butteredtoast

In March, I will be in downtown Tampa for a conference. It ends Saturday morning, and my flight isn't until Sunday afternoon. What should I do with my 24 hours?

What I like:
*The beach (although I know it may not be very warm)
*Museums
*Food tours
*good food (more on the chowhound than fancy side; oh, and I don't like seafood)

Most online guides seem to suggest Busch Gardens but I don't think I'd have much fun by myself there!

I'd rather not get a rental car but if needed, I could. Are there any hotels in the downtown area I could rent from? (I don't want to pick one up at the airport when I arrive and have to pay for one my whole stay, including parking).

Is there enough in downtown Tampa on the weekend to entertain me? I noticed the trolley only runs M-F, so it sounds like no. Is Ybor City a possibility?

I haven't booked my Sat night hotel yet, so I can also go a little farther away.
Head to St. Pete's? St Pete beach?

Any itinerary help would be appreciated!

wintersp

I am not a fan of Tampa. It does have the aquarium and the Columbia Rest (which has a smaller version at the airport).
I would head straight to St. Pete. On Sat am, there is a downtown food/craft market happening. St. Pete also has the Dali museum, a Chuhuly museum as well as a city museum.

Then I would head straight to Treasure Island andd the beach.
On Sunday, I would head to the Biltmore and hope the kiteflyers were there. But even if they weren't, I expect the Biltmore would have live music on the beach. TI is a very straight, clean shot back to the airport. And I would go back to the airport 1-2 hours early to partake of the menu (particulary the Spanish Bean Soup) at the Columbia Rest. located there.

You will need a car for this since we are not up to par with public transportation (as Europe is for instance).

starrs

OO needs to find this thread!

starrs

Until she does, I recommend getting a rental car and exploring. Our last stop was always Alessi's Bakery to take great treats home. You can't take soup back with you anymore, but the bakery treats were wonderful to take back for treats for those at home.
http://alessibakery.com/our-story

wintersp

I will add something to the above. After living in St. Pete for 20 of the last 45 years and visiting at least 3 times a year in between(and will be moving back this year), I will add another adventure. If you want a small experience of the 'old' florida and nature, take an hour and go to Sawgrass park. (It is between downtown St. Pete and the beaches). You are guaranteed seeing alligators (and of course it is free). And not much else but the birds, alligators, and quiet. I always take my grandson here.

Others know (& like Tampa) and will be chimming in I'm sure.

Sorry Starrs, the soup was to eat - but you knew that, didn't you??? Although I have brought home the bread pudding!

starrs

Oh, we ate the soup there but loved taking some home.
There was a little Cuban restaurant on Westshore (frame building with gravel parking lot) and another in a strip center near the university and I'd time my flights on Sundays to get to Tampa in time to get there before they closed. But Alessi's was always the last stop before the airport to take home goodies.

I spent the spring in Tampa for several years (flying home for weekends) and Alessi's is what I miss most of all.

wintersp

http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/ybor.asp Looking at the Columbia Rest. they seem to have Flamenco dancing and/entertainment during the week. They are also considered in Ybor city, so a chance to walk around Ybor City. They were the go-to place for celebratory dining when I was young there. But as I pointed out above, you can get a 'Columbia Rest fix' at the airport now.

You could also rent a car and head to Sarasota area and never go wrong with that choice. (Ringling mansion and museum).
Or to the Clearwater area - I don't have specifics for that. And Tarpon Springs is the Greek diving community north of Clearwater that is very unique.

