Pier Park is the easiest answer when the group starts asking what there is to do besides the beach. It is an open-air stretch of shops, restaurants and entertainment, anchored by a 100-foot Ferris wheel that is worth the ride once for the view over the Gulf. There is a movie theater if the kids need air conditioning and a break from the sun, arcades, an escape room, and enough restaurant options that nobody has to agree on one cuisine. Parking is free and spread across several lots, though it fills up fast on weekend evenings, so aim to arrive by late afternoon if you want an easy spot. It is about a 10 minute drive from the house, straight up Thomas Drive and onto Front Beach Road. Go in the late afternoon and stay through sunset — the string lights come on, the heat breaks, and it turns into more of a stroll than an errand. Good one for a night when everyone wants to be out of the house but nobody wants to plan much. Bring a stroller if you have little ones; the walkways are flat and wide.
