Staycation is a word that I love! In fact, I love that word for the fact that it is a portmanteau! Invented words are some of the best terms because they truly encompass the definition. Chill + relax = chillax. Another great one! Even my go-to frozen drink is a delicious combo, (But sadly, NOT a portmanteau - yet!) Pina-colada + strawberry daiquiri = Miami Vice in bartender terms. Perhaps we should rename this as portmanteau? Pinaquiri? Coladaquiri? Wait. What is the difference between a portmanteau and a "ship name"?!? (I looked that question up. They are almost the same. Ship names are usually names like my grandpa's boat: CinMic. That's the first two grandkids names...Cindy and Michael. My grandpa was trendy back in the 70s!!!) I digress.
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| I'm a Tervis fan. I know the whole world has gone bonkers over the Stanley, but Imma stay true to my OG vacation cup. It keeps the frozen drinks cold! (This one was a gift from a special co-worker. Each Tervis has its own story to tell!) |
I'm an avid beach walker and this is morning walk #1 of our trip. In the background you can see how crowded the beach still is. We met my husband's NY family at Clearwater Beach who were down for their semi-annual Florida trip. They like the Opal Sands hotel. (But, I prefer The Edge...more on that later.)
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| You can see how busy the beach is! And, this is the Wednesday AFTER Memorial Day! Opal Sands is the massive structure behind me. Opening soon, there is also going to be an Opal Sol next to this resort. https://www.opalcollection.com/opal-sol/ |
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| A timely beach find... This cracked me up! This has legit been in the water for quite some time. The inside was a tangled mesh of seaweed serving as a vessel for some coquina butterfly clams hitching a ride. Also, this is from the 2020 election! |
After my walk, I set myself up for a re-read of one of my favorite books. I'm not a reader of novels per se. But, I do read historical text. I'm a sucker for setting descriptions. This book was published in 1975 and tells the story of the Hillsborough River from its beginnings in the Green Swamp. I chose this book because it is going to help me get in the mood for my next staycation on the Hillsborough River.
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| I also love hammocking! This hotel has balconies on the Clearwater Pass...breezy and beautiful! Needless to say, hammocking, reading, and dozing is my daily routine. |
The next day, I set off for a walk along the pass, over the bridge and out to the breakwater on Sand Key. As I explored the wrack line, I came across this lighter with the funny T-Rex riding a Vespa and it just made me smile.
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| I pocketed the trash for more proper disposal along the route. |
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| This abandoned shark bucket with the shark boat in the background also just made me stop for a moment to imagine the conversation between these two toothy friends. "Bro, pick me up! I wanna go out to sea!" |
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| View from the top of the Clearwater Pass Bridge. Our hotel is on the right and Sand Key to the left. |
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| Our hotel, The Edge, is the Spanish tile roof complex. |
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| I finally made it across the pass! (Sadly, I also have a huge blister BETWEEN my toes thanks to walking in the sand with Crocs and not stopping for a good rinse prior to the bridge. Oh well. Walking on the beach cushions the stabbing pain and I'm hoping the salt water serves as an antiseptic. |
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| Wait. What is this? |
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| Yes, please! Forget that bum toe. |
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| I made it to the breakwater! Time for a rest and doctoring of the foot boo boo. |
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| My Crocs may have given me a blister, but they serve as a cushion for my seat. I actually do this quite often. When I'm looking for a place to sit, I just sit on my shoes. They're soft and keep me safe from jagged coral and oyster shells. |
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| The Edge has their hot tub on the 6th floor with its plexiglass wall, overlooking the pass. |
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| These need to be EVERYWHERE! I can see these taking off like Little Free Libraries but for "plogging". BTW, blogging is also a portmanteau! https://www.plogging.org/what-is-plogging. Perhaps this should be my "work" once I retire from teaching. Oh, how I'd love that!!! |
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| I called Shawn for a rescue so that I didn't have to walk all the way back with this super painful raw stinging foot. Poor me...another afternoon of hammocking, reading, and dozing. |
One of the other reasons why we like this hotel so much is because they have a free breakfast buffet as a way to start the day.
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| Nicholas' favorite meal has always been breakfast! |
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| Nicholas and Lina in The Edge's namesake. |
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| Sunsets from here are the best! |
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| Half of the sky is stormy...making for an especially dramatic sunset. |
I wisely moved from the pool deck to my hammock and the following are the best lightning shots:
On our final day before check-out, we treated ourselves to the Opal Sands' breakfast buffet with the full family.
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| Summer, leading the breakfast trek. |
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| Opal Sands' breakfast did not disappoint. |
What a wonderful way to put a hard stop on school and pivot into my life as a summery teacher off duty! Next up, wash the bathing suits and repack for another stay-cay on the Hillsborough River.
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