You can be excused for depositing yourself on St. Petersburg Beach and never leaving Gulf Blvd., the main drag of this thin barrier island. It's where you'll find beachfront lodgings in every price range, from the simplest family-run motels to mid-priced chains to the spectacularly pink Don CeSar Beach Resort (3400 Gulf Blvd, St. Petersburg, 866-728-2206; www.doncesar.com). This Mobil three-star luxury hotel was built in 1928 to resemble the Royal Hawaiian in Waikiki, and has hosted everyone from Al Capone to Lou Gehrig to Clarence Darrow. A much newer, but no less luxurious choice, is the Sandpearl Resort (500 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater Beach, 727-441-2425; www.sandpearl.com), erected in 2005. The rooms here are so luxurious, you might almost forget to leave them to visit the marvelous pool and beach areas just outside your balcony.

In St. Petersburg proper, the stalwart Mobil three-star Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club (501 5th Ave., NE, St. Petersburg, 727-894-1000; www.marriott.com) also dates to the 1920s and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its golf course, private marina, and 12 tennis courts make it a favorite of outdoorsy types who also want all the luxuries of a first-class resort.

St. Petersburg is an excellent dining town, especially for seafood. Bob Heilman's Beachcomber (a Mobil two-star restaurant), in Clearwater, has been a favorite since 1948 (447 Mandalay Ave., North Clearwater Beach, 727-442-4144; www.heilmansbeachcomber.com); Ted Peter's Famous Smoked Fish (1350 Pasadena Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-381-7931), is another local institution. At Bonefish Grill (5901 4th St. North, St. Petersburg, 727-521-3434; www.bonefishgrill.com), you pick from several varieties of fish or shellfish and they roast it over the wood-fired grill. Or drive up to Redington Shores and see what's bubbling at the Mobil three-star Lobster Pot (17814 Gulf Blvd., Indian Rocks Beach, 727-391-8592); depending on the season, it might be Maine lobster, Alaskan king crab legs, Florida stone crabs, or Guinness-glazed salmon.

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"Where to Stay and Dine in St Petersburg ". October 23, 2008 http://mobiltravelguide.howstuffworks.com/tc-beaches-where-to-stay-and-dine-in-st-petersburg.htm (November 25, 2009)