puddin

I am going to be traveling to the Tampa/St. Pete area with my husband and our 2 1/2 year old son for approx. 9 days in July. Any suggestions out there for the sights to see with our little boy? We already plan to do Busch Gardens. Thanks.

jaye

Any outdoor activities, please be aware that it is unbearably hot here in July. Busch Gardens is good as it has opportunities to get soaking wet and believe me you will want to. Thunderstorms are very common from 3PM on. Go to the park early, wear clothes that can get soaked and take dry clothes and stow them in lockers when you arrive. There is a nice aquarium in Tampa. You might also make a trip to the pier in St. Pete. They have a small aquarium. The shops are kind of tourist junk, but it's an outing that affords in and outdoor with people fishing, pelicans and planes flying by as the airport is very close. I hope you are staying somewhere with a pool.

Postal

The Tampa Aquarium is good for a couple of hours.

LaurenSKahn

With a 2 1/2 year old Busch Gardens will be a very long day. Theme parks are expensive. You might want to spend serious beach time with a beach umbrella and sunblock. At least at the ocean, you get a breeze.

Disney and Sea World are 1 1/2 hours away in Orlando if you are looking for a second theme park. It will be hot, so Busch may be all you can stand especially in view of your son's age.

You know, serious time at the hotel pool might be nice too. When your son needs a nap, it's back to the room. That is much easier than schlepping all over with a toddler. That would be my choice. Then while he naps, you can lay down or read a book.

If the hotel has a babysitting service, you might want to consider it so the adults can have a night off and out.

jon

I don't know if a 2 1/2 year old will be able to appreciate Busch Gardens for its rides and shows. It is very expensive to go. Instead, think about Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, which is very nice, and affordable.
The St. Pete Pier idea is also good. Children love watching the pelicans and feeding them. There are also boat trips that go out of there. And you can rent 1 bike for all 3 of you and pedal around the area. It's only $8 for 30 min., which is just right amount of time in the heat.
The Clearwater Marine aquarium might be fun. It's near Clearwater Beach.
As many of the posts said, it will be very hot, and your little one will tire quickly in the heat. That's why I really don't recommend Busch Gardens since it is so expensive. You probably won't be able to fully enjoy the day with rides since your son won't be able to go on them. And while the animals are great, as I mentioned above, Lowry Park Zoo is also great, and way less money. Come back when your son's older and then you can enjoy Busch Gardens to its fullest.
Enjoy!

EllieB

I agree with the Lowry Park Zoo suggestion. My 2 year old absolutely loved it. They have a little fountain/wading pool area that she would have spent the whole day in.

OliveOyl

It's been a few years since I've been to Busch, but from what I'm remembering about it, I'm thinking your 2 1/2 yr old might be a bit young for most of the rides. Your ticket price pays for some pretty serious rides...things my husband refuses to go on even. We've done Busch without doing rides, and enjoy the zoo portion, but it makes for an expensive zoo experience..especially in the heat.

He might have just as much fun at Lowry Park Zoo--a pretty decent zoo, but lacking all the rides. Ticket prices at Lowry Park are $9.50/adult, children under 3 free. Prices at Busch are 51.95/adult, children under 3 free, or $46.75 7 day advance e ticket.

Beaches are the thing of course, and it is slightly cooler by the water. There are a couple of boat rides that might be fun. The Screamer...a high speed boat that runs along the coast a couple of times a day. I haven't ridden it, but it seems to be popular, if LOUD. It's loud from shore...don't know if it's any better actually on the boat. Another boat excursion is Capt Nemo's Pirate Cruise..it's name pretty much describes it.

Generally though, a bucket, a shovel, some sand molds are all that are necessary for the best times.

OliveOyl

Sorry about duplicating what everyone else was saying...it looks as if I read nothing. Actually, I was composing my reply and watching the Today Show at the same time...doing more watching than writing, so the two notes above mine were posted as I was writing. I guess we are all validating each other though! gt;

E

It's been many years since I've been there, but how about the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary in St. Pete? (Can you say that 5 times fast??)It isn't a zoo, but a rescue and rehab operation for seabirds that got tangled in nets, injured by boats, etc. However, at any given time they have many birds in residence, some permanently because they cannot be reintroduced into the wild, and as I recall, you can see them quite up close. Your little boy might enjoy it...

itleyen

Does he like to fish?

puddin

Thanks for all of your suggestions! I absolutely can appreciate what everyone is saying about Busch Gardens...the only reason we want to go is that everytime we go to St. Pete to see my father-in-law, we go there. Maybe do a half day? Is that possible? We plan on spending alot of time at my father-in-law's pool, also the beach. The reason for the trip in July is that the weather up here (New England) has been so dismal since October that 6 months at the equator sounds good to me at this point....anyone else agree??

CarolB

I'll put in yet another vote for the Tampa Aquarium down on the waterfront. It's a manageable size but is done very nicely -- lots of variety but not a big commitment for you. And you'll be out of the sun.

jaye

Puddin,
Your latest post asks if anyone else agrees....if that means with coming down in July my answer would be no, I do not agree. If you have a more open schedule I would wait until October. Florida between June through September is very confining in terms of outdoor activities, especially if you are not used to this kind of heat and humidity.

dutyfree

I would recommend going to the fabulous Fort DeSota Park/beach which is right before you go over the causeway to St. Pete Beach. It is miles of pristine beauty,great sand and things on the beach.Teddy Roosevelt trained the "Rough Riders" there before the Spanish American War and there are some things like bunkers still in parts of the park.I think if you went earlier in the day or after 2pm you would have a great time-don't forget the sand toys!!!

joan

I'm surprised nobody else has mentioned Adventure Island - owned by Busch gardens and right next door, this is a great July outing. You can bring your own coolers/food, set up under a shady tree, and there are lots and lots of baby pools/activities. Also, lots of slides and a wave pool, you will love it. Better than ALL the others, with a toddler in the July heat, IMO!

OliveOyl

Hi Joan...thanks for bringing Adventure Island up. I've never been there so can't say a thing about it...have no idea what it is like, who it would appeal to, age group appropriate blahblah. I just know it exists. gt; From our years in Dallas I'm familiar with parks like Wet 'n Wild, but wouldn't take toddlers there. Would you describe Adventure Island a little more? Would adults enjoy it as much as teens/younger children?

We need to make another Woody's run!

dwooddon

I know nothing whatsoever about Tampa/St. Pete but have a suggestion that may save you some money and also provide some home town benefit. If you have a zoo near your home base, consider joining its support group (In San Diego, it's the San Diego Zoological Society-SDZS). Not only will it allow you free or reduced cost access to your local zoo, many zoos around the country honor such memberships. I am a member of the SDZS and have been able to use that for access to zoos all around the US. It was even honored for free access to the Wild Bird Sanctuary in Singapore a number of years ago.

jon

Adventure Island is nice, but I think most of the place is geared to older kids and adults. You have to think of the monetary value. Is a 2 1/2 year old really going to appreciate what a park like that has to offer for the high price, or will a pool or beach satisfy his toddler needs. What is the purpose of taking a young toddler to places that they're too young to really enjoy or care about, like Adventure Island or Busch Gardens, or is it really for the parents? You can't pay for 1/2 day at Busch Gardens, by the way. And if you go to Busch Gardens every time you come for a visit, then you already know what it's like. There are less expensive places to entertain your child.

puddin

Jaye,
In my last posting, I was actually referring to the weather in the northeast this winter, and did anyone agree with me that it has been dismal? Just a clarification...

itleyen

Does he like poppers?