St. Petersburg Florida

The first time I have ever been to Florida was in 2017. Aside from our travels to Wisconsin when I was 7 and the yearly travels to Texas to visit family when I was young, this was my first time out of Wisconsin (besides neighboring Minnesota) in many years. I was 4 months pregnant with my youngest daughter and had came with my BF (now husband) for a wedding that he was in. The biggest thing I remember is stepping outside of the airport after we gathered our luggage and stepped outside to wait for our cab was the overwhelming heat I had felt and you almost gasped for air as it was so different from Wisconsin. Not to mention it was August and it was high 80's low 90's the entire time we were there. So many fun things to do and see while there. You can travel north along the coast and visit all the beaches. My favorite was treasure island. Closest I could ever get to crystal blue/turquoise waters and white sand. Just stepping on it felt like clouds. While we were there we did a dolphin excursion where we stopped on an island and snorkeled and looked for shells. That was our first time snorkeling. If you you have ever snorkeled and remember you first time, it was difficult to learn how to breathe with the mask. Laughable for sure. The water at the time was not super clear so we did not make it out there long, especially once they started talking about jellyfish. We were able to get a few sand dollars and see a lot of dolphins on the way back. I definitely recommend renting a car while you are down there. There is so much to see and do you do NOT want to miss out!

"The best kind of souvenir is a memory."

I also recommend visiting the little shops that the towns have to offer. If you are looking for souvenirs there are tons of spots! We also made sure to stop in Johns pass for all the shops along the pier and ate at the cutest little place (name is different now) over the water. This is probably my most favorite place on madeira beach. We also made a day trip to Clearwater beach. Great town, with lots to do! We did a sunset cruise with the Yacht starship cruise. The best experience with the greatest food! Since I was pregnant, I did not get to experience their delicious drinks but I asked the waitress if she had an empty wine bottle I could have to bring home the sand to my oldest daughter who was at home with grandma. We still have that wine bottle as well as many shells displayed in our home. Florida only made me yearn for the life I could have even more on the beach. Such a beautiful atmosphere with such freedom! I will share some pictures down below of our first trip to florida...yes first and there will be many more ;)