5-Nights The Don CeSar Hotel from $1,236

Facing Tampa Bay on the opposite side from Tampa, the city of St. Petersburg, Florida, commonly referred to as St. Pete, attracts visitors with a vibrant downtown of historic buildings, a diverse arts scene, and cultural attractions such as the Salvador Dali Museum, the symphony at Ruth Eckerd Hall and theater at American Stage.

On the Gulf side of the peninsula in Pinellas County, the towns of Clearwater Beach and St. Pete Beach are welcoming swaths of Gulf water lapping at white sand, backed by restaurants, souvenir shops, and boogie-board-and-bikini boutiques. Caladesi Island, Honeymoon Island and Fort de Soto Park are all noteworthy Pinellas beaches.

The St. Petersburg downtown area, once sleepy and empty at night, has been revitalized, in part thanks to Sundial St. Pete, an entertainment and restaurant complex, and an explosion of high-rise luxury condos. Also, boutique cafes and restaurants, bars, art galleries, museums and a variety of shops and other businesses stretch along more than 3 mi/5 km of Central Avenue west from the bayfront.