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BayWalk is one of Tampa Bay's BEST places to enjoy the areas fine dining, shopping and entertainment located in the heart of beautiful downtown St. Petersburg, Florida.
Note one of the best ways to see Bay Walk is to get the St Pete Trolley from the pier. The trolley is only 25 cents. It will save you parking.
Has all sorts of special events too.
My favorite places
Happy Feet Plus
727.894.9633
Chico’s
727.898.8727
Metropolitan Outfitters
727.551.0641
Dan Marino’s Fine Foods & Spirits
727.822.4413
EB Games
727.821.0015
Five Fish
727.898.1475
Gratzzi's Ristorante
727.822.7769
Hurricane Pass Outfitters
727.823.1550
Johnny Rockets
727.821.0285
LolaJane's
727.898.4516
The Martini Bar
727.895.8558
Muvico 20 Theaters
Movie Listings
727.502.0965
Shapiro’s
727.894.2111
Tokyo Sushi Cafe
727.823.1912
TooJay’s Gourmet Deli 727.823.3354
A great Jewish deli - you'll get lots to eat for a little money - try the ruben
Wet Willie’s Daiquiri Bar
727.822.5650
White House/
Black Market
727.898.4246 Leave a Comment Address: St PeteDirections: FROM NORTH: I-275 South to I-375 (Exit 23A) Stay in extreme left lane which becomes 4th Avenue North. Turn right at 2nd Street North and proceed past 2nd Avenue North. Turn left into the Mid-Core Parking Garage (3/4 block).Website: http://www.baywalkstpete.com/
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Tampa’s Florida Aquarium is a little gem.
My favorite part of the Aquarium is the area that highlights the sea life found in Florida’s bayous, rivers and coral reefs in a natural looking atmosphere. The exhibit also features Florida’s birds.
The aquarium has a “no bone zone” with different types of jellyfish and an entire section of different types of seahorses from around “down under”.
Advice:
The aquarium also offers free shows but most of the time you’ll have to ask for a schedule to find out the show times. I would recommend looking at the schedule when you enter and plan your visit around one or two shows.
The shows are entertaining and educational. The main show to see is the one in the largest tank with the scuba divers. It’s offered several times a day and is a winner with the kids. Many of the shows are run by docent volunteers and vary. Two of my favorites are on training river otters (with demonstrations when the otters choose to cooperate) and feeding the baby alligators.
The aquarium also has a small outdoor water park so if you have children be sure to bring their bathing suits, shoes they can wear in the water and a towel or two.
The aquarium offers additional tours and packages such as swimming with the sharks, backstage passes and a dolphin tour – all cost additional.
The aquarium is next door to Tampa’s cruise ship port and the Channel Side Entertainment district. A free trolley is also available to take you to/from Ybor City (entertainment area) so you may want to combine your visit with some of the activities available in this area.
Tampa Residents: It takes less than two visits to pay for a years pass to the aquarium, so buy the pass the first time you visit and use it throughout the year. The pass also offers free/discounted entrance to other area attractions and is well worth the money. If you are going to buy the pass, do it before you park and save the parking fee (parking is free to members). Leave a Comment Directions: Downtown on Channelside Drive right next to the cruise ship terminals. The Ybor/downtown trolley stops at the entrance.Website: http://www.flaquarium.net/
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I just did this last weekend and had an AMAZING TIME. I did it as a mentor as part of a youth at risk program I am involved in and spent the weekend at the camp. The ropes course is also available for groups of family or friends. Call to check availability.
High Ropes Challenge Course*: Cedarkirk's High Ropes Course consists of 15 challenges suspended 24 feet in the air! This course focuses on the individual as they are "challenged by choice," learn more about themselves, and hopefully grow as people. This course is led by trained Cedarkirk facilitators. Participants must be 12 and older.
Low Ropes Initiatives Course*: Led by trained Cedarkirk staff, the initiatives course provides a great opportunity to learn more about group dynamics. This course consists of several obstacles that will hopefully challenge and stretch the brain. Discussion will follow as the group learns about how it communicated and how it can grow.
Cedarkirk Camp and Conference Center
1920 Streetman Drive
Lithia, FL 33547
The camp is geared towards groups,churches, non profits and retreat planners but individual groups/families are also welcome.
Please view the Cedarkirk website for more information and directions to the camp: http://www.cedarkirk.com/
Cedarick also offers canoing, tubing, a spiritual labyrinth, pool, volleyball, Zip lining, climbing wall and archery. Leave a Comment Address: 1920 Streetman Drive Lithia, FL 33547Phone: (813) 685-4224Directions: South of Brandon, on Lythia Pine Crest Road Past Fish Hawk From downtown Tampa it will take approximately 40 minutesWebsite: http://www.cedarkirk.com/ Other Contact: mark@cedarkirk.com
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There are quite a few places to go to high tea in Tampa. My favorite way to do "high tea" is to go all out and dress in a flowered dress and hat. Little girls love it too. Call ahead for high tea times and reservations.
High tea is also a great way to get out of heat during Tampa's summers.
Tea Rose Cottage
1901 N. 19th Street
Tampa, FL 33605
(813)248-2040
In Historic Ybor City
Rosemary Cottage Tea Room
4006 S Macdill Ave
Tampa, FL 33611-1545
Phone: (813) 805-6601
Maggies Tea Room
Phone: (813) 991-1212
10335 Cross Creek Blvd
http://www.experiencemiracles.com/
The Empress -
6810 E. Fowler Avenue, Temple Terrace, FL
ph 813-988-9027
Mon - Sat: 11:00am to 3:30pm (High Tea)
Kaleisia Tea Lounge
1441 E Fletcher Ave, Tampa, FL
ph 813-977-8266
Mon-Sat: 10:00am to 10:00pm; Sun: 12:00pm to 6:00p Leave a Comment
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Ybor city is the area where Tampa's original ethnic inhabitants settled and is one of only three national historic districts in Florida.
