St. Petersburg has become the city I escape to when I need an Orlando breather, and on each visit there is something new to explore that makes me just a little bit jealous. My last trip was a quick 36 hours staying at a familiar Airbnb a few blocks from Central so we could easily and safely hit up what was on our agenda.

St. Pete Pier

When you hear about the pier, you might think, no big deal, it’s just a massive slab of concrete that jets into the ocean, but in St. Pete style, it’s a complete escape and oasis from the worries of the day. This is more of a full outdoor entertainment area rather than a pier in the traditional sense. Just a few attractions within the pier include its own small beach, a splash pad for the kids, a fishing deck (you can buy bait and other equipment right there), art installations, a playground, cafes, and restaurants.

We had incredible weather on our visit, so we walked leisurely down the pathways, always choosing the paths that hugged the waterfront, and I realized just how spacious the area was. When it seems the only safe thing to do is spend time outdoors in wide-open spaces, the pier offered that.

There was ample seating at every turn and plenty of photo-worthy spots to catch the shimmering ocean, the Don Cesar in the background, or just natural Florida beauty.

Fort De Soto Park/Battery Bigelow

If you don't catch a sunset view when you are in St. Pete, you are doing it wrong. On prior trips, we had hit up Treasure Island, but since we’ve been in full Florida Park mode all year, we decided to mark another one off the list. Fort Desoto is quite large, but we chose to visit the area with the pier and some historical elements.

One historic portion of it is Battery Bigelow, a reinforced concrete 3-inch coastal gun battery. It was destroyed by the hurricane of 1921, and between storms and shifting shorelines, little remains of the 3-inch gun battery. The Fort De Soto batteries were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

It’s to the fishing pier's right if you want to check it out, but it’s relatively small in person. The beach and walking trails however, are quite glorious at golden hour.

What to know before you go:

The park closes at dusk, so get those sunset photos and then get out.
We didn’t pay to enter the park, but we did have to pay for parking in the lot by the fishing pier.

Van Gogh Live Exhibit at the Dali Museum

The highly anticipated Van Gogh Live Exhibit was on our agenda, although we did have concerns about entering a museum during COVID. I will say that the staff seemed extremely serious from the outset with mask enforcement and temperature screenings. However, the exhibit room can quickly get fuller than most might be comfortable with lingering in. The good thing is that the presentation is on a constant play, so if you want to exit and re-enter, you can. From the photos you see online, it looks like a massive space, but it's not. There are three rooms that all connect, all with floor to ceiling screens, but you get the most immersive feel in the third and largest room.

It’s a beautiful, immersive experience that will allow you to appreciate much more of his art than you may have been familiar with.

HOWEVER, if you are expecting an Emily in Paris recreation, it’s not going to happen. Unless you hit an off period, sitting on the floor and being casually glamorous during the concise snippet of a Starry Night just isn’t happening. I would recommend going later into 2021, as it will run through April 11th.

A few things to know before you go:

No large bags are allowed inside. I had a messenger bag for my camera, but they wouldn’t even let that in.
Per the museum, they are at 25% capacity right now. The majority of people going are there for the Van Gogh exhibit, so move around the grounds (indoor and outdoor) according to your comfort level.
No tickets for the Van Gogh exhibit are sold at the museum the day of. You must buy online and in advance.

Takeout and Outside Eating

Sticking to my personal rule of no dining indoors, most of the food we ate was grab and go, but we did enjoy one meal outside. Monday is a really tough day to hang in St. Pete because so many local spots are closed, so we made due with what was open.

Special shout-out to Bandit Coffee, my favorite coffee in St. Pete for having their make-shift coffee window and online ordering system up so getting our morning coffee was east and safe!

Bodega

We ordered takeout from the expanded location of Bodega. They do have outside seating, but it was really crowded, definitely no social distancing, so we didn’t stay. I snapped a few picks while I waited for my food. As always the lechon platter with black beans, rice, and maduros was outstanding as it is every trip.

Valhalla Bakery

Orlando’s own vegan baking queen opened up her bakery in Saint Pete back right at the beginning of COVID. Thankfully she has remain open for takeout, so I made sure to hit up her goods twice! This location is very no-nonsense about masks while indoors ordering, so don’t try and be cute. Keep your mask on.

2462 Central Ave, St. Petersburg, FL 33712

Uptown Eats

Breakfast on the go is not an easy thing to find in St. Pete, but thankfully Uptown Eats was open on a day they are normally closed. We ordered there brioche breakfast sammie to-go and they were delicious. There is outdoor seating, but we ate on the go.

Also, there was a really cute shop next door that wasn’t open sadly, but if you go and it’s open it looked like it had really cute stuff!

689-D Dr. MLK Jr. St. N St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Casita Taqueria

Casita Taqueria on Central is usually an easy pit stop when I visit. They expanded their outdoor seating, so this was a safe place to grab delicious tacos, and I would recommend it.

2663 Central Avenue
St. Petersburg, Florida 33713

New Street Art

One of the things I love about St. Pete is that there is always new art to see on every visit. Thanks to amazing artists being given buildings are canvases, and the SHINE Mural Festival each year, the city continues to use murals as a way to bring important messages to life, and keep St. Pete vibrant. Below are just a few new murals I found.

Artist: @Kosharekart

Location: 2201 1st Ave