(Plus My Three Fave Things to Do There)
It’s no secret that I am a total, complete beach bum. But for some reason, other members of my family don’t always want to be sandy. What? No, I don’t understand it, either! But when the mood hits, there’s nothing like taking a short (just one hour) day trip from St. Pete Beach to get a little more variety and a little less sun.
Why day trips? Ummm, mostly because I have two sweet puppies who I don’t want to kennel overnight.
So where did today’s adventure take us? Venice!
But despite Venice Beach being one of our favorite beaches, we didn’t hit the sand today. Instead, we stopped about 10 minutes before the beach to stroll though charming little downtown Venice.
And when I say little, I mean tiny! It’s pretty much one long street lined by boutiques and restaurants. There isn’t too much to do here but just wander around like a tourist… and according to my 16 y.o. I am “the most tourist-y Floridan ever” – mostly because I take pictures of palm trees and sunsets.
Anyway, what did we do all afternoon, since there was nothing but the above-mentioned boutiques and restaurants? Well, we shopped. And we ate.
And tbh, it was really nice to explore another area – we’ve been staying home for soooo loooong! The wanderer in me really needed to get away from St. Pete Beach, even for just a few hours.
So if you’re feeling a little stir crazy too, here are my totally awesome, teenager-approved recommendations for downtown Venice.
Best Shop: The Boutique by the Beach
There are thousands of shops similar to this one in every beach town in Florida. So why did I pick this one? Well, first of all, they weren’t selling bins full of sharks’ teeth and seashells, which makes it slightly less of a tourist-trap. Also, they had super-cute, affordable knick-knacks and jewelry. I’m not interested in $5 VSCO girl necklaces, but I’m also not planning to splash out on a diamond-encrusted palm tree pendant, thank you VERY much.
Also, they had something I had never seen in another shop here: the absolute most adorable dog tags! Really! One of them was perfect for my sweet little Evie: “Couch Potato.” And my grumpy old man Ocky needs the one that reads “I’m a lover not a biter.”
They also had aromatherapy pendant necklaces. They have a lava stone bead inside the pendant, which absorbs a drop or two of your favorite essential oil. I’ve been looking at these online recently and I’m already kicking myself for not buying it. I see another day trip from St. Pete Beach to Venice in the future…
Best Eats: Daiquiri Deck
Okay, I don’t know if it’s the best eats in downtown Venice, but it’s where we went and all of us were happy and full. They have indoor and outdoor seating – not that it matters, because the walls are glass doors that are kept wide open. And even with the warm weather, it was breezy and perfect.
Plus they also had live music, covering Jimmy Buffet – it’s Florida, it’s expected.
What we got (and loved): wings, shrimp po’boy, shrimp and crab cake Cobb salad, and a grilled Caesar wrap. Also a calamari app.
My only complaint: No, Pepsi is NOT okay. I’ll take water, thanks.
Are we going back to the Daiquiri Deck next time? Heck yeah!
Best Ice Cream: Venice Ave. Creamery
There are at least three ice cream shops on this street. So why did we pick this one? I don’t know, man – the picky af 13 y.o. chose it. And I didn’t even have any ice cream, because howwwww could these people possibly eat ice cream after that huge lunch?! Because they’re teenage boys, that’s why.
They had mint chocolate chip and raspberry chocolate chip – which I don’t remember seeing before – and raved about it.
Bonus: they have homemade waffle cones and waffle bowls.It smells amazing in there!
So, my lovely tourists and locals, if y’all want to take a quick day trip from St. Pete Beach, I highly recommend hitting downtown Venice. Have an extra scoop for me!
Peace Out, Y’all!
