Tampa

Tampa is the largest city on the Gulf Coast, but it was largely ignored as an obscure outpost for hundreds of years. Now it is a thriving metropolis with much to see and do.

The great boom for Tampa came when Henry B. Plant connected Tampa to his railroad, and Vicente Martinez Ybor opened his massive cigar factory here. The names of these two distinguished gentlemen are everywhere in Tampa. Yet even these two men, with their foresight, could not have predicted that Tampa would flourish into the first rate city it is now.

The Tampa Museum of Art has artwork ranging from Greek and Roman antiquities to the best collection of sculptures by C.Paul Jennewein. This sculptor has work at the Rockefeller Center in NY to the Department of Justice Building in DC, to the pediment on top of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. When you see his collection, you may be surprised to be more acquainted with his works than you think.

The Florida Aquarium is a good place to bring the kids. Rather than focus solely on the aquatic animals, the aquarium focuses on the importance of water, and traces a drop of water on a journey from a spring to beaches. Adults can pay extra money to scuba dive with Nurse, Sand Tiger, and Black Tip sharks.

If thrill rides excite you, head to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. This park has hundreds of animals from all over Africa roaming through its safari, but it also has some of the best roller coasters on the east coast, including Kumba, Montu, Gwazi, and SheiKra. There is also fantastic Broadway-style shows and dining options. This park is very clean and family friendly. Adventure Island is the corresponding water park, which is a great way to cool down on a hot day. Some of the most popular attractions here are the Key West Rapids, Tampa Typhoon, Gulf Scream, and Aruba Tuba.

The Channelside district used to be abandoned warehouses, but now it is home to a massive megaplex that houses IMAX theatres, a skating rink, countless restaurants, bars, clothing, and gift stores. There is plenty of parking set aside for this establishment.

There is also plenty of golf courses and professional teams. The Tampa Bay Bucaneers play in the NFL, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays represent in MLB, and the Tampa Bay Lightning play hockey in the NHL. There are many golf courses surrounding Tampa, including the popular Saddlebrook, Summerfield, and Tournament Players Club.

Florida Tourists Guide