Construction is underway of the Sandpearl Resort on the land that once was home to the Clearwater Beach Hotel. A time capsule filled with mementos and written memories of the former landmark hotel was buried at the groundbreaking.

There is nothing hidden about the treasure of the new Sandpearl. Plans call for a 253-room luxury hotel featuring an 11,000 square feet full-service spa, fitness center and beach club; 9,000 square feet of retail space along Mandalay Avenue; fine dining with views of the Gulf of Mexico; 20,000 square feet of meeting and event space; and 117 condominium homes, all situated on a 5.5 acre tract of land including 700 feet of direct beachfront.

“Breaking ground on the Sandpearl not only means the beginning of new construction marking the evolution of Clearwater Beach, it ushers in a new era for JMC as a developer of resorts as well as luxury residences,” said J. Michael Cheezem, CEO for JMC Communities. “We are particularly proud that the Sandpearl Resort represents the first luxury resort development on Clearwater Beach in over 25 years.”

Recognizing the history and impact the Clearwater Beach Hotel has represented for the city, JMC Communities plans to retain the intimate character and heritage of that property by honoring it within the new resort complex.

For more details about the Sandpearl Resort, log on to www.sandpearl.com

*Photo courtesy of the Sandpearl Resort.

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Think nuances of cherries and strawberries with earthy and vanilla tones. That is how the full-bodied, yet delicate, new Pinot Noir labeled under FoxyRock Vineyards is being described. The grapes are grown in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, but their roots are very much in Clearwater Beach. Realizing a 30-year old dream, fourth generation entrepreneurs Bobby and Sheri Heilman are expecting their estate Pinot Noir out in late 2005 or early 2006.

Bob Heilman’s Beachcomber is a Clearwater Beach landmark first made famous for its Back-to-the-Farm Chicken Dinners. Its wine cellar has topped Wine Spectator magazine’s “Best of Award of Excellence” and consistently ranks in Florida’s top ten. Expanding the cellar led the family to Oregon’s wine country in 2000 where they developed their 60-acre vineyard.

“Like many wine lovers, we discovered Pinot Noir by way of Burgundy, both the wine and the region. When you hit a great burgundy, it’s like finding the Holy Grail and you keep looking for that experience again. That pursuit led us to Oregon. We wanted patrons of our restaurants to experience a good, yet affordable, Pinot Noir,” the Heilmans said.

Enjoy a bottle at Bob Heilman’s Beachcomber over dinner or have an after-dinner glass at Bobby’s Bistro & Wine Bar next door.

Bob Heilman’s Beachcomber is located 447 Mandalay Avenue, Clearwater Beach. For more information, visit www.heilmansbeachcomber.com or call 727-442-4144.
Contact Bobby’s Bistro & Wine Bar at 727-446-WINE or visit www.bobbysbistro.com
For more information about FoxyRock Vineyards, visit www.foxyrock.com

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The Festival of Trees kicks off November 23 and continues through November 27 at the Harborview Center, downtown Clearwater. Over 125 fabulously decorated Christmas Trees by top designers, civic groups, businesses and individuals will be on display and they’re all for sale; proceeds benefit local charities. Live non-stop entertainment, handcrafted gifts, children's activities, a large train display with a gingerbread village, raffles, an animated window display, pictures and visits with Santa round out the family fun.
For more information about the Festival of Trees, call 727-712-3993.

Hot to Trot
Burn off some of that turkey feast. The St. Petersburg Times Turkey Trot begins bright and early at 7:00 a.m. on November 24. The starting line is at Clearwater High School. Participants can choose between a 1-mile, 5K and 10K run.
Turkey Trot details can be found by calling 727-442-5838 or by logging onto www.tampabay.com/turkeytrot/.

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Katrina submerged the Holiday Inn in Gulfport, Mississippi, leaving 100 workers without jobs. Many also lost their homes in the storm. The employees of the Holiday Inn SunSpree in Clearwater Beach wasted no time getting life saving supplies to their Mississippi co-workers. Holiday Inn SunSpree general manager Steve Book personally drove a large moving truck filled with food, water, clothes, bedding and toiletries to the evacuated area on September 11.

