Expand Your Horizons
When it comes to the Sunshine State and all it has to offer, Central West Florida presents a little of the best of everything: powder-soft, white-sand beaches; thrilling theme parks; back-to-nature spots; vibrant nightlife scenes; captivating worldclass museums; and much more.
ARTS AND CULTURE
If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Central West Florida has plenty to share. A showpiece on the Riverwalk in downtown Tampa, a pedestrian walkway that meanders through the city along the Hillsborough River, the Tampa Museum of Art is housed in an architectural work of art designed by Stanley Saitowitz. Inside, an incredible collection of contemporary and classical art, as well as enticing traveling exhibitions, are on display. From the museum, follow the Riverwalk south to the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, showcasing works by local, national and international photographers, as well as historical collections. Farther along the river, the Tampa Bay History Center tells the stories of the city on the bay. A short trolley ride from the Tampa Bay History Center, Ybor City is a living museum in itself. Once the “Cigar Capital of the World,” this small city within a city was rich with cigar factories where workers rolled millions of cigars annually. Today, the brick streets are lined with cafés and shops, a few of which sell hand-rolled cigars, while the Ybor City Museum provides an inside look at yesteryear.
Back in downtown Tampa, step back into simpler times and the splendor of the storied 1920s “movie palace,” the Tampa Theatre. Tour the mesmerizing theatre before the main feature begins, then sit back and relax while a volunteer organist serenades you on the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ before the curtain rises.
Within walking distance of each other in downtown St. Petersburg are the Chihuly Collection at the Morean Arts Center, featuring 10,000 square feet of amazing works of glass art by the master himself, and the Museum of Fine Arts, with thousands of objects spanning 4,500 years, from antiquity to the present. Not far from these two museums, the Dalí Museum displays the world’s largest collection of Salvador Dalí’s work outside of Spain, including 1,300 graphics, photos, sculptures and objets d’art; 96 oil paintings; and more than 100 watercolors and drawings. The structure housing the Dalí Museum is in itself a surreal piece of art.
To the north of Tampa, Dunedin is filled with galleries and regularly hosts arts and craft shows throughout the year. If you’re in the area January 7-8, 2017, head over to the 20th Annual Downtown Dunedin Art Festival, which showcases more than 100 of the nation’s most talented artists and a broad spectrum of media including sculptures, glass, paintings, jewelry and ceramics. Admission is free. Every spring, world-class Scottish athletes descend upon Dunedin for the annual Highland Games & Festival that include a traditional Scottish gathering with music and dance, a parade and a full day of events and competitions.
For a peek into the history of the area, check out the annual Fort Cooper Days event in Inverness, where re-enactments of the Second Seminole War are held twice a day along with living history demonstrations.
ATTRACTIONS
When it’s time to go wild, be sure to visit Big Cat Rescue in Tampa. One of the largest accredited sanctuaries for exotic cats in the world, this is home to about 100 lions, tigers, bobcats and cougars that have been rescued and are now cared for by loving staff and volunteers. Another place to enjoy close encounters with animals is Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, five-time winner of TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence. Spend a day observing animals from Africa, Australia, Asia and beyond, learn about their habitats and how to protect them, and you’ll easily see why it’s rated so highly. Discover all of the wonders that lie beneath the water’s surface at the Florida Aquarium in downtown Tampa. Meet penguins, dive with sharks (SCUBA-certified only), swim with fish (for ages six and older) or sharks (for ages nine and older), or cruise out onto the waters of Tampa Bay to watch for dolphins.
In its 46th year, the largest non-profit wild bird sanctuary in the US—the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary in Indian Shores (located between St. Petersburg and Clearwater)—has been dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and (hopeful) release of sick, injured and orphaned birds.
North of Indian Shores, Winter, the star of Dolphin Tale, makes her home at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and is always happy to greet her fans. Plenty of other marine life live alongside Winter: stop and say hello to her friends, Hope and Nicholas, and the resident sea turtles, otters, stingrays, sharks, pelicans and clown fish. You can get out on the water here, too, on board the aquarium’s 90-minute Sea Life Safari.
Take another look beneath the water and you’ll find mermaids in the crystal-clear waters at Weeki Wachee Springs.
More amusement is found winding down the Weeki Wachee River on a Bayport River Safari; cooling off in the new indoor ice rink at Florida Hospital Center Ice in Wesley Chapel; creating art at the Glazer Children’s Museum in Tampa; indoor skydiving at the new iFly in Brandon; and walking among life-size dinosaurs at Dinosaur World in Plant City, not to mention the thrilling rides at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
BEACHES AND OUTDOOR GEMS
Central West Florida’s stretches of sugarwhite, powder-soft sandy beaches found along the Gulf of Mexico each have their own personalities and are perfect playgrounds for all ages.
