Modern St. Pete

This is one of St. Petersburg’s few modern high-rises seen through the flowering branches of a 90-year-old kapok tree. I liked St. Pete a lot; it has a very laid back vibe. The town seems to have fallen on relatively hard times, though. Despite it being prime tourist season, the many little restaurants and boutiques of Central Ave. (the town’s main drag) were closed or devoid of shoppers. There were a lot of vacant storefronts and the downtown appeared unkept and neglected.

My only real complaint, such as it is, about my Florida trip was the lack of really good food. I ate absolutely nothing that I would consider exceptionally interesting or delicious. And some of it went well beyond mediocre to downright bad. I am probably spoiled by the much better than average culinary offerings of the DC area, and I’m sure there are good quality eateries to be found somewhere on the Gulf Coast. I hope if I go back to the area again that I find them.

That said, if I were forced to choose between a perpetual combination of great weather and mediocre food or crappy weather and great food I would pick the first in a heartbeat.