Aviators welcome.:
The house is located within a 10 minute drive to the Albert Whitted Municipal Airport. From here you can plan your Flight Training Vacation and should be able to complete your U.S. Private Pilots License within Three to Four weeks. I have many contacts at the Airport who will personally guide you through the Training Process and if you happen to be in town at the same time as me, I can fly with you as a Certified Flight Instructor. You can rent a C-172 for $96 per hour after joining the club and you can also fly a Garmin G1000 172 that comes with air conditioning. The flying here is very straight forward and a short flight across the Bay gets you into Uncontrolled Airspace where you can conduct all of your maneuvers without distraction. For the more advanced Pilots, you can fly Instrument Approaches (without cost) to Tampa International, Sarasota International and Clearwater International Airports while gaining valuable experience in a busy and demanding Radar Vectoring environment.
Weigh the Anchor.:
The St Petersburg area has many Marinas and Boating facilities. The Sailing Florida Charters & Sailing School, Inc has everything that a Sailor could want for a vacation on the waves and just like most everything else, it is situated within a short drive from your vacation home. They have two very convenient locations as follows: Vinoy Resort Marina, 501 Fifth Avenue NE, St. Petersburg, FL and The Harborage Marina, 1110 Third Street south, St. Petersburg, FL. If it is Offshore Sailing that you are into then, Steve and Doris Colgate's Offshore Sailing School is probably for you. Also located at the Harborage Marina it offers too many options for me to list here but rest assured, within this idyllic part of the world you will enjoy a Sailing Vacation to remember.
Fishing Frenzy.:
Try to imagine a Fishing Trip where you catch Fish so big, they almost drag you off the side of the Boat. On top of that, you will be able to take the catch home and cook up a wonderful seafood dinner for your friends and family on the gas grill provided at your vacation home. The Offshore Grouper Fishing is the best anywhere and if you like the more exotic species like Mahi Mahi, Tuna, Shark, Snapper, Amberjack, Tarpon, Kingfish, Snook, Redfish, Permit, Cobia, then look no further than the St Johns Pass Marina. To get there will require a 30 minute drive from St Petersburg but once you arrive, Go Fish Hardcore Offshore Fishing Charters will have your arms aching in no time at all. If you happen to catch more than you can handle, please put them in the freezer for me to eat when I manage to get back home.
Ski:
We don't have Snow Skiing in St Petersburg but we do have lots of Water Skiing opportunities. You can rent Jet Ski's, Kayaks, and Small Boats and you can also try Para-Sailing.
Golf:
Florida is a very popular destination for Golfers, especially in the winter months. There are many Public Courses in the area along with Exclusive Clubs that have short term memberships available. The house is literally next door to the Renaissance Vinoy Resort Golf Club which is sometimes open to the public. One very popular Par 72 Championship 18 hole facility which happens to be located less than five miles away from your vacation rental, is called the Mangrove Bay Golf Course. It is my favorite golf course as it offers the casual golfer a chance to practice on the driving range, make plenty of practice pitch and puts and sand trap shots for just a few Dollars. The course presents a challenge for the long hitting, more advanced player while novices like me can gain confidence and experience from the forgiving fairways. There is a set of clubs at the house for anyone to use if they decide not to bring there own with them. There is no charge for this but, I ask that you clean them after use.
Other Activities:
Chess and Shuffle Board.
