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from unseen patterns. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen and had all of us – especially the kids – totally transfixed. Further into the museum there were
IT’S SURREAL Clockwise from top left: Dali Museum; Clearwater Beach; St. Pete Pier
picnic area, a marketplace for local vendors and artists, six restaurants, including the legendary Doc Ford’s, views across
virtual reality headsets – Cameron and I actually went inside his 1934 work ‘Archaeological Reminiscence of Millet’s ‘Angelus’ (the one with the Elephants on giant stilts) and walked around. Later, we found a lobster telephone in the hallway, a recurring symbol in his work, where you could ask questions of the man himself, and through AI he would answer. “What do you think of St Pete?” I asked. “…ahh she is a flamboyant diva dressed in the sun’s most blazing gown,” he replied. “Parading the infinite stretch of her sandy shores with the grace of a surrealist clock melting under the touch of time and tide.” Couldn’t have said it better myself. The highlight, though, was Dali Alive 360, an immersive multi-sensory experience where visitors enter the ‘Dali Dome’ and are surrounded by 360-degree projections of his work, telling the story of his life, all set to music and sound design. There were chairs, but Gillian and Elise immediately lay down on the floor so they could see the entire screen of the dome at once. Within a few minutes, the whole room followed suit. But this was only one part of a buzzing arts district. Within a few miles, there are more than a dozen other museums – including Great Explorations Children’s Museum, for little ones, and FloridaRAMA: an immersive art exhibition older kids will love. Nearby are mural tours, and street art, as well as music, and outdoor events. And, at the centre of it all, jutting 3,000-feet out to sea, is the St. Pete Pier. Palm trees and parks adorn the boardwalk. There’s a family garden, and
Tampa Bay and, if you walk to the end and look down, you often see dolphins. Our trip began with our toes in the sand, and that’s how it ended too. Back at Clearwater Beach, later that afternoon. That’s the thing about this place, I realised. You might come for the beaches, but in between those grains of sand are treasures you didn’t even know existed; and in the end those were the moments we remembered most. Gillian squeezed my hand and smiled. “Are you happy,” she said. “How could I not be?” I replied. “I’m on the beach with my family.”
the lowdown
HOW TO GET THERE Direct UK flights to Tampa from 10 hours, 10 minutes Tampa to St. Pete-Clearwater from 30 minutes WHERE TO STAY The Hiatus Clearwater Beach, Two- Bedroom Family Suite (2 adults, 2 children) from £281 per night hilton.com GOOD TO KNOW For more on St. Pete-Clearwater visitstpeteclearwater.com
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