SPORTS / RECREATION by Nanette Wiser
This is the perfect time of year to learn a new sport or embrace a favorite pastime. Not all of us are ready to go back to the gym, so here are dozens of outdoor adventures to explore solo or with a friend, or a group you find on Meetup. You can start simple, with badminton in the backyard or pickleball on your tennis court. Looking for an athletic club? Check out the Arts & Leisure guide and learn more about Tampa Bay Beach Bums for volleyball, Mad Dogs Wednesday swim and St. Pete Roadrunners.
GAMES & GET FIT
There’s an outdoor fun fit for everyone from team sports (softball, rugby), to games such as bocce ball and shuffleboard (Pass-A-Grille and downtown St. Pete). Let your feet do the walking to these adventures.
OHM My: Yoga on the beach from the DTSP Pier (which also hosts some pop-up cycling) to Madeira and Indian Rocks beaches are everywhere. Check Facebook and city rec centers and the Y for listings. You can even do goat yoga in Largo at DK Landscaping and Farm April 24th.
Outdoor Fitness Zones: You can stretch, do sit ups and work on your balance at the parcours in some local parks with people-powered exercise equipment in Gulfport (R.W. Caldwell Park, Tomlinson Park), Largo Central Park, Clearwater’s Northeast Park, St. Pete’s Azalea Park and Riviera Bay Park.
Disc Golf: Using the same scoring system as traditional golf, disc golf is played with a frisbee or “disc” on nine and 18-hole courses at parks in Clearwater’s Cliff Stevens Park, Oldsmar’s Sheffield Park and Largo’s John S. Taylor Park.
Walk/Hike/Bike: The Pinellas Trail is excellent for all these activities, www.pinellascounty.org/trailgd
There are dozens of county and city parks to explore, such as Walsingham, Boca Ciega Millenium, Brooker Creek and Weedon Island. Download the brochure for all the details. www.pinellascounty.org/PDF/greenways_brochure.pdf
Horseback Riding: Giddyap pony at Pinellas Park’s Cypress Breeze Farm! You can take a ride on the beach or a trail whether you are a beginner or experienced equestrian. You can even do equine yoga.
Volleyball: Join a club or pick up a game at Gulfport Volleyball Courts, North Shore Complex, near the Postcard Inn or The Toasted Monkey, Upham Beach, Treasure Island Beach or Bayhead Action Park in Largo.
Skate The Ream Wilson Trail: When completed, this 11.5-mile paved trail (also called the East-West Trail) will link Safety Harbor to Clearwater Beach, giving in-line skaters the opportunity to skate from Tampa Bay to the Gulf. This seldom-used trail is a secret spot for in-line skaters who want to open up and unwind. Only 4.4 miles of trail are open, connecting Safety Harbor’s Bayshore Drive westward to the City of Clearwater’s Long Center. On the opposite end of the trail (to the west), a 1.2-mile section crosses the Memorial Causeway Bridge and connects the Pinellas Trail to Pier 60 on Clearwater Beach.
Zippity Do Dah: Zip above the treetops at Empower Adventures Tampa Bay. The zip line canopy tour begins with a 60-foot-tall start tower that leads into five zip lines of varying lengths and a 200-foot suspension bridge – all with views of Florida’s natural terrain.
SWINGING TIMES
Tennis: Get your racket and explore Pinellas County’s local public and private tennis courts here: www.globaltennisnetwork.com/tennis-courts/courts/city/4855-pinellas-park-florida
Golf: You can play Innisbrook if you hit like a pro, but one of my favorite things is the executive courses around paradise, especially the one in Largo and Treasure Island Bay Golf & Tennis for tennis, golf, pickleball and classes.
WATER ADVENTURES
Enjoy surfing, fishing, canoeing, parasailing and these aquatic adventures in the water sports capital of the world!
Boating: You don’t have to own a boat to enjoy one. There are many places locally to take boating or sailing lessons and learn safe boating practices.
- If you have experience captaining a boat, you can join Freedom Boat Club and reserve one to take out.
- Salty Water Tours can take you and up to six of your friends or family from Gulfport Marina on a dolphin watch, sunset tours, island explore trip to Egmont Key, Shell Key and Passage Key. Their 26-foot catamaran provides a smooth, quiet ride, and yoga experience on board can be added. www.saltywatertours.com
- Hubbard’s Marina can take you fishing, dolphin watching, on a sunset cruise or over to Egmont or Shell Key, even get your out on a kayak or paddleboard. www.hubbardsmarina.com
- Dolphin Landings out of St. Pete Beach provides sunset sails, dolphin watching and island adventures. www.dolphinlandings.com
Swim: Do water aerobics and laps at outdoor pools – Southwest Rec, St. Pete Beach, North Shore Aquatic Center and more. Take your snorkel and boogie board to the Gulf Beaches. Egmont Key offers some of the best snorkel views. You can skimboard or surfboard, even rent from Reno Beach Surf Shop, Nekton Surf Shop or Suncoast Surf Shop. Popular spots include Sand Key, Indian Rocks Beach, Redington Shores and Sunset Beach. Check out Gulfster.com for daily surf reports.
Kiteboarding: Take to the sky near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and Fort De Soto Park in windy weather. You can pick up gear and take a class at the Best Pro Kiteboarding Center. It’s not easy, but for me breathtaking to watch!
Diving: Gulfport Dive Center can get you started diving, providing both classes and equipment as well as trips to Curacao, Roatan and Key Largo.
Kayak: You can rent kayaks on-site without reservations at Fort De Soto Park, the Dunedin Causeway Sail Honeymoon and Honeymoon Island State Park as well as Sweetwater Kayaks at Weedon Island Preserve, Kayak Nature Adventures in Gulfport and Island Marine Rentals in Indian Shores.
Paddleboard Pinellas County Blueways: Pinellas County has miles of beautiful shoreline, providing paddlers with a variety of opportunities and experiences as they explore the coastline and the rich array of marine and estuarine ecosystems that make up Pinellas County’s waters. Check out the online guide for different paddle opps and where to launch. www.pinellascounty.org/blueways