Tampa Bay is approximately a one hour drive from Orlando. There are many things to do on a day trip or indeed a weekend visit. Here are just some of the more interesting attractions to keep you occupied.
Busch Gardens:
Probably what Tampa is most well known for. This is a family-orientated wildlife theme park which offers African safari and bird sanctuaries. The rides and attractions are environmentally conscious. Not always as busy as the Orlando parks.
Adventure city:
Perhaps not as well known as Busch Gardens, this is a Key West-style theme park. It has 30 acres of wild water rides and is worth a visit if you are looking for something new to do.
Be warned you will get drenched! Take a towel!
Lowry Park Zoo:
This is a typical zoo but it has a facility which helps and looks after injured Manatees, which are now an endangered species.
Florida Aquarium:
Specialises in the animals and birds found in the waterways of Florida.
Wildlife on Easy Street
This is a great place to visit! It offers guests the chance for actual contact with African exotic cats! The animals are of course tame! You can visit during the day but they offer something a little more exciting once the sun sets. They have an overnight tour where you get the opportunity to sleep with the cats in the same bed…..for the brave maybe?
MUSEUMS
There are lots of Museums in the area, a few are listed below:#
Tampa Museum of Art
Includes Greek and Roman collections as well as contemporary art.
Museum of Science and Industry
A lot of interactive displays keep you amused here and it is very educational. There is also an IMAX theatre and a planetarium. Great for kids.
Henry B. Plant Museum
This Museum was once the Tampa Bay Hotel but today the Museum concentrates on the hotel’s role in the Spanish-American War.
OTHER THINGS TO DO:
Bayshore Boulevard:
This is the world’s longest street! It is 5 miles long and a regular tourist attraction! It is traffic on one side and a stone wall on the other. It is home to some of the most expensive homes in Tampa. The best way to see it is to start at the Platt end (beside the hanging fish and pirate boat) and to keep on strolling. It is wheelchair accessible.
Ybor City
This was once the cigar capital of the world. It is now a bustling community. There is a museum which shows the areas history and also a brewery which is housed in an old cigar factory! Maybe more for grown ups, tattoo parlours and nightclubs etcetera! Has been described as a little bit of New Orleans in Florida!
Tampa Theatre
This is a national historical building which dates back to 1926. The have a Wurlitzer organ which they still play each night before the show begins!