You are truly spoiled for choice in this area!!

wintersp

Starrs, I'm really surprised I didn't know about Alessi's since I can find a bakery any place on earth that I go! I am going to SP Friday for a week and if I feel like tackling Tammpa, I will look for it. When I was young there, we had Wolfie's - and it was open all night. I'll let you know. (by the way, I used your trip report to go hear Jimmy Carter teach Sun School). My son who has been around the world and more had never been in rural georgia...and was fascinated with it. He was raised in GA - but the city.

starrs

I completely agree with Tarpon Springs. If I had a rental car, that's the first place I'd head - at least for dinner. I don't mind eating alone, but I would not enjoy the Columbia solo. I would love eating at one of the Greek restaurants in Tarpon Springs.
http://www.spongedocks.net/tarpon-sp...ttractions.htm
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...s_Florida.html

OO has been posting a lot about the changes at St. Pete. I'd head toward the beach and enjoy being in the sun. I'd have dinner in Tarpon Springs and if you change hotels I'd get a room on the beach. It's been so long since I've stayed at St. Pete beach, my recommendations would be no good.

doug_stallings

If you do rent a car and like manatees, then I recommend going a bit further north to Crystal River for the afternoon, but Tarpon Springs is a very good place to stay and eat.

If you do want to stay local without a car, then I think the Dali museum is a great choice, and there are hotels within walking distance or a very quick ride. The Hilton, for example, has a shuttle service if you don't want to walk, and I think it might get you to both the Dali Museum and the Chihuly Collection.

NewbE

Tampa has changed a lot since some of you have been here, I think!

In downtown Tampa, walking distance from the convention center, there is so much to do!

The Tampa Museum of Art http://tampamuseum.org
Good permanent collection, great traveling exhibits, and a light installation that is fun to see at night. (Tampa's bridges are graced with light art, too.)
The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts http://fmopa.org
A block from the Museum of Art, well worth a stop.
The Museum of Florida History http://www.museumoffloridahistory.com
Currently running a great exhibit on the Civil Rights movement in Florida.

All three are in cool new buildings. The history museum has a snack bar run by the family that owns the Columbia. The art museum has an outdoor cafe run by a local chef, Marty Blitz.

You could also explore the grounds of the University of Tampa, across a narrow stretch of river from the art museum. Plant Hall houses a fascinating museum of artifacts from the railroad magnate Henry Plant, who built the university's gingerbread-embelished main hall in a park-like setting on the river. http://plantmuseum.com .

You could then take a cab to Ybor City, enjoy the atmosphere and architecture, and perhaps take a walking tour that covers the history of the neighborhood. Begin your visit at the State Park and museum just off the plaza: http://www.ybormuseum.org
There is an active nightlife scene that kicks off after 9pm or so, so if that's not your thing, head back downtown for dinner and a drink.

In downtown Tampa, there is a slew of restaurants and bars and hotels. Fly Bar is great for food and drink; Spain is a fine tapas restaurant with Spanish guitar on most weekends; the Le Meridien, which just opened last spring, is housed in the grand old courthouse building--marble floors, brass, really cool--and has a good restaurant and a couple of cozy bars, as well as a coffeebar/pastry shop. Oxford Exchange, across from UT, is a wonderful place to stop for a coffee, tea (they do an afternoon tea service, or there is a tea bar), lunch, brunch, or a browse through their excellent bookstore and home accessories shop. If you want fine dining, Malio's steakhouse and Mise en Place are downtown, Bern's steakhouse a short cab ride away.

All of this without a car! Stay at the Meridien, the Aloft, the Westin Harbour Island, the Floridan... all within walking distance of all of this, too.

The Columbia is very tired these days, partly because the owners, the Gonzmarts, have opened a spectacular new restaurant on a historic spring in Tampa that celebrates Florida cuisine, Ulele: http://www.ulele.com The Tampa Riverwalk connects it to downtown and would make a for a lovely stroll.

Alessi'a is deeply, deeply mediocre--sorry, but Tampa has moved on since Alessi's heyday, and perhaps they aren't what they used to be. But there is no reason on earth to go out of your way, which it would be without a car.

Now--if you want beaches, go for it. St. Pete is awesome and I could list just as many wonderful things to do there. But if you want to do without a car, Tampa has more than enough to occupy you in excellent fashion.

NewbE

Ah, I just read that your food tastes run along chowhound lines--as do mine. Taco Bus, the downtown location, is the way to go:
http://www.taco-bus.com
Great Mexican street food, but modern enough to include lots of vegetarian options.

