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Hurricane Dorian Donations in Clearwater, Florida

Clearwater Beach, Florida had a scare with Hurricane Dorian. Many of the originally predicted paths had the storm heading across the state directly at Tampa Bay. Luckily, the storm took a turn to the north earlier than originally expected; lessening the impact on Florida but still leaving the Bahamas devastated.

Many businesses and organizations in Florida are rushing to help provide support in any way that they can. If you are looking to provide support, be careful and watch out for scammers taking advantage of these tragic times. If you’re in the Clearwater, Florida area here are some places to donate…

Clearwater Aquarium: “Stop and see the fish for a good cause. The Clearwater Aquarium will donate $1 of all ticket sales to Bahamas relief efforts.”

Habitat for Humanity: Donations can be dropped off at 13355 49th Street N, Suite B, Clearwater, FL

Bahamas Red Cross Society: (The Bahamas branch of the Internation Red Cross) Seeking non-perishable goods, baby supplies, cleaning items and beddings.

Sol Relief: “This local aviation community will fly necessary supplies to Bahamian victims. Supplies can be delivered to St. Pete Air at 107 Eighth Ave. SE, St. Petersburg from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Saturday and on Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. St. Petersburg businessman John Auer has also offered to match donations from individuals dollar for dollar up to $500,000 for the next two weeks.”

The Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg: Donations can be made online or mailed to “Disaster Relief Fund, Diocese of St. Petersburg, P.O. Box 40200, St. Petersburg, FL 33743-0200.”

You can find more places to donated in the Tampa Bay area in these articles…

You can also use the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to help check charities in the State of Florida with their “Check-A-Charity” resource online.

September 9, 2019/0 Comments/by Brad Wester

How Clearwater Beach Got Its Name

Clearwater Beach Blog

How Clearwater Beach Got Its Name

This seems like an easy question to answer. Clearwater Beach got its name from being a beach with clear ocean waves, right? Wrong.

The Clearwater area was first settled in the 1800s. At the time, the area was called Clear Water Harbor. In 1895 Clear Water was combined into a single word, Clearwater. I’ve never actually heard why it was combined to a single word, but the area became “Clearwater Harbor.” Eleven years later in 1906, “Harbor” was dropped, and the area just became “Clearwater.”

The beach in the area matched these changes and is Clearwater Beach. The first bridge connecting Clearwater to Clearwater Beach was a wooden bridge which was built in 1917. The access to Clearwater Beach opened the beach area to development.

That’s how the name Clearwater Beach took shape, but the inspiration for the word Clearwater or Clear Water needs to be talked about still. As mentioned before, it does not come from the clear Gulf of Mexico waters. It actually comes from the clear water of another water source.

The phrase clear water was used frequently in the area because there used to be many natural springs in the area. As the city of Clearwater (Clear Water Habor) was being created, you’d see crystal clear water from the natural springs running down the hills and into the bay. While these springs no longer exist, the city which was named after them continues to grow and attract visitors from around the world! Clearwater Beach has been ranked the #1 Best Beach in the United States and one of the Best Beaches in the World!

Learn more about the history of Clearwater, Florida on the city’s website and view unique historical photos on the Clearwater Historical Society’s website!

Check out “How has Clearwater Beach evolved over the past century? Florida Wonders explores.” by the Tampa Bay Times for amazing before and after photos of Clearwater Beach. There’s even photos of the original wooden bridge stretching 2 and a half miles from downtown Clearwater to Clearwater Beach!

September 3, 2019/0 Comments/by Brad Wester

Clearwater Beach Halloween 2019

Clearwater Beach Halloween 2019

Clearwater Beach, Florida is a safe and calm community. The only Clearwater Beach ghost story I’ve ever heard took place in Capitol Theatre in downtown Clearwater.

The Capitol Theatre was built in 1921 and rumor has it an old manager was murdered there and that he still “haunts” the theatre to this day. While that sounds like the start of a spooky story, it hasn’t seemed to play out to be too scary. The only story I’ve ever heard of this ghostly manager is quite kind. The ghost story of the Capitol Theatre I have heard is that “a maintenance worker standing on a ladder in the theater. […] He started to fall […] and felt someone grab him and pull him back up. When he looked around, he was alone.”

While Clearwater Beach is safe and calm even in it’s “haunted” location, the nearby areas can be quite spooky! If you’re looking for some Clearwater Beach Halloween events or parties, you’ll have safe ones in the area and scarier ones in the surrounding area!

Clearwater Beach Halloween Events

Free Halloween themed movies under the stars at Pier 60’s Sunset Cinema!

October 4, 2019: Monster’s Inc. (G)
October 5, 2019: Godzilla: King of Monsters (PG-13)
October 11, 2019: Scobby Doo (PG)
October 12, 2019: The Meg (PG-13)
October 18, 2019: Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (PG)
October 19, 2019: Hocus Pocus (PG)
October 25, 2019: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Crimes of Grindelwald (PG-13)
October 26, 2019: Ghostbusters (PG)
October 31, 2019: Robin Hood (PG-13)

Ghost Tours near Clearwater Beach

St. Petersburg Ghost Tour

“Peer into the shadows and mysteries of Florida’s “Sunshine City” on a candlelight walking tour of downtown St. Petersburg! Hear true ghost stories of wandering spirits, haunted mansions, phantom lovers, and age old curses…forgotten tales brought back to life. Join our costumed tour guides for a leisurely stroll along St. Petersburg’s quaint streets and beautiful waterfront!”

Tampa Ghost Tour

“In the city once described as the “damnedest town this side of Hell,” join us for a candlelight walking tour along vibrant streets filled with haunted treasures from the past! Experience an entertaining evening with tales of ghosts, haunted houses, restless spirits, and supernatural oddities, and discover the quirky, haunted past of Tampa, a place where the ordinary does not apply!”

Ybor City Ghost Tour

“On the OFFICIAL Ybor City Ghost Tour you will hear spine-tingling stories about real people, history, folklore, and the ghosts that have made Ybor City their playground. We are the perfect choice for night time family entertainment with a twist you’ll always remember.”

Ybor City Ghost Tour / Pub Crawl

“At Nightly Spirits Tampa, our haunted pub tours are unlike anything offered in the area! A combination of ghost tour and pub crawl in Ybor City that will take you to the creepiest side of Tampa. You will hear some of its most famous haunted stories and follow in the footsteps of deceased rum runners. Explore haunted bars, haunted buildings, and one of Tampa’s oldest area, all while having time to enjoy some tasty beverages along the way!”

Safety Harbor Ghost Tours

“Got Ghosts? Safety Harbor does…and we’ll tell you all about them…where they haunt and to what ends these spirits go to in order to make their presence felt by those currently living in and intruding upon their domain!”