Tampa Bay Area
The Tampa Bay Area, on Florida’s Gulf Coast, is really several vacations in one. The city of Tampa, full of theme parks and zoos, is a great place to travel with kids, and it has nightlife and shopping options for grown-ups, too. St. Petersburg has so much culture it’s almost, well, surreal, and the Clearwater area has some of Florida’s best beaches.
Activities and Attractions:
Tampa is most famous for its animal attractions, including Busch Gardens Africa, where you can visit lions, elephants, hyenas, and white tigers. You can also ride some of the scariest roller coasters in the United States. Other Tampa animal attractions include the excellent Florida Aquarium, Lowry Park Zoo, and the Big Cat Rescue facility.
For fun after dark, visit Tampa’s heavily Cuban Ybor City neighborhood. The area grew up around the cigar industry, and you can still see stogies rolled by hand at the Ybor City State Museum. Ybor City is also Tampa’s liveliest nightlife district; you won’t have to look hard to find live music any night of the week.
St. Petersburg’s Salvador Dalí Museum possesses the world’s largest collection of the surrealist’s works. Art lovers can also visit the Museum of Fine Arts, with wide-ranging holdings. Don’t miss St. Petersburg’s iconic pier. You can fish and board cruise boats here, but the main attraction is the five-story entertainment complex housed in a striking inverted pyramid at the very end of the pier.
If you’re going to Florida for beaches, be sure to visit the Clearwater area. The Pinellas Peninsula has some of America’s best sand. St. Pete’s and Clearwater Beach are the most popular beaches, but to escape the crowds, try either Fort Desoto Park or Caladesi Island State Park.
Insider Tip:
Tampa is famous for its afternoon thundershowers. They rarely last long, but in summer they’re almost a daily occurrence, so be prepared to get a bit wet.
-Exclusively for Perfect Escapes by Nicole Clausing |
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