Fun things to do in Tampa

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There is a plaque at the Hillsborough County Court House is in commemoration of a speech given by President John F. Kennedy in October 1960. President Kennedy visited Tampa again on November 18th 1963, just four days before he was assassinated in Dallas. In fact the motorcade traveled a 20 mile route around Tampa, including down Tampa's wide Grand Central Avenue, most of which has since been renamed Kennedy Avenue.

The plaque at the courthouse reads:


On this site
The President of the United States
John Fitzgerald Kennedy
addressed the citizens of the
Tampa Bay Area
and received the ovation of some
10,000 persons on the declaration
of his Latin American policy
Oct. 18, 1960.

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In front of the Hillsborough County Courthouse in downtown Tampa you will find the Hillsborough County Confederate Monument. This historic monument was funded by the United Daughters of the Confederacy and unveiled on February 8, 1911. The monument called "in Aeterna," and it is made of imported Italian marble. Originally constructed in front of the first Tampa Courthouse at on the southwest corner of Franklin and Lafayette Streets, it was moved to the present location in 1952 following completion of the new Hillsborough County Courthouse.

The solider facing north represents the warrior heading off to war in 1861, while the soldier facing south the battered and injured veteran returning home from the war.

The poem on the monument was written by Sister Esther Carlotta, a Roman Catholic nun, who was president of the Florida Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy; it reads:


Not theirs the rush of maddened wrath
that reckless sundered ties of blood,
but honor's beacon showed the path
where dauntless duty stoop.
Through famine years they followed far
where her unswerving banners led -
beyond her glory's flame - tipped star -
behind her - honor's dead.
The years their slow progression keep.
The banner barred with red is furled -
but now its gray clad - soldiers sleep
the heroes of a world

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In the summer of 2012, we saw the Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw "Brothers of the Sun" tour at Raymond James Stadium. The set us the stage in one end zone and sold tickets for about two thirds of the 65,000 seats in the stadium (the rest were behind the stage).

We arrived as the warm up act, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, was playing. I had never heard of them, so really didn't have any interest. I was more entertained by the massive number of drunk cowboys that had descended on Tampa.

Just prior to Tim McGraw coming onstage, we made our way up... and up... and up to our seats in the upper deck about 15 rows from the top, at the opposite end of the stadium from the stage. We were so far away that you really would have needed binoculars to see anything. Since we didn't bring binoculars, we decided to make due with beer goggles to improve our view. It turns out the sound is horrible when you are a half mile from the speakers as well.

The concert was enjoyable, despite the fact that we couldn't see or hear anything. At least it was free due to my employer handing out some tickets. I can't imagine paying $50 or so for those seats.

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The historic Sulphur Springs Water Tower was built in 1927 and it stands 214 feet tall, with a base buried 45 feet under ground. The 200,000 gallon storage tank in the tower was built to provide water to the Sulpher Springs Hotel and the attached Mave's Arcade, the first shopping mall in the state of Florida. The arcade was flooded in 1933, which was followed by the Great Depression, and the owners went bankrupt. The tower continue to provide water to the local into the 1970s before it was decommissioned.

In 2005, the City of Tampa purchased the tower and surrounding land (formerly a drive in movie theater) for nearly $3 million and has named the area Water Tower Park. This is now a 12.52 acre park, connected to Sulpher Springs Park under I-275.

For those of you visiting the Tampa Bay area with children it is nice to know that we have a ton of free/cheap parks, playgrounds and pools.

Here are a few I thought that were mentioning.
1) Highland Family Aquatic Center is more like a mini water park then a pool @ 400 Highland
Ave, Largo.(small charge) http://www.largo.com/department/division.php?fDD=13-176

2) Huge circus-themed playground @ 2050 Adams Lane, Sarasota @ offers two areas for different
age groups: an area for children ages 2-to-5 and one for ages 5-to-12. The playground
encompasses one-half acres and more than 300 children can play simultaneously.

Tampa Bay times list of 10 water playgrounds
http://www.tampabay.com/features/parenting/article636016.ece

City of Tampa's list of playgrounds
http://www.tampagov.net/dept_parks_and_recreation/

List of indoor playgrounds (these all charge)
http://fitkidsplayground.com/fitkids-tampa/

Tampa Bay Onlines List of playgrounds in Tampa - will give you one one closest to you.
http://directory.tbo.com/FL-Tampa/Playgrounds

Orlando Playground guide (some of these will be worth the drive). Website has pictures -
http://tampaplaygrounds.com/

For a complete list of all the Tampa city parks and what they offer (remember neighborhoods
also have parks that are not on this list):
http://www.tampagov.net/dept_parks_and_recreation/park_search/parks_help.asp

Pinellas county parks - http://www.pinellascounty.org/park/default.htm

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Lowry Park Zoo is a 56 acre facility located in the Seminole Heights area of Tampa. A non-profit, the zoo was named America's number one zoo by Parents magazine 2009 & Child magazine 2004.

The first Tampa zoo was established on the University of Tampa grounds, but was moved to its present site at Lowry Park in 1957. By the 1980s, the zoo had become a bit run down, and it was completely rebuilt and reopened in 1988.

The zoo has five main areas: Safari Africa, Primate World, Asian Gardens, the Florida Wildlife Center, and a Children's Zoo. Safari Africa, just constructed in 2004 and expanded several times in recent years, features rhinoceros, meerkats, African elephants, endangered okapi, giraffes, camel rides, and the park's featured restaurant called O'Reilly's Reserve. Primate World was created in the zoo's 1988 reconstruction, and it houses Bornean Orangutan, Chimpanzee, Lemurs, Squirrel Monkeys and more.

The best beach in the area (if you like kinda wild, maybe blustery, fairly uncluttered places--although not very large) is Pass-a-Grille, one of those off the coast of St Pete.
For utter romance in hotels, go to the "Pink Palace," the Don ce Sar, also near St Pete (http://www.loewshotels.com/en/Don-CeSar-Beach-Resort?chebs=bl_loews_doncesar). You want romance? They got it in spades. No other word will do. The web site will let you know whether it's a match with what you're looking for.
Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota is great fun, maybe try Ringling Art Galleries/Garders/Circus Museum. Lots of little shops on Longboat Key.
Check local online papers for fish/farmer markets and ask around. Every neighborhood has its secrets but folks love to share that stuff. And visit Gulfport in south St Pete. This artists' haven (home of the Beach Theatre where The Rocky Horror Picture Show is still running) is our own La Boheme.

I haven't been here yet but I just had to include this. It sounds like a wonderful thing to do during hot summer days in Flroida, especially if you have children

welcomes all ages, beginners to professional athletes to defy gravity on our Giant Trampoline Arena! Whether you want to enjoy open jump, play dodgeball (BOING! style), host a party or event, or get a crazy workout doing BOINGRobics, BOING! Jump Center is the place for you!

Located at 622-624 Ware Blvd, Tampa 33619, next to
Brandon Crossroads Bowl
Phone: 813-341-4897
Email: info@boingjumpcenter.com