Romantic Getaways: Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Tampa & Central West Florida

By Janet Groene

Does your love life need a pick-me-up? Are your fires burning low? This guide suggests plenty of fun activities compiled by authors who know where to find the most romantic spots. For couples of all ages and lifestyles, this guide has something to suit ev

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hunter Publishing
• Release date: Dec 29, 2009
• ISBN: 9781588438775

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Romantic Getaways in Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Tampa & Central West Florida

Hunter Publishing, Inc.

www.hunterpublishing.com

IN CANADA:

Ulysses Travel Publications

4176 Saint-Denis, Montréal, Québec

Canada H2W 2M5

In the UK

Windsor Books International

The Boundary, Wheatley Road

Garsington

Oxford, OX44 9EJEngland

© 2010 Janet Groene & Gordon Groene

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. Brief extracts to be included in reviews or articles are permitted.

Every effort has been made to insure that the information in this book is correct, but the publisher and author do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any liability for any loss or damage caused by errors, omissions, misleading information or potential travel problems caused by this guide, even if such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause.

About The Authors

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Janet Groene began her writing career when she was hired as a stringer for her hometown newspaper while still in junior high school. Since then she has written thousands of newspaper and magazine pieces, and more than a dozen books. When Janet and her husband Gordon sold their home and furniture and headed south, her typewriter and his cameras came along. It was the start of their new life as a travel writer and photographer team. After traveling full-time for 10 years in their sailboat and RV, they settled in Central Florida. Janet is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers; Gordon belongs to the North American Travel Journalists Association. Both are members of the American Society of Journalists & Authors.

Acknowledgments

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Special thanks to Lori Chester of the Tampa/Hillsborough Convention & Visitors Association; Danielle Courtenay of the Orlando Convention & Visitors Bureau; Geiger Associates of Tallahassee; Maureen Gonzalez of the Orlando Peabody Alliance for Arts and Culture (OPAAC); Bert Lacey and Robyn DeRidder of Cypress Gardens; Brian Parrish of FLA-USA; Charlotte Luer of PCI; Angel Passailaigue of Jacksonville and the Beaches; Steve Sprecht of Silver Springs; Ed Stone of Ed Stone Associates; Susan McLain and Tangela Boyd of the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Association; Wayne Vaughn of the Central Florida Convention & Visitors Bureau; Bill Voliva of SHE Tours; Renée Wente of the DeLand Chamber of Commerce and West Volusia Tourism Authority; and the Zimmerman Agency, Tallahassee.

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Please Help With Our Next Edition

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Any inn is only as good as today’s host and housekeeper; any restaurant is only as good as today’s chef and cuisine. If you are a restaurateur or innkeeper and your establishment is listed incorrectly, make a photocopy of your listing, note changes that should be made, and send it to us. We have made every effort toreport accurately, but things change. If you are not listed and would like to be considered for future editions, let us know about your property. No one pays to be listed in this book. All we require is full information about your service or destination, which we then research in person or by three or more third-party reports. Note the format that we use, give us all the details required, and write us c/o the publisher. Keep it brief; keep it clear. We cannot accept updates or additions by phone. Please write us c/o Editor, Hunter Publishing, 239 South Beach Road, Hobe Sound, FL33455, or fax to 561-546-8040, if you can help us make the next edition of this book more accurate and meaningful.

Contents

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Introduction

A Little History

The Weather Picture

Getting Here & Getting Around

What to Pack

Rating the Rates

Other Helpful Information

Information Sources

Visitor Information

Central West Florida

Introduction

Getting Here & Getting Around

For More Information

Major Annual Events

Bradenton-Sarasota

Sweet Dreams

Tables For Two

Things To Do

Cape Haze

Sweet Dreams

Tables For Two

St. Petersburg-Clearwater

Sweet Dreams

Tables For Two

Things To Do

Tampa

Sweet Dreams

Tables For Two

Things To Do

Introduction

Did thee feel the earth move?

– Ernest Hemingway in For Whom the Bell Tolls.

You’ve been on the job in the same old rut all week and now it’s time for you and your love to get away, if only for a day or a weekend. To you, getting away might mean a hammock under an oak tree, with a good book to read. Or it might mean a day at the beach, an exciting day at a theme park, or 18 holes of golf on a tournament course. It could mean running yourself ragged on the tennis court or on a century (100-mile) bicycle ride, or breakfast in bed followed by a day of shopping, then a night at