{"id":6458,"date":"2010-05-15T19:00:28","date_gmt":"2010-05-16T00:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?p=6458"},"modified":"2016-12-16T15:44:41","modified_gmt":"2016-12-16T21:44:41","slug":"planning-a-kid-friendly-florida-vacation-to-st-pete","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2010\/05\/planning-a-kid-friendly-florida-vacation-to-st-pete\/","title":{"rendered":"Planning a kid-friendly Florida vacation to St. Pete"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Author and son take on the inflatable slide.<\/p><\/div>\n

By Maria Mora<\/em><\/p>\n

I love the beach. I love sunsets. I associate Florida vacations<\/a> with romance, margaritas on the ice and the soothing sound of crashing waves. The problem is, my kids associate sunsets with asking me how soon they can get an ice cream treat. Is it possible to please everyone on a Florida vacation? I think so.<\/p>\n

I learned a lot about the St. Petersburg\/Clearwater<\/strong> area,\u00a0where I grew up, the first time I had to plan\u00a0a vacation\u00a0there.\u00a0As I researched hotels and activities, I discovered new places to\u00a0stay\u00a0and visit. It was\u00a0no longer the retirement destination I had remembered —\u00a0it had become\u00a0vibrant and kid-friendly.<\/p>\n

Last spring we stayed at the Tradewinds Island Grand Resort<\/a>\u00a0in St. Pete Beach<\/strong>, where my son and I went down the biggest inflatable water slide I\u2019ve ever seen. I enjoyed a giant frozen drink and my kids listened to pirate\u2019s serenade and rode paddleboats. Everyone had a blast.<\/p>\n

If you plan to stay in St. Pete Beach too, take a short drive or hop on a trolley downtown\u00a0to the The Dal\u00ed Museum<\/strong>. The new location, opening in early 2011, has a stunning waterfront view and two excellent playgrounds within walking distance. The playground near the downtown airport has an adorable miniature air traffic tower.<\/p>\n

Nearby St. Petersburg hosts the Great Explorations Children’s Museum<\/strong>, which offers\u00a0a nice way to beat the midday heat in the summer months. After the kids run around inside, stroll through Sunken Gardens. Bring loose change to buyfish food. Then grab an early dinner at one of the nearby restaurants before you head back out to the beach.<\/p>\n

Planning on visiting the Clearwater<\/strong> area?\u00a0Check out the sunsets at Pier 60<\/strong> on Clearwater Beach. You\u2019ll get your romantic view of the setting sun, and your kids will enjoy street performances, live music and giant trampolines. We love the playground right on the sand.<\/p>\n

Don’t stress out if you feel like you’re planning too many kid-friendly activities. Depending on how adventurous you are, you’ll probably find yourself enjoying the activities you planned for the children. (I don\u2019t know about you, but I can\u2019t say no to giant trampolines.)<\/p>\n

Related resources<\/strong><\/p>\n