Last weekend, my dad and I headed to St. Pete Beach/Bradenton for Pittsburgh Pirates Spring Training. We stayed at Tradewinds Island Grand Resort in St. Petersburg, FL; this was my second time staying at this resort. This trip provided some much needed Vitamin D and baseball! We packed so much into the 48 hours we were in Florida that it all seems like a blur now! We arrived on Sunday night and ate dinner with our friends on resort property. A beautiful cheese (the way to my heart) tray and bottle of wine were left in the room for us.
Up early for breakfast and ready for a big day at the ball park!
Gregory Polanco, among the wall of former Bradenton Marauders now in the MLB.
It was so much fun sitting out on the new center field deck and watching pre-game!
The ballpark hotdog: one of life’s most underrated pleasures.
So cool to sit where some of my favorites sit and broadcast the game!
If you’re into baseball, you might find this just as interesting as I did! The clubhouse is now named after William Boyd McKechnie since the ball park was changed to LECOM Park this year.
This shirt is now available at the Burgh Blondes Website! (It’s one of my favorites– ever!)
The next day, we got up early and headed to Bradenton for Pirates vs. Yankees, the first televised game of Spring Training at LECOM Park (previously McKechnie Field). The Pirates own some serious real estate in my heart so it has always been a big time bucket list item for me to get to Spring Training. Actually being there almost didn’t seem real! The weather was literally perfect and the game was sold out. We went on a tour of LECOM Park upon arriving and got to see some awesome behind-the-scenes places! Seeing a baseball game in March just gave me all the feels. Being there with my dad (his first time at Spring Training too) made it even better! The Pirates pulled out a 13-1 win over the Yankees (I know it’s just Spring Training, but it still felt good to beat the Yankees) and we got to see some of our starters out there and lots of new talent, such as Austin Meadows, an amazingly talented outfield prospect. Jordy Mercer hit a pretty nice homer, which also made me all the more excited for April!
We went to dinner that night at the Palm Court. I had this amazing pasta in lobster sauce with scallops and shrimp, but unfortunately, I forgot to photograph it because hunger got the best of me. lol That night an old friend, Joe, who now lives in St. Petersburg from the Ford family stopped by to visit my dad and me when he saw we were so close by! It was so wonderful to see him after so many years! My dad and I walked around the resort that night after dinner (we both love to walk after dinner on vacation and learn the resort).
Like this new Burgh Blondes design?? Get yours here! I love this ball cap. It’s kind of hard to find, but I found it in stock here.
The big waterslide– definitely did this a few times with Gregory and Brianna in 2014!
My spot for the day!
That evening and the next day, we got to spend some time walking around the resort and soaking up the sun at the beach and pool! This large resort is older but kept in extremely good shape and really quite beautiful. When I previously visited (the week of July 4th, 2014), it was much busier with lots of families and children. The resort is very family-friendly with volleyball nets, a large beach waterslide, and numerous water activities out in the shallow ocean and other land activities for children as well. I would definitely recommend this resort to my friends with young children! This past weekend, the resort had many older visitors and some college-age students since it was Spring Break for many universities, although a few families with small children were present as well. It was not difficult to get beach chairs or a pool chair and that made it nice. Last time I visited, we had to reserve beach chairs online the night before and they went quickly.
My go-to travel hair products! These things kept my hair soft and moisturized– even in the hot Florida sun!
I love breakfast! Eggs Benedict is one of my favorite breakfasts! I had this lovely plated meal at Bermuda’s (a restaurant on property of the resort).
The lobby at Tradewinds is really pretty! (Especially if you love palm trees like me!) There is a little coffee bar with Starbucks coffee that makes some pretty yummy macchiatos. 😉
The food at Tradewinds is really very good and the staff is friendly and accommodating. The property is huge with three pools (one is adult only) and hammocks all over the place if you need a second to lay back and relax. There is a “lagoon” that circles the resort where guests can use pedal boats. By the main pool, there is a casual restaurant called “The Flying Bridge” that has tasty lunches (such as my crab cake sandwich—yum) and amazing fruity/frozen drinks! My dad and I ate here a few times!
If you’re looking for a good place to stay for a trip to Pirates Spring Training, Tradewinds Island Grand is ideal– only 30 minutes away from LECOM and an overall great place to getaway! About a half of a mile down the beach, Tradewinds has another resort called Guy Harvey Outpost, another beautiful resort that is a little smaller, quieter, and more adult-oriented, though kids are welcome here too. I absolutely love the fire pits on the beach at Guy Harvey Outpost and the massive aquarium full of beautiful fish and sea life (featured on Animal Planet’s Tanked). While staying at either of the two Tradewinds resorts, you’re able to spend time at both locations!
One of my favorite parts of St. Pete Beach is the Gulf Coast sunset. It’s so beautiful and my new camera captured it so perfectly between the palm trees outside our balcony. I usually don’t wake up early enough on vacation to see the sunrise on the east coast (lol) so seeing the sun on the water is a spectacular thing to witness each evening.
John and Jason are such great people. I enjoyed hanging out with them on this trip so much! (Kevin, too!– not pictured lol)
Love my dad! <3
Saying goodbye to this beautiful place! Another new Burgh Blondes design– you can order it here.
<3
The trip was fast-paced, but at the same time, so relaxing. Baseball and the beach really just go together and I will always cherish the memories I made on this trip with my dad. I would love to visit St. Pete Beach and Bradenton for Spring Training again. Baseball always keeps me coming back for more. It’s just one of those things you can never get enough of—that light at the end of the tunnel we call winter here in western PA.
xo,
Ash
PS. Hang in there, friends. It’s almost baseball season. <3
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