Life of the Traveling Wife

Hi friends! Below you will find a travel guide pieced together of our favorite places near Tampa or within a days trip from Tampa that we have explored! Everyone has different tastes, so whenever you take a trip to Florida make it your own and make it fun for you!! But, we wanted to give you a good starting point to follow in case you wanted to check out some of the amazing places we have seen for yourself. We had so much fun compiling this list together and we hope you enjoy it! I have attached links to each place for your browsing convenience.

Our Tampa Favorites

• Stroll the Tampa Riverwalk: You can see really cool sights of the downtown Tampa area by strolling the Tampa Riverwalk. The full length of the walk is 2.6 miles. We walk this often because we love being in the city, but also right on the water. There are a few parks off of the Riverwalk for kids. There are even pop-up markets or music events at Curtis Hixon Park which is about midway through the Riverwalk, but closer to Armature Works. We often start from Armature Works and end near Sparkman’s Wharf.
• Visit Lettuce Lake Park: Follow the 3,500 ft. boardwalk trail through the mangroves to see cranes, turtles, and alligators swimming in the water or laying on the banks of the tall grass. Because you walk on a boardwalk there is no fear of alligators getting too close! Make your way through the boardwalk to the observation tower where you can take the steps to get a great view of the beautiful lush scenery and part of the Hillsborough River. And it’s only $2 per vehicle to enter the whole park.
• Shop & Eat at Hyde Park Village: This is such a cute little area with shops, a public studio and coworking space, the village circle fountain, and tons of restaurants to choose from.
• Walk, Bike, & Fish the Courtney Campbell Causeway: I know what you’re thinking, ‘this is on the side of a highway, a bridge that connects Tampa to Clearwater, do I really want to go here?’, but we’ll answer with a yes because everyday its a scene. Do you walk, bike, skateboard, rollerblade (super popular in Tampa), ride a one wheeled electric hoverboard? You’ll enjoy this nicely paved scenic trail. Parking is very convenient on the side roads and parking lot by the entrance. You’ll most likely see people hanging out by their parked cars with tents and grills set up, people jet skiing in the Old Tampa Bay, or others fishing! Bobby and I loved flipping over rocks at low tide to catch mud crabs to use as bait when we fished. Be careful, the crustacean covered rocks are very sharp when you pick them up!
• Catch a New York Yankee Spring Training game at the George M. Steinbrenner Field: Many spring training stadiums are in Florida, just Google your favorite baseball team and see where they play. We really enjoy cheering for the NY Yankees, so catching a spring training game just around the corner from us in Tampa was such a cool experience!
• Gear up for Fishing at Tampa Fishing Outfitters: You can get just about everything you need from this tackle shop. We enjoyed going there because the people who assist you are so helpful, especially Pam! She gave us a lure for free with our purchase just because she really wanted us to give it a try. She also hosts her own inshore kayak fishing lessons, so if you are interested in that, give her a call!
• Stroll down Bayshore Boulevard: This is known as one of the longest continuous sidewalks in the U.S. spanning 4.5 miles long and 10 feet wide. On one side of your walk you’ll overlook Tampa Bay and on the other you’ll see beautifully constructed and expensive homes. We loved riding our bikes here! And also watching the Fourth of July Fireworks go off from the bay with hundreds of others gathered along the decorative railings.
• Picnic Island Park: There’s so much to this park if you are willing to explore! The first parking lot gets you to a short fishing pier, boat ramp, dog park, and small beach. The second parking lot gets you to the disc golf course, shelters, trails, and playgrounds. We have gone here by ourselves and with friends. It’s the perfect spot to catch a sunset too.

Our Favorite Tampa Restaurants

• Armature Works: You’ll find Armature Works at the beginning of the Tampa Riverwalk. It’s one of our favorite spots to hang out and grab food. It’s like an adult styled food court, everyone can get what they want to eat from nice restaurants and find a seat inside or outside in the courtyard or out on the lawn. Each restaurant will take your phone number and text you when your order is ready, so you can walk around while your food is being made. You’ll have a great view of the river too! You can ask to play any of their free outdoor games like cornhole or giant chess.
• Sparkman Wharf: On the opposite end of the Tampa Riverwalk, Sparkman Wharf also provides an adult styled food court, but everything is outside. You’ll walk right up to each restaurant booth, place your order, and then once it’s ready you’ll take it with you to a table you see is available. Its a great spot to eat if you are going to an event at the Amalie Arena like a concert or to see a Tampa Bay Lightning hockey game. We went to the Sparkman Wharf with family before a concert at the Amelie Arena.
• Bamboozle Cafe Downtown Tampa: If you love Pho, this is the place for you, it was for us! You can sit inside or outside, or take it to go. We have eaten outside and have taken some over to our friends house for a Pho and game night. If you’re vegetarian like us, this restaurant can use vegetable broth for their Pho, just ask for it!
• Oxford Exchange: 10/10 on everything. You just have to go experience it! You’ll walk in through a bookstore and down a hallway that will open up to a coffee shop, tea shop across from the coffee shop, a champagne bar, and then the restaurant. Its one of the places that I would just love to stay in for hours, but they don’t give out their WIFI, lol. We have dined at the restaurant and have gone back to enjoy an afternoon cup of coffee. It’s just a short walk from the Henry B. Plant Museum, part of the University of Tampa.
• Lady and the Mug: We frequented this coffee shop often! It’s a smaller coffee shop, but we loved the layout and the different types of seating options they have including indoor tableside swings. They also have a big tree on the inside for decoration and lots of funny quotes everywhere. I really enjoyed how big their iced latte glasses are!
• American Social Bar and Kitchen: Location, location, location! Grab a bite to eat here, especially an outdoor seat, and overlook the heart of the downtown Tampa Skyline and the Hillsborough River spilling out into the Hillsborough Bay and other channels. Great spot for a sunset dinner or weekend brunch! Park in the parking garage underground and get your parking validated from the restaurant before you leave! After we had a meal here we all grabbed gelato from Fast Jack’s right around the corner.
• Chez Faby: Order delicious French pastries, breakfast, crepes, and more from this downtown Tampa restaurant! Depending on the weather, you can sit outside right on the sidewalk, inside, or in the room in the back.
• Forbici Modern Italian: While you’re strolling Hyde Park Village stop into Forbici Modern Italian right on the corner across the street from the free parking garage. This food is so good and the affogatos are out of this world. Try and book a reservation as this place fills up quickly most days, especially Sundays. Catch some live music and enjoy an incredible meal, there’s a ton of vegetarian or vegan options as well as everything a meat lover would want too.
• Eddie & Sam’s NY Pizza: I know, I know. Recommending any pizza place outside of Long Island or the city is a crapshoot, especially if they claim to be NY pizza. But, this was the the closest we have ever come outside of NY to a good slice because they import NY water to use in the process of making their dough. Eddie & Sam’s is located in downtown Tampa with seating inside and a few tables outside on the sidewalk corner.
• Matteo Trattoria & Pizzeria: We usually went to the South Tampa location. Everything we have tried here is just soo good. We especially loved their Cacio e Pepe and Ricotta Cheese and Spinach Raviolis in a creamy pink sauce.

