Going to Tampa next month....

[Stuckinthebush]

I have a few days to knock around before I have to present at a conference.

What should I do? I've been there once, but briefly, so I have very little knowledge of the area.

Should I drive over to the Gulf, or is there something to do inland. Or, is there much to do in Tampa that is fun/interesting.

Thanks for the advice!

[SlavesandBulldozers]

1. I'd go to captiva

which is a little further south right on the Gulf, but definitely within distance to go and hang out. it's beautiful, and it has a laid back caribbean feel and BEAUTIFUL beach. the weather's been great in fl lately.

There's nothing to do inland in Tampa, I'd say find a nice place by the beach somewhere away from the city and just chill.

[Stuckinthebush]

2. I'm looking on a map

where exactly is Captiva?

Is it near Clearwater (North or South?)

Thanks for the help!

[Stuckinthebush]

3. Wait! I see it!

It is near Ft. Myers. Is that a long drive?

[trof]

4. yes

Too far for a day trip.

If you like Greek food, do your own GreekFest at Tarpon Springs.
Settled by Greek sponge fishermen. Right next door to Tampa.
http://www.tarponsprings.com/

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/FLTARsponge.html

[Stuckinthebush]

5. Thanks, trof...

You get around, bud! :D

[trof]

6. Driving, or flying?

One of the most beautiful drives on the planet is down the beach from Pensacola Beach to around Carrabelle and Lighthouse Point. Get off of 98 and take county roads right on the beach when possible.

If you have time, stay at The Moorings at Carrabelle.
$75 week nights and all suites with kitchens. It's a beautiful marina. There's a good tacky little seafood place just across the bridge.
http://www.mooringscarrabelle.com/rates.html#lodgingrates

[Stuckinthebush]

9. Flying to Tampa

But I'm going to rent a car and mess around while there.

Thanks for the pointers!

[lpbk2713]

17. Be advised there is a lot of construction activity on Interstate 4

between Tampa and Orlando. Be prepared for delays if you go this way.

[bearfan454]

10. We went to Fla 2 summers ago to visit my parents.

I loved the Greek food at the Olympic Cafe in Braidenton on 64 just before you get to Anna Marie Island. Real gyros cooked on a spit, not that storebought Kronos crap. Real pita bread and the cucumber sauce is to die for. Mrs bearfan had the baklava and souvlaki. Superb also. We liked the place so much we drove back 45 minutes the next day just to have lunch. Mmmmmmmmmmmm. We loved it.

[DiverDave]

7. If you are

into steaks, Bern's steak house is great...very pricey though.
Go down to ybor city, Cuban enclave and the Artists and Writers ball is held at the Cuban club in Feb. (at least it was awhile ago)
Find a seafood place and get a grouper sandwich, they are yummy.
They opened an aquarium after I left, I hear it's pretty cool.
Visit Sarasota, the Ringling brothers Barnum and Bailey museum is there, the circus winters there too.
There is a bunch to do there, have fun!

[bearfan454]

11. Ybor Gold beer rocks.

Very close to Sun City where my parents live.

[Purrfessor]

24. Bern's is one of the finest steak houses in the world

Here's a link to their website.

http://www.bernssteakhouse.com/bs_frame.htm

After dining at Bern's you can retire to their dessert room where, along with eating dessert, you can actually smoke one or two of those Cuban style cigars in a private room.

Check out the website, it's quite fascinating.

Waiters have to apprentice for one-and-a-half to two years before they can wait tables solo.

[trof]

8. Oh, yeah-The Florida Aquarium

Downtown Tampa.
Worth seeing.
http://www.flaquarium.net/VisitorInfo/Info.asp

[trof]

12. And some other attractions:

http://www.belleviewbiltmore.com/area_attractions.html

[Stuckinthebush]

13. Good stuff!

Thanks again.

By the way, are you a subscriber to the Yellow Dog Dem Newspaper?

If so, what do you think? I've been meaning to subscribe, but just haven't yet.

