Spring Break Day 7: Clearwater Beach!

Friday morning we said goodbye to our hotel, to Orlando, and sadly, to Disney as we hit the road to Clearwater Beach.  After some really hot days in Orlando, we woke up to much cooler temps.  While that would have been great for a day at the theme parks, it wasn't the best for the beach.  It was about a two and a half hour drive, with a stop in Clearwater at Chick-Fil-A for lunch and a stop at Walmart to get sand toys, more adults beverages and snacks for the next segment of our trip.

When we booked this part of our trip, it wasn't easy finding a place that could accommodate all of us in one room.  And it would be cheaper to stay here in the suites together, than getting two separate rooms at a different hotel.  The added bonus was that the Marriot Sand Key Resort was on the "bay" side of Clearwater, which meant it wasn't as windy as the hotels on the other side.  This hotel was absolutely stunning.  We were on the top floor and as you exited the elevator, you were walking down a hallway outside.  It was a little stressful with the kids being close to the railings and the wind blowing, but then again, I tend to be paranoid.  But, man oh man, the views!!!

The top picture was from our balcony.  The water was straight down from our room.  It was gorgeous watching the boats go by and people on jet-skis.  Me, Scott, and the boys slept in the room pictured with the two full size beds.  My parents took the other room and slept on the pull-out couch.  Evan was so excited to go out on the balcony at check-in to see the views that he didn't realize there was a glass sliding door...so he ran right into it...full speed....arms full.  It was probably one of the funniest things that happened this trip.  Poor guy!

The kids were anxious to head right down to the beach and experience the gulf.  With the cooler temps and the high winds, it probably wasn't the best choice, but we did it anyway.  We rented a cabana with two chairs to help block the wind.  It wasn't so bad at first since everything was new and exciting!  The boys were building sand castles, searching for sea shells (which were all over the beach and very easy to find), and even testing out the water.

After a while, we grew tired of the wind.  We decided to head back to our hotel and go to the pool.  It was stunning!  The boys were loving it!  They swam until Evan needed to lay down and rest, which turned into a nap on the lounge chair as the sun started setting.  Scott and I got dinner at the pool bar/restaurant in carry-out containers to take back up to our room, while my parents washed up and headed out on the town for a nice dinner.

I think it really hit the boys how tired they were from 6 days in theme parks, traveling, sun, sand, pools, etc.  They had a bowl of cereal and watched a movie on TV as I tried to go out in the "hallway" to capture some sunset pictures.  Then, it was bedtime for the boys and time for the adults to have some cocktails and relax.  It was a nice cozy evening in!

Saturday would bring warmer temps and more time at the beach and pool!  Time for relaxation about our go-go-go schedule at Legoland and Disney.  But, it also meant our trip was quickly coming to an end...