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Bekijk Volledige Versie : Shell Key Shuttle, St. Pete Beach



Michael66
23-03-10, 10:37
Shell Key Shuttle
801 Pass-a-Grille Way, St. Pete Beach; (727) 360-1348
COST:$22, $11 ages 12 and younger (beach umbrellas, masks and snorkels and shell bags included).
WHAT WE LIKED:Capt. Alva Sholty, below, narrates the one-and-a-half hour sunset cruise through the barrier islands south of Pass-a-Grille, including the 180-acre Shell Key Preserve. A native South Floridian and an environmentalist, Sholty's narrative is savvy about local lore and full of whimsy. Highlights include celebrity homes like the Augie Busch compound (of the Busch beer-brewing dynasty), tales of the first settlers and sightings of endangered birds and dolphins and manatees.
WHAT WE DIDN'T: The seating is hard plastic and, for this long a stretch, not ergonomic. (A carry-on seat pad is an idea). What did we expect from a pontoon boat? The 49-passenger vessel is otherwise serviceable. The large deck boxes that face the seating improvise nicely as buffet tables for your wine and cheese or beer and chips.
INSIDER TIP:For $3, you can buy an all-day parking pass along with your boarding ticket. Come early and enjoy an afternoon in quaint Pass-a-Grille as a prelude to your sunset sojourn. Also, if you want to hear Sholty's spiel, better do it now rather than later; he has announced he's trying to sell the business so he can sail off into retirement.
WORTH THE TICKET? You bet. For the same price, we also like the 10-minute shuttle to pristine Shell Key Preserve, where, for two- to six-hour intervals, you can hike, bird watch or just lie on the beach. We walked knee-deep on a bed of live mollusks and pretended we were a 16th century explorer.
THE BASICS:Daily departures at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m., with return trips at 12:15, 2:15 or 4:15 p.m. Also the 90-minute sunset cruise departs approximately one hour before sunset (times vary with season). Restroom available. Coolers, chairs and sunscreen are encouraged. Reservations required for sunset cruise only.
Luis Perez, Times staff writer Bron: http://www.tampabay.com/features/travel/florida/article1010899.ece