A Walk Through Gulfport February 27, 2018
Posted by nrhatch in Art & Photography, Travel & Leisure.trackback
On Valentine’s Day, we headed north over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge for Happy Hour at St. Pete Beach . . . taking a quick detour to wander through Gulfport, an artsy community on the inter-coastal waterway.
Parking was a breeze with lots of vacant spots on both sides of the street . . .
As we walked down the main drag, colorful vignettes appeared around every corner . . .
We enjoyed the town’s sense of whimsy, evident everywhere . . .
At the Welcome Center, we spied a festive flamingo decked out with Mardi Gras beads and leather leggings . . .
Across the street, we paused to greet Polly the Parrot . . .
Even a block off the main street, we noticed the heart of the art community in wall murals . . .
Including one perfect for Valentine’s Day . . .
Throughout Gulfport, bars and restaurants offer up outside seating with enticing facades . . .
Encouraging tourists to set a spell and take it all in . . .
Along the waterfront, surfboard benches allow visitors to sit and enjoy the breeze and views of the beach and pier . . .
Bottom line: Gulfport’s a great place to hang out (as long as you don’t get hung up) . . .
With one last look around, we said our fair wells to Flo and continued on to St. Pete Beach . . .
Aah . . . that’s better!
Spirit Lights The Way 
Fun place Nancy! Nice that it wasn’t too busy.
We enjoyed our Valentine’s Day detour. Great place for a stroll.
Even mid-afternoon, the bars and restaurants were doing a brisk business ~ of course, it was Valentine’s Day. Not sure that it’s that popular every week, mid-week.
Looks like a great place for a relaxing stroll. Did you offer Polly a cracker? 🙂
We did. Polly said she was “stuffed.” 😀
Looks like a fun place to visit.
We always try to do something a bit “different” for Valentine’s Day ~ this new-to-us village fit the bill.
We’ll swing by again sometime . . . but only as a detour, not as our primary destination.
Such a fun place to visit. I love the whimsy, but am not sure that I’m grooving on those purple doors. Not that my opinion of them means one blessed thing.
You’re not feeling the “groovy vibe” of those purple doors? ~> “eye catching” does not always equate with “eye candy.” 😀
Great photos, Nancy! I soooo love those blue doors.
I enjoyed snapping the sights we saw as we sauntered around town ~ a fun place for a quick detour for sure!
I like the tropical scarecrow. Or whatever the heck it is.
I expect that “she” is dressed differently for all the major holidays and some of the minor ones.
She’s probably “positively pastel” for Easter. 😀
Looks like a great place to visit, Nancy. You look very relaxed on the bench, unlike that poor hanging fish. 🙂
That’s the difference between “hanging out” and getting “hung up.” 😀
Aw…you look too cute, Nancy! I’m loving those Easter egg doors! Thanks for sharing with us. 🙂
Thanks, Jill! I got a kick out of those doors . . . in part because they would “knock the socks” off our Architectural Review Committee who insist that all doors (even those not visible from the street) are painted only in “conforming” colors. 😀
The overall whimsical play is great, but I just love those deep lavender doors! I always love a town’s architecture when it’s adorned with color! I wouldn’t think you could leave Gulfport without being at least slightly less burdened and more lighthearted! Fun!
Agreed! Whimsy makes me smile . . .
So near where we used to live (Temple Terrace) before North Carolina became home. Thanks for the walk down memory lane! 😃
You used to live “here” and . . . we used to live “there” ~> we lived in Winston-Salem from 1984-1992 and loved camping in the mountains up and down the Blue Ridge Parkway.
How funny!