Bavaro's is fun for pizza and pasta:
http://www.bavarostampa.com

I repeat Fly Bar, too

starrs

wintersp, I'm glad to know that. It's something I'd always wanted to do and a family member has a place not too far away so we took advantage of the retreat and really enjoyed the Plains trip. I really do like south GA. It can appear to be flat and boring but there are interesting things to see and do if folks take the time. And I love driving along very good roads, making good speed but driving through farmland - soybeans and cotton. I love watching the seasons of cotton and even the ginormous bales in the field. I'm weird. I admit it.

If you haven't been to Westville recently, you really should check it out. I went with an Atlanta friend last fall and he absolutely loved it. Another idea is the Mennonite restaurant near Montezuma (which is actually the farmland of my BF's family, given as a land grant, but they are all long gone) -
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...a_Georgia.html

FDR's Little White House is another favorite. But back to Tampa.

Sorry you don't like Alessi's, NewbE. It's a favorite of my good friend who grew up in Tampa and still has family there. That's the great thing about this board - folks suggesting ideas and readers deciding whether if it's something that interests them, or not. Different stroke for different folks.

NewbE

Well, yes, starrs, but I live in Tampa and have several friends who are born and raised here and they don't go to Alessi's any more. Of course, some people do, but I'm afraid I view it as less of a different strokes thing, and more of a , don't tell a person with one day in Tampa to go there.

There are many, many things to do with a car. But the OP said she'd prefer not to rent a car, and it may not be warm enough for beach weather. Just pointing out the obvious, I guess

starrs

Oh my heavens! March?! Tampa?!
How can I forget? It's strawberry time!
http://www.parkesdale.com/
Take a look at this shortcake -
http://www.parkesdale.com/about-parkesdale.html
"Every winter, people flock to Parkesdale Farm Market from across the United States, even as far as Europe and Asia, just for a bowl of our World Famous Strawberry Shortcake! Served fresh from the fields, sweet sliced berries sit atop a bed of shortcake with a healthy dollop of whipped cream as garnish.
Our shortcake has been an ever improving recipe to combine the tastes of the south with the appeal of the north for the perfect shortcake. A little like a biscuit with a touch of cake, our shortcake is just sweet enough to compliment the juicy strawberries and moist enough to soak up all the sugary flavored berry juices.

A grand attraction in its own right, during the annual Plant City Strawberry Festival, Parkesdale Farm Market caters to the town’s love of berries with our very own Strawberry Throne. Sit, put on your crown, hold your roses and enjoy the chance to be Queen or King for the day. Enjoy a break from the hustle and bustle of Festival days by taking a break at one of our tables, set amid a tropical garden and lush flowers and foliage, to try our fresh milkshakes, shortcakes, and other delectable treats. Our Market sits directly on your route to or from the Festival each year, don’t forget to stop and pick up your own berries and more to take home!!"

I've never gone to the festival, but you could depending on your dates in March. We (company folks) fought for the Plant City calls so we could stop at Parkesdale at lunch and have their amazing strawberry shortcake for lunch.

It's in the opposite direction of the beaches, and may not appeal at all, but just putting the strawberry/Parkesdale word out there!

starrs

Oops! Meant to preview and not submit -

And if you're interested, here's the classic children's book about the strawberry fields outside Tampa.

http://newberryproject.blogspot.com/...alie-ross.html

Strawberry Girl, winner of the 1946 Newbery Medal, was the second book in Lois Lenski's American Regionals series, 17 books about the lives of children in different regions of the country, published between 1943 and 1968.

This story takes place in Polk County, Florida (in the center of the state, east of Tampa), in the early 1900s (according to the author in her foreword, although that could mean the first half of the century). It centers on two Cracker neighbor families, the Slaters, squatters who raise cattle on open range, and the Boyers, newly-arrived landowners who want to raise strawberries and oranges. The main characters, ten-year-old Berthenia Lou "Birdie" Boyer and twelve-year-old Jefferson Davis "Shoestring" Slater, epitomize the conflicts and (sometimes) cooperation between the two families. The conflicts include killing each others' animals, and setting a fire hoping to burn the neighbor out.
more at link