Leverock's

We would never have gone to Leverock's on our own. In fact, we had never even heard of the restaurant until the owner of our condo gave us a Leverock's gift card to welcome us to Florida.

We had no idea of the gift card amount and figured it must be about $25.00. Today seemed to be a good afternoon to visit the restaurant, especially because we had just seen a large print ad that made the food look very appealing.

The drinks were weak but inexpensive. The small loaf of bread is served with a seasoned olive oil dipping sauce, not great but good. The clam chowder was definitely the best I've ever had in Florida, and maybe the best anywhere.

Bob ordered the fish trio, a kind of casserole topped with spinach. It must have been good because he ate every bite. I had the fish tacos, topped with fresh salsa and served with a side of rice and black beans. Delicious.

Our bill was a little over $42.00 and we discovered that the gift card was for $50.00. We left the difference and another $2.00

Indian Rocks Beach Nature Preserve

Indian Rock Beach Nature Preserve

I seek out new nature preserves wherever we go, and have been to many in Florida. They're all different, some good, some less so. My favorite after all these years is still Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, where I saw my first roseate spoonbill. I was able to identify it using a bird identifier I bought at the gift shop, and was so thrilled with the sighting that I secretly and tentatively headed down the birder path.

Indian Rocks Beach Nature Preserve intrigued me because of its boardwalk extending all the way from Gulf Boulevard to Boca Ciega Bay. I was promised a wide variety of wildlife, including green herons and manatees, so I was imagining many new photo ops.



This little northern cardinal sang a familiar spring song

We would have missed the turn-off if Bob hadn't spotted it with his keen eye. While the spectacular sightings I had hoped for didn't materialize, we loved the serene setting and the beautifully constructed boardwalk. The old wood structure seems to be undergoing replacement with a man-made product, which is easy and "springy" to walk on.

We stopped to look at a blue crab that seemed to be scarfing down little minnows and saw a northern cardinal, but that was about it. We sat quietly for awhile by Boca Ciega Bay and lazily made our way back to our vehicle. We are both quite urban, so leaves brushing against our legs made us jump a little, as did walking under the canopy of hanging branches. I couldn't help imagining tree snakes.

We met only a few others on the boardwalk, including a man and his elderly mother. The park is a restorative oasis in the very busy Pinellas county.