Biking, In-Line Skating & Hiking -- With miles of flat terrain, the St. Petersburg area is ideal for bikers, in-line skaters, and hikers. The Pinellas Trail is especially good, as it follows an abandoned railroad bed 47 miles from St. Petersburg north to Tarpon Springs (tel. 727/464- 8201; www.pinellascounty.org/trailgd). The St. Pete trail head is on 34th Street South (U.S. 19), between 8th and Fairfield avenues south. It's packed on weekends. Free maps of the trail are available at the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce. The 2 1/2-mile-long Friendship TrailBridge, linking Tampa and St. Petersburg, is another popular venue for hikers, bikers, bicyclists, anglers, and in-line skaters, but be careful going up and down the steep center span, especially if you're on skates.

Golf -- One of the nation's top 50 municipal courses, the Mangrove Bay Golf Course, 875 62nd Ave. NE (tel. 727/893-7800), hugs Old Tampa Bay and offers 18-hole, par-72 play. Facilities include a driving range. Lessons and golf-club rental are also available. Fees are about $31 with cart, $23 without in winter, slightly lower during off season.

In Largo, the Bardmoor Golf & Tennis Club, 8001 Cumberland Rd. (tel. 727/392-1234; www.bardmoorgolf.com), is often the venue for major tournaments. Lakes punctuate 17 of the 18 holes on this par-72 championship course. Lessons and rental clubs are available, as is a Tom Fazio-designed practice range. Call for info on greens fees, which usually range from $25 to $75 depending on the season/time. The course is open daily from 7am to dusk.

Call Tee Times USA (tel. 800/374-8633; www.teetimesusa.com) to reserve times at these and other area courses.

For course information online, go to www.golf.com or www.floridagolfing.com; or call the Florida Sports Foundation (tel. 850/488-8347) or Florida Golfing (tel. 866/833-2663).

Sailing -- Steve and Doris Colgate's Offshore Sailing School (tel. 888/454-8002 or 239/454-1700; www.offshore-sailing.com) and the Annapolis Sailing School (tel. 800/638-9192 or 727/867-8102; www.annapolissailing.com) have operations here. Various courses, lasting from 2 days to a week, are offered. Contact the schools for prices and schedules.

Tennis -- You can learn to play or hone your game at the Phil Green Tennis Academy, at Safety Harbor Resort and Spa.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.