How did we choose Largo? At some point last year when we were deciding where to go for the winter, we thought, “Hey! We’ve never spent much time in that part of Florida…let’s go there!” And then I started looking for an Airbnb that accepts cats, and an interesting place popped up. It’s kind of like playing travel roulette.
We had no idea that this area has so much to offer. For two weeks, we immersed ourselves in the tropical beauty, beaches, biking, birdlife, and very cool art scene of this colorful part of the Sunshine State.
A Truly Lovely Airbnb
Our home for two weeks was Paradise Cottage in Largo, and it lived up to its name. The gardens surrounding it were gorgeous, and the studio was beautifully and artistically decorated, with just enough but not too much stuff. And it was immaculately clean.
A beautiful garden
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Of course, there were quirks, like the big step up into the bathroom that could kill you if you were not paying attention. There are always quirks. I tell myself that adjusting to different living situations creates new neural pathways in my brain. But it also means that I cannot sleepwalk to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
We enjoyed meals outside, and Magnolia loved being outdoors in her catio
Birds In The ‘Hood
We had one county park within walking distance of our Airbnb, and a couple more that were several miles away. The birding was outstanding. We do not get Roseate Spoonbills in our backyard in North Carolina.
Biking Heaven
Our Airbnb was just a couple of blocks from the fabulous Pinellas multi-use trail that travels 38 miles of protected greenspace between St. Petersburg and Tarpon Springs. There are many fun stops along the trail, and we biked it many times.
The charming town of Dunedin was about eight miles from our Airbnb. It was an excellent destination for lunch or for a coffee break on longer rides.
The Pinellas bike trail goes right through Dunedin
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Blue crab nachos at Caracara
Just a few miles in the opposite direction was the lush tropical Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo. It’s a free county park, and a sweet local oasis with 100 acres of native plants and a focus on sustainable gardening.
Nanday Parakeets
Flocks of colorful, beautiful Nanday Parakeets have established themselves in the area. They’re non-native, but are not considered problematic, although I wouldn’t want them in our backyard. Their call is a piercing, high-pitched shriek, and they never, ever shut up.
A bit further (30 miles round-trip) was our ride to Honeymoon Island State Park, across the Dunedin Causeway. The bike trails in Pinellas County are outstanding. We were surprised every time we biked at how considerate the drivers are to bicyclists.
Taking a break from biking
If you are in a vehicle, however, the drivers are insane and will cut you off at any opportunity. Driving is stressful in the Tampa Bay/St. Pete area.
Fort De Soto Park
Although we mostly avoided driving, Fort De Soto Park was worth the effort. We loaded our bikes on the car and spent a wonderful day biking, walking the pristine beaches, and birding at the beautiful county park.
Biking the trails at Fort De Soto
More Beaches
The weather was chilly in January, and the beaches were mostly empty, except for the birds. That suited us perfectly. We spent time birding at lovely Sand Key Park in Clearwater. The beaches in the Tampa Bay Area are considered to be some of the most beautiful in Florida. We’re not accustomed to seeing high-rises on the beaches, though. We were really spoiled living on the Forgotten Coast of Florida, with miles of uninhabited beaches and limits on development.
A Beautiful Day On Tampa Bay
We were treated to a very special day in the Tampa Bay Area when our North Carolina neighbors and friends Tom and Lindsay (who are also lifelong residents of St. Pete) invited us to accompany them on a boat tour of Tampa Bay. They are avid birders and long-time volunteers for Friends of the Tampa Bay National Wildlife Refuge. We spent the day counting birds on the islands in beautiful Tampa Bay. How lucky we are!
One of the islands in beautiful Tampa Bay
White Pelicans
Colorful St. Petersburg
Tampa and St. Petersburg are the two big cities in the Tampa Bay Area. Tampa didn’t really appeal to us, but the vibrant, art-centered town of St. Pete did. We ventured twice into the city to explore and had a fantastic time.
In planning our winter journey, we discovered that our North Carolina neighbors and friends Karla and Ron were traveling a similar route in their motorhome. In the first of many visits during our travels, we met up in St. Pete for the farmers’ market and to walk along the waterfront.
Exploring the St. Pete waterfront with Ron and Karla
The farmers’ market had all kinds of exotic fruits. We bought a cantaloupe, haha. Not the most exotic offering, but it was the best cantaloupe we’ve ever had.
