🇺🇸 Day Trip to Clearwater, Tampa

Documenting my solo day trip to Clearwater Beach last September 🌊 This was my tenth solo travel city and my fourth in the US! I originally came to Florida for a conference and was feeling a bit down — so I spontaneously planned a day trip to the beach for some sun ☀️ Tampa is located on Florida’s west coast along the Gulf of Mexico, famous for its stunning sunsets and white sand beaches. I flew into Orlando International Airport (MCO) the previous afternoon, picked up a rental car, and drove about two hours to Clearwater Beach. The traffic was pretty heavy around sunset — had to enjoy the views from the car! Watching the sun melt into the endless ocean was absolutely breathtaking 😍 Even though I’d seen similar sunsets in Hawaii before, each one feels uniquely moving. Stayed at a hotel near Clearwater Beach that night. 🌸 One-Day Itinerary 🌸 🌟 Morning: Walked to Clearwater Beach for some sunbathing. The white sand truly lives up to its reputation — so fine and soft! It felt amazing to sit or lie down on, and even when sand got into my shoes or clothes, it wasn’t irritating at all. The beach wasn’t crowded (probably because it was a Monday), and there were plenty of seabirds around 🐦 🌟 Noon: Joined the Little Toot Dolphin Adventure tour to see dolphins surfing in the wake 🐬 Highly recommend! The captain was experienced — once dolphins were spotted, he’d speed up to create waves, and the playful dolphins would come surf alongside! We even saw a mama dolphin teaching her baby how to ride the waves 🌊 Besides the thrilling dolphin show, the captain also shared stories about Clearwater’s history and pointed out luxury waterfront homes (including Tom Cruise’s penthouse 😂). 🌟 Afternoon: Drove 30 mins to the Salvador Dalí Museum 🎨 It’s said to house the largest collection of Dalí’s works outside Spain. General admission: $29, parking: $10. The 3D immersive experience requires an extra ticket. Next to it is Albert Whitted Park — great water views there too! Left the museum around 6 PM and drove back to Orlando… Ended up hitting a crazy thunderstorm 🌧️ The rain was so heavy I could barely see the car ahead — had to drive by judging their taillights! Luckily it lasted only about 10 minutes, but it was intense (turned out Orlando has these almost every evening!). Finally made it back to Orlando around 9 PM. Would love to return in winter for Weeki Wachee’s clear kayaking — manatee season is from mid-November to March! 🛶💙 #Tampa #Florida #TravelUSA #SoloTravel #BeachDay #Orlando #Clearwater