For a quiet, more natural beach day without high rises towering behind you, consider Fort De Soto Park, south of St. Pete Beach, or Anclote Key Preserve State Park to the north. Caladesi Island State Park is a perfect destination not only for beaches, but also for its four-mile kayaking trail and its three-mile nature trail. Nearby Honeymoon Island State Park was connected to Caladesi Island until a hurricane separated them in 1921. Once a popular honeymoon destination in the 1940s and 1950s, it is now a favorite among birdwatchers and welcomes more than one million visitors annually.
Not only Floridians think the beaches here are fantastic. Two local beaches made it onto TripAdvisor’s 2016 list of “Top 25 Beaches–United States”—Clearwater Beach (No. 1) and St. Pete Beach (No. 4). And at the end of the day, there’s no better place than a beach in Central West Florida to watch spectacular sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico.
When water temperatures dip below 72 F in Florida, Central West Florida's natural springs are terrific spots to see manatees, thought to be mermaids by sailors too long at sea. Popular manatee viewing spots include Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River and the TECO Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach, just south of Tampa.
ENTERTAINMENT
When it comes to nightlife, Central West Florida likes to party. And there are plenty of spots to do just that.
Ybor City and its thriving nightlife ranges from dance clubs and live music venues to quiet pubs, while Tampa’s South Howard Avenue, or SoHo, is filled with restaurants. However, this hip strip really comes alive after dinner when the drinks begin to pour.
Across Tampa Bay, downtown St. Petersburg’s nightlife is alive and kicking, and a new ferry service makes it easy to bar hop across the bay. The ferry is running on a trial basis through May, departing from the dock at the Tampa Convention Center and the Vinoy Basin in downtown St. Pete.
Professional sports take hold of Central West Florida on the ice, on the field and on the pitch. The Tampa Bay Lightning are on the ice for their 2016–17 season through April, unless the team makes the playoffs again and their NHL season is extended in pursuit of the coveted Stanley Cup.
Take the family out to the ball game during spring training or during the regular season for that matter. Beginning in March, the Toronto Blue Jays take their swings at the Florida Auto Exchange Stadium in Dunedin (once ranked one of the top five places to watch a spring training game by Sports Illustrated), while the New York Yankees play spring ball in Tampa and the Philadelphia Phillies step up to the plate in Clearwater. The Jolley Trolley travels from Clearwater to Dunedin and on to Tarpon Springs, making it easy to catch a few spring training games along the route. During the regular season, the Tampa Bay Rays play their opponents at the 72 F Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.
On the pitch in downtown St. Petersburg, the Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer team begins its pre-season matches in March, and the regular schedule takes them through the summer and late into the fall.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers begin their gridiron season in September and play through the fall and into January, with their season extending if they make it into the NFL playoffs.
For a different type of sport, try your hand and test your skills at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa.
LGBT SCENE
When it comes to LGBT travel, the Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater communities show their true colors as they open their doors and arms to welcome everyone who visits the area. In fact, more and more hotels in the area are becoming TAG-approved, which means they have agreed not to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation in their employment practices; to actively outreach to the gay and lesbian communities; and to strive to create gayfriendly experiences for their guests.
In Tampa’s Ybor City, the historic citywithin-a-city, a LGBT-friendly collective of more than 200 businesses, including shops, restaurants, bars, clubs and more, come together to create GaYBOR. Check out the Honey Pot and Southern Nights Tampa for hours of dancing and good times.
Across the bay in St. Petersburg, the LGBT Welcome Center is an inviting space in which to get acquainted with the city, find things to do or just sit and relax a while. Popular LGBT hot spots in the St. Pete and Clearwater areas include St. Pete’s Grand Central District, terrific for shopping and dining and the host of the city’s annual Pride Parade; spending time soaking up the sun on Sunset Beach on Treasure Island; and ending the night with Drag Queen Bingo at the Blur Nightclub in Dunedin or the Flamingo Resort & Entertainment Center back in St. Pete, where you can dance the night away and enjoy the Flamingo Royal Players Cabaret Show.
A number of LGBT events are held throughout Central West Florida year-round, including the Tampa Pride Parade Festival (March); Pride & Passion, the official kick-off of Gay Pride Month celebrations throughout the area (May); the St. Pete Pride Festival and Parade, featuring the largest LGBT Pride Parade in Florida and including more than 150 organizations and businesses (June); Pride Night @ The Trop with the Tampa Bay Rays (June); and the Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (October).
ROAD TRIPS
Greek cuisine, art and culture—it’s all found in the small fishing village of Tarpon Springs. The area was first settled in 1876 by Greek immigrants, and today has the highest percentage of Greek-Americans than any other city in the US. What was once “the sponge capital of the world” is a popular daytrip destination from Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Dunedin and Pasco County. Go for the history, culture and food, and you’ll find yourself wanting to go back for more!