St. Pete is the home of the The Dali Museum, which houses the premier collection of Salvador Dali’s work. I thought I wanted to go, but on further reflection, realized that I’ve never liked Dali’s work, and I didn’t want to spend several hours immersed in his nightmares. LOL. But the outside of the museum is interesting.
The Dali Museum
Instead, we spent several hours in the Imagine Museum, which contains three floors of contemporary glass art from artists all over the world. We thought the collection was every bit as good as the wonderful Corning Museum of Glass that we visited in Corning, New York in 2019.
Glass kimono by artist Karen LaMonte
Gardens And Murals In St. Pete
For our second foray into St. Petersburg, we started at the Sunken Gardens, a hundred-year-old garden that is one of Florida’s oldest roadside tourist attractions. It was created by a retired plumber, who drained a sinkhole and built the lush gardens 15 feet below sea level. Of course that would never be allowed now, but it’s an interesting historical oddity and it’s gorgeous.
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We followed up our vintage garden visit with a stroll through the very colorful, very diverse Grand Central District of St. Pete. Our verdict: St. Pete is worth enduring the traffic. We had fun. Our entire two weeks in Largo was fantastic, and we would happily return.
Flamingo peeking over Central Avenue
One very nice visit….Love your pictures….
Thanks, Bob! Hope you’re doing well!
Bob Hope was there???!
Haha!!! 😻
Hi,
Looks like you are having lots of fun and fun experiences. Love the colorful pictures
Keep enjoying your trip.
Love,
Penny
Hi Penny, we’re having fun exploring new places in Florida this winter, as well as returning to some favorites. After all of the time we’ve spent in Florida, you would think we would have already seen it all, but there’s still more to explore! Hugs to you and Tom!
You are definitely getting the hang of picking your Airbnbs — I don’t think you’ve described any previous rental as “immaculate” and that location close to the bike path is unbeatable. I love all the landscaping at your rental; it looks almost as lush as the botanical gardens! I’m not surprised that you enjoyed Pinellas County, since it’s always been a quirky and artsy beach community. Definitely put that place on the list for future winter visits.
Shannon, we’re either having a run of really good luck with Airbnbs, or I actually have gotten better at finding great Airbnbs. I hope it’s the latter, LOL. The cottage was lovely, and I told Eric that the gardens were every bit as nice as the botanical garden. I thought of you, knowing how much you love tropical plants! We didn’t realize how cool and artsy Pinellas County is until we spent two weeks there. We would happily return (even though the traffic is daunting).
Love reading your posts, we just returned from Columbia,SA. A nice 3 weeks of fast paced birding!!! Our guides were awesome, our main guide a disaster but we persevered. We will not use him again. Amazon was wicked hot and humid, Andes incredibly beautiful!!! Way behind in even looking at pics!!!! We had a super house sitter, friends from WI who loved the SC weather!!!!
Thanks, Julie. Your travels sound exotic, challenging, and adventurous! I’ll bet you got some fabulous photos.
Love the St. Pete area and so fun to spend some time with you two while we were all in the area. What beautiful pics – those birds! Took lots of notes on this article as we are hoping to visit there next year for a longer period of time!
Karla, it was so much fun to meet up with you and Ron in St. Pete! And it was only the beginning of our great times with you two in Florida. :-) I’m glad you enjoyed our photos. It’s such a colorful area, as you know. I know you guys will love having more time there—fingers crossed you get those reservations!
The two of you packed an impressive number of fabulous activities into those two weeks! Good for you! (I don’t have to remind you to leave all of the Roseate Spoonbills where they are, do I?) It’s amazing how much fun you can have when there’s no need to clean your rental. A round of applause for your excellent choice in lodging! That Pinellas trail looks delightful. I’m adding it to my notes for our next trip to visit Alan’s family. Safe travels!
Mary, when I looked back over our photos I realized how many adventures we had during our two weeks in Largo. But it all felt so relaxing…maybe because we were able to bike to so many things right from our Airbnb. And as you said, I didn’t have to spend time cleaning the Airbnb before we could start having fun, LOL. You and Alan would love the Pinellas trail!
If anyone could ever entice me back to Florida, it would be you. And the birds. Those Nanday Parakeets and their colorful pantaloons! I looked them up and discovered there is also a feral colony near L.A. and Phoenix. Now I must add them to my list. And, of course, so many birds I missed and will likely never see, so thank you for sharing them in the next-best way. You also finally found an art piece that makes me wish I had a place (and a budget, no doubt!) to display — that glass wave is gorgeous. In every way, it looks like you did Largo to a T!
