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Play 18 holes of golf at a waterfront Par 3 in Treasure Island for $9. Beaches offer lots of inexpensive treats, for shore
By JANIS D. FROELICH of The Tampa Tribune
Take a round-trip ferry from Pass-A-Grille to a beautiful barrier island for $10. Let the tots play at a huge, shady playground (covered by a roof), while you curl your toes around white sugary sand at Clearwater Beach.
Visit a Memorial Causeway aquarium populated by playful sea otters and sting rays you can touch without the ouch. Or just crack open a can of beer, sip (legally) and enjoy the gently breaking surf at Sunset Beach.
The variety of the Pinellas County beaches, from Fort DeSoto Park in Tierra Verde to Clearwater Beach, is well worth exploring.
But because there are so many nooks and crannies along the curving coastline, we offer this guide to the cheap beach experience.
Fort DeSoto Park (3500 Pinellas Bayway S., Tierra Verde): Most visitors pay their 85 cents in state-collected tolls to reach this 900-acre county park and head straight for North Beach. With five islands, though, there's more to this park than just an incredibly picturesque, national award-winning beach where the water is so shallow at some points you can walk out to several sandy strips. Consider these other options at Fort DeSoto: a canoe trail (bring your own canoe or kayak), a historical walking trail that retraces the military post dating back to 1898, a Spanish-American War fort with a sweeping view from its top level, the woodsy Arrowhead Nature Trail and a 4-mile bike and in-line skate trail that hooks up the camping area to all the swimming beaches. Parking is free at this park, (813) 866-2484, which is open sunrise to sunset.
Tierra Verde: On the way to Fort DeSoto, there's an inlet on the left, right before the Intracoastal Waterway bridge, perfect for the beginning wind surfer. The water is shallow so it's possible to glide through the wet stuff with the Sunshine Skyway as a backdrop.
Pass-A-Grille: To find this tucked-away community, look toward the blue skies where the pink birthday cakelike Don Cesar Beach Resort stands majestically on St. Pete Beach. The Merry Pier, 801 Pass-A-Grille Way, offers a shuttle to and from Shell Island, a key where picnickers share space with nesting birds. The trip costs $10 for adults and $5 for children younger than 12. Call (813) 360-1348 for times (a sunset cruise is also available). The Gulf Beaches Historical Museum at 115 10th Ave. has free admission but very limited hours - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays. But there's an interesting display of photographs, news clippings and artifacts inside this restored 1917 church. Call (813) 360-2491.
St. Pete Beach: Yes, there's the beach. But when the sunning is over, shower off and go to one of these low-cost attractions. The Polynesian Putter, (813) 360-9678, a miniature golf course built 30 years ago at 4999 Gulf Blvd., charges only $2.50 to play a round of 18 holes. This is an old-fashioned course, before elaborate mazes of waterfalls and inclines became the standard for putt-putts. Stix Billiards & Games, 5501 Gulf Blvd., in the Bayside Shops Plaza, charges $3 an hour to shoot pool, (813) 360-4462. Also, there's the classic Beach Theatre, 315 Corey Ave., the crown jewel on the brick street of classy shops and restaurants. Cost to see a film is $3.25; $3 for seniors. (Call (813) 360-6697 for a schedule.)
Sunset Beach: This area is part of Treasure Island, but it's on secluded West Gulf Boulevard, off 78th Avenue, the sign obscured by purple flowers. Travel to the end of West Gulf Boulevard, pay the usual quarter for 15 minutes of metered parking and you can enjoy a beer, the beach and a lovely view of the pastel Don. Alcohol is prohibited on most Pinellas beaches except for Treasure Island beaches (no glass though), says recreation director Cathy Hayduke. The lone exception is the St. Petersburg-owned beach in Treasure Island at 112th Avenue. ``It's not really a problem,'' she says of bottoms-up at the beach.
Treasure Island: There's a milelong sidewalk here where free beach wheelchairs are also available, (813) 360-3278. How about that large-size pirate standing atop the Buccaneer Beach Resort Motel, 10800 Gulf Blvd.? Shouldn't he be wearing the new Buc red? Check out the bargains at the Treasure Island Golf, Tennis & Recreation Center, 10315 Paradise Blvd., (813) 360-6062. Through Sept. 30, rates are $2 off for nine holes of golf (now $7) and 18 holes ($9) for nonresidents. Free parking is at the beach access park at 104th Avenue, across from Winn-Dixie.
Madeira Beach: John's Pass Village & Boardwalk on Boca Ciega Bay and the Gulf of Mexico on the south end of this community is a great place for the activity- minded. There are plenty of kiosks on the boardwalk offering all water event rentals, from parasailing to deep sea fishing. And there's a park across the street, accessible via a sandy walkway underneath the mammoth bridge, for those who would like a stretch of beach where a blue heron tiptoes among the dunes. At the village, there's lots of quirky shopping. There are more than 100 stores for browsing, including The Bronze Lady Inc., where Red Skelton displays his zany clown painting collection.
Redington Shores: Free parking is available at this park at 182nd Avenue.
Indian Shores: It's a good thing there's free parking down the street from the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, 18328 Gulf Blvd. There are only 10 parking spaces at this free attraction, which is actually a bird hospital. This beachfront aviary houses 500 birds who are either on the mend or have now found a permanent home here. A recent trip spotted a flock of about 50 brown pelicans on the beach - in the ``waiting room'' of the Seabird infirmary, the world's largest bird rehab center.
Belleair Shore and Belleair Beach: Bypass the beach parks in these moneyed communities. Regrettably, these areas, enclosed by iron gates, allow only residents with valid permits.
Sand Key: There's a new playground plus tennis courts at Bay Park on Sand Key (free parking), and a new public boat launch (20 foot and under, nonmotorized crafts only) at the Clearwater Sailing Center, 1001 Gulf Blvd. It's fun to stop and watch beginning sailors, but unfortunately, says supervisor Laurie Schultz, classes are full until next year, (813) 462-6368. Sand Key Park, at the foot of the Clearwater Pass Bridge (toll free), has wide, wide beaches and was named one of the best in the nation. Parking is a quarter for 20 minutes, but change machines are available.
Clearwater Beach: If you want beach fun with a spin to it, visit Pier 60 and its surrounding playground (covered by a roof), bandstand and concession building (the nicest at any of the beaches). This complex also has sunset celebrations with entertainers and vendors, (813) 449-1036. A great people-watching stroll is along Causeway Boulevard at the Clearwater Beach Marina, where day cruise ships and the Sea Screamer (the world's largest speed boat) pick up passengers. Parking is $1 an hour in a lot ($7 maximum) or if you find a meter, the rate is 25 cents for 20 minutes.
Finally, trek to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, off Memorial Causeway, at 249 Windward Passage. This nonprofit organization takes care of injured marine life. For a small fee, the public is invited to visit two floors of exhibits, such as a ``hands-on'' Stingray Beach where the sharp barbs on the bat-like creatures have been clipped. Admission is $6.75; $4.25 for children ages 3 to 12; (813) 441-1790
