From St. Petersburg to Bass Pro Shops: Florida is Filled with Wonderful Places

Florida, like my home state of New Jersey, has a bit of a public relations issue…it gets a bum rap.  Sure there are plenty of retirees playing shuffle board (we have seen more than a few courts since our arrival in the Sunshine state – nicknamed the “Gunshine” state), tourists, and rabid football fans but there are tons of interesting spots to check out and fascinating & delicious foods to eat.

And the weather is just beautiful this time of year.  Below – the city beach in St Petersburg.

Just a few days wasn’t even close to enough time to check out all the sights…but here are a few things that I saw whilst here…

One of the most delicious burgers I’ve ever eaten – and I’ve eaten LOTS of hamburgers.  At Le Tub in Hollywood Florida.  According to the website, Oprah and GQ Magazine agree.  GQ named it the best in America!

We drove for about 4 hours to visit my friends in St. Petersburg – a decidedly un-Florida town.  A bit like Austin in the middle of Texas.   Cooler, hipper and a tiny bit weird.  In a great way.

We drove from Miami – across “Alligator Alley” to Naples and then up to St. Petersburg.

 

My friends Danni and Cesar live in a super cute bungalow at the edge of the “city” – on historic Lang Court.   Here’s an article about their bid for historic designation in the Tampa Bay Times.  Nice picture guys.

They both settled in St Petersburg after their epic road trip from Washington DC down to Patagonia – and I met them along the way in Mexico…and Honduras…in Costa Rica and Panama AND in Colombia.  Those posts are down at the bottom of this one.

Danni makes beautiful handbags in her sewing room…check them out on Etsy.  She gave me one of the coffee bags.  Love them.

We ate at a cafe down the street that is selling some of her bags.   Banyan Cafe.   Didn’t I tell you?  Cute.

Best scones ever.

Really great food.  I had Cuban bread eggs benedict with salmon and lemon jam.

St. Petersburg really is a lovely spot.

Back on the East Coast near Miami, we hit this odd and wonderful place.  Who knew this sort of stuff existed?  The Bass Pro Shop – Dania Beach.

Love the fisher-schtick.

Inside this place is NO JOKE.  The largest man cave in the world.

All of his sporting desires in one place.  Including camo lingerie for his lady.

An endless array of taxidermy…

and implements for meat processing.  A sausage stuffer on wheels…

Huh.

I left with only a raincoat.

Florida is a place with many wonders…and there is still SO MUCH TO SEE.  Like the Florida Keys…and St Augustine, the oldest city in America and the Kennedy Space Center and the Everglades and The Ringling Circus Museum in Sarasota and…I’m sure you can add to the list.

Returning back home to Belize tomorrow afternoon so…back to my regular schedule.

Adios Florida.  It’s been great.