Thoughts on Tampa

A week ago my beloved, our youngest daughter, and I returned from 5 days and 5 nights in Tampa, Florida. My beloved attended a conference in Tampa while our baby and I took in the town. This wasn't my first trip the Tampa area, but it was the first time when I went to Tampa and didn't bring a car along or rent one to get around. It was a good city to walk in and people, including the homeless who we met on the streets, seemed genuinely friendly and curious about how our little girl was doing.

Monday was pretty quiet in Downtown Tampa (we learned that Downtown is usually pretty laid back) but this week was exceptionally cold, according to the natives. The headlines in the daily paper included reports of extreme record cold with 9 days below 60.

The baby and I had a great time even finding a park to relax in in the afternoon sun along the Riverwalk Downtown. It did cool off after dark, but the sun that afternoon sure was great. My great accomplishment was finding a handy grocery store and getting my bearings without a car.

Tuesday we headed across the Hillsborough River and checked out the University of Tampa. A noteworthy stop on campus is the Plant Museum in Plant Hall in the middle of the campus. This old main building was once the Tampa Hotel built by the Plant Line as a great vacation destination. It's a fantastic building noteworthy for hosting Teddy Roosevelt and other officers before the US invasion of Cuba during the Spanish American War. In the evening we hopped on the Street Car for Ybor City and supper.

Wednesday we headed towards Ybor City on the street car. We took in the Ybor City Museum operated by the Florida State Park System. The less than one block state park has been established as a museum detailing the lives of Cuban and Italian cigar makers who called this section of Tampa their home. Its a fascinating introduction into the working class life of Tampa in the early 20th century. It's not part of the usual beach and amusement park tour of Florida but it helps make sense of the area's history and industry.

My beloved joined us for supper Tuesday and Wednesday in Ybor. The Cuban sandwiches and bean soup are worth trying if you haven't had either before. Our little girl was very curious as we watched the cigar makers at work in some of the shops in Ybor as we walked through the city.

On Thursday we headed to the Florida aquarium. It was a really relaxing place during the middle of the week. It might get crowded on weekends but we had no trouble taking a couple of good long walks through from the bottom to the top taking in a shark tank, a reef, and a Mangrove. It was a very good introduction to some of the aquatic life I've seen, caught, and been stung by in prior visits to Florida.

A neat place for breakfast in Tampa is the Samaria Cafe on Tampa Avenue downtown. Its run by a married couple. They serve good food in enormous portions at great prices. I was so full I never needed to stop for lunch. I learned that this child, of all our 3, really likes eggs and potatoes too.

Yep it was a good winter break in a laid back big city. I'd go again.