Photo courtesy of roadsideamerica.com
There is something restorative about the Gulf Coast. Gentle breezes blowing in from the west rejuvenate tired and weary. It happens on a grand scope, too, like when the following pastimes came back from near obscurity to enjoy a new relevance. Now at least one of the fun diversions below is synonomous with trendy entertainment. Not only do these activities take you back to a different era but they offer gentle exercise and social interaction as well. Happily, they are inexpensive, too. This gives us all a chance to take a slow down our pace and to step back in time to a 'new you'.
St Petersburg Lawn Bowling Club-536 4th Ave N
Once banned by a king and parliament for fear it would jeopardise the practice of archery which was vitally necessary in battle, lawn bowling has a long history and complicated origins. According to excellent sources (Wikipedia), bowls or lawn bowls is a sport where the objective is to roll biased balls to where they stop next to a smaller ball wihch is called a 'jack' or a 'kitty'. You need to know no history, though, to enjoy this long lived sport. It is a gentle, low cost sport that allows the athletic and non athletic alike to get some social time and exercise in a fun setting. The Greens are open from November to April, Mon-Wed-Fri 9:00 am to noon. Call for information:
727-347-2770.
St Petersburg Shuffleboard Club-559 Mirror Lake Dr N
Once thought of as the domain of seniors only, shuffleboard has seen an enormous surge of interest in recent years. Young and old, male and female, hipster or loafer, you can feel at home the world's largest shuffleboard club. This game, played by pushing weighted disks down a long narrow surface to rest over a marked surface dates back at least 500 years and is still wildly fun and relevant today. Have a drink and some fun competition while enjoying the social aspect as well. Call for more information: 727-822-2083.
Polynesian Putter-4999 Gulf Blvd
This is old Florida all over the place! Sometimes a little putt putt near a giant Easter Island statue is just what the doctor ordered. Though the grounds may be showing a little age (and who among us isn't!) there is a lot of shade and fun to be had for not a lot of money. This is a quaint place with all the tiki flavor one expects to have near the beach. Call for more information: 727-360-9678.