Things to do in Tampa...
 

My husband and I are going to be in Tampa in August for 2 days before a cruise and one day after. Can anyone suggest some fun things to do while we're there? I've checked a few websites and they all give me the typical museaums, shopping, etc. I'd like to know what some of the locals do for fun. We're also looking for some great restaurants to try. Thanks!

Busch (not Bush) Gardens is quite enjoyable. There are several nudest parks in the area, too.

Ha ha, wally. As an adult, I enjoyed Busch Gardens. Get a day pass on the trolley and take a stroll along St Pete beach, stopping in one of the fun beach bars/restauarants. Party at Ybor City (crazy place!)

If you are a foodie at all, eat at Columbia when you are in Ybor City. Historic Cuban restaurant with great food and great character. If you are staying on the beach, Frenchies just N of downtown Clearwater is a super casual literally right on the beach place. Have fun.

There is a Busch Gardens in town which would certainly take care of your fun yearnings.

As for a place to eat, I highly recommend Bern's Steakhouse on Howard Ave (www.bernssteakhouse.com). I have eaten there 3x and can safley say that this is one of the best restaurants in the country if you are a connoisseur of wine and steak. Allow 3 hours for your experience and make sure that you do the kitchen/wine cellar tour then have dessert upstairs.

Hope this helps. Enjoy your stay.

Stroll around Hyde Park (you can do some shopping in Hyde Park Village or just admire the stately homes and bungalows in the neighborhood) or along Bayshore Boulevard (views of downtown and Hillsborough Bay) and have dinner at Sidebern's or Restaurant BT--they're more fun and hip than Bern's, which is over-the-top stuffy, IMO.

Visit the Dali Museum in St Pete.

There's a current post that asks about things to do in Clearwater ... many of the activities people listed would work for you.

I really like Al Gusto, right on Kennedy Blvd across the street from the University of Tampa. Very fresh Mexican - delicious.

Also, the University of Tampa itself is quite pretty. My husband's family came into town and they like old buildings, so we took them to the museum, and they walked the grounds. They really enjoyed it.

Just an FYI. I was at Busch Gardens last week and was surprised by how much it had changed in a few years.

We are not the "thrill ride" type so my mom thought we'd see the animals, etc. What a waste of $62.95. It seems as though they are phasing out the animal/German themes that used to be and are concentrating on Africa and thrill rides. Very few animals around.

Maybe it's in a transition stage, but just wanted to give a headsup. If you love rides, they had some really awesome looking ones, though!

I live in Tampa. We enjoy driving about an hour south to stroll around St. Armand's Circle in Sarasota (a beautiful area of galleries, boutiques, and nice restaurants along the beach). We like to wander around Downtown St. Pete on the weekends for same reason...it's lovely, very walkable, offers many unique restaurants, wine bars, etc., and is right on the bay so you get beautiful waterviews, too. Not too many places in Tampa proper are as pretty or pleasant to walk around (although I do like Hyde Park Village, as a previous poster suggested).

My favorite restaurants in Tampa are Charley's Steakhouse http://www.charleyssteakhouse.com/index.html, Mise En Place http://www.miseonline.com/,and Ceviche http://www.ceviche.com/index2.php. Have fun!

I second the recommendation of Dinner at Bern's. It is outstanding!

Not too far from the cruise terminals at Tampa's Port, is the Florida Aquarium <http://www.flaquarium.org/>. It is well worth 3-4 hours.

A few other options:
Ringling Museum -- gorgeous home in Sarasota, circus and art museum;
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa -- late eve fun, nice pool and spa;
Saddlebrook Resort - spa, golf, tennis, steak house, North of Tampa in Wesley Chapel;
Vizcaya - great, authentic Spanish restaurant in Tampa;
Cafe Don Jose -- Spanish/Cuban cuisine;
Armani's -- very nice restaurant, great views -- North Tampa area;
Dade City for old Florida town/antiquing
Homosassa Springs for old Florida feel, seeing Manatees.

I also live in Tampa. I thought I saw the trolley mentioned? If not, consider it mentioned! Get an all day pass. It goes from Channelside where the cruise boats dock to both Ybor City and Downtown Tampa. People have mentioned eating in Ybor and it is quite pretty after dark. In addition, we frequent the Tampa Improv comedy club which is at Centro Ybor. There is also live music at many venues. The closer you are to the weekend, the better the selection of activities. Downtown, there is the Hillsborough River. On the west side is the historic University of Tampa. The campus is beautiful and a nice place to walk next to the river (get off the trolley and walk across the Kennedy Drawbridge (also historic)and you will see the campus right there. On the east side, there is what the City of Tampa calls "Riverwalk" adjacent to the river - nice. At the north end of the walk is the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center - expensive. To the west and along the trolley route is the Tampa Theater which is historic and shows interesting films and has other events - not your standard Muvico, AMC, Regal fare. And also, there's Channelside right where you'll dock. Not my favorite, but Splitsville is nice for an afternoon or evening - good food (great pizza) and it has several lanes for bowling and some pool table also. All this on public transportation, if you have your own transportation...I'll post again later. Also, it is very hot in Tampa in August!

It's later. As I said , it is hot in Tampa in August. With transportation, there are the Gulf Coast beaches. Clearwater, Sand Key, and St Pete are the closest and they won't be particularly crowded. If you prefer something less real (and free from maneating predators), there's Adventure Island which is a waterpark across the road from Busch Gardens. One can purchase a two park pass and enjoy the water during the hot part of the day and Busch Gardens later.

I agree with the Bern's Steakhouse suggestion. Such a cool place. Make sure you save room for desert upstairs. Really a treat.

We wouldn't make a trip to Tampa without eating at The Columbia. Yummy!!

Check out Treasure Island. Next to Saint Petersburg. Great mid century atmosphere.

Well, two meals at Bern's and the Columbia would cast Tampa as a throwback to the '50's. I'm torn as to what to say about these two: they're primarily for tourists, which doesn't automatically make them awful, but they're not authentic to today's Tampa, either. Then again, today's Tampa looks a lot like other young-ish cities, so maybe Bern's and Columbia are good choices for visitors. I think one could do much better for the prices these places charge; and while the atmosphere in both is certainly unique, it's also decidedly dated and shabby. I would hate anyone to judge Tampa's cuisine by these two; but the camp factor makes them worth one visit, perhaps.

Now I feel like Debbie Downer, so here are a few places I do like, in no particular order: Pane Rustica (lunch or dinner), Sidebern's, Roy's, Restaurant BT (lunch or dinner). Cheaper and much more casual are Cappy's (pizza, dinner only), Louis Pappas, Taqueria. Mr. Empanada for, well, empanadas.

I haven't been to the new (and improved?) Pane Rustica, but ate often at the original little place on McDill. We loved it! Sideberns as well.

I agree about Bern's, not Debbie Downer, but Honest Harriet, LOL, and although it's fun to see the show at Columbia, Ive had the worst and driest paella ever, there...TWICE! LOL I'm a slow learner.

And tonight Taqueria was lousy! I'm a slow learner, too, so I'll give it another go, but can't wholeheartedly recommend it now, especially to someone with a limited number of meals to eat here...