Laura & Brody

Laura & Brody

Mix Mornings with Laura Diaz and Brody wake up Tampa Bay weekday mornings on Mix 100.7!Full Bio

 

Dear Clearwater: Thanks For Nothing

How is it possible that I've lived in Florida my whole life...Yes, my entire 36 years...

(minus 2 in Louisiana when I was starting my broadcasting career but those are 2 years I'd like to forget...making $19k/year isn't exactly 'living')

Born here, raised here and now raising my children here. I'm a rare 'Florida Born' gal.

And yet, here I am, exploring the state with virgin eyes like a starstruck One Directioner.

What have I been doing?  Where have I been going?  Did my Mom have me brainwashed like the Truman Show?  I love my hometown of Orlando and all (Disney is there for God's sake) but DAMN, Tampa Bay is next level and I've had it in my backyard all this time!

I've made it a point to visit somewhere new, a restaurant, city...anything, every weekend since I got here.  The list of places to visit keeps getting longer and each stop keeps getting more spectacular.

I went to Clearwater most recently.  Thanks for nothing.  Now, I can NEVER go back to another beach and enjoy myself.  I'll always compare it to Sand Key.  The sand was white, the water, well...clear...and the beach...as in the square footage of sand available, was so vast.  I'm not used to that in Central Florida.  We have maybe a couple of car lengths from shore to water and in many stretches, cars are whizzing by.

Me pretending I don't see the camera

Clearwater's Sand Key was pristine. Not a stitch of trash to be seen.  Light, rippling waves that any kid could play in without getting knocked down. The sun setting on the horizon was just stupid...like, good stupid.

My Mom Looking for shells...See how much sand there is?!
My 3-year-old on Sand Key

One of my favorite restaurants is the Columbia and of course I've been to the one in Ybor City.  So, I HAD to visit the one I randomly discovered was in Clearwater as well!   Oh my goodness!  How did the quality of food and service stay the same, but the ambiance got even better?

Clearwater Columbia Restaurant Exterior
Sangria de Cava...GET IT NOW! So good!
View from our table
View from our table
My Mom, Stepdad and my little family outside restaurant

I keep getting suggestions for my next stop like Fort de Soto park...I can't WAIT to explore it!

I already wrote about Downtown St. Pete and Tampa but I haven't been to St. Pete. Beach yet...

So many restaurants too. I ate at The Bungalow on S. Howard Ave. in Tampa...totally unassuming place with the best food!  

Been to Datz of course and Miguels Mexican restaurant... probably best Mexican I've had.  

Follow along on IG and Facebook under 'ladylauradiaz'... and you can always listen to my morning show on the iHeartRadio App or in real time on Mix 100.7 in Tampa Bay!

Until the next adventure! 


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