>WHEN YOU GO

Pier 60 fishing: Pier 60 is a cityowned/operated fishing pier with a bait house/shop. Daily fishing fees are $5.25 for kids age 5 to 15, $6.75 for seniors and $8 for adults. The pier has group coverage for fishing licences. Rod rentals are $8 and come with a bait bucket, bait knife and bobber. From March 1 until Nov. 30, the fishing pier is open 24-7. From Dec. 1 to Feb. 28 (including Christmas Day), there are slightly reduced hours. You can pay $1 to walk onto the gated fishing end of the pier. Details: pier60fishing.com

Get there: WestJet and Air Canada fly direct from Toronto to Tampa International Airport and it’s about a three-hour flight. You clear U.S. immigration here in Canada, so things move quickly once you land. Get to/from the airport: It’s about a 35-minute drive from the airport to Clearwater Beach. Take a taxi or SuperShuttle (supershuttle.com), which offers private sedans and SUVs, shared-ride vans and nonstop vans.

Get around: You can walk around Clearwater Beach, hail taxis or call Florida Free Rides (floridafreerides.com), a hybrid transportation/marketing company where you just tip the driver if you’re going within the free, local area. It’s about a half-hour walk from Pier 60 to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The Jolley Trolley (clearwaterjolleytrolley.com) is another option, with adult fares at $2.25 or $5 for the day. Its Clearwater Beach route goes downtown, and its coastal route goes through Dunedin and up to Tarpon Springs.

When to go: It used to be that Canadian snowbirds came here from Valentine’s Day to Mother’s Day, but the “Sunshine State” is a year-round destination. Temperatures can range from cool to scorching, so check the weather forecasts.