Both Sarasota and Tampa are located less than an hour from the beach. For a laid-back beach day trip, head to Anna Maria Island. The island is located halfway between Sarasota and Tampa, which makes it an ideal destination for residents or visitors in either city. Anna Maria Island is a quaint spot for visitors who want to get away from high-rise resort beaches and enjoy the slow paced life of the beach bum. After a relaxing day at the beach, enjoy the sunset from the City Pier (pierjewelry.com) and enjoy a cocktail or dinner at the pier's restaurant.
The Tampa area offers several shopping and dining options. For upscale shopping, visit the International Plaza (shopinternationalplaza.com), which features stores such as Gucci, Kate Spade, Louis Vuitton and Tory Burch. Take a shopping break at The Grape, a wine shop that also features daily tastings and a lunch and dinner menu. Enjoy the beautiful Florida weather at an open air shopping venue like Hyde Park Village (hydeparkvillage.net), one of the city's historic neighborhoods that also features upscale shopping and dining.
Between Tampa and Sarasota, there are more than enough museums to appeal to a variety of interests. Tampa's Glazer Children's Museum (glazermuseum.org) is a fun place to visit for families with children. The museum features several interactive exhibits and programs for little ones, including a grocery store, fire truck and Outback Steakhouse cafe. For more mature tastes, try the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (selby.org) in Tampa or Sarasota Jungle Gardens (sarasotajunglegardens.com), a zoological garden that features native flora as well as tropical animal species.
If you love amusement parks, don't pass up Busch Gardens (seaworldparks.com) in Tampa. The park is open year round and features roller coasters and other rides, as well as safari tours and shows for visitors of all ages. Beat the heat in the hot summer months with a visit to Busch Gardens' Adventure Island (adventureisland.com), also located in Tampa. The 30-acre water park features water slides, wave pools and a lazy river, as well as beach-inspired shopping and dining options.
