St. Petersburg is the best U.S. summer beach destination, according to the readers of Mashable.com, the British-American news, technology and social media aggregation blog edited by Pete Cashmore.
Mashable used data from travel website Priceline’s most-searched destinations and top user-reviewed destinations on TripAdvisor to compile the list of trendy U.S. beach destinations between Hawaii and Maine.
By a large margin (48%), St. Petersburg beat out Destin in Okaloosa County; Kailua, Hawaii; Santa Monica and La Jolla, California; Assateague Island, Virginia; Beaufort, South Carolina; Ocean City, Maryland; Ogunquit, Maine and Provincetown, Massachusetts.
In its list of the “Ultimate Vacation Destinations,” Mashable also suggests readers take advantage of the sights such as the “bountiful sunsets,” the outside music venue Jannus Live and The Dali Museum.
For local culinary treats, topping the list is Grouper, referred to as St. Petersburg’s official fish. Walt’z Fish Shak, the Hurricane Seafood Restaurant and Crabby Bill’s are also great places for casual seafood.
Also mentioned as a St. Petersburg “can’t-miss event” is the Vans Warped Tour on July 25, a waterfront festival with more than 30 bands performing on five stages, offering music ranging from folk to pop to alternative.
