Spring Break 2010

We just returned from our 4 day visit to Sand Key (Clearwater Beach), FL. We had a great time.  This was the 1st vacation in a long time where we had absolutely no plans other than to relax at the pool or the beach.   And that is exactly what we did. 

We stayed at the Marriott on Sand Key and the service was exceptional.  They really treated us well.  When we arrived, all the kids wanted to do was burn off some energy after being in the car for so long.   The weather was great so we headed to the pool area and just lounged while the kids dove, jumped and swam. That night we headed to what the locally renowned place called Frenchy's for dinner.   Our Review "It was OK but nothing special" but when the kids are hungry, anything will be the best meal ever.  We capped of Day 1 with some ice cream on the boardwalk by our hotel.

Day 2 was a beach day.  We found a great spot on the beach and just chilled while the kids spent 3-4 hours of playing in the sand, searching for seashells and just having fun.    After a great lunch at Maggie Mae's we did the resort pool thing for the rest of the afternoon.


    That night we drove South to explore the area and found a great restaurant.  Salt Rock Grill in Indian Shores……    We sat out on the dock overlooking the bay.  The food was great and both Cole and Noah polished off a nice sized (8 oz) filet.   

Day 3 started off a bit rainy so we decided to drive to Tampa to do some very brief site seeing.   Actually our main goal was to check out the Yankees spring training home, George Steinbrenner field.  We arrived early and enjoyed a quiet walk around the stadium and gift shop.  It was really cool to see.

Our next stop was Ybor City but unfortunately there was nothing really open so we just made it a quick driving tour.    The Sun was making its way out again so we headed back to the resort where we spent the next 4-5 hours of lounging around soaking up the sun, swimming and enjoying lunch.     We had tickets for the Yankees / Rays game that night and headed to St. Petersburg that night. 

We arrived pretty early so we decided to see batting practice.   It was very cool because for fans, the left field bleachers are great.  Baseballs were being hit all around us and the Yankees players were literally 5 feet away.   Noah was really excited to see CC Sabathia, A-Rod and Joba Chamberlain.     During BP, most of the pitchers hang out by the OF fence to shag flys and toss the ball around.  Nick Swisher hit a Home Run ball that bounced right in front of us and back onto the field.  Normally the players will throw the balls back in but Chan Ho Park (not exactly Yankee Royalty but we'll take it) flipped the ball up and played catch with a row of 4-5 kids.  He pointed to Jordan to make sure she had a chance to throw it to him.  Both Jordan and Cole played catch with him and without a doubt was the highlight of the night because the Yanks got rolled 9-3.

It was a great few days and we will definitely be back