Hey y'all, City Editor Bailey here.

I'll let you in on a little secret. Visiting an estate sale is one of the best ways to explore any city — and especially Tampa Bay's many neighborhoods.

I like to make an experience out of every estate sale. I'll mosey around the home, apartment or pad du jour to hunt for homewares or clothes, drive through the neighborhood, and stop by a coffee shop, bakery, park, or really whatever grabs my attention.

First, check out Estatesales.net or Estalesales.org early in the week to bookmark sales you're interested in. Lots of sales start on Wednesday or Thursday, but many continue through the weekend. Plus, download the estatesales.net app, and hit directions on your sale of choice, and the app will load the correct address into your phone's maps program.

Here's what I got up to on a recent trip:

Stopped by an estate sale in Clearwater (but basically in Dunedin) filled with blue and white treasures. One of the best parts of estate sales is getting to see all kinds of homes and neighborhoods. I like to take pictures and make mental notes of design ideas, etc. for the future.
After the sale, I walked the whole of Dunedin's Main Street and grabbed a Dunedin Bliss at you guessed it, the Dunedin Coffee Company & Bakery, the Dunedin Coffee Company & Bakery (730 Broadway #3, Dunedin). Then I slurped away and tucked into a fresh oatmeal cookie while getting some work done — this is a great opportunity for eavesdropping and people watching.
Took in the Blue Jays Spring Training foot traffic and found a new fave while wandering: Back in the Day Books. The store (355 Main St., Dunedin) stocks brand new titles, used and rare books, plus it has excellent old-school displays (sliding ladder included).

Honestly, it can be easy (and lovely) to fall into a routine, but a good hunt may just help break you out of a rut and expose you to new favorite places and people.