Tampa/St. Petersburg
Tampa Bay, one of the world\'s great secluded harbors, is a vast body of water separated from the Gulf of Mexico by a peninsula that stretches from Clearwater on the north to St. Petersburg on the south.
In the center of the huge bay is a peninsula with MacDill Air Force Base at its southern tip. North of that is the city of Tampa, which got its name from a Native American word meaning "sticks of fire," a reference to the region as a campsite. Three routes—Courtney Campbell Causeway, Gandy Bridge and Howard Frankland Bridge—connect the city to St. Petersburg and Clearwater.
Airport/Westshore region The award-winning Tampa International Airport sits on the city\'s west side, in the Airport/Westshore region. With a passenger volume of about 14 million annually, Tampa International Airport ranks among the top 10 airports in the nation for on-time departures. It was also named among the nation\'s top 10 airports by Conde Nast Travel, one of only two Florida airports to earn a spot on that list. Here you will find some of the city\'s most impressive hotels, along with the International Shrine Headquarters and two major sports facilities—the New York Yankees Legend Stadium and the Raymond James Stadium.
Busch Gardens/University of South Florida A major north-south interstate highway, I-75, streaks up the east side of the bay, while I-275 branches off from I-75 north of Sarasota and travels through St. Petersburg, crossing the Howard Frankland and heading north from downtown. Those two interstate highways meet just north of town and create a triangle known as the Busch Gardens/University of South Florida region. This is where you will find Tampa\'s famedBusch Gardens. Other attractions in the vicinity include the Tampa Greyhound Track, the Museum of Science & Industry, Adventure Island water park and the D. G. Yuengling Brewery. Temple Terrace, a suburb, can be found here, too.
Downtown Tampa\'s Hillsborough River winds its way through the Busch Gardens/University of South Florida section of the city and through downtown Tampa, bisecting the city as it makes its way to the sea. On the east side of the river, you will find a number of attractive hotels in the city\'s downtown core. Points of interest in this part of town includeTampa Museum of Art, Tampa Performing Arts Center and the main office of the Tampa Hillsborough Visitor Information Center, as well as stores, banks and government offices.
Ybor City On the southern edge of downtown Tampa lies tinyYbor City, the center of the cigar industry; cigarmakers moved here after a fire destroyed the industry in Key West. Only 10 streets in either direction, the area carries a wealth of history. Solid brick warehouses that once served as cigar factories—some still do—now house offices and shops. Thanks to a strong restoration effort, Ybor City is the liveliest spot in town on weekends. Bistros, dance clubs, cigar stores and specialty shops line Ybor City\'s narrow streets; exhibits in the Ybor City Museum chronicle the city\'s colorful history.
Plant City and Thonotosassa Traveling east of Tampa on I-4, built to connect Tampa to Daytona through Orlando, will bring you to Plant City, a farming community renowned for its annual strawberry harvest and an array of related special events. Out this way is the town of Thonotosassa (a Native American word denoting a place to find flint), where one of the most intriguing restaurants in Central Florida,Branch Ranch, doles out rib-sticking, family-style meals served at picnic-style tables in a huge barn of a building with a massive fireplace.
Harbour Island On the southern edge of downtown Tampa, the Garrison Channel passes between Harbour Island, home to theWyndham Harbour Island Hotel, which anchors a cluster of shops and restaurants, and the Garrison Pier, home to the new Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina. Here, too, you will find the Tampa Convention Center, which houses a branch of the Tampa Hillsborough Visitor Information Center, a new Ice Palace Arena—home of the Tampa Bay Lightning professional hockey team—and the Florida Aquarium, fittingly tucked in near the sea.
The Peninsula and beyond Drive across the glittering waters of Tampa Bay on one of its three bay-spanning causeway/bridges and you will end up on the peninsula that is home to downtown Clearwater and downtown St. Petersburg. North of Clearwater is the tranquil little town of Dunedin, founded by Scots and still dedicated to keeping that heritage alive through annual festivals and monthly bagpipe concerts. East of Dunedin is Safety Harbor, home to a popular spa.
Still farther north on the peninsula is Palm Harbor, a Tampa Bay bedroom community, and Tarpon Springs, founded generations ago by Greek sponge fishermen.
Courtney Campbell Causeway, which crosses Tampa Bay in a sweep of bridges and multi-lane macadam, becomes Gulf to Bay Parkway when it reaches Clearwater and travels on to Clearwater Beach. If you turn south, you can follow the signs to reach a host of island communities sometimes promoted as the Holiday Isles.
Traveling from north to south, your first stop is Clearwater Beach, named for its magnificent, crystalline waters.
Next is Belleair Beach, on which is situated the massive, historic Belleview Biltmore Hotel.
