Vina Del Mar Island

There really isn't much reason to visit Vina Del Mar Island if you don't live there. It's entirely taken up by residential streets, with no beaches and not even the tiniest of parks or lookout points. You can get an amazing view of the Bayway if you trespass in somebody's back yard but I can't advise that.

Vina Del Mar is in close proximity to two of my favorite areas on the Gulf Coast, though - Pass-A-Grille and Don CeSar. Which would make VDM a splendid place to call home, if I truly called anyplace home and I don't.

E

I no longer remember the purpose of this giant "E" - or if I never knew it - seen on a wall in Pass-a-Grille. I just like it.

Pass-a-Taco

Submitted without commentary, and with some measure of bemusement.

Public Chessboard

It's little touches like this that make Florida special. This picnic table in the park at Pass-A-Grille has a public chessboard/checkerboard installed. (Unfortunately, some fiend has stolen the container of pieces, so bring your own)

Climbing Cactus

Always loved this palm tree in Pass-A-Grille with a cactus climbing right up the side of it like ivy. And when the woman who owns it saw me admiring it and taking its picture, she came out to chat. It turns out she's originally from the Louisville area herself, and we knew many people in common. Such are the synchronicities that abound in Interzone.

The Merry Pier

You probably have grokked by now that Pass-a-Grille is one of my very favorite places in the Sunshine State, being a laidback, low-key, low-traffic spot at the very end of that massive outcropping of land that starts at Clearwater Beach and takes you all the way down through St. Pete's Beach, Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, past the Don CeSar Hotel, Route 666 and more, until you reach Mile Marker Zero, end of the line: Pass-a-Grille. There is literally nowhere to go at that point, and no way to get back to the mainland without retracing your steps and doing a lot of driving. This is partially why the dead-end locale is shunned by so many, and yet also precisely why it's so popular among those in the know.

It's there that you'll find The Merry Pier, where you can either just drop your hook and fish off the side, or enlist one of its noble Captains to escort you out into deep water. Miss Pass-A-Grille is a fine craft perpetually available to haul you and your buddies on fishing excursions for both half-day and full-day jaunts. Says here on its website:

Miss Pass-A-Grille is a 51' Twin Diesel with an A/C cabin for everyone. We fish for Red Grouper, Gag Grouper, Triggerfish, Sea Bass, Mangrove Snapper, and Gray Snapper. We supply the Rod, Reel, Bait, Tackle and Fishing License. Parking Passes are available inside the bait shop. Call and reserve the entire boat for your next company party, church outing, or family reunion.

There's also the Shell Key Shuttle, a boat that'll get you to where you wanna go, that is, if where you wanna go is the remote unspoiled island called Shell Key and other nearby islands including Sister Key, Summer Resort Key, Panama Key, Sawyer Key and God's Island. (I went there, but didn't see him.)

Sign of the Seahorse

Just how beloved and well-known a local landmark is the Seahorse Restaurant in Pass-a-Grille, FL? It's so beloved and well-known, they don't even have to put their name on the sign.

Not only do I approve of their minimalist sign, I also approve of their grub. Last time I was in Pass-a-grille, I stayed three days and ate at the Seahorse four times. And if that's not enough for you, hey, they have these awesome giant birds dangling from the ceiling:

The Seahorse Restaurant is located at 800 Pass-a-Grille Way, but don't sweat the directions - it's virtually impossible to get lost in Pass-a-Grille.