2 Best Sights in The Tampa Bay Area, Florida

Downtown St. Pete's waterfront buzzes thanks to a new, 26-acre entertainment district that's open from 30 minutes before sunrise to 11 pm. With both indoor and outdoor offerings, many of them family-friendly, it's the perfect place to start or finish a day. Highlights include the Spa Beach (finally, no need to drive to the Gulf side!); the shady Coastal Thicket path; the Marketplace, which showcases locally crafted goods; the Waterfront Walk; and the Splash Pad water park for kids.

You can also check out the jaw-dropping, ever-changing Bending Arc installation by Tampa Bay artist Janet Echelman, and learn about marine life at the hands-on Discovery Center. Note, too that the city's renowned Museum of Fine Arts is just a five-minute walk away. Restaurant options include Doc Ford's, with waterfront views at the start of the pier, and Teak, which has water and skyline vistas, as well as a rooftop tiki bar that's the perfect place to enjoy sunsets.

This spot is the terminus of State Road 60 (hence the name), which runs under various names between Vero Beach on the east coast and Clearwater Beach on the west coast. Around 3:30 each day, weather permitting, the area surrounding the pier starts to liven up.

Local artists and craftspeople fill their folding tables with beaded jewelry, handmade skin-care products, and beach landscape paintings. Jugglers, musicians, break-dancers, and fire breathers perform. And the grand finale is the sun setting over the Gulf of Mexico. On weekends when the weather is mild, there are also free, family-friendly movie screenings.