Aww, I wish we could entice you back to Florida, Joodie! It would be so much fun to share the biking and birding with you two. You would love those Nanday Parakeets. They’re so fancy! We saw them almost everywhere we went in the Tampa Bay Area. I loved that glass wave art piece, too. The Imagine Museum was fabulous, and now I’m wanting a glass piece for our tiny house. :)
Laurel,
We have friends living in Dunedin and always enjoy visiting there. Looks like you had fabulous weather and much improved AirB&B accommodations. Thanks for sharing and for one more thing…if it wasn’t for you and Eric, I would have never seen a Marbled Godwit. Have a great weekend! Joe
Joe, Dunedin was such a sweet surprise! We spent a few days camping at Fort De Soto in January 2020 but didn’t explore anything beyond the park. We were really happy with our decision to book an Airbnb in Largo. Dunedin was our favorite small town and it was so much fun to be able to bike there. I think Marbled Godwits are beautiful.
As Joodie said, if ever there was something/someone to entice us back to Florida it would be you guys. The food, the birds, the colors–I love that glass kimono. And an immaculate AirBnB! Great post!
Thanks, Janna. We love Florida in the winter for the birding, biking, kayaking, and good weather! And of course, we enjoy the food and cultural experiences. There were at least a dozen glass kimonos at the art museum. It was a fabulous show!
Interestingly enough, before they moved back to St. Augustine, Kevin’s parents lived in the Tampa area, so we visited some of these areas way back when, but not in the RV. I definitely agree with you that St. Pete’s is much more interesting than Tampa, and well worth spending some time. And we did go to the Dali museum, but like you, I am pretty “meh” on his work. I’m not sure the glass museum was there when we visited. Either way, we never went, but it looks terrific. So do the gardens and beaches you checked out. It’s truly a perfect place to explore for a couple weeks during the winter – especially now that you know which Air BnB to stay at!
Laura, we really liked St. Pete! Apparently, it has reinvented itself over the past decade or so and has become a Mecca for artists. I was certain I was going to go to the Dali museum, and I think I would have enjoyed the architecture. But I truly hate his work, LOL. The glass museum was founded in 2018, so it probably wasn’t there when you visited. We had a fantastic time in Largo and the surrounding area, and the sweet Airbnb definitely added to the appeal. I’m getting better at choosing Airbnbs. 😬
Looks like you found another perfect-for-you spot to spend some time! The birds and gardens are gorgeous, and the bike trails have great variety for exploring. Glad the AirBNB was a success, even with the challenging bathroom entrance. Any favorable comparison to the Corning museum is a place I’d enjoy for sure – a great recovery from the Dali :-) Can’t wait to see where you get to next!
Jodee, you’re absolutely right! It was a perfect-for-us spot, with all of the things we enjoy, from nature to art to great food. We were delighted to have such a lovely Airbnb (the gardens were private and beautiful) and being close to the bike trails was a big bonus. You would love that glass museum! It was inspirational, not only artistically, but spiritually.
What a darling place to stay. And so many wonderful things to do. I visited my parents in Largo for many years and never saw it as attractive as you show it. But my parents left 20 years ago. So perhaps it has changed. The crowdedness overwhelmed me then.
Sherry, I think Largo has changed dramatically over the past 10-20 years. Same with St. Pete. It’s a gorgeous area, with so many interesting things to do. Of course, there’s still the traffic to contend with, but for us, it was worth it, especially since we mostly biked where we wanted to go from our Airbnb. The birding is outstanding, and you would love Fort De Soto county park, which has beautiful campsites on the water.
Oh, I can just smell the wonderful Florida fragrances and feel the warm humid air on my skin. Lots of nice memories of our time spent in Florida and missing it just a little bit. Sigh. That was then and this is now someone I love dearly always tells me. Thanks for taking me back and reminding me of wonderful times. The food looks super, as I always know it will be with you two. Nice little Air bnb this time, even if you do need to be a careful during those inevitable late night “visits” to the WC!
I think the glass wave spoke to us all! It would make a perfect place for Magnolia to rub her dots, don’t you think?
Sue, there is much to enjoy about Florida, just not in the summer, haha! I know exactly what you mean about the “feeling” of the air…I love those balmy, tropical temperatures and the sound of the palms rustling in the breeze. We’re having great success with our Airbnbs and restaurant adventures, fingers crossed our good luck continues!
