As we travel to the Gulf Coast I never fail to marvel at Tampa’s large buildings that look as though they are made of cardboard that you can see from the Motorway.
Tampa is situated on Florida' s west coast along the Gulf of Mexico. If you visit here you can enjoy the pleasant ocean breezes and fantastic views of the Hillsborough River and surrounding bays. Tampa is conveniently located for a visit to Busch Gardens in fact previously we have left my parents in Tampa for the day while we go to Busch.
It was originally settled in by immigrants from Spain, Cuba and Italy and really does have a multi-cultural heritage. Ybor City is famous for cigars as in the late 19th and 20th centuries the Cuban population developed a thriving cigar industry. Today you can still see smoke shops and tobacconists line the streets of this historic Tampa district. The Ybor City State Museum has preserved several historic buildings in the area. Smoke shops and tobacconists line the streets of this historic Tampa district. Visitors to Tampa can tour the old Ferlita Bakery and La Casita, a home once occupied by factory workers it really does take you back in time.
In prosperous downtown Tampa district you will see numerous businesses, museums, and impressive public spaces which are used by both visitors and locals alike. In downtown Tampa Ybor City district there is plenty of pedestrian shopping, fine dining and clubs with a real Latin feeling.
Although today the city of Tampa maintains a large shipping industry, its prosperity still relies heavily on tourism, finance, agriculture, health care and real estate.
There are many attractions in Tampa including Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, the Tampa Bay Lighting' s NHL arena and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers provide one of the most popular reasons for visiting the area. Those interested in science and history can go to Tampa Museum of Art and Museum of Science and History.
In Tampa you can enjoy some of their many restaurants, from waterfront seafood houses and tapas bars to Italian eateries and breweries. Amongst the popular ones are Bern' s Steakhouse in the Tampa SoHo district, and Columbia Restaurant, a lovely Spanish restaurant in Ybor City which my parents love. More recently new restaurants are frequently opening particularly in the SoHo neighborhood. Two that have been recommended to us but we have yet to visit are the Daily Eats which apparently serves delicious gourmet omelets and T. C. Choys famous for its Asian cooking.
Apparently there is very good night life in Tampa with many internationally themed nightclubs but as ever when we are on holiday in Florida we cannot stay awake long enough at night to visit them!