What To Do In Tampa
Immerse yourself in the Cuban culture of Ybor City : Learn about this district's historic cigar industry at Ybor Chamber Visitor Information Center (1600 E. 8th Ave.); take a walking tour offered by the Ybor City Museum State Park (1818 E. 9th Ave.); sample traditional café con leche at Carmine's (1802 E. 7th Ave.); and watch sensuous flamenco dancers while dining at the historic Columbia Restaurant (2117 E. 7th Ave). For things to do this weekend, live la vida loca (the crazy life) among thousands of club-hoppers along Seventh Avenue.
Don your beach attire and take a trip to the Gulf Coast beaches on the Pinellas Peninsula. These are some of the best sandy shores in the nation when it comes to climate, water, sand and safety.
Get acquainted with the man who turned Tampa into a winter resort at the Henry B. Plant Museum (401 W. Kennedy Blvd.) which occupies a wing of the railroad magnate's luxury 1891 hotel. The preserved Victorian-era building, with its sprawling veranda, ornate gingerbread trim and signature silver minarets, is part of the University of Tampa . During the annual Victorian Christmas Stroll, the halls are decked in 19th-century Christmas finery.
AAA/Inspector 511
Talk to the animals at ZooTampa at Lowry Park (1101 W. Sligh Ave.). Practice your bird calls in the zoo's free-flight aviaries, trumpet like the African elephants in the Ituri Forest and roar along with the white Bengal tigers in the Asian Gardens. See African creatures close up on the Safari Ride's train as it weaves around behind many of the zoo's animal enclosures. You can also feed giraffes, lorikeets and white rhinos, ride a camel or a llama, pet a stingray and gaze at Australian animals like kookaburras, koalas, wallabies and emus.
Take in the views at the Tampa Museum of Art (120 W. Gasparilla Plaza) on the waterfront of the Hillsborough River. The building itself is quite modern, wrapped in aluminum panels with LED lights peeking out of its perforations, while the view across the river features the University of Tampa's minarets. Inside, the view includes a wide range of styles such as Greek and Roman art dating as far back as 2300 B.C., contemporary photorealist oil paintings, photography from the 19th to 21st centuries and cutting-edge works by artists like Cindy Sherman.
Courtesy of Visit Tampa Bay
Looking for fun things to do with friends this weekend? Attend a rock concert or an ice hockey game at Amalie Arena (401 Channelside Dr.). The arena is home base for the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning and the AFL's Tampa Bay Storm and has recently hosted WWE wrestling events. Musical artists, including Ed Sheeran and Rush, also play at the arena. Simulated lightning bolts made by Tesla coils at the Lightning games make ice hockey even more exciting.
mokee81/iStockphoto.com
Take a drive on the Sunshine Skyway, a 15-mile causeway spanning the mouth of Tampa Bay between the mainland north of Bradenton and the Pinellas Peninsula.