Welcome to the 30th June/July edition of Paradise News, the first of our two bimonthly summer editions. August-September deadlines July 10. Florida tourism is still on the rise. Our white “sugar-sand” beaches, the usually relatively placid Gulf of Mexico and frequent spectacular sunsets are a big part of what attracts tourists and residents to our area. Storms impact the sand on some of our beaches, so they have to be periodically replenished. The sand naturally migrates and has to be vacuumed up and piped back. There is no good time to do this, as it closes parts of the beach while the work is done. It is past time for Pass-a-Grille Beach to be replenished, and this project will be ongoing all summer with any luck, but, will only impact a part of the beach at a time starting in the south. The Pass-a-Grille pier will be closed from June 4 until fall due to the pipeline bringing sand from Tierra Verde’s Grand Channel and Pass-a-Grille channel dredging. All businesses in Pass-a-Grille will be open and fighting to survive the long hot summer, so it’s a great time to try out the Wharf, Sea Horse, Hurricane, Dewey, Brass Monkey or one of the great art shops and boutiques on Eighth Ave. The Gulf Beaches Historical Museum on 10th Ave. is a fun way to get out of the sun for a couple hours. It is open Fri. 10am-4pm, Sat. 10am-1pm, & Sun. 1-4pm. Madeira Beach is working to replenish the rock groins that have helped stabilize sand there since the 1950s, but construction impact is pretty localized. Most residents know and visitors learn to avoid swimming off the beach that has formed under the north side of the John’s Pass Bridge, which is awaiting a go-ahead for dredging. Tide changes bring dangerous rip currents there without warning twice daily.
We are lucky enough to have plenty of local arts and leisure activities including competitive professional sports teams like the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and Rowdies, world class museums like the only Salvador Dali Museum outside of Spain; Great Explorations, Tampa Bay’s pre-eminent children’s museum; the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art; the Chihuly, an amazing exhibit showcasing the masters art; the Imagine Museum, and many more. A plethora of art galleries are scattered from the beaches to Gulfport and downtown St. Petersburg. Look at the back half of your Paradise News for updated Arts & Leisure opportunities and events throughout the Tampa Bay area. Feel free to use the QR codes provided throughout. Online, at www.paradisenewsfl.com all the links are active.
One of our destination’s competitive advantages is a growing public and private transportation system, capable of whisking visitors from the beach hotels to many area attractions without a car. Our trolleys take us from Dolphin Village Shopping Center north up the beach as far as the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and to downtown St. Petersburg. Last year the SunRunner buses were added, with limited stops between the beach and the ballpark, the attractions of downtown including a plethora of fine restaurants, the Mahaffey Performing Arts Center, the Palladium, or connect with the Cross Bay Ferry to downtown Tampa. In St. Pete Beach there are FreeBee golf carts on steroids and Teslas, which are summoned by an app that will take you to in-town destinations. There are also Free Beach ride vans adorned by local wraps that take you places on the island or beyond, just for tips.
June is the official start of hurricane season here, although traditionally threats do not start in earnest until the Gulf waters heat up, usually in August or September. This year, however, they are already warmer than usual, so make a plan and be ready. Our dedicated team works hard to make Paradise News indispensable to locals and visitors alike. We appreciate our readers and the vetted advertisers that continue to fund its existence. Have an awesome summer and thanks for enjoying the news from Paradise.