Seminole, FL Outdoor Activities

The founders of St. Petersburg probably didn't imagine future visitors rolling down its streets on upright, self-balancing machines. Mounted on Segway HTs, visitors on All About Fun Tours can do just that, cruising along the waterfront on devices that intuitively respond to their movements or fear of jellyfish. Tour options abound, and guides deliver a tutorial on Segway basics before leading groups around the historic city.

The third annual St. Pete Oktoberfest, hosted by the Grand Central District Association, is St. Petersburg's largest beer festival, featuring craft-beer tastings and live music. Attendees can tipple samples from dozens of breweries, including Bell's Brewery, Dogfish Head, Sam Adams, Angry Orchard, and many others. A home brewer's challenge on Friday tests out homebrewed beers against old favorites, so home-beer enthusiasts can test out their recipes on actual people instead of the wild deer that show up in their backyards.

In addition to the extensive selection of microbrews and iconic beers, the two-day street festival also features live music, including performances from singer-songwriter John Kelly on Friday. Saturday's music merges rock, blues, jazz, and funk, with performances from Florida-native Damon Fowler, Bobby Lee Rodgers Trio, and Serotonic.

Sky Pirate Parasail's U.S. Coast Guard–licensed captains slip through John's Pass between Madeira Beach and Treasure Island while towing parasailers who glide under kaleidoscopic chutes tethered up to 1,200 feet in the air. After fastening their passengers, who range from school-aged kids to grandparents, into a secure harness, they fill the parachute's canopy with air and shuttle the skyward rider over the saltwater waves for an aerial jaunt. As the captain slackens the line and traces the coastline from offshore, the parasailer floats over the beach, the dolphins, and the gelatinous blob monster waving at sunbathers.

Looking out at the quiet, moonlit waters of the Gulf of Mexico, it’s impossible to know what’s on the line, other than that it’s big. Word has spread around the deep-sea-fishing boat, and now a crowd has gathered on either side of you. You pull the fishing pole back and guide whatever is snagged on the other end of the line nearer and nearer toward the halo of light illuminating the large boat. The splashes gradually become louder, and then a large lobster-red tail emerges from the water. A few fellow fishermen help pull the creature onto the boat, and proudly hold it up for the crowd—a 38-pound cubera snapper.

There are countless deep-sea-fishing tales like this one to be told at Hubbard’s Marina. During its many day or night fishing trips, its crew and guest fishermen board the US Coast Guard–certified vessels for excursions into the Gulf to reel in fish of all sizes, including large sharks and adult mermen. They also captain sunset cruises, dolphin-watching cruises, kayak tours, and even take to the streets during segway tours.

In 1962, Charles Redington commissioned a 1,200-foot-long fishing pier to be built in the Gulf, one of eight others like it in the area. Today, this long wooden walkway represents the last of its brethren, preserved and restored by the current owners, the Antonious family, who treasure its historic significance and excellent fishing. The waters surrounding the pier teem with sea life, such as flounder, eels, sharks, dolphins, and kingfish who burble "checkmate" when they get hooked. The crystalline Gulf waters provide a view of the vibrant reefs below, best seen and fished from the very end of the pier, which is reserved for those who purchase VIP passes. Since The Long Pier requires no fishing license, both amateur and professional fisherfolk can enjoy its sunny lengths and salty breezes by simply renting a rod and buying bait from the onsite tackle shop.

Tampa Bay Crawls escorts trekkers through downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay’s culinary and alcoholic offerings with tasting and imbibing events at area restaurants and bars. Progressive dinner and restaurant crawls supply guests with new gastronomic sensations, and wine-tasting crawls dispense samples of finely crafted reds and whites. Bypassing straightforward tours through local bars, Tampa Bay Crawls spices up its pub crawls with various themed and costumed sessions, such as ’80s night, snuggie night, and census taker appreciation night, all open to groups and solo crawlers alike.