Fort Desoto Park and the Sunshine Skyway bridge, June 10, 2011
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Fort Desoto Park and the Sunshine Skyway bridge, June 10, 2011
Fort Desoto Park, Pinellas County, June 10, 2011
Fort Desoto Park, Pinellas County, June 10, 2011
The beaches at Fort Desoto Park in Pinellas County have been called the best beaches in America, and it’s easy to see why. The whole island is a county park, and the beaches are largely free from development, yet there are bath houses and snack bars available, and lifeguards are on duty.
In the little commercial area of Tierra Verde, I came upon Billy’s Stone Crab Restaurant, which I had heard of. It was too soon after breakfast to eat anything, but I went up to the rooftop bar for a coke and to check out the view. The little island behind the restaurant is being subdivided by developers, but the housing crisis has resulted in few buyers.
Tierra Verde is a little island in the bay between Pass-A-Grille and the mainland of St. Petersburg. It is primarily residential, but there are some spectacular secluded coves and inlets.
Country music is often perceived as music of the rural South, but Corey Smith’s new album “Broken Record” is a creation of the new urbanized south of coffee houses and bistros. Of course the nostalgia for small-town Southern America, youth and summertime is there, in songs like “If I Could Do It Again”, “Carolina” and “21.” But the nostalgia is tempered by a progressive outlook on “I Love Everybody”, or deep, existential songs like “No Way” and “Heart Attack.” Smith’s country is clearly infused with the singer-songwriter sensibilities of a Leonard Cohen or a Van Morrison, and through his songs, Smith addresses love, youth, God, War, racism, death and the unexpected lack of satisfaction in stardom (“Broken Record”). Fans of traditional country might not find Corey Smith’s music to be country at all, but his is a powerful new voice with the potential to carry country music far beyond its traditional boundaries.
The Don CeSar Beach Resort at St. Pete Beach is both an historical landmark and an architectural wonder. It is still open for business and very popular with those who can afford it.
St. Pete Beach is loaded with little bars and grills like this one. They all look interesting, but there are just too many to try them all on one visit.