I’ve been to Tampa a couple of times and I just love it. I’ve only run into friendly people - no snobs yet. I don’t like renting cars when I travel - too much paying attention to the road leaves no time to sightsee so I use the buses and actually, they’ve got a pretty good transit system - except on Sundays. And yes, it’s true that the downtown is deserted on weekends but on a weekday it’s pleasant enough.
If you like interesting architecture, you have to visit the University of Tampa - stroll around the grounds; it’s gorgeous. Tootle around the Hyde Park area and have a bite. I liked Busch Gardens and the Museum of Art very much. Go to the Aquarium and then take the trolley to Ybor. The International Mall by the airport is pretty nifty - I had a wonderful meal there - there’s lots of restaurants and I’m guessing it’s a hopping spot in the evening because there were various bars. I haven’t been to
St. Pete’s ok, the museums are good and the Dali’s a don’t-miss but I find the city proper a bit dull. No, make that a lot dull.
Mosquitoes? That’s what you call those lumbering tea totalers you have in Florida? I would gladly trade the Mosquitoes of Florida for the late summer ones of Minnesota. The mosquitoes here exceed the speed of sound, and hit you with such force that you are left down a pint before you even feel the golfball sized welt forming. Florida skeeters have the wingspan of a crane, the speed of a snail, and the blood capacity of a flea fart.
Area colleges include the University of South Florida (multiple campuses), University of Tampa, Eckerd College, Florida Southern, New College, Ringling School of Art. I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few smaller schools (St. Leo’s?)
Several good golf courses: Saddlebrook, Innisbruck (sp?), the Eagles, and a few smaller courses and country clubs.
I lived in the Clearwater area for 5.5 years. If you are visiting in the summer it will be hot and humid. Plan to drink a lot of water. Personally I found the beaches to be fairly unpleasant. It’s 100 degrees and the water is 90 degrees. Not very refreshing. But I’m spoiled. I grew up at Hermosa Beach, CA (just south of LAX).
But if you do go to the beach - try Honeymoon Island (Dunedin - north of Clearwater) and go to the dog beach section - actual sand instead of rocks to lay on.
Drive west on Park Blvd and turn south on Seminole Blvd. Watch for the McDonalds on the east side at about 70th Ave; turn east next to the McDonalds and look to the south: A very large area of undeveloped land with cows abounding will be clearly in view. It may well be the home of the last commercial herd of cattle in Pinellas County but there it is. Every land developer in the Tampa Bay area would sell their mother’s, wives, and daughters to gain possession of that piece of land.
It has to be said that Polk County has been seriously slacking off in the cow department recently. Up until a few years ago, driving from Tampa to Orlando used to be like: "cow pasture – cow pasture – cow pasture – cow pasture – cow pasture – gas station/McDonalds – cow pasture – cow pasture – cow pasture – cow pasture – "
These days it’s: “new housing development – new housing development – cow pasture – construction site for new housing development – gas station/McDonalds – large sound barrier, presumably shielding new housing development – new housing development – cow pasture – USA Waterski – new housing development --”
Oh, yeah, yeah! I’d forgotten about that. I used to work delivery at the Pizza Hut on Seminole Blvd and I used to like going back in to that little area. A little bit of country in the middle of the concrete.
And Terrifel, you’re right about the part of Polk along I-4 and in the Bartow / Lakeland / Winter Haven triangle, but out in the boonies (Frostproof, Fort Meade, and most of the empty space), it’s still the country.
