Clearwater, Tampa, and Ovieda FL

From Silver Springs we cut across to Clearwater on Florida's western shore on the Gulf of Mexico. Clearwater holds the record for the most consecutive sunny days (361) according to the Guinness World Records. This general area is where several of Peter's relatives from Massachusetts have migrated to in their retirements.

Large condo development near Clearwater beach

Tractor grooming the sand

Peter has promised me sugary white sands on Clearwater Beach and the sand is every bit as fine and white as imagined. We take advantage of the low tide for a stroll up and down this beautiful beach.

I get a kick out of a flock of Royal Terns (with a few sea gulls thrown in for good measure). They are all facing the same way and are surprisingly tame as I am able to get quite close to them for photos.

Royal Terns at Clearwater Beach

Earlier as we were parking, we noticed a colorful dive bar right at the edge of the beach. For a treat after our walk we decide to check it out. You got to love Florida's beach dive bars... they are full of good drinks and colorful characters.

Rockaway Gill on Clearwater Beach

Mark, Peter, Jill, and me

Baseball player taking a break?

From Clearwater we follow the coastline south to Saint Petersburg and St Pete's Beach, my favorite of the beach towns along this stretch of the Florida coastline. In St Pete's Beach we stop for lunch at the Grand Plaza Hotel.
After parking, we wander through the hotel to Bongos Beachside Bistro which Yelp lists as one of the best places around for lunch.  Yelp got it right this time. It is right on the sand and serves great fish tacos and umbrella drinks.

Me & Peter beach side

Yummmm

Mark & Jill

We saddle up and skirt Tampa Bay into Tampa.  As we near Tampa I watch spectacular thunderheads building towards the east. By the time we are passing downtown Tampa, the clouds start to look more menacing.  Then all of a sudden we're hit by a downpour - a true cloudburst. I keep asking Peter to turn the windshield wipers up faster, but they are cranked up all the way. Motorcyclists and small cars pull off under overpasses. We are just about to do the same when suddenly the downpour tapers off and stops. Wow - it's rare we see these kinds of clouds and downpours around coastal California. 

That's a big thunderhead brewing up ahead

Those clouds are looking dark

Cloudburst!

Later we learn these fast strong storms are common around Tampa and Ovieda, our destination for the day. We are staying with Aunt Ann. Her house is in an "old Florida" neighborhood on the outskirts of Ovieda. Peter's aunt and cousins inform us Ovieda is the lightning capitol of the nation. With all the houses sporting lightening rods and the storm we just came through, I have no trouble believing them.

In front of Aunt Ann's

Ann's lightening rod

and guest bedroom.

This homes in this neighborhood are dwarfed by large trees festooned with hanging Spanish moss. Yes - I'm a sucker for Spanish moss.
That evening Peter's cousin Mac and family invite us to dinner. They have made a large pot of gumbo (a dish I grew up eating at my Cajun's grandmother's). My first taste of Mac's gumbo immediately transported to my grandmother's kitchen. Thank you - it was truly wonderful.

Mac's house - a few blocks from Ann's

with a screened in back swimming pool.

The next morning, Aunt Ann treats us to a great breakfast at the Townhouse Restaurant, an Ovieda favorite since the 1950's. It's there we learn about Ovieda's chickens. These feral chickens are legally protected by the town. Local traffic stops to let the chicken(s) cross the road safely. Determined to see them, we cruise town until we come to a fast food parking lot where they like to hang out. Sure enough, the parking lot is literally clucking with Ovieda chickens. They are all look very healthy and well feed from local bugs and handouts.  Also hanging out with the chickens are two large healthy Sandhill cranes. Thus Ovieda is known for both its foul lightening storms and its fowls.

Ovieda chickens

Sandhill cranes