

This article appears in Jun 22-29, 2017.