[trof]

14. I swiped their bumper sticker

from the website.
I'm procastinating about joining. It's $10/mo. minimum. $120 a year.
I have come to learn the full meaning of "retired, living(?) on a fixed income".

[DiverDave]

15. There

was a place called Skippers, out by USF.
On Wednesday nights they used to have reggae night.
They have (had?) a huge area out back with thatch covered picnic tables.
So cool, drinking beer, listing to reggae and looking at the stars...In January:hippie:

Lots 'O fun

[DiverDave]

16. I found the link for

Skippers smokehouse...they still have reggae on Wednesday night

http://www.skipperssmokehouse.com/

[BeFree]

18. Ahh...Skippers..

Oh the memories. The music...the dancing.... the women.

Thanks Diver Dave.

[BeFree]

19. Also...

Check out Canoe Escape, NE of Tampa. If you'd like to canoe through a wilderness preserve with gators and birds, you'll like the Hillsborough River.

The best beach is Honeymoon State Park, on the coast, 30 miles west of Tampa. Drive all the way out to the last parking lot and set out north on foot. Or go to the picnic area and walk through a beautiful pine forest and to a secluded beach. So secluded that it used to be a hangout for nudies!

North of Tampa are a slew of nudist camps.

Ybor City, in Tampa is the nightspot.

If you have time for a protest, there probably is one ongoing at the gates of MacDill AFB, where Centcom is based.

[YNGW]

20. I grew up in Tampa

Ybor City is a must see. It's the old part of town when they used to make cigars. Big Spanish (Cuban) restaurant there called the Columbia Restaurant. If you don't eat there, eat Spanish food somewhere. (Not Mexican. Spanish. There's a difference.)

If you had a day to kill, you could go to Busch Gardens.

Plenty of malls around the area. Plenty of restaurants.

On the St. Pete side, you could always to go Ft. DeSoto Park. That's the very southern tip of St. Pete. For fun you could drive over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and back.

Tarpon Springs was mentioned and I highly recommend going there. Eat at Pappa's Restaurant while you're there, great Greek food. If you go to Tarpon Springs you could drive out to Honeymoon Island, that's nice.

If you had time, you could drive to Winter Haven and go to Cypress Gardens. The flowers probably aren't quite full and I doubt they'll be having their water-shows yet, but still pretty.

Sarasota has the Ringling Bros. Museum which is worth seeing.

Any questions, just ask.

[lpbk2713]

21. I hate to be a bummer but.........

Cypress Gardens shut down about a year ago. Mgmt just couldn't make a profit. Didn't get the required attendance. It was up for sale for a while till someone bought it about a month ago. They didn't buy all the property though. It won't be the same attraction. I believe the new mgmt wants it to be more on the idea of an amusement park. (I live in Lakeland BTW)

[camero]

27. The sponge docks also

in Tarpon Springs.

[KG]

22. i live in St Pete, on the other side of tampa bay.

tampa sucks.

st pete has the best downtown, resturants, museums, beaches, etc.

look me up.

[chookie]

23. There's a nice aquarium there

But for heaven's sake -- go to the beaches!!!!!

I am a Floridian living in exile in PA -- gosh how I miss it!

I have to concur, however, that St Pete is by far the cooler place to hang out.

If you are an art lover, then two suggestions: The Dali Museum in St Pete, which is excellent -- and the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, which has a large collection of Rubens plus a couple of Caravaggios -- first rate. The Ringling is also set in magnificent grounds on the Gulf -- deleriously beautiful.

I also have to concur that Tarpon Springs is a fun trip -- very cute Greek community. Pappas Restaurant is the most popular, but my personal favorite is Ellenas.

Have fun.

[mykpart]

25. Since you'll be in Tampa,

why not get some Tampax? Then you can swim, go horseback riding, play tennis, go skating, etc.!

[camero]

26. Go to the Gulf

Clearwater Beach is not bad this time of year. Or Ybor City on a Friday night. I live near Clearwater about 20 miles from Tampa.