Beginning in 2006, Footprints will be issued on a quarterly basis. Our tentative schedule is as follows: Spring (March 2006), Summer (June 2006), Fall (September 2006) and Winter (December 2006). And, as always, please be sure to visit www.visitclearwaterflorida.com on a regular basis for the latest information and news regarding Clearwater.

 

The Clearwater City Council is expected to approve bids for Phase One of Beach Walk this month with construction to begin in January 2006. Phase One will take 12 months and will include adding sidewalks and expanding Coronado Drive to three lanes.

The entire Beach Walk project, expected to take three and a half years to complete, will eventually include a winding beachside promenade with lush landscaping, artistic touches and clear views to Clearwater's award-winning beach. Bicyclists, roller bladers and pedestrians will be able to socialize, dine, play and have safe and convenient access to the beach.

Beach Walk is designed to revitalize the community that surrounds Clearwater's popular south beach destination. Part of the city's "Beach by Design" plan, it has already played a vital role in attracting new hotel development to the beach at a time when many older hotels are being converted into condominiums, threatening the community's tourism industry.

For more information, visit www.myclearwater.com/beachwalk.

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In three short years, La Quinta general manager Dave Castelli turned the former aging Best Western on US 19 into one of the top contenders for business of the year.

La Quinta went through more than one million dollars in upgrades to 128 rooms, the conference center, pool and Jacuzzi. Located close to Philly stadium and convenient to Drew Street, the hotel caters to corporate groups and spring training visitors. If you visit in December, you may tiptoe past more than one ballerina from the Miami City Ballet. The dancers make La Quinta home every year while performing the nutcracker at Ruth Eckerd Hall.

“We treat this as our home,” Castelli said when asked what sets La Quinta apart from the pack. “We are here seven days a week. If a housekeeper calls in sick, you will likely find one of the partners cleaning the rooms. We are truly hands on.”

La Quinta is eight miles from the beach at 21338 US Hwy 19 North. Prices range from $69 to $109 depending on season.

For reservations call 727-799-1565 or log on to www.laquinta.com

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What better way to give some momentum to that New Year’s resolution to commit to physical fitness? Start training now for Clearwater’s Halfathon on January 22nd. The 13.1 mile course starts at 7 a.m. on Clearwater’s waterfront, crosses over to Clearwater Beach and continues to Belleair Beach before returning to Clearwater.

For race details, call (888) 548-2786/(727) 347-4440 or log on to www.floridamarathon.com

Get Folksy

Check out Heritage Village on January 29th for a helping of good old-fashioned folk! The Folk Festival features traditional folk music, storytelling and pioneer crafts and performances by skilled artisans. Sheep to shawl activities, vintage 1890s baseball, traditional rug hooking and embroidery show, and great food are all part of the fun. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Largo.

For directions, call (727) 582-2123.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Spring Training is right around the corner. Four Major League Baseball (MLB) teams train in and around Clearwater, including the Philadelphia Phillies, the Toronto Blue Jays, the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

The Phillies, MLB’s oldest, continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional sports, have been spring training in Clearwater since 1947. In 2004, the Phillies moved into their new state-of-the-art complex, Bright House Networks Field. The new facility, on 17.5 acres, includes approximately 7,000 fixed seats (with room for 1,500 more fans in grass berm seating), group picnic areas, an expanded food court and a children’s play area.

Bright House Networks Field is also home to Minor League Baseball’s Clearwater Threshers (Florida State League, Class A Advanced) and hosts city-sponsored and community events throughout the year.

Spring Training tickets go on sale in January 2006. The Phillies take on the New York Yankees for their first game on March 2 at Legend’s Field in Tampa. The Phillies’ first home game – at Bright House Networks Field – takes place the following day, March 3.

For ticket information, log on to www.mlb.com or for minor league schedules, check out www.minorleaguebaseball.com

Blazing Trails

Take a step back in time with Central Florida Historical Trails. The tour will showcase an off-the-beaten path journey through Clearwater on March 4th 2006 at 1 p.m. This walk of 6.3 miles will include lots of interesting old homes, as well as churches and schools.

Directions from Tampa: Take Interstate 275 through Tampa and exit onto SR 60. Cross Tampa Bay and continue west on SR 60 (Gulf-to-Bay Blvd., which turns into Cleveland St.) to downtown Clearwater. Turn north on Fort Harrison Ave. and west onto Drew St. for one block to park along the street.

For more information, log on to www.geocities.com/yosemite/rapids/8428/florida.html

photo courtesy of the Clearwater Beach Chamber

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The Ford Ironman 70.3 World Championship is headed to Clearwater in November 2006. The Championship will host more than 1,800 athletes vying for a professional prize purse of $100,000. Top professionals and age group athletes will qualify for the 2007 Ford Ironman World Championship which will take place in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

The World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) recently announced plans for the newly created event which will start and finish in Sand Key Park. The Sheraton Sand Key is the host hotel and will also host several of the pre and post race activities.

Ironman 70.3 events consist of a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride and a 13.1 mile run. The Ford Ironman 70.3 series includes more than 17 events kicked off this fall in Wiltshire, England. The best one hundred athletes from each event will receive qualifying slots in the World Championship in Clearwater. All WTC events are internationally recognized and garner worldwide media exposure.

To plan your Ironman experience, log onto www.ironmanlive.com. If you are interested in participating in an upcoming Ironman event, call 727-942-4767, ext. 207.

photo courtesy of www.fordroadtokona.com

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The Francis Wilson Playhouse is the star of the show in Clearwater. The community theater swept this year’s Lary Awards with 12 wins, including favorite musical (La Cage aux Folles) and a tie with Gulfport Community Players for favorite drama (The Miracle Worker).

The Larys are Tampa Bay's version of Broadway's Tony Awards, with 10 theater companies vying in 26 acting and backstage categories. Winners are chosen by popular vote of subscribers to The Grapevine, the area's longtime community theater magazine.

For tickets and show information, call the box office at 727-446-1360 or log on to www.franciswilsonplayhouse.org

photo courtesy of the Francis Wilson Playhouse

 

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You may have seen them on The Discovery Channel’s fall series “SOS: Coast Guard Rescue.” Now you can discover the heroes of Clearwater yourself by touring the Clearwater U.S. Coast Guard Air Station.

A production crew embedded with helicopters and rescue boats from the Air Station captured incredible footage of thousands of people being saved from rooftops during Hurricane Katrina. Cameras were mounted on helmets, helicopters and boats.
Jeremy Carroll, a rescue swimmer on the mission, told The Tampa Tribune, "It changed how I look at life. You never know when it will be over and you can lose everything.”

The Clearwater Air Station is the biggest and most active in the Guard with more than a dozen HH-60 Jayhawk helicopters, seven HC-130 Hercules planes and 500 assigned personnel. These unsung heroes protect Tampa Bay, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean basin and the Bahamas.

To schedule a tour of the Clearwater Air Station, call 727-535-1437 ext 1145.

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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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