THOSE LAZY, HAZY, NOSTALGIC DAYS ON FLORIDA’S GULF OF MEXICO
The crescent sandbar off mainland St. Petersburg, Florida is the perfect place to take your father’s vacation. That’s because much of the little beach communities – there are nearly a dozen municipalities along the Gulf of Mexico’s sandy shores here – are frozen in time. And that’s a very good thing.
Certainly, there are several modern stores and restaurants – and characterless condo developments are a threat to the historic low-rise nature of this part of western Florida – but thankfully, the vast majority of the little hotels, coffee houses, pizza joints, beach-side souvenir shops and tourist attractions are firmly rooted in the post-World War II era.
So, in the year 2010, it is quite possible to experience the same sleepy, sunny, surfside vacation that your parents (or grandparents) did a half century ago. You can stay in the same motor courts that a WWII vet and his young family would have explored in the early ‘50s. You can fish from the same long pier that entertained youthful Baby Boomers. You can marvel at the same exuberant Cold War-modernist architecture that enchanted mid-20th century motorists.
While the little communities of Redington Shores, Treasure Island and Indian Shores have retained their nostalgic charm, they also boast a few 21st century enhancements that appeal to pampered travelers.
No place embodies that best-of-both-worlds blend better than the Hotel Isis. From Gulf Boulevard, the property looks like any other sleepy motor court. But the owners have taken a once care-worn little property with nondescript rooms grouped around a courtyard pool, and transformed it into a boutique beauty with Miami Beach amenities and Gulf Coast tranquility.
The 40-room property is perfectly located on a wide, sandy swath of beach right on the Gulf of Mexico. Sunsets are spectacular. Quaint little stores and restaurants are within walking distance. A famous old fishing pier is right next door.
The rooms themselves are smallish, again reminding one of the typical units found in vintage South Beach lodgings on the Atlantic side of the state, yet they are fabulously appointed. Huge, comfortable beds with stark white linens await weary travelers. Retro-tiled baths and simple yet elegant furnishings add to the quaintness of the guestrooms.
The pool area has been lavishly landscaped. No evidence of a concrete ‘50s motel pool here. Instead, groupings of chairs form charming, little seating areas around this tropical oasis.
Where Hotel Isis meets the Gulf Beaches (that is to say, immediately behind the property), there are miniature groves of palm trees, inviting beach chairs and a pair of comfy hammocks. Guests are welcome to use several barbecue grills to cook meals. A glassed-in area provides comfort yet still permits dreamy gazing on the rare chilly or rainy evening.
“There are few places in the world where you can catch a tarpon, kingfish or cobia without ever leaving solid ground -- make that solid wood in the case of the Redington Long Pier,” is how St. Petersburg Times outdoors writer Terry Tomalin aptly describes the man-made marvel.
“The anglers there use heavy tackle, 50-pound test and up, because they can't chase the fish as boat-based anglers can. And a big one, like a 40-pound kingfish, can strip 150 to 250 yards of line off a reel in seconds,” Tomalin said. “The pier protrudes more than 1,000 feet into the Gulf of Mexico, so the anglers fish water deep enough for kings. The pilings attract bait, so the predators swing in close to feed.”
To that clarion call to any fisherman, we’d add that gawkers are allowed on the pier so long as they pay a one dollar non-fishing admission fee and promise to keep out of the way of the serious anglers. And one sawbuck is a very fair price for the privilege of treading the wooden planks out over the water. On the evening of our visit a cold front had rolled in, bringing big gusts of wind and great crashing waves below. The experience – though a far cry from a tranquil sunset -- was cinematic, enthralling and truly memorable.
Treasure Island, a few miles south from Redington Shores on Gulf Boulevard, is a community that boasts an outstanding collection of period architecture. Some of the best can be seen at the intersection of Gulf Boulevard and 107th Avenue (better know as the western terminus of St. Petersburg’s famous Central Avenue).
The Thunderbird Beach Resort has a spectacular yellow, green and red art deco thunderbird soaring several stories along the edge of its building. The sign is eye-catching by day, but is magnificent at night, as viewed driving westbound on 107th Avenue. Next door is the Billmar Beach Resort, with its cool modernist vertical sign. A few blocks south, the Arvilla Resort Motel sports a space age neon pylon sign that would be the envy of any Miami Beach Art Deco District gem.
