The hours of specialty shops may vary by the season. The best beaches, alas, are not in Tampa but on the barrier islands that stretch along the Gulf Coast in Pinellas County. To get to them from Tampa you can take one of three causeways that cross Tampa Bay to St. Petersburg. Then head west, crossing a thin channel of the Intracoastal Waterway until you glimpse white sand. At the northern end of the barrier islands is Clearwater Beach, one of Florida s best-known sunning spots.
Large hotels line the waterfront and plenty of people frolic in the water.
Families like the section of Clearwater Beach in front of the Holiday Inn because of its shallow water and gentle waves. It was one of the first public beaches on Florida s west coast and it s still one of the loveliest. Small shops and restaurants are located along the coast, making this a pleasant place to catch some rays as well as to have a refreshing drink in the shade when the sun gets too hot. If you prefer a less commercial, more secluded place, try Fort DeSoto Park at the southern tip of the barrier islands. Ben T. Davis Beach is west of downtown on Highway 60 W., Picnic Island is in south Tampa, and E. G. Simmons Park is off I-75 S. on the east side of Tampa Bay.