Vacation on a Budget

A few weeks ago Desiree and I took a few days for ourselves, We will call this the "living it up budget getaway". For many of you a few days away from the usual can seem like a shot in the dark. Even for us we looked at so many options and hoped for a chance to see somewhere we had never been. We originally thought of Savannah Ga. A 5 hour drive from us but we only had 3 days and we did not want to spend 2 of them driving. The keys? Not that much better of a drive and options are limited for motels unless you want to get really fancy. So we thought closer but still far enough away that we were AWAY!!! We had done St Augustine the year before and neither of us had spent any time on the western coast of Florida. Clearwater? Spring Break! Naples? have you checked out Hotel prices there? Not on this budget! St Pete ended up being our destination and in a way I think we made the right choice.

Our motel room was kind of expensive because we wanted to be right on the beach. So after lots of phone calls and web searches we picked the Howard Johnson at St. Pete Beach and they had 1 room available. Upon arrival I have to say I was not super impressed, I mean it was clean on the outside but not overly inviting from the front but just like a Georgia boy with a mullet, it was business in the front and party in the back. At the rear of the hotel is a bar next to the pool and it pretty much does the Paradise theme to a tee. Between that and the King sized super soft bed we were pretty happy with the Hotel and the restaurant next door made for an easy yet very good place to eat breakfast. The Toasted Monkey has some great food and drinks

Now a few things I was not expecting. First the Honda 500 race that shuts down some of the most appealing parts of St Petersburg. Cool for me, not for Desiree and not for "this" weekend. We did make it out to the Pier though and ended up having a nice little lunch on the 5th floor along with a few drinks. Hey we were on vacation right? The rest of the pier is ok but I felt that the little aquarium was way over priced considering I can go down the road to the pet shop and see the same things for free.

As luck would have it a cold front actually came in on the day we got their so it was not exactly lay out on the beach weather, but we did it anyways for about an hour while the wind blew sand in my Capt and Coke. We also went on a boat ride that was ok but they guaranty seeing dolphins swimming in the wakes and jumping out of the water. Ha, yeah that didn't happen but the company was nice enough to give us comp tickets if we ever decide to go back. There really is a lot to do in St Petersburg and we only scratched the surface. There are several different museums and botanical gardens, Trolly (bus) rides, and I am sure we did not even see some of the great things that were available.

The food... yeah I don't even know what to say about the food except yes please!!! if your going to skimp on anything during a vacation I am a firm believer that it should not be the food. Find the local hot spots and enjoy it. St. Pete Beach does not leave us wanting in this department and you should plan accordingly. Honestly we could have gone cheaper on a lot of the food and even spent more time at the beach or pool for less but I like to see and experience so that's how we do things when possible. We went to Silas Dents Steakhouse the first night and the meal was great and not to horribly priced. The following night we went to Snappers and it was a good thing I had seen the food before I seen the prices or I probably would have walked out. Neatless to say, bring your Visa for this place but don't miss it! Don't forget to stop in at the Toasted Monkey for breakfast either.

All in all it was a great weekend I took a few pictures but the weekend was primarily about Desiree and I. I would definitely recommend the trip to anyone wanting to get away for a few days.

 As some of you may know I have teamed up with Living Overland (livingoverland.com) to help out with their photography section. As a photographer I am constantly in need of gear and if I can pass on the benefits of a particular piece of equipment than that's all the better. If I can help a person decide on a good product vs a bad one that's great. We all know that the COST of and item does not always translate to the best, so I hope that I can help weed out some of the good from not so good. A few weeks ago I wrote a review for the Black Rapid DR1 Dual Strap. If you are interested in reading it, here is the link. DR-1 Review

Anyways, I have finally decided that a path to my future also lies with a thinner more capable me so with the help of my wife, who happens to work at a weight clinic, and a heck of a lot of will power, I have started to eat a little different, which is not easy at all! After years of double plates of dinner and desserts I feel hungry most of the time but I know that will fade. Already I am feeling a difference but I have a very long way to go before I reach my goal but I am confident and have the support of my family to get there.


This week is turning into a busy one around here. I have a cool shoot coming up with a very talented photographer in Montana. Not only are we planning to shoot together but she is going to jump in the shots as well. I would really like to join or start a weekly photo walk here in the area but I do not know what the future holds and would hate to let a bunch of folks down if I was not able to continue on with it. Been a busy week, designed a new store front where fans can purchase gifts and cards as well as one for the Photographers Challenge which is non-profit.