¶Well, it’s a bit of a sad day in St. Pete Beach. The Howard Johnson hotel, which sits just a few blocks down from our condo, is gone. The structure is still there, but it’s being refurbished and rebranded. The distinct orange roof is gone and construction is well underway. The Hilton Garden Inn will arrive soon.

¶The HoJo was my first exposure to St. Pete Beach, probably 45 years ago. My grandparents brought us down here. When they traveled, they would only stay at a Howard Johnson. So, each time they brought me here, we stayed at the HoJo (and ate dinner at the Brown Derby next door).

¶Sad to see it go. Progress sucks sometimes.

¶The rendering of the coming Hilton Garden Inn is beautiful, of course, and I’m sure the hotel will do fine. But, that space will always be the HoJo to me, and I’ll always remember it as my first exposure to my beloved St. Pete Beach.

¶We went to For DeSoto for a hike this morning and took Teddy along. He had a lot of fun exploring the nooks and crannies of the battery at the park. I had to carry him down the stairs–he’s still getting comfortable with those. But, other than that, he did great.

¶I couldn’t help but see Gandalf in these pipes and stains on concrete at the Battery in Fort DeSoto Park.

¶Technically, Teddy is a Medium. What do you do with that?