The thing about living in Florida is that, despite all the complaining I do about the weather and lack of seasons when the holidays hit, there’s still something remarkable about being able to jump in your car and settle into a last-minute road trip to the beach in December.

Tony and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary recently, which led to a bit of an early “babymoon” we both seriously needed. One iPod and five hours later, we arrived in Clearwater, 26 square miles of beautiful beaches, breathtaking sunsets, and really nice people. (Not gonna lie – that’s probably what took the most getting used to.)

We stayed at the Sheraton Sand Key, a newly renovated resort which overlooks the quiet little beach town in all its unassuming splendor. And though this city girl would usually be crawling out of her skin in a place with nary a sound after dark, pregnancy has given me a new kind of appreciation for peace and simplicity – things I probably should have appreciated way earlier in my adult life. But above all, Clearwater and Sand Key have the luxury of choice with Tampa and St. Petersburg only a few minutes away. And that’s something I’m still missing down here.

Here are a few of our favorites in St. Pete, Dunedin, and Sand Key. If you’ve never been, the drive itself will do you wonders. But those unfiltered sunsets have all the makings of a cheesy romantic comedy. And it seems my hormones have made me a sucker for those as well. Enjoy.

All photos were taken by myself on Instagram or Tony on his Canon EOS 60D.