Florida’s West Coast stretches from Perdido Bay in the panhandle all the way around and down to the Keys. While the East Coast along the Atlantic Ocean is a ruckus, the Gulf of Mexico side can be rural, rustic and relaxed. Tampa straddles an enormous bay with long causeways and bridges connecting it to St. Petersburg, Clearwater and the beaches. It is truly a jewel to be seen on Florida’s coast.
For something to do, for fine dining, theatre, attractions, museums and a quaint old city, Tampa is it. The city is also home to many international businesses and light industry. It is a sprawling city that seems to have a bay built around it for encouragement and inspiration. The Hillsborough River meanders along downtown. A river walk is designed for fun, an evening stroll or getting oriented in the heart of the city.
Tampa boasts fine hotels with a plethora of accommodations to choose from. The Westshore District is central to everything. Close to Tampa’s modern International Airport as well as world class shopping at International Plaza and WestShore Plaza. In Westshore alone there are 350 stores at your doorstep as well as over 200 restaurants.
The Wyndham Westshore, on Westshore Drive and Cypress Street, offers free airport shuttle service as well as free transportation around the area. Wyndham’s By Request is a free membership service. Once enrolled, a guest’s number automatically brings up preference for complimentary snacks and a bottle of wine or other choices. A manager’s reception every weekday night offers complimentary cocktail hours with themed snacks. The Wyndham Club is exceptional with complimentary snacks and an evening beer and wine service with delicious hors d'oevres. The heated pool is a delight. The garden is planted with royal palm trees. An atrium covers the spa giving magnificent views of the moon as sunset colors filter across the sky. A comfortable place to stay with all the convenience and amenities of a modern hotel.
Driving around Tampa can be challenging. The Wyndham’s front desk staff is always helpful printing out Google maps, providing precise driving directions. I 275, I 4 and I 75 are convenient to the hotel as are local streets that lead to downtown.
Ybor City in Tampa is named for Vicente Martinez Ybor. “He was born in Spain and moved to Cuba. He came to Key West in 1870, then bought 40 acres of land in Tampa,” Ann Mary Engle, a volunteer at the Ybor State Museum said. The museum is located in a historic 1923 building that once housed the Ferlita Bakery. Getting oriented into the culture and history of the area at the museum is prelude to taking a walking tour around Ybor City.
An Immigrant Statue in Centennial Park across the street from the museum was dedicated in 1992, “To those courageous men and women who came to this country in search of personal freedom, economic opportunity and a future of hope for their families.” Stroll through the park to the corner of 7th Avenue and 22nd Streets. It was here that Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders watered their horses and rode past to get to their army camps during the Spanish American War.
Architecture downtown Ybor City is reminiscent of Spain. Covered sidewalks with overhanging balconies, historic facades and the oldest and biggest Spanish restaurant in the U.S. makes it an interesting place. Columbia Restaurant originally opened as a café for cigar workers by Casimiro Hernandez in 1905. The restaurant remains in family ownership to this day. Bright Spanish tiles grace the walls and the décor is definitely Spanish inside. Nightly flamenco shows are a highlight.
Take time to visit many of Ybor City’s cigar stores. Whether you smoke or don’t the flair is reminiscent of cigar making that made the area prosperous. Hand made cigars are still rolled in the windows of shops today and it is intriguing to watch as leaf tobacco is turned into cigars that can sell for as much as $32 each.
For gala fun and great rides as well as a large African wildlife park, Busch Gardens is a roller coaster, or something like it, by any of the park’s whirling and exciting names. The rides and thrills and the large game park requires time to enjoy. While Bush Gardens can be visited to see highlights in a couple of hours it really is an all day excursion and one of Tampa’s most popular attractions.
Less known, but a pearl to be savored, is Tampa’s Big Cat Rescue. The non-profit organization was founded by Carole and Howard Baskin and has evolved into a place where big cats can find a sanctuary to live out their days. Sadly lions, tigers, pumas and other species of once wild animals have been bred for private ownership as well as for zoos and circuses. Jeff Kremer, one of the most experienced workers at the sanctuary, declared that there are more tigers in Florida than in the wild in India. He added that there are more tigers in captivity in the U.S. than tigers that remain in the world.
Astounding statistics as visitors walk through the sanctuary with volunteers that describe the history of large cats they have rescued. Some are circus animals that don’t perform, some are pets gone wrong, some have been seized by authorities, some, like white tigers, have been so inbred that there are genetic deformities. Big Cat Rescue is an educational experience and one not to be missed on any trip to Tampa. Once visited it is a place people will want to return to often and again.
Tampa’s Florida Aquarium at the end of Riverwalk is more than fish. It is a natural history experience that offers opportunities to dive with sharks and fishes. Not far away is the Tampa Bay History Center and right on Waterfront Park is the Tampa Museum of Art and the Straz Center for the Performing Arts. More than enough to fill days and evenings with history, culture and adventure.
Fine dining abounds in the Tampa area. Right in downtown Tampa Maryann Ferenc and Marty Blitz have been operating Mise En Place Restaurant for 25 years. The food is exciting, their wine list extraordinary. Part of the restaurant is in a wedge shaped bank building. The huge vault houses vintage wines, the domain of Dave Madera, the restaurant’s General Manager. Dave insures that temperatures are kept at proper levels and humidity free. A vault where wine enthusiasts would enjoy being locked inside.
Be sure to try Mise En Place’s pumpkin spiced rubbed scallops as an appetizer and their sautéed calamari. Rare delights prepared exquisitely. Fresh fish is offered daily; Kobe strip as well of rack of lamb comes out of the kitchen done to perfection. Leave room for the chef’s famous home made desserts and ice cream. Every plate served is a work of art and the food is superb.
On the lake in International Plaza is Cameron Mitchell’s Ocean Prime Restaurant. The outside terrace provides lakeside seating. Air-conditioned comfort is available in the dining room. Billed as a modern American supper club, Ocean Prime lives up to its name. Cocktails are a blast. The cucumber gimlet is refreshing and light. Made with English seedless cucumbers, fresh squeezed lime juice and Bombay sapphire gin, it is refreshing. A Champagne based cocktail, with berries marinated for three days in Grand Marinier, is served bubbling with a small piece of dry ice to keep it intriguing and chilled.
Appetizers include sea scallops and braised short ribs. Ordinarily not what one would consider a paired combination, Patrick House, one of two Dining Room Managers, suggested it. The combo was delicious. Jorge Diaz suggested one of Ocean Prime’s prime steaks. The ribeye came out cooked to perfection and succulently tender. Blackened snapper is prepared with spinach and Jalapeno corn tartar, a magic touch that gives flavor to the fish. The food is delicious and service spectacular. A pianist accentuates the ambiance evenings.
Whatever the reason for visiting Tampa and the bay area, it is an experience well worth savoring. It can only be discovered a little at a time. A combination of old and new, a venue for business or pleasure.
To obtain more information visit the official website at www.visittampabay.com or call for brochures and visitor information 1 800 448 2672, For additional information visit the following: www.bigcatrescue.org or call 813 373 9033. Wyndham Westshore at www.wyndhamhoteltampa.com, 813 289 8200. Ocean Prime at www.oceanprime.com, telephone 813 490 5288. Mise En Place at www.miseonline.com or call 813 254 5373.
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