Park the car and walk, run, cycle or rollerblade along the Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail, a 40-mile protected, multi-use greenspace created along an abandoned railroad corridor that extends from St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs.
For a truly unique experience you won’t soon forget, head over to Crystal River where various tour operators provide the equipment and let you swim among West Indian manatees in super clear waters. Visitors who prefer to stay at arm’s length from the gentle giants can rent a kayak (with or without a guide) to observe them as they swim and play below in the warm waters. If this option is still too close for comfort, you can watch manatees any day of the year from the underwater observatory at the nearby Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. The park also showcases other native Florida wildlife, including black bears, bobcats, whitetailed deer, American alligators and crocodiles, and river otters, and offers Wildlife Encounter programs and a children’s education center.
SHOPPING
What’s a vacation without shopping?
Pull out your credit cards and get ready to fill your bags at the International Plaza in Tampa. With anchor stores, such as Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, as well as all-time favorites Gap, J. Crew, Banana Republic (his and her shops), and H&M, and boutiques including Burberry and Gucci, the registers will be ringing. Just down the road, WestShore Plaza counts Macy’s, LOFT, Old Navy and Dick’s Sporting Goods among its storefronts, so there are plenty of charging opportunities here, too.
Tree-lined streets, sprawling homes and shopping à la European village make Hyde Park Village one of Tampa’s hot retail spots. It’s easy to spend the day here. Shop for a bit in the morning at brand-name stores, such as west elm, Sur la Table, lululemon athletica, Brooks Brothers, Anthropologie and others. Later, enjoy a bite to eat at the re-imagined Goody Goody, nibble on a cupcake at Sprinkles or sip wine at the Wine Exchange Bistro & Wine Bar. For more outdoor shopping, slip over to The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel, where boutiques and department stores entice shoppers with their wares, or Tampa Premium Outlets in Lutz for 25 to 65 percent savings on designer brands.
St. Petersburg’s Grand Central District is gaining popularity among shoppers, and it’s easy to see why. Spend a day leisurely strolling along the avenue lined with fine art galleries, record and vintage clothing shops, and antique stores. There are also plenty of restaurants and bars along the way, so take your time and enjoy all this shopping district has to offer.
Looking for a little something to take back to friends back home? Souvenir shopping is perfected at John’s Pass Village & Boardwalk in Madeira Beach. Drop by any of the 100-plus shops for everything from Tshirts and shells to artwork and more.
If you admire arts and crafts, don’t miss the 25th Annual Downtown Dunedin Craft Festival in February. Just a short drive from Tampa, this small coastal town attracts some of the country’s finest artists and crafters to its annual event. If you miss it, the town hosts additional craft festivals throughout the year, so don’t despair!
SPAS
When it’s time to really relax and spoil yourself, Central West Florida has just what you need.
With a list of spa packages that goes on and on, you’re sure to find the right combination at Pia Esthetics Day Spa in St. Petersburg. Check out the two-and-a-halfhour Beauty Break (massage and pedi), or go for the four-plus-hour Extravaganza (body sugar scrub, chocolate cake mani-pedi and deep pore rescue facial).
When Hernando de Soto reached the shores of Old Tampa Bay in 1539, he thought he’d found the legendary Fountain of Youth that Ponce De León had missed. Since its founding in 1925, the historic Safety Harbor Resort and Spa is “where natural healing mineral waters flow” under the grounds. Today, the 50,000-square-foot spa and fitness center, which Spa Finder Magazine consistently recognizes among its top 10 US spas, features everything you need for that youthful glow. Spend a day and choose from more than 50 spa and salon treatments.
In Tampa’s SoHo neighborhood, Spa Evangeline takes organic to a new level with fresh fruit scrubs, buttery lotions and botanical oils infused with handpicked herbs. Each treatment is customized to meet your needs, and each ingredient is carefully selected to awaken your senses and refresh your soul. You can even create your own aromatherapy blend to use during your treatment and take home to enjoy afterward.
You’ll feel instantly relaxed as you cozy into Amy’s Day Spa, housed in a bungalow, also in Tampa’s SoHo neighborhood. The Signature Zen Journey will take you through five hours of pampering, including a 90minute customized massage, facial and a mani-pedi. Feel those cares melting away?
It really is all about you at All About You Salon & Day Spa in Pasco County’s Zephyrhills, where the team is ready to pamper you from head to toe with treatments ranging from massages and facials to manis and pedis, and much more.
Following a day in the springs in Crystal River, relax at Spa Bleu, an Aveda spa that has nearly everything you could desire, from oneof-a-kind treatments to a full day of pampering filled with manicures, pedicures, massages, facials, Vichy showers and more.