We are always on highways, driving through cities and towns. Yet, the county is 280 square miles. Within it, 588 miles of coastline, and 20,000 acres of beautiful Florida parks and natural escapes. As summer approaches, and as rising heat threatens to melt us into the asphalt, it can become strenuous to seek the outdoors. Air conditioning beckons us inside, a new Netflix series stretches its arms out, and summer book releases ask you to get on the couch in a bundle of blankets.
Yet, the billowy live oaks are calling to provide you ample shade from the sun. Lapping wavelets in the Gulf offer respite from the hot air. In this issue’s piece, I’d love to share with you my favorite getaways for a creative staycation; where, for me, I write new poems or aim to paint floss-like clouds at sunset.
We first make the trip north to Tarpon Springs, home of the largest Greek population in the United States. Going to Tarpon Springs feels like stepping into Greece as the smells of delicious lamb and fish coat the air and as sponge divers hang their catch out to dry in the sun. If you venture here, take the time to explore Fred Howard Park, and drive or ride a bike to the end. You will find a most tranquil beach to watch the sunset and the rays will pour graciously into your creative cup. It is here that I am able to find peace during a weekday evening and find inspiration for my next story.
As we move further south, we approach the small town of Safety Harbor. If you feel a call to explore the Tocobaga Mound, or reading alongside dolphins swimming in the bay, visit the oldest park in Pinellas County. In Philippe Park, oak branches and Spanish moss create a canopy over roads. Near them, picnic shelters have large tables for you to make your desk for the day. It was here that I first felt at home in Florida. I walked through the park and stood beneath an oak, and felt the same grounding feelings of standing beside the towering pines in my home state of New Jersey.
Each visit, I am inspired to create. For a beautiful botanical experience, we travel to Folly Farms Nature Preserve on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street North. We are welcomed by a populated butterfly garden and floral trails maintained by the Safety Harbor Garden Club. Benches to rest on and plaques featuring poetry and plant descriptions are scattered throughout the 9.95 acres of bliss. It is often quiet at the preserve, save for the sounds of the friendly goats and chickens that call Folly Farms home. Safety Harbor is a tranquil place to write within nature, and be surrounded by beauty at each corner.
Approaching St. Petersburg and Largo, we become quite busy with parks and beaches to rest at, to pull inspiration from, and most importantly, to create at. The Florida Botanical Gardens on Ulmerton features over 100 acres of carefully curated gardens and walking trails. It is free to enter, and locals frequent the gardens as a place to rest and recharge. In St. Petersburg, once a pond in a sinkhole, the Sunken Gardens on 4th Street North, was turned into a botanical paradise in the 1930s. How I love to sit beneath the waterfall and read or work here.
All of these places: an escape to paradise for nature lovers and creatives. It is imperative to find a place like the ones above for yourself. Take the time this summer to find that escape, be it a park, the beach, or your backyard. Most importantly, take the time to enjoy it. •
