Attractions galore await in Tampa, Ybor City, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and other locations along Florida’s sparkling Gulf Coast.
By Kathleen Walls, F522187
January 2022
For RVers with wide-ranging interests — from nature and history to cultural diversity and cuisine — the Tampa Bay area along Florida’s Gulf Coast makes a pleasing destination.
Fort De Soto State Park.
First thing on the agenda is finding a place to stay. Depending on one’s budget and preferences, numerous choices await. Among them is Fort De Soto Campground in Fort De Soto Park. This Pinellas County facility offers 236 campsites, 85 that accommodate smaller RVs and 151 designed for large units. The campground boasts very private sites, some along the waterfront; all have electric and water hookups. Many are pet friendly. Showers and dump stations are provided. This campground is more convenient to the eastern side of Tampa Bay, including St. Petersburg and Clearwater.
A lighthouse at Egmont Key State Park.
The park encompasses five islands, or keys, that total 1,136 acres. High-lights include the ruins of historic Fort De Soto; lots of white-sand beaches; and access to the Egmont Key Ferry, which takes visitors over to Egmont Key State Park. After enjoying a peaceful cruise, during which you probably will spy a dolphin or two, you’ll arrive on the island for shelling, swimming, and searching for native gopher tortoises. Egmont Key also has a lighthouse and the ruins of a fort built during the Spanish-American War. Portions of the key have been set aside as a national wildlife refuge, so you’ll spot many wading birds, ospreys, and more.
Another camping option is Hillsborough River State Park, which is on the west side of the bay, closer to Tampa. Its 112 campsites are pet friendly, but smaller and less private than those at Fort De Soto. They have electric and water hookups and accommodate RVs up to 50 feet. Shower houses and a dump station are available.
The remains of historic Fort Dade in Egmont Key State Park.
In addition to these public facilities, many private RV parks are located on both the east and west sides of the bay.
Once you drive into Tampa, St. Petersburg, or Clearwater, it’s a good idea to park and ride the local trolleys. Tampa offers the free TECO Line Streetcar. It runs from the Ybor City area in Tampa to downtown and stops near most of the attractions. Parking is free along most streets in Ybor City for two hours; parking lots offer inexpensive options for longer periods.
The TECO Line Streetcar provides convenient free transportation.
Looper Trolley provides free transportation in St. Petersburg. In Clearwater, you can ride the Jolley Trolley. An unlimited pass costs $5; a senior pass is $2.50. The pass is interchangeable with the local bus system.
Many people think of Busch Gardens when they hear the word “Tampa.” With its rides ranging from thrill to kiddy, live shows, games, restaurants, and a complete zoo, it’s a great theme park and attraction. But the area offers numerous other highlights as well.
Thrill rides and more fill Busch Gardens amusement park.
Experiencing The Outdoors
If you enjoy wildlife and nature attractions, you are going to be happy. Clearwater Marine Aquarium is home to dolphins and sea life; The Florida Aquarium in Tampa showcases many other Florida aquatic creatures.
The award-winning ZooTampa at Lowry Park is a fan favorite; among numerous other recognitions, it is a 10-time recipient of the Travelers’ Choice Award from Tripadvisor. Watching elephants play in their splash pool and seeing orangutans swing from their elaborately built platforms offer clues as to why. My favorite resident is Calusa, nicknamed Lucy. Lucy was one of four kittens born in the wild to a panther that was tagged and monitored by biologists from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The mother abandoned Lucy when she changed dens. Lucy suffered a severe head wound and required constant feeding, so she was brought to the zoo and cared for by personnel there. As a result, she has no fear of humans and seems to watch visitors with interest when they come to her den. Because of human encroachment on the Florida panthers’ habitat, fewer than 250 remain in the wild.
Popular attractions include the Florida Aquarium.
In St. Petersburg, wildlife and plants mingle at Sunken Gardens, the city’s oldest “living museum.” At this botanical garden, ponds filled with gliding koi, caged exotic parrots and macaws, and a flock of flamingos make strolling the well-shaded paths filled with flowers and trees a delight.
