Eggmont Key stop and on to Manatee river
from St. Pete is a nice 1 day trip. You don't want to spend the night at Eggmont because it is too exposed. But it is a nice place to stop and have lunch. Part of the island is a bird sanctuary, so be careful where you try to land. (Check with Charter co.) Go on to the Manatee River (just south) and anchor off DeSoto Point.The other place folks tend to go is a little farther south to Longboat Key. Either down the intercoastal from the Gulf, or out into the Gulf and in through Longboat Pass. A couple of good places to eat.Weekends can be a bit tough in either place, but this is not the worst part of the year. Still if you can plan for mid week, I think you will be happy. You will probably have to dodge some afternoon storms.Of course if you charter through the Vinoy, you could just go out for the day, and be back in Saint Pete for the evening. If the wind is out of the south, it can be hard to get out of Tampa Bay. In which case most people head east of Saint Petersburg over to Apollo Beach (?? not sure of the real name, since people tend to call it beer can island). Decent place to anchor, and you can go up on the beach. Not very tranquil. You might want to do the daysail and enjoy St. Pete in the evening.If you want a beach, you need to go over to the Gulf side - St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island, etc.