Clearwater Beach is one of my favorite places on the earth. My family was introduced to Clearwater when I was 9 years old, and we went there for summer vacation every year. I went with the family until I was 21 and married, then went back with the family & took Artie in 1995. In 2000, we went again with the family and took Logan (at age 2). This was the only trip that included Logan and my dad, and I have great memories and great photos from that trip.
It's a tiny little island near Tampa, and it's definitely more of a family place than a "spring break" type destination. Lots of retirees live there, and almost all of the same little mom & pop stores & restaurants have lined the main street for as long as I can remember. You can go to the marina to board a pirate cruise, a dinner cruise, a fishing expedition, or simply to drop mail at the post office there. You can walk almost the whole island, and there is activity at the pier every single night, year-round.
We went at the end of June for our annual family vacation and took Mom, Kristi & her family. It was a fun trip, but my boss interrupted me several times and there were crises going on at the office that put a damper on my trip. This past weekend, Artie, Logan & I returned for the Labor Day weekend to just chill and enjoy family bonding time with just the 3 of us. Logan is definitely more interested in hanging out with his friends these days than his boring old parents, so we want to take every opportunity we can to spend time with him and keep that bond tight.
We had a GREAT time! Friday night Logan just had to order room service - he still thinks that's one of the coolest things ever. Artie & I walked over to a seafood cafe and had dinner outside. Saturday morning, Artie & Logan went deep-sea fishing and due to the choppy waters from the tropical storm in the Gulf, they both got seasick.
They did manage to catch a few fish, though. If you take your catch to a local restaurant, they'll cook it for you. I thought that was pretty cool, too! While they were fishing, I slept in and then went down to the beach by myself. I rented our umbrella & chairs for the day and just chilled & read my scrapbooking magazines. When they returned, Logan went in for a nap while Artie & I swam and got some sun.
We went to our favorite restaurant, Crabby Bill's, for dinner that night. Logan ordered and ATE the biggest crab legs I have ever seen!!
Sunday we were lazy and stayed around the pool or the beach all day. We ate lunch by the pool at the Sand Bar & Grill. They bring the food & drinks right to your pool chair!
Sometimes Logan wanted to go the room and watch TV or play on his iPad, but mostly we spent all of our time together as a family. We had actual conversations, laughed, and played together, and I think it was the best weekend I've had in a VERY LONG time! I can't think of two people I'd rather spend my time with, and having them all to myself was such a treasure. I'm so glad we went. Logan said it was enough family togetherness time to count for the next 14 years, but I won't let him off that easy. :)
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