Two state parks — Honeymoon Island and Caladesi Island — are shellers’ paradises. Prior to 1921, they were a single entity known as Hog Island; that year, a hurricane ravaged the area and split them in two. You can drive to Honeymoon Island and catch a ferry to Caladesi. The beautiful beaches are frequented by wading birds, possibly a few roseate spoonbills among them. On Honeymoon Island, a three-mile trail winds through one of the last remaining virgin slash pine forests.
ZooTampa at Lowry Park.
Some of the best adventures to enjoy on the water are offered by The Tropics Boat Tours, which board from Clearwater Pier. The Dolphin Exploration Tour guarantees a dolphin sighting or a ticket for a future cruise. The boat has a lower and upper deck so you can choose your seating option; when a dolphin surfaces, everybody rushes to the place with the best view. The boat is not crowded, so you will have a splendid view as the graceful mammals show off. The best chance for a sighting is when another boat passes nearby and the dolphins dance in its wake. The Sunset Celebration Cruise provides picturesque views as the sun goes down — and possibly a glimpse of the legendary “green flash” as it fades over the horizon.
Artistic Expression
Art lovers will be interested in a visit to The Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, which features an extensive collection of works from renowned surrealist artist Salvador Dalí. Another gallery features changing exhibits; at this writing, the work of photographer Lee Miller was being showcased. Out-doors, visitors can stroll through the unusual and tranquil Avant-garden.
Also in St. Petersburg, the Morean Arts Center features an array of contemporary art. A permanent installation known as the Chihuly Collection features the glass artistry of Dale Chihuly. Among them are two pieces created just for this exhibit. Be sure to see the glass-blowing demo. It is amazing to watch how a hot blob of glass becomes a work of art.
In St. Petersburg, avant-garde artistry can be enjoyed at the Dali Museum.
Another notable venue in town is the Museum of Fine Arts, whose extensive displays include paintings by Monet, O’Keeffe, and other masters, along with a sculpture garden and a substantial photography collection.
History And Culture
Several other interesting museums tell the history of the area. The St. Petersburg Museum of History sits near the entrance to the St. Pete Pier, which is a great place to make some history of your own at the restaurants and playground. In the lobby of the museum, you’ll see a full-sized replica of the Benoist XIV seaplane, the precursor to today’s passenger planes. The Little Cooperstown exhibit showcases baseball history.
The Tampa Bay History Center, a Smithsonian Affiliate museum, is housed in a 60,000-square-foot facility on Tampa’s Riverwalk. Permanent and temporary galleries detail 12,000 years of Florida history, heritage, and culture, from the first inhabitants 10,000 years ago, to the arrival of Europeans in the 1500s, to the city’s modern role as a port city. A video provides insight about the Second Seminole War. A replica pioneer cabin and original artifacts fill the display titled “A Land Remembered.” Another exhibit traces Tampa’s cigar-making history.
Tampa’s rich history is showcased in the Henry B. Plant Museum.
Just down the street, the American Victory Ship And Mariners Museum focuses more on modern history. It’s housed in the 1940s steamship SS American Victory, one of only three fully operational World War II ships in the United States. A knowledgeable guide leads visitors through the entire vessel. One caution: The tour involves climbing several sets of steep stairs.
The Henry B. Plant Museum is housed in the 1891 Tampa Bay Hotel, which is now designated as a National Historic Landmark. Plant was a self-made millionaire who built railroads, steamships, and hotels. Museum visitors step back in time to experience an early 20th-century hotel built to cater to the ultra-rich; it contains actual furnishings once used by hotel guests.
Ybor City is a city within a city and totally unlike the rest of Tampa. Here, instead of traffic slowing you down on the road, you occasionally have to stop for their adorable chickens. The feral fowl are descendants of the ones that once lived in the backyards of Ybor family residences.
Wild chickens roam the streets of Ybor City.
