SAND KEY
If you prefer solitude with spectacular gulf views, quiet and romantic Sand Key Park is just a bridge away from the lively Clearwater Beach. Pack a picnic and set up camp at the tables on the north side of the island, or grab a fishing pole and kick back at this 95-acre county park with its wide beach, picnic pavilions and bathhouses. Explore the trails and boardwalk that winds through a salt marsh (visitors are sometimes able to observe endangered birds nesting and feeding!), and after a storm, collect shells along the shore.