The Clearwater Beach hotel is now serving as a temporary home for some of these displaced families. The hotel and its employees are doing everything they can to make these new residents feel welcome while they look for jobs, enroll in new schools and find permanent places to live throughout the bay area.

To contact the Holiday Inn SunSpree Clearwater Beach, call 727-447-9566 or log on to www.hiclearwaterbeach.com

*Photo courtesy of the Holiday Inn SunSpree

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The damage along the Mississippi Gulf Coast from Hurricane Katrina forced the relocation of the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup Championship from Biloxi to Clearwater.
The three-day fishing tournament, scheduled for October 20-22, is the culmination of a tournament tour that stretches from Texas to Florida. The championship highlights the top professional redfishing teams in the country, competing for a first place prize of $50,000. Close to 1,000 participants will be competing for the big catch.

Weigh-ins for the catch-and-release event will be held at Coachman Park in downtown Clearwater. A tailgate party and expo will be free and open to the public beginning at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20. ESPN-2 will televise the tournament. The Belleview Biltmore Resort & Spa is the host hotel.

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Just in time for Halloween, the historic Belleview Biltmore is expanding its ghost tours of the elegant - and some say haunted - estate. Visitors will hear the story of Maisie and her missing pearls, the tale of the grief-stricken bride, and stories of the many spirits of children that linger on this amazing property.

Participants will become amateur ghost hunters by receiving a working education in parapsychology, the science pertaining to the investigation of paranormal phenomena. They’ll also be allowed to use actual recording equipment in some of the most active paranormal locations of the hotel.

To book a romantic weekend at the famous 1897 hotel of the rich and famous, or to just pay a ghostly visit, call the Belleview Biltmore (www.belleviewbiltmore.com) at 727-373-3000 or 1-800-237-8947.

*Photo courtesy of the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area CVB

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They aren’t alive and they wont haunt you either. Bodies: The Exhibition opened this summer at Tampa’s Museum of Science and Industry despite controversy and legal challenges. The Museum has seen record attendance of the exhibit that displays 20 preserved human bodies in different poses and more than 260 body specimens and organs. Visitors learn in great detail what doctors know about the inner workings of our bodies.

Bodies: The Exhibition is open through February 26, 2006. MOSI is located at 4801 E. Fowler Avenue in Tampa, 34 miles or a 45-minute drive from Clearwater Beach. To purchase tickets, call 813-987-6000 or log on to www.mosi.org

*photo courtesy of MOSI

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There is only one place where you can hear Stanley Clarke, Bela Fleck and Jean-Luc Ponty (touring together under the name Trio!), the Ramsey Lewis Trio, Boney James, Fred Johnson and Brian Culbertson featuring Eric Darius.

And there is only one place where thousands of jazz lovers come together for a free weekend of days at the beach and sunsets in a park filled with soulful music. Join us in Coachman Park October 13 through October 16 for the 26th Annual MarineMax Clearwater Jazz Holiday presented by Mercedes-Benz.

The complete schedule of artists is available at www.clearwaterjazz.com.

For more information and Jazz Holiday reservations, call 1-877-461-3222. More information about accommodations and other area attractions can be found by contacting the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce at 727-461-0011 or the Clearwater Beach Chamber of Commerce at 727-447-7600.

*Photo courtesy of the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area CVB

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A seemingly endless supply of sun, a mild and temperate climate, world-renowned beaches, nature-based attractions and wide-ranging recreational and cultural activities make Clearwater, Florida, one of the country’s most popular vacation destinations. Its proximity to St. Petersburg, Tampa, Sarasota and Orlando make it an ideal “home base” for daily excursions. Come on down and put yourself in our shoes for a while!

Visitors seeking additional assistance with their Clearwater travel plans can contact the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce: 1130 Cleveland Street, Clearwater, Florida 33755; info@clearwaterflorida.org; 888-425-3279 (toll free) or 727-461-0011. More information, as well as comprehensive lists and descriptions of accommodations, restaurants, nightlife establishments and shopping options, can be found in the free Official Visitors Guide or at www.visitclearwaterflorida.com.

*Photo courtesy of the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area CVB

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