5-24-21 over to Clearwater Beach

 Today was the day the kids were checking in to the Wyndham Clearwater resort for 2 nights.  So after they packed up and loaded up, we followed them in our car.  I had checked the distance of Clearwater - Atlanta and it was only 30 minutes longer then from Reunion.  So I assumed it was only 30 minutes to get to Clearwater from Reunion.  Wrong!  It didn't occur to me that you didn't have to go back to Orlando to go home!  I didn't even think about I-75 running all the way down Georgia and turning towards the Gulf coast after entering Florida!  So I was a little surprised to find it was actually about a 2 hour drive from Reunion - Clearwater Beach.  But I was really curious about that Wyndham resort and love seeing the beach, so I was happy to go there for the day; then Ken and I drove back to REunion for the night before heading back to Atlanta the next day.  

Before we headed to Clearwater, Angie took a few more pictures of Layla at the REunion resort.  Layla certainly is photogenic ad knows how to work it!

 By now she was really starting to feel the full effects of her latest cold.  Good think there are so many tissue boxes at the resort.  We took them all and she went through most of them while on the trip.

The drive to Clearwater wasn't bad.  Did take about 2 hours, but I was excited to be going to see the beach.

and I LOVE palm trees!!!!

Angie and I went and checked into the Wyndham while the guys rode around---ending up in the parking lot next to the Wyndham and on the beach.  Check in was smooth.  Soon we were in their 1 bedroom unit.  The view from that room was of the bay behind the beach.  Not bad, but not the Gulf. 

The unit was pretty nice---and very modern. 

With Layla being so sick and waking up several times in the middle of the night the last couple days, 1 bedroom was good for them.  Layla just slept with them.

As we were checking out the unit, we started hearing loud clanking noises from above.  Called maintenance and found out they were working on the lanai above us.  So I called the front desk and asked if they could move us and they did. 

the new unit was the reverse of this one, but just as nice---and much quieter.

This unit even had a pretty good view of the Gulf.

I even like the artwork in these units. 

We concluded this new unit was slightly smaller, but just as nice.

All checked in, we headed out to pick up the guys and go find something for dinner.  After driving around and trying a couple places with long lines and no parking, we came across this place. 

Cute little place and turned out to be very good!

They even had $1 beer specials

the fried grouper sandwiches were really good, too.

Layla was still feeling down, but coping pretty well.

After dinner, we went back to the condo and settled in.

Didn't take long for poor little Layla to zonk out.

While the guys rested and Layla slept, Angie and I walked down to the pier.   The two grey buildings are the Wyndham---the hotel, The Grand on the left and the timeshare units on the right.

The wide walkway

on the pier.

Even had volleyball courts right outside the resort.

another look at the Wyndhams

looks like the kind of bucket the resort gave Layla when they went to the beach the next day.

across the water

a grackle helping herself to some minnow bait.

 It was the first time any of us had been to Clearwater Beach.  Looks like a place we'd like to get back to someday.