Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
FLORIDA’S SPORTS COAST AWAITS YOU
The pace may be slower along this beautiful coastline, but it will surprise you.
Pasco County, just north of the Tampa-st. Petersburg area, is one of those happy discoveries that’s full of sweet surprises. Here, the pace is slower, the outdoor recreation is abundant, the towns are historic, and the beauty of nature is everywhere.
The region calls itself “Florida’s Sports Coast” and with good reason. Beautiful parks and hiking or biking trails abound. Avid cyclists might check out the mountainbiking training course at Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park. There are two state parks— Werner-boyce Salt Springs Park and Anclote Key Preserve. The James E. Grey Nature Preserve, with moss-laden trees, is bisected by the Pithlachascotee River and a boardwalk that stretches over it.
A serene coastline, without high-rises and nightspots, beckons beach and water sports lovers. And there are several outfitters who can help you get out on the water with rental kayaks and paddleboards. There’s camping year-round and the fishing is great, both offshore and inland. There are also several good golf courses, among them the two Arnold Palmer courses at the renowned Saddlebrook Resort & Spa.
There’s plenty of colourful local history in Pasco County, too. In fact, this quiet area was envisioned as the “next Hollywood” in the 1920s ... until the Depression happened. However, the Hacienda Hotel in New Port Richey, originally built to accommodate all those movie stars, is being reborn and could reopen in all its original glory in 2020.
Sweet surprises lurk everywhere in Pasco County. For example, New Port Richey is filled with turn-of-the-century buildings being restored and repurposed. One of them now houses the Cotee River Brewing Company, which brews up some interesting concoctions. The old firehouse building, in which the new owners discovered the original architectural renderings, is home to Ordinance One Bar. Pete’s Grand Central, another unique bar, features vintage arcade games and pinball machines dating back to the 1950s. And they’re for sale!
Edible treats are sweet in Pasco County, too. At Ottaway’s Parkside Ice Cream Parlor in New Port Richey, savour ice cream made by Amish people from the Sarasota region. Any flavour is definitely worth two scoops!
And all of this is only a half-hour drive from Tampa’s International Airport.