The west side of Gulf Boulevard at 107th Avenue is adorned with some wonderful low-rise art deco structures that house T-shirt shacks, beachware boutiques, bagel shops, book stores, diners, seafood joints and other retailers worth exploring for a few blocks east on 107th.
A short car trip eastward on 107th (which becomes the Treasure Island Causeway, then Central Avenue) leads to one of mainland St. Petersburg’s main attractions: Haslam’s New & Used Books. Haslam’s is the last of a dying breed: a mom and pop bookstore complete with all the quirks. Started in 1933, Haslam’s has housed more than 300,000 books within 30,000 square feet of floor space.
Book lovers: enter at your own risk. Just like with serious gamblers in a Las Vegas casino, it is easy to lose track of time here. Customers are welcome to browse and linger, the perfect way to go about the sublime pursuit of book shopping.
Perhaps the best thing about Haslam’s is the way they put used copies next to new books in the same category. Just when you’ve decided you can’t afford a brand new copy of a Miami architecture book, you find a used copy in very good condition right there on the same shelf at an affordable price. Just when you’ve given up on finding that collection of H.P. Lovecraft short stories, there’s a slightly tattered, but well-worth buying used copy of the original printing.
Back in the coastal climes, the entire sandbar is dotted with diners, ice cream stands and lots of seafood spots – from roadside shacks to upscale lobster houses.
For breakfast, we suggest the Waffle House in Treasure Island. Yes, it’s part of a chain, and road trips should be about unique, one-of-a-kind spots. Nevertheless, Waffle House is the most dependable place on the planet for pecan waffles, cheese eggs, raisin toast and hash browns scattered, smothered and covered.
For lunch, nothing can beat a big pizza with fresh toppings from Cecilia’s Touch of Italy, a little carryout shack right across from Hotel Isis in Redington Shores. Gourmet pies are best enjoyed poolside at the hotel, or at its gulf view beachside area.
For fine dining, head to Indian Shores for the Salt Rock Grill. Our brother-in-law in Clearwater swears by the fire-roasted lobster tail, wood grilled Alaskan king crab legs, grouper chowder and aged prime steaks. Though upscale, the Salt Rock also has the time-honored Florida tradition: the early bird meal, served from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily, featuring complete meals for under 10 bucks.
The best beach on the sandbar actually belongs to the inland city of St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg Municipal Beach, located on the shores of Treasure Island, boasts 500 feet of sandy white shores. Facilities include full shower and changing facilities, a snack bar, beach volleyball courts, and a beach wheelchair for beach goers with mobility limitations.
Whether it’s a swim at the muni beach, a poolside pizza at Hotel Isis, or a snowglobe search at a souvenir shop, the Gulf of Mexico beaches are just the place to get in touch with the middle class leisure world of a half century ago.
Nostalgia, sadly these days, is no longer a quaint little word to describe quaint little things. Nostalgia is a marketing ploy: throwback jerseys from pro sports teams are a multimillion dollar industry, and labeling a corporately-concocted diner as something “retro” is sure to boost sales.
Thankfully, the beach towns of Redington Shores, Indian Shores and Treasure Island are the real thing. They are pure, unbridled Americana: a bit of true nostalgia.
IF YOU GO (ALL NUMBERS WITHIN 727 AREA CODE):
Where to stay: Hotel Isis, 17566 Gulf Boulevard, Redington Shores, 391-0247 or 800-222-0493. Rates run between $115-$200 in low season (generally September-February) and between $155-$280 in high season.
Where to eat: Waffle House, 11185 Gulf Boulevard, Treasure Island, 363-1552. Cecilia’s Touch of Italy, 17471 Gulf Boulevard, Redington Shores, 393-7200. Salt Rock Grill, 19325 Gulf Boulevard, Indian Shores, 593-7625.
What to do: Redington Long Pier, 7490 Gulf Boulevard, 391-9398. St. Petersburg Municipal Beach, 11260 Gulf Blvd. Treasure Island, 893-7335. Thunderbird Hotel, 10700 Gulf Boulevard Treasure Island; Billmar Beach Resort, 10650 Gulf Blvd. Treasure Island; Arvilla Resort Motel 11580 Gulf Blvd Treasure Island. Haslam’s New & Used Books, 2025 Central Ave. St. Petersburg, 822-8616.
Wright is a Pulitzer-nominated writer and Johnson-Wright is an Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator. The multiple award-winning couple live in Miami’s Little Havana. Contact them at: stevewright64@yahoo.com
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