We have always gone to Maderia Beach which is close to Clearwater and I believe St. Petersburg. It is on the gulf side and I loved the water and the light waves. I could find lots of beautiful shells and the water was easy for my DD who was 1yr at the time. Sand was also really nice. We stayed in condos on the beach. Maybe you could find a condo that will rent for a few days. They also have some cute little shops on a boardwalk that we could walk to from our condo. I can't remember the name of the Condo complex, it was my mom's friends condo and we rented it from her for the week.
Just loved it there. It should be pretty much on your way home. There are other beaches along the same stretch, Remington Beach, Treasure Island beach. Those are the ones I can remember off the top of my head.