Although small, Ybor City Museum State Park is a must–see. This museum introduces you to Tampa’s early settlers at Ybor City and shows how Cuban cigar makers worked and lived. Don Vicente Martinez Ybor came here from Cuba and built the cigar capital of the world. Cuban settlers mingled with Spanish, Italian, Sicilian, Romanian Jews, and other immigrants. Each brought their native ways and food to form a special blend of culture found only in Tampa. The museum is housed in the former Ferlita family’s bakery where, until the 1960s, you would smell that delicious Cuban bread coming out of their ovens.
Bonus: In the museum garden and Centennial Park just across the street, free Wi-Fi is available. The garden has several shaded tables and benches with a sparkling fountain and is a great place to catch up on your email and computer needs. Incidentally, Centennial Park is a good place to get photos of the chickens.
Ybor City’s cigar-making heritage is spotlighted at Tabanero Cigars.
The Ybor Ghost Tour combines paranormal occurrences with history for a fascinating experience. Get Max for your guide, if possible. Ybor City is one of only three National Historic Landmark Districts in Florida and is said to have some of the most haunted buildings in America.
One great thing about this tour is that you go into some of the buildings. They include “clubs,” which date back to the city’s founding. Neither nightclubs nor health clubs, they grew out of the unique cultural mix of the area. At work, immigrants mingled with people of other nationalities, but for their time off and recreation, they gathered at their own social clubs, where they paid dues of about a quarter a week. This provided them with a place to dance, gamble, and enjoy their own style of entertainment, and each club had a doctor on staff in case of illness. Some of the most haunted include Centro Espanol (the Spanish Club) and The Cuban Club. The Travel Channel named the Cuban Club as one of its Top 10 Most Haunted Places in America.
Food And Drink
Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille.
When it’s time to eat, why not enjoy some local flavor? Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille is an upscale twist on a sports bar. Overlooking Tampa Bay, just down the pier from the St. Petersburg Museum of History, it offers tasty seafood and Tampa Bay specials. The Cuban or any of the seafood dishes are good choices.
James Joyce Irish Pub & Eatery in Ybor City is a great example of culture blending. Of course, you can get Irish specials here, but the restaurant also offers interesting mixes, such Reuben Egg Rolls and The Cuban. The restaurant has won several best burger competitions and is a seven-time Tampa Bay Times “Ultimate Bar of the Year” award winner.
The Cuban sandwich at Doc Ford’s.
Columbia Restaurant is at the top of the line in Ybor City. According to legend, the traditional Cuban sandwich was created here back in 1905 when Casimiro Hernandez Sr. opened the first small Columbia Restaurant, serving Cuban coffee and a sandwich on pressed Cuban bread with ham, pork loin, salami, and Swiss cheese to local cigar factory workers. The restaurant has expanded to other locations and today ranks as the oldest restaurant in Florida — and reportedly is the largest Spanish restaurant in the world. It’s still owned and operated by the same family. All choices are good, but the 1905 Salad, made tableside, is a treasure.
The Tampa Bay area offers countless things to see and do. This article provides a good start. If you plan to visit many attractions, a good way to do so more economically is to purchase the Tampa Bay City Pass. It grants admission to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, The Florida Aquarium, ZooTampa at Lowry Park, and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, as well as a choice of the Museum of Science and Industry or The Tropics Boat Tours. The boat cruises cost less than half with this pass than what you would pay at the site.
Enjoy your stay in Tampa Bay!
Info
Tampa Bay Visitors Center
201 N. Franklin St.
Suite 102
Tampa, FL 33602
(813) 223-2752
www.visittampabay.com
Fort De Soto Campground
3500 Pinellas Bayway S.
Tierra Verde, FL 33715
(727) 582-2100
www.pinellascounty.org/park/camping.htm
Hillsborough River State Park
15402 U.S. 301 N.
Thonotosassa, FL 33592
(813) 987-6771
Reservations: Florida State Parks
(800) 326-3521
www.reserve.floridastateparks.org/web/