Been to Tampa?

[durk187]

Im going to Tampa, FL this following week and I am curious if anyone knows what I "have" to see and do. Where to eat, drink, and any other sights to see. Any information anyone has would be very helpful.<br /><br />Thanks in advance, <br /><br />DC

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Been to Tampa?

Hey duckcommander, get ahold of derwood[shadywood], he lives down that way and he could let you in on some spots more than likely.

 

[Jack Shellac]

Re: Been to Tampa?

Have been to Tampa many times to see children and grandchildren, so my choices may be influenced by kids. We like Busch Gardens even better than Disneyword. Not so crowded and EXPENSIVE. It's a fairly short trip across to Orlando, where we like Sea World. In Tampa, there are many good Cuban restaurants, but the best known is The Columbia in Ybor City. It's quite an experience to eat there as they have many different styles of rooms.

 

[snapperbait]

Re: Been to Tampa?

Or... On the other end of the "fun" spectrum, if you're a party animal (I'm not), I've been told Dale Mabry Road is where the action is... <br /><br />I'd be more inclined to do the Busch Gardens / Sea World thing and look for some new fishin' holes in the Bay... <br /><br /> Maybe a ride over the Skyway Bridge too...

 

[Jack Shellac]

Re: Been to Tampa?

Yeah, I forgot about the Skyway Bridge. Don't try to cross in fog however. They smack in to each other on a regular basis. It looks strange to see the top of the bridge sticking up out of the fog. If you have time. the fishing is pretty good around Tampa, too. They fish for snook, redfish and the usual coastal varieties.

 

[ebbtide176]

Re: Been to Tampa?

I was there a week at a seminar near the skyway bridge 2 yrs ago. in the evenings i cruised all over, ate lots of crab legs & shrimp cheap. i really liked cruising over to Treasure Island, very touristy/party type place. since it was always after dark, the place was perfect- beachside bars with good food & drinks everywhere. got to check out several places where the commercial boats just docked right at the side of the bars, one place had what looked like shrimp trawlers parked there, it was something else. <br /><br />i really enjoyed the tampa area.

 

[Boatsrule]

Re: Been to Tampa?

Check out the aquarium downtown and check out the cruise ships next door. You have to check out Ybor city like Jack Suggested it is a must but you have to go in the evening. It is like a very small "mardi graw"(spelling) at times.

 

[12Footer]

Re: Been to Tampa?

I make fun of Tampon all the time, but in honesty, they boast some of the best pier,beach and shore fishing in the state. This is due to the awesome pier they made out of the partially destroyed Sunshine Skyway span,now turned into fishing pier.<br />Also, the water quality has been on a slow,steady inprovament since the late 70's, thanks to some very involved residents and groups.<br /><br />The biggest Snook I ever caught was caught in St Pete.

 

[handball]

Re: Been to Tampa?

Can anyone tell me about water depths in the treasure island area? can a sailboat with 6ft draft be used in this area.Is there enough water to reach the gulf? Under normal water conditions is it possible to cross florida using the okeechobee waterway with a 6 ft. draft in a sailboat?<br />Ihave not made the trip from n.y. to florida since 1997 and does anyone know if the real problem areas have been dredged on the icw?<br />One of the worst areas to get by was south of datona beach and north of new smyna . this place had more tow boats hanging out than anywere else on the icw.I have to say the towboats would help anyone that called on the radio to try and get you through this silted in area.<br />Another area with low water is north of charlston the icw has creeks flowing into it and sand fills the channel , try to get to this area at high tide.

 

[Navigator]

Re: Been to Tampa?

Handball,<br />The channels in and around Treasure Island are find with a 6 ft draft. (All the Marinas are on the ICW side and not the Gulf) If you run the ICW, just make sure you DO stay in the channels. In the south end of the peninsula (treasure island area) the water is nice and deep. It only gets shallow in the north end of the peninsula because of all the bayous and such. The ICW is fine though. A lot of Gambling and Dinner cruise ships cruise the channel and they certainly draw more than 6 ft.<br /><br />If you are looking to cruise down this way by sail, you'd probably be better off asking your questions on the Sailing forum. <br /><br />Enjoy,<br />Nav