Tampa Bay Recap

Let me tell you about my recent trip to Tampa, FL. One of my girlfriends moved there about a year ago for her career. Each time one of my friends moves to another city, I make a point to go visit once they have been there for about a year. I want to make sure they're fully settled in, so they are equipped to show me around! 

As soon she picked me up from the airport we were off to the beach! It was a bit overcast but that didn’t stop us. When you’re in Florida, being at the beach is a must! She first took me to Indian Rocks Beach which was quiet and perfect for my first day. We stopped at Café de Paris to get a pastry as we sat on the beach chatting at catching up. I must point out that the sand was filled with shells so was a little harder to walk through, but the good news is that the shells didn’t hurt my feet. Thank goodness!

Swimsuit Top: ASOS// Swimsuit Bottoms: ASOS 

Later that night we had a beautiful dinner at Sea Salt in St. Petersburg. This seafood restaurant is in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg. The ambiance is beautiful, and the service is amazing. The waitress was able to make great recommendations and we were both happy with our meals. We drank wine, laughed and ate until we were stuffed! If I lived in St. Petersburg this would be a perfect place for date night with that someone special. Here is my Yelp review with pictures of our meals.

We started off day two with a workout and after the workout we headed to Oxford Exchange for brunch. I had seen this restaurant prior to the trip so I was looking forward to trying the menu. I was happily surprised when we arrived. The vibe was a combination of a library bar and a vintage restaurant. Oh! And there is a gift shop in the front that sells candles, books, cards, silverware, and paintings…just to name a few! The staff was dressed impeccability and the service was amazing. I was hoping the drinks would be a little stronger, but the food was good. I would give my steak frites a B+. I wish the chef would’ve done something special to make the dish standout, but there wasn’t anything too special about it. It was good though. Next time I go back I’ll try something new.

 

 

Downtown St. Petersburg is known for having some incredible graffiti art. There are murals and beautiful paintings throughout the streets, so on day two we were on a mission to find as much as we can. I was so amazed by how much the city has embraced this art form! We walked through the streets and walked in to the shops and took in the surroundings of this lovely neighborhood. There was also a Tampa Bay Rays baseball game going on, so the people were out! It was nice to see the locals enjoying their city and living it up. While were walking through downtown St. Pete we stopped into a restaurant and juice bar called Bodega. Bodega mainly serves Cuban food, like sandwiches, salads, Cuban coffee and pastries, but we stopped in the side shop for juice. It was perfect for the humid afternoon we were battling through as we explored downtown St. Petersburg.

Jeans: Old Navy//Top: Old Navy//Sandals: Target//Sunglasses: Perverse 

We spent my final day at Clearwater Beach. The weather was perfect. It was 80 degrees and clear skies. There was a breeze that blew at the right times, so we never felt like we were getting too hot. I enjoyed Clearwater the most. It was a picturesque vision of what a beach should be. We laid in the sand and in soaked in the sun.

Swimsuit: ASOS

My weekend getaway in Tampa was a perfection. I was looking forward to a low-key weekend of rest and relaxation with a good girlfriend and that is exactly what it was. There was no pressure to doo too much or too little, just be in the world. At the beach of course!

XX,
Courtney