What to Do in St. Petersburg with a Toddler
The first time I heard someone say they were moving to "St. Petersburg", I was like wait...in Russia? Blonde moment aside, we love a good visit to the other St. Petersburg on Florida's West Coast to see Uncle Luke and Aunt Jade. With our super active three-year-old and husband by my side, we explored the best of local nature, coastal history, and amazing food.
Here are some of our favorite stops from the adventure:
Stompin around at Dinosaur World - we stopped at this classic roadside attraction with 150 life-sized dinosaur displays en route to St. Petersburg. It was a great spot to stretch our legs and enjoy their jungle trail. Total win for stretching little legs and roaring back at faux T-Rexes!
Visit to the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center - Enjoy a lovely stroll down the boardwalk and enjoy getting hands-on with coastal conservation and marine touch-tank life. We even bought an annual membership, which includes free entry to multiple attractions around town!
The Gift Shop at the St. Petersburg Museum of History - Our little guy wasn't too interested in this museum, but he LOVED the gift shop. Uncle Luke kept him occupied there for about 20 minutes with bouncy balls and books while we raced through the exhibits.
Running around the Glazer Family Playground - This is the ultimate toddler haven. Do not skip this place! There's ample shade, a fun "slide" for riding cardboard boxes and creative climbing structures.
Wander around the Sunken Gardens - we took a beautiful and peaceful stroll through the Sunken Gardens, a jungle paradise since 1923. I loved just walking and talking with Luke who has truly become my brother these past 15 years. We got an easy toddler-friendly lunch at Panera Bread after!
Exploring Historic Downtown Gulfport - The highlight was getting a tour of Luke and Jade’s new home in the beachside town of Gulfport. We loved spending time exploring Gulfport Beach, letting our toddler run wild at the Gulfport Playground, and cooling off with ice cream bars from The Corner Store in Downtown Gulfport.
Goofed around at Unlimited Video Games Superstore and Arcade - We stopped here for an hour of retro fun at this vintage arcade heaven. It's just $8 per person for unlimited all-day play!
Stay at The Moxy St. Petersburg Downtown Hotel - Not your traditional "quiet family resort," sure, but Wicky was completely mesmerized by the playful, high-energy lobby games and endless cold fruity water stations. Plus, I managed a few workouts in the awesome fitness center and some quick cabana moments by the rooftop pool.
Learn about marine life at MOTE Marine Laboratory Aquarium - We took a 45 minute drive to Sarasota for an incredible trip down to the MOTE Aquarium to see marine life up close. We finished the day with a hearty homestyle meal at a local restaurant in an Amish community called Der Dutchman Restaurant.
A variety of eats in St. Pete - There's such a variety of delicious foods to eat in St. Pete! We fueled up with authentic gelato from Amorino Gelato, breakfast crepés and quiche at Flip Crêperie and Café, coffee and artisanal chocolate from Schakolad Chocolate Factory, exceptional quesadillas and taco bowls at Poppo's Taqueria, and exceptional gluten-free pastries from Craft Kafe Downtown.
Just a three-hour drive from our quiet home of Vero Beach, our toddler loved visitng "the big city" for lush botanical gardens, coastal wildlife and family quality time with Uncle Luke and Aunt Jade.
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