Fun Florida Getaway

Back at the end of April, I enjoyed a fun Florida getaway with my sisters, Diane and Pam. We’ve been planning this for about a year and it really was wonderful to spend some time together and just relax in the sunshine. It was such a brutal winter here in New England it felt like a gift to escape south.

Women standing on balcony at Hyatt in Clearwater with ocean behind them

Luke and Conor held down the fort and loved on our dogs so I could get away for a few days. I don’t want to call this post the ultimate girls’ getaway because it was more about relaxing and spending time together, but I’m really excited to share more about this little getaway.

Where We Stayed

We stayed right on the beach and I told my sister, Pam, who lives in Florida, that I really wanted to stay at a hotel that felt like Florida. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach and Resort.

It was fabulous. I mean look at the hotel. It was just how I’d picture a Florida hotel with the pink exterior, turquoise pool, and dreamy ocean beyond.

Upon arrival we were given a glass of champagne and we headed to our room.

Queen bedroom suite right on Clearwater Beach

We stayed in a very spacious 800 square feet with 2 Queen Beds Deluxe, Kitchenette and Partial Ocean View. Here’s a peek at the room and bathroom. It was lovely and plenty of room for the three of us.

I love that there was a little seating area and pretty kitchenette with full fridge so we could bring some snacks from Pam’s house.

Enjoying the Pool & the Beach

The pool was just fabulous and I think that’s the first thing we did – pull on our swimsuits and head out to loungers.

Of course, we had to order skinny margaritas. Our hotel room was right on the same level as the pool which was super convenient.

The pool is on the 8th floor and has expansive views of the ocean.

On the same deck there was the pool, plenty of loungers in and out of the sun, and a hot tub.

The hotel also had a gym, a spa, and a lovely sky terrace with hot tub. The views were gorgeous. I believe you can book private events on this floor. Here’s a view of us up there:

Also, some views at night.

We strolled the beach at sunset and that was really, really beautiful.

Sand Quay

We met up with Pam’s friend for coffee and enjoyed time strolling Sand Quay. We met the man who built this sandcastle and saw people parasailing. It really was glorious. I often comb our beaches here in Scituate and find clam, oyster, and mussel shells, as well, as sea glass. I was so excited to see what were on the beaches in Florida.

I brought home so many shells. I may write a separate post all about the shells. We were looking for sand dollars, but learned you need to get there really early for that.

Look at this amazing shell I found with coral growing on it:

Philippe Park

I think you all know how much I love nature. So, I told my sisters I really wanted to walk outside. We went for an early morning walk at Philippe Park in Safety Harbor. The park is named after Odet Philippe who is credited with introducing the grapefruit to Florida. The park is situated on 122 acres which used to be the plantation.

It was so beautiful. I loved seeing the palm trees. We spotted a baby fox frolicking.

Then a great horned owl in the trees.

It was such a lovely morning.

Florida Style

I love tropical Florida style. I took a lot of photos because I just love that warm weather look, the saturated colors, the nature, the murals, the beautiful tropical flowers, and the fun pastel cars.

Here’s a peek at some of the fun sites:

Inspiring Architecture and Interiors

My sisters know how much I love architecture and interior design. I loved seeing the different style homes in Florida. Here are a few that I spotted on our walk in Philippe Park.