The day started out early for Pam and I as we had to attend the slick sales presentation for a timeshare. I knew right away that we were in for a delightful treat when our sales guy named Tom told us all about how great he was at closing two-thirds of his deals and how he was the company's number 8 man nationwide.
I had a big old Texas size grin knowing that I was going to watch Pam systematically take this guys aggressive high-pressure sales approach down. Tom already believed he had two suckers on the line waiting to sell us a condo with the discounted interest rate of 15% since we were such a lovely couple. What Paul did not realize was that besides being Supreme Ruler of the Fambam, Pam also played the role of Head Negotiator for her many times of wearing car salespeople down and even sometimes bringing them to their knees with a few tears.
Tom threw us every tactic he had up his sleeve with Pam coming back in a rebuttal that left Tom defenseless and confused looking. Like a lion about to eat his prey, he swooped in one more final time for the kill only to realize he had met he match and walked away in defeat. Pam understood the routine, and she knew Tom went to lick his wounds and call in the big guns for a shot at the title. Another guy named Chuck sat down and offered Pam a free all expense hotel anywhere she "desired" to travel. Chuck knew he had my beloved cornered like so many others in the past. Without blinking, Pam looked Chuck in the eye and said: "I don't like it when strings are attached!" Chuck was caught off guard and didn't know what to say. Pam stood up, and we were on our way to pick up the girls and head to Clearwater Beach as the timeshare company stayed to figure out what happened!
The drive from Orlando to Clearwater is close to two hours. The girls were quiet most of the way after adding a considerable amount of steps to their Fitbits from the amusement parks. Pam asked the girls about Disney, and they both seemed to love it and would return. This made us feel good about the decision to go at a time we had to deal with long lines, and not getting to see everything they wanted.
We pulled into Clearwater Beach, and all of us were relieved and excited to see the ocean. Pam made the pitch to me when we were planning the vacation to spend the extra couple bucks and get a hotel on the beach. The Hampton Inn Clearwater did not disappoint as we were treated like royalty the moment we walked in. Julie took good care of us checking in while the manager took Pam and the girls for a tour of the terrace that overlooked the ocean.
We went into our room and heard a knock on the door. A lovely lady named, Sadie took us to a much larger upgraded room with a fantastic balcony view of the ocean. The girls were excited about their living conditions for the next few days. I have been a Diamond member for a while and have been treated very well by Hilton in the past. But the Hampton Inn Clearwater Beach went above and beyond our wildest dreams for a great stay!
The Hampton Inn has a private beach equipped with a bar in case you find yourself thirsty. We got on our swimming attire to sink our toes into the whitest, softest sand I have ever felt on my precious tender feet. The girls ran into the ocean, and I ran to the bar for some much deserved and needed adult beverages.
With beer in hand, we watched the girls enjoy the water and bury each other in the sand.
They even got Pam to agree to the idea.
We laid around and did nothing for several hours other than relax. With the sun setting, the tide rising and the wind getting cooler it was time to take some showers and find some local seafood on the island.
We decided that we did not have an agenda as we walked down the beach and looked at the various menus and stores. The great thing about Clearwater Beach is that there is almost no chain restaurants or retail shops on the island. Most of them are locally owned.
We settled on a place called Crabby's for their wide selection of food as they seated us on the roof overlooking the ocean. They had space heaters all over the place to keep us warm as we enjoyed reminiscing about our trip.
The hardest decision we had to make on the day was what to choose from all the great menu options. Little D went for the traditional alfredo pasta. Pam and I split our meal that consisted of fish-n-chips, fried shrimp, and crab cakes and I also partook on a cup of clam chowder. AK went rogue and tried something new for a change. She landed on the idea of eating crab legs for her first time.
The fish-n-chips were terrific, and the clam chowder was the best I have ever had including my trips to Boston and San Fransico. Pam loved the shrimp, and Little D got the award for quote of the day when she said: "the alfredo sauce tastes liked the jarred kind." I told her I was sorry and she could order something else if she would prefer. She had a confused look on her face and returned with "That's my favorite kind!"
Pam and I were not sure how the crab leg experience was going to go for AK. She cracked into her first leg and took the delectable piece of meat for a swim in the butter before putting it in her mouth for pure satisfaction. AK fell in love with the crab legs and spent the next hour trying to hone her craft on breaking into them for the glorious tasting meat.
Nikki was our server and was spot on with her suggestions and taking good care of us during our visit. We gave Crabby's a collective five eaten crab legs on a five-point scale for its incredible food, great ambiance, and pleasant staff. Well played Crabby's, well played! If you find yourself wondering the island of Clearwater and have a hankering for some of the best seafood, you can eat, stop by Crabby's and ask for Nikki. You won't be disappointed.
We walked back to the hotel and laid down to rest for another day of beach time and island exploration.
The Fambam Travel Tips of the Day:
-Do spend the extra dough for a hotel on the beach when visiting Clearwater Beach (not only will your family appreciate you more, but you will not have to fight the crowds at the public beach).
-Do take the time to explore the island of Clearwater Beach (the locals are very kind, and it is nice knowing that you are not spending your money on corporate giants).
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