And yes, Magnolia would enjoy making that glass wave sculpture her own! 😻
What an adorable Airbnb! Glad all worked out with this cottage. Love the bird photos. My favorite is the Roseate Spoonbill. I do enjoy the Wood Duck, too. They seem so unreal with their precise, clear markings. Definitely seems like a wonderful two weeks. Great bike riding paths. John’s sister/husband and niece and family live in St. Pete’s area. We’ve visited a couple times when we were full-timing and enjoyed it. So glad you are enjoying yourself.
Pam, that bike trail was one of the best we’ve ridden! We always enjoy the rails-to-trails paths, and they’re even more fun when there are interesting destinations along the way. We had such a great time in the St. Pete area. We could do without the traffic, but we really didn’t have to contend with it very much since we were right on the bike trail. We could even walk to a county park where the Roseate Spoonbills were hanging out. They’re one of my favorites, too. :) Hugs to you both!
Laurel, there is a lot to love about Pinellas County. We have friends in Clearwater and Apollo Beach and visit often. We have enjoyed many of the sights you mentioned, from the bike trail to the museums. Honeymoon Island is at the top of my list of favorite Florida beaches. Did you get out to Caladesi State Park? It is one of a few unspoiled islands in Florida. We visited the Dali Museum when they were hosting a Clyde Butcher exhibit, which I dearly loved. Dali is quirky for sure, but still a master. The Roseate Spoonbills are magnificent, as are all of your bird photographs. Your Airbnb looks adorable and all that island food – Yum! Just when you think you’ve seen it all, right?
Suzanne, even though I grew up in Florida, and Eric and I have spent a lot of time exploring the state, we’re happily surprised by all of the wonderful things we keep discovering. Florida is a perfect destination for us in the winter, given our love of biking, birding, and kayaking. The colorful towns add even more to the appeal!
I’m sure I would have found the Dali Museum interesting, and if we return we would probably go. If a Clyde Butcher exhibit had been there, I’m sure we would have gone. We visited his gallery near Big Cypress several years and it was wonderful! It sounds like you know the Tampa Bay Area well…if by some chance you haven’t been to the Imagine Museum in St. Pete, I highly recommend it. Oh, and we didn’t go to Caladesi…thought about it, but decided to spend the day biking to Honeymoon Island SP instead. Another reason to return!
Lucky you
We’re very grateful, Kathryn.
Oh my, Laurel, such beautiful photos, such memories for me. Your header photo took me right back to that incredible color between sea and sky that I have only seen in Florida. And memories of St Pete, and the time Mo and I camped at Fort DeSoto. I love that park. OF course I scattered Bel’s ashes at Pass-a Grille, our favorite place to stay when I visited her in Florida. I do love that BnB, and I am thinking that maybe, just maybe I can convince Mo to fly to Florida for some time in the velvet air and the magical skies. My other Florida friend said we don’t have mountains, but we have our clouds. Amazing stuff and that little place looked just perfect. I am still wondering how much we will miss not having our kayaks with us, especially since we can no longer bike. Unless I can convince Mo to let me by an electric trike while we are in Florida. LOL. I want one really badly, but then we can’t really cross the country again. Well we could, but don’t choose to do that. Mo rolls her eyes at me when I say I want one of those trikes, but who knows, I may get one anyway. We do have some good trails around here but I would have to get a little trailer to haul the thing and would probably have to do it alone. Mo even rolls her eyes at electric bikes even though our friends Nickie and Jimmy love theirs. Ah well, we do still have a lot of fun together. I MISS FLORIDA!!!!!
Sue, you describe so beautifully some of the things I love about Florida…the velvety air, the beautiful skies and water, the clouds…and of course, the kayaking! It’s such a wonderful place to be in winter. I don’t think there’s anyplace else in the country where the weather is as consistently good in winter, or where we could kayak and bike as much as we like.
Although there are some things we miss about RV travel, we’re finding there are many good things about Airbnb travel. And surprisingly, we’re not missing our kayak. We’ve been able to easily rent kayaks wherever we go. As far as biking, I hope you’ll try an electric bike so that you can get back to biking!
Im glad you chose Tampa and the surrounding areas for two weeks. We have never been in that area so it is nice to see new places to us. I can feel however the humidity, the snowbirds and the real snowbirds. And I missed the birds!
We had so much fun in the Largo area, MonaLiza. Although we’ve spent a lot of time in Florida, there’s always more to discover! And as you know, the birdlife is colorful and abundant. :)