Whenever evening skies are swathed in shades of pink, gold, and violet, I pause to absorb the exquisite beauty before me. As the sun dips below the horizon I focus on being fully present and in the moment, turning my attention away from the stresses of the day. Nature also seems to shed stress at sunset. Squawking birds make one final flight before roosting for the night. Brisk daytime breezes become gentle whispers. Even the ocean seems to lap more gently after dusk. In most places around the world, the setting sun is a time of calm and reverence. But not in Key West.

Vendors and food carts line the boardwalk at Mallory Square each evening at sunset
Just before sunset each night, acrobats, jugglers, musicians, cyclists, and animal acts begin arriving at the waterfront boardwalk in Old Town’s Mallory Square, where Duval Street meets the Gulf of Mexico. As the golden hour approaches, locals and tourists alike congregate, stuffing their bellies with fast food and shopping bags with trinkets while the acts are busy setting up. Soon, the first performer is hawking to the crowd. Continue reading
As I travel north to visit my family for the holidays, I decided to stop the Tampa Bay area. This is one of the few areas of Florida that I had not considered prior to moving from North Carolina to Florida and I thought a tour of this area was long overdue. Among the many criteria I have when searching for a place to live is the quality of the beaches, and so this is where I began my investigation.
St. Pete Beach has a lovely strip of sand and clear water, but the town itself is very touristy. The sand is nice but not the pure white, sugar-fine stuff that can be found at other locales around Florida’s Gulfcoast.