At one time Ybor was the "Cigar capital of the world". Due to that distinction it is best known for its Cuban history but other ethnic groups who were new to America also settled in this area, including the Spanish and Italian immigrants. The area maintains its old feel, the streets are paved with bricks and the street lamps are wrought iron. They area is also littered with historical markers.
When walking the streets of Ybor look for:
1) Cigar shops = Ybor was originally Tampa?s cigar making districts and is therefore a great place to sit down and have a cigar and see demonstrations on hand rolling cigars
2) Columbian Restaurant - located at the far end of 7th street the Columbian is a landmark Tampa restaurant opened for lunch and dinner
3) Ybor Museum - Great way to get a feel for the area?s history
4) Shops - tons of small unique shops and galleries are in this area many our quite eccentric and fun to visit
5) Centro Ybor Entertainment district -is an upscale modern area but retains the Ybor's red brick facade and flavor located on 6th street and has modern shops, bars, nightclubs, eateries
6) Historical Markers that document the local area
7) Historic Buildings - These include the large cigar factories and ?Clubs? that serviced the ethnic population in the area. Most of these clubs are large red brick three story buildings and are easy to spot once you know to look for them. In the past these clubs were an essential part of the ethic populations. Clubs such as the Centro Espanol, Centro Asturiano and Unione Italiana have been restored and are still used today. Many are worth peaking inside. If your luck a club member will take you on a tour and explain the history of the building. Leave a Comment Address: 7th and 8th street Ybor CityDirections: Minutes from Downtown Tampa. Close to the Flordia Aquarium and Channelside districts. They are too far to walk but free public trollies are available The best place to park in Ybor is in the public parking garages. The first hour is free.
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Swing Dancing is always a great thing to do around Tampa. There are many great venues to visit. I think one in Ybor is at Centro Asturiano every Thursday in the Grand Ballroom. Also, you can learn more about Tampa and other cities in the area at http://www.tampahomeguides.com.
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Ybor City is known as Tampa’s Latin section and offers an eclectic array of Spanish, Cuban, Italian, Greek and French food, shops and bars.
This area of the city was originally founded in 1885 by Vicente Martinez-Ybor as a cigar-manufacturing center. Today, you can wander through the old cigar factories that have now been adapted into shops and restaurants. Ybor City is one of only two National Historic Landmark Districts in Florida.
The atmosphere feels a little like New Orleans with wrought iron balconies and narrow stone streets. You can feel the history as you wander through the neighborhood.
On a slightly less appealing side, I’ve heard that most people are careful not to venture far from Ybor Centro at night as the area gets a little rough.
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Lowry Park Zoo is a nice zoo that surprised my whole group with its size and variety of animals. I had no idea a zoo like this was located in Tampa. Apes and gorilla, camels and manatees...it's a large and fun location for the family.
The zoo is fairly spread out, so wear comfortable walking shoes. The animals are broken up by region and you can move between regions without backtracking much (a problem I've run into at other zoos).
The zoo has been open since 1988 and is a zoological garden. The landscaping and walking trails make the visit pleasant (for reasons other than the animals) and the large trees shade visitors from the Florida sun. Aside from the usual zoo features, Lowry Park Zoo offers a few rides, animal shows, a kids zone, camel rides and an opportunity to feed the giraffes and rhinos - a must!
The zoo's hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas days. Check the weather if you're planning a visit as it may close for bad weather as well.
Tickets are $14.50 for kids 3-11, $18.95 for adults, and $17.95 for seniors. Kids 2 and under are free. There is also a large lot with free parking. Directions: Lowry Park Zoo is on the corner of Sligh Ave. and North Blvd about 1 mile west of I-275Website: http://www.lowryparkzoo.com
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The Florida Aquarium is a fairly small aquarium (I live in Monterey, CA – I’m aquarium spoiled) right outside downtown Tampa. The aquarium has exhibits that show the local sea life in fresh water rivers and streams as well as the Gulf of Mexico.
We visited on a fairly crowded day and it was difficult to observe some of the exhibits, but we managed to see most of the fish and sea critters. The entire aquarium can be experienced in a couple of hours depending on how crowded it is.
We enjoyed watching the river otters and water fowl. The large reef exhibit was a relaxing place to sit and watch the fish go by. The shark exhibit looked interesting, but the viewing area is small and it was quite crowded the day we were there.
The Florida Aquarium’s hours are 9:30AM-5:00PM daily. Tickets are $17.95 for adults, $14.95 for seniors, $12.95 for kids ages 3-12 and children 2 & under are free.
Check the website for show schedules and feedings to plan your visit around some of the extras the aquarium offers. Directions: Downtown on Channelside Drive right next to the cruise ship terminals. The Ybor/downtown trolley stops at the entrance.Website: http://www.flaquarium.net/
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Downtown Tampa is often overlooked but it has a lot to offer. From the amazing architecture of the Old Tampa Hotel at the University of Tampa to the towering skyscrapers history and impressive architecture are in abundance. Key landmarks include the Tampa City Hall (1914), Tampa Theater (1926), and Sacred Heart Church (1905).
Downtown parks include Joe Chillura Courthouse Square Park. Leave a Comment
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on June 10, 2008
on February 1, 2008
on January 29, 2008
on January 15, 2008
