Road Travel America


Earlier Trips & Times in St. Petersburg

Greetings from St. Petersburg, Florida

We have lived in the Tampa Bay area, and continue to visit St. Petersburg today on road trips to Florida.

It was a while back, but we fondly recall our visits to St. Petersburg attractions and restaurants.

Being young and new to Florida, we took lots of road trips exploring cities and attractions in all directions. We picked up shells at Sanibel Island, and visited St. Armand's Key in Sarasota, Cypress Gardens, Fort Lauderdale, and Daytona Beach. We dined at the Original Oyster Bar in St. Petersburg on South 34th Street and the Kapok Tree in Clearwater. We walked the beaches at Fort DeSoto Park. It was a thrill to watch the Apollo 14 launch at Cape Canaveral.

So .... What was St. Petersburg like in its earlier years, as residents and visitors enjoyed its temperate climate and unique architecture? What did all the restaurants, motels and public buildings look like when they were new? What did the traveling public experience? We wonder such things when we travel back to St. Petersburg today.

Those earlier times in the 1930s, 40s and 50s were not always captured on film. But the use of colorful postcards was common in those decades. These portray St. Petersburg and its architecture in past times and help us to visualize, and appreciate, "earlier times" as we visit the area today. Included below a sampling of our collection of vintage travel postcards dealing with St. Petersburg in its earlier years.

We have also included travel resources for the area today, and links to more St. Petersburg area resources.

 

Earlier Motels and Motor Courts in St. Petersburg

Trade Winds Motor Court
Trade Winds Motor Court in St. Petersburg, Florida
All States Court
All States Court and Tourist Camp in St. Petersburg, Florida
Champlain Court
Champlain Court at 6600 Fourth Street in St. Petersburg, Florida
Park View Tourist Cottages
Park View Tourist Cottages in St. Petersburg, Florida
White City Tourist Park
White City Tourist Park in St. Petersburg, Florida, 3 miles south from Central Avenue on 4th Street
Orchard Cottages
Orchard Cottages, 4th Street at 27th Avenue, in St. Petersburg, Florida
El Rancho Motor Lodge
El Rancho Motor Lodge, 1701 Fourth Street in St. Petersburg, Florida
Grant Motel
Grant Motel in St. Petersburg, Florida
All States Cottage Court
All States Cottage Court and Trailer Court in St. Petersburg, Florida
Hotel Rellim
Hotel Rellim in St. Petersburg, Florida
Lowe's Camp Grounds
Lowe's Camp Grounds at 5380 28th Street in St. Petersburg, Florida
Aloha Lodge
Aloha Lodge on 4th Street North in St. Petersburg, Florida

Classic Hotels in St. Petersburg

Manhattan Hotel
Manhattan Hotel at 444 5th Avenue South, in St. Petersburg, Florida
Wigwam Hotel
Wigwam Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida
Randolph Hotel
Randolph Hotel and Apartments in St. Petersburg, Florida
Essex House Hotel
Essex House Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida
Hotel Deermont
Hotel Deermont in St. Petersburg, Florida
Allison Hotel
Allison Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida
Royal Palm Hotel
Royal Palm Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida
Dusenbury Hotel
Dusenbury Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida
Beverly Hotel
Beverly Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida
The Don CeSar Hotel
The Don CeSar Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida
Hotel Sevilla
Hotel Sevilla in St. Petersburg, Florida
Ponce de Leon Hotel
Ponce de Leon Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida
The Huntington
The Huntington in St. Petersburg, Florida
Hotel Gotham
Hotel Gotham in St. Petersburg, Florida
Vinoy Park Hotel
Vinoy Park Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida

The Ferries

Bee Line Ferry Dock
Bee Line Ferry Dock, Pinellas Point, St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Pete to Bradenton Ferry
The "Pinellas" ferry boat, connecting St. Petersburg and Bradenton
Ferry "Sarasota" at Piney Point
The ferry "Sarasota" alrriving at Piney Point in Florida

Government Buildings

St. Petersburg City Hall
St. Petersburg, Florida, City Hall
Open-air Post Office
The open-air U.S. Post Office in St. Petersburg, Florida
Library at Mirror Lake
Library at Mirror Lake in St. Petersburg, Florida

Homes

Fifth Avenue North Homes
Homes on Fifth Avenue North in St. Petersburg, Florida
Roser Park Drive
Homes along Roser Park Drive in St. Petersburg, Florida
Home with Tropical Landscape
Home with lush tropical landscape in St. Petersburg, Florida

People

Those Famous Green Benches!
Those famous green benches in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida
Shuffle Board at the Coliseum
Shuffle Board at the Coliseum in St. Petersburg, Florida
Enjoying the St. Pete Sunshine
Enjoying the sunshine in St. Petersburg, Florida

Along the Gulf

Aerial view of Pass-a-Grille
Aerial view of Pass-a-Grille near St. Petersburg, Florida
Edward James Hotel & Dining
Edward James Hotel and Dining Room in Treasure Island, Florida
The Sands of Treasure Island
The Sands of Treasure Island ... Apartment Hotel
John's Pass
John's Pass along the Gulf of Mexico near St. Petersburg, Florida
Bridge at John's Pass
John's Pass Bridge, along the Gulf of Mexico near St. Petersburg, Florida
Hotel Rolyat in Pasadena
Hotel Rolyat in Pasadena, Florida, near St. Petersburg

Restaurants and Dining

Lighthouse Restaurant
Lighthouse Restaurant in St. Petersburg, Florida
Aunt Hattie's
Aunt Hattie's Chicken in the Woodpile, St. Petersburg, Florida
Tramor Cafeteria
Tramor Cafeteria, St. Petersburg, Florida
Pinellas Seafood Co.
Pinellas Seafood Company, 1533 Third Street South in  St. Petersburg, Florida
Molly's Restaurant
Molly's Restaurant, House of Good Food, Central Avenue at 58th Street in  St. Petersburg, Florida
The Corral
The Corral, Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, Florida

More Scenes Around St. Petersburg

Fourth Street Downtown
Fourth Street in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida
Tropical Bayshore Drive
Tropical Bayshore Drive in St. Petersburg, Florida
Yacht Basin and Pier
Yacht Basin and Municipal Pier in St. Petersburg, Florida
Municipal Pier
Municipal Pier in St. Petersburg, Florida
Albert Whitted Airport
Albert Whitted Airport in St. Petersburg, Florida
Webb City
Webb City, world's most unusual drug store, St. Petersburg, Florida
Derby Lane
Derby Lane greyhound racing track, St. Petersburg, Florida
Festival of States Parade
Festival of States Parade, St. Petersburg, Florida
Fountain of Youth
Fountain of Youth, St. Petersburg, Florida
Maas Brothers
Maas Brothers Department Store, St. Petersburg, Florida
Mirror Lake
Mirror Lake in St. Petersburg, Florida
Sunken Gardens
Entrance area at Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg, Florida

Lodging & Dining Today in St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg Hotels, traveler reviews, room availability and reservations at TripAdvisor

St. Petersburg Vacation Rentals

St. Petersburg restaurant listings and reviews at TripAdvisor

Attractions and Things to Do in St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg Travel & Vacation Guide at TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor Reviews

Interactive Map of the St. Petersburg, Florida Area


More Information about St. Petersburg

Visit St. Pete - Clearwater

City of St. Petersburg

City of St. Pete Beach

St. Petersburg at VisitFlorida.com

Pinellas County