Continuing south on the beach road, you find Indian Rocks Beach, which got its unusual name from the jagged red rocks that trim the shoreline. A quiet strip of beach, the town is well known to fishing enthusiasts, who bring up mackerel, kingfish, grouper and trout from the warm waters that surround the city\'s 1,041-foot fishing pier, said to be the longest in Florida.
Redington Shores is home toJohn\'s Pass Village, a rustic, cozy community that bears a strong resemblance to northern coastal fishing villages—fortunately, the water\'s much warmer! The annual John\'s Pass Seafood Festival in November attracts thousands to a feast of local seafood treats.
St. Petersburg Beach is the official beach for the St. Petersburg region. Packed with restaurants, motels, hotels, shops and souvenir sellers, the beach is always busy. TheDon Cesar Hotel has been luring guests for generations—F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda stayed here, among many other notables.
After you have explored the islands, you can find your way back to I-275 and travel to Bradenton, Sarasota and points south, via the impressive Sunshine Skyway Bridge, itself an impressive tourist attraction.
In the center of the huge bay is a peninsula with MacDill Air Force Base at its southern tip. North of that is the city of Tampa, which got its name from a Native American word meaning "sticks of fire," a reference to the region as a campsite. Three routes—Courtney Campbell Causeway, Gandy Bridge and Howard Frankland Bridge—connect the city to St. Petersburg and Clearwater.
Airport/Westshore region The award-winning Tampa International Airport sits on the city\'s west side, in the Airport/Westshore region. With a passenger volume of about 14 million annually, Tampa International Airport ranks among the top 10 airports in the nation for on-time departures. It was also named among the nation\'s top 10 airports by Conde Nast Travel, one of only two Florida airports to earn a spot on that list. Here you will find some of the city\'s most impressive hotels, along with the International Shrine Headquarters and two major sports facilities—the New York Yankees Legend Stadium and the Raymond James Stadium.
Busch Gardens/University of South Florida A major north-south interstate highway, I-75, streaks up the east side of the bay, while I-275 branches off from I-75 north of Sarasota and travels through St. Petersburg, crossing the Howard Frankland and heading north from downtown. Those two interstate highways meet just north of town and create a triangle known as the Busch Gardens/University of South Florida region. This is where you will find Tampa\'s famed
Downtown Tampa\'s Hillsborough River winds its way through the Busch Gardens/University of South Florida section of the city and through downtown Tampa, bisecting the city as it makes its way to the sea. On the east side of the river, you will find a number of attractive hotels in the city\'s downtown core. Points of interest in this part of town include
Ybor City On the southern edge of downtown Tampa lies tiny
Plant City and Thonotosassa Traveling east of Tampa on I-4, built to connect Tampa to Daytona through Orlando, will bring you to Plant City, a farming community renowned for its annual strawberry harvest and an array of related special events. Out this way is the town of Thonotosassa (a Native American word denoting a place to find flint), where one of the most intriguing restaurants in Central Florida,
Harbour Island On the southern edge of downtown Tampa, the Garrison Channel passes between Harbour Island, home to the
The Peninsula and beyond Drive across the glittering waters of Tampa Bay on one of its three bay-spanning causeway/bridges and you will end up on the peninsula that is home to downtown Clearwater and downtown St. Petersburg. North of Clearwater is the tranquil little town of Dunedin, founded by Scots and still dedicated to keeping that heritage alive through annual festivals and monthly bagpipe concerts. East of Dunedin is Safety Harbor, home to a popular spa.
Still farther north on the peninsula is Palm Harbor, a Tampa Bay bedroom community, and Tarpon Springs, founded generations ago by Greek sponge fishermen.
Courtney Campbell Causeway, which crosses Tampa Bay in a sweep of bridges and multi-lane macadam, becomes Gulf to Bay Parkway when it reaches Clearwater and travels on to Clearwater Beach. If you turn south, you can follow the signs to reach a host of island communities sometimes promoted as the Holiday Isles.
Traveling from north to south, your first stop is Clearwater Beach, named for its magnificent, crystalline waters.
Next is Belleair Beach, on which is situated the massive, historic Belleview Biltmore Hotel.
Continuing south on the beach road, you find Indian Rocks Beach, which got its unusual name from the jagged red rocks that trim the shoreline. A quiet strip of beach, the town is well known to fishing enthusiasts, who bring up mackerel, kingfish, grouper and trout from the warm waters that surround the city\'s 1,041-foot fishing pier, said to be the longest in Florida.
Redington Shores is home to
St. Petersburg Beach is the official beach for the St. Petersburg region. Packed with restaurants, motels, hotels, shops and souvenir sellers, the beach is always busy. The
After you have explored the islands, you can find your way back to I-275 and travel to Bradenton, Sarasota and points south, via the impressive Sunshine Skyway Bridge, itself an impressive tourist attraction.
