The Gulf Coast city of St. Petersburg, Florida practically guarantees good weather for its visitors. With an average of 360 days of sunshine per year, St. Petersburg has become a very popular vacation destination for Canadians, Americans from northern states, and Europeans. Millions of tourists per year flock to this city of 246,000 to swim, surf, shop, and just lie on the beach. It's the second largest city in the Tampa Bay area, and as such has more than its fair share of activities and attractions. Here are some things you won't want to miss on your St. Petersburg vacation.

Topping the list, of course, is St. Petersburg's beaches. Whether you're a surfer, a wind surfer, a sandcastle builder, a beach volleyball player, a swimmer, or just a romantic, there's a St. Petersburg beach for you. There are over 35 miles of white sand shoreline here, including Caladesi Island State Park Beach and Fort DeSoto Beach, which have each received #1 Beach in America rankings from different organizations. Moving inland, the lakeside Boyd Hill Nature Park is a haven for rare plants and animals native to the Tampa Bay area, including bald eagles, which you can visit at your leisure.

If you need to duck out of the sun for a few hours, St. Petersburg has plenty of museums to keep you (and your kids!) happy. There's a museum for kids, a museum for art lovers, a museum for history buffs, even a museum dedicated to the wacky works of famed artist Salvador Dali. You can take a tour of the bay on a replica of the HMS Bounty, visit the aquarium on the pier, or take in a major league game if it's in season. Tampa Bay has teams in the national football, baseball and hockey leagues.

No trip would be complete without shopping, of course, and St. Petersburg has all the shops you could ever want, from souvenir boutiques to clothing chains, you could spend your entire vacation shopping! The Baywalk Complex is the big hitter, with dozens of stores, restaurants, clubs, and a movie theater, but there are plenty of outdoor districts you can walk in an afternoon as well. Antique lovers will delight in the Antique Alley district, while the downtown is packed with art galleries, both small and large. The best place for the St. Pete staples of seafood and beach gear, however, is the Pier. Visit one, or visit them all!