Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida are located about a half-hour's drive apart. The Tampa Bay area is especially popular in the winter with tourists, who come for the beaches, beautiful weather, restaurants and museums.
The most obvious thing to do in the Tampa Bay area is to head to the beach. One of the most popular Tampa Bay beaches is St. Pete Beach, site of the famous Don CeSar Beach Resort, otherwise known as the "Pink Lady," which was built in 1928 and has a rich history, including famous guests Al Capone, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Joe DiMaggio.
Fort De Soto Park sprawls over 1,100 acres and five separate islands and features hiking and biking trails, two piers, picnic and camping areas and beaches with lifeguards on duty from April to September. Fort De Soto itself was built in 1898 and can be accessed by a trail.
Fort De Soto Park
3500 Pinellas Bayway S.
Tierra Verde, FL 33715
727-893-9185
Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Devil Rays play at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, which includes a pro shop and a "Touch Tank" aquarium right on the field. As of 2010, single-game baseball tickets range from $10 to about $300.
Tropicana Field
1 Tropicana Dr.
St. Petersburg, FL 33705
727-825-3120
St. Petersburg and Tampa are home to a variety of public and privately-owned championship golf courses. Two top-rated courses in the area, according to floridagolfguide.com and travelgolf.com, are El Diablo, and the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook.
The pier at St. Petersburg is famous for a five-story inverted pyramid featuring specialty and clothing shops, an observation deck and an aquarium. The pier aquarium is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. In 2010, aquarium admission was $5 for adults.
800 Second Ave. NE
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
727-821-6443
stpetepier.com
The Straz Center in Tampa offers musicals, concerts and other shows, including "Billy Elliot The Musical," "Beauty and the Beast," "The Color Purple" and "The Nutcracker."
1010 N. W.C. MacInnes Place
Tampa, FL 33602
813-229-7827
tbpac.org
Salvador Dali was a surrealist painter. The world's biggest collection of his work is in the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg. The museum also holds special exhibits on Dali's life and work. General admission is $17, as of 2010. A new museum, at 1 Dali Boulevard in St. Petersburg, opens in 2011.
Salvador Dali Museum
1000 Third Street South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
727-823-3767
salvadordalimuseum.org
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The University of Southern Florida Bulls also play there, and concerts are held at the stadium occasionally. The stadium box office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 3 hours before every game.
Raymond James Stadium
4201 N. Dale Mabry Highway
Tampa, FL 33607
buccaneers.com