Our St. Pete Favorites

• Relax & Enjoy Fort De Soto Park & Beach: This was our favorite beach to go to for so many reasons. Fort De Soto has everything from spending a day at the beach and swimming in the beautiful Gulf of Mexico waters, to beach fishing, pier fishing, paved biking trails, a gift shop, concession stands, kayak and paddle board rentals, opportunities for running races, renting out campsites, ferry services to other little islands off the coast and more! Most importantly, it’s a family friendly beach! History was made here too. You can explore the Fort and learn more about its uses and see the only remaining four 12-inch M1890 mortars and two 6-inch Armstrong guns of its kind in the U.S.
• Eat, Tour, & Explore John’s Pass Village & Boardwalk: We loved this little boardwalk area. There’s a bunch of gift shops, ice cream stores, private charters, jet ski rentals, and dolphin watching tour boats.
• Fish 24/7 from the Skyway Fishing Pier State Park: This bridge, now turned pier, was struck in 1980 by a cargo ship killing 35 people in one of the most tragic disasters in Tampa Bay history. Rather than removing all of the bridge structure after the accident, the remaining portions of the bridge were converted into the North and South Fishing Piers. It costs $4 a car plus $4 per person to fish from the bridge. Your ticket will grant you access to both sides of the pier, with a drive across the new Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Nothing beats parking just a few feet from where you drop your fishing line into the water. Its a great fishing community and everyone gets excited when someone is reeling in a big fish. There are bait and concession shops located on the piers incase you forget ice for your cooler or want a quick snack or water. But we always packed a separate food cooler with a Publix sub, affectionately called Pub Sub’s, Gatorades and bottles of water, not knowing how long we would be out on the pier. Its great for day or night fishing as the pier is open 24/7 and 365 days a year. And when you buy your ticket at the kiosk before driving onto the pier, you’ll have 24 hour access, so you can come back the next day and fish as long as you start before your 24 hours expires.
• Take a shady walk through Sunken Gardens: You’ll see pink flamingos, birds, and butterflies amongst the 4 acres of tropical plants in this botanical garden. These gardens have such a cute history and are over 100 years old!
• Stroll, Dine, or Fish on the St. Pete Pier: This is a great spot to visit before going to Tropicana Field for a baseball game. Walk around or hop on the shuttle to take you from the parking lot to the end of the pier. There are several restaurants along the water to choose from, even one right at the end of the pier that you can take the elevator or stairs up to get a great view of downtown St. Pete. There is a small version of Gator Jim’s tackle shop at the end of the pier that you can rent fishing poles at for a few hours or for the day.
• See a baseball game at Tropicana Field: Since 1998, this field has been home to the Tampa Bay Rays. There isn’t too much to check out near the stadium, so head into downtown St. Pete before the game. Fun fact: Tropicana Field used to have the worst rated concessions in a baseball stadium, but in the most recent years, they redid their cuisine options and it’s all great now! This stadium is entirely cashless and you’ll order on kiosks throughout the stadium. Another fun fact: The Tampa Bay Rays have the least amount of in person attendance, but the most watched attendance on tv. The stadium might look a little empty, but that just increases your chances of snatching a foul ball.
• Stock up on fishing gear and bait at Gator Jim’s Tackle: Our absolute favorite bait and tackle shop! Get everything you might possibly need from Gator Jim’s before you go fishing. Our favorite spot to get live shrimp for bait, just be sure you have your bubbler bucket with you! We have only experienced one day in our many days of fishing that they had been completely bought out of live shrimp, so you can always call ahead to make sure they have some!

Our Favorite St. Pete Restaurants

• 2D Cafe: What drew us into this coffee shop, was its design, quite literally! Everything from floor to ceiling has been hand-painted by a local artist with white and black two dimensional designs. They not only serve coffee and food, but also wine and beer too.
• Tijuana Flats: There are so many locations to enjoy Tijuana Flats in Florida, so pop the name into your GPS and enjoy one that is closest to you! We frequented a few St. Pete and Tampa locations. Each restaurant is decorated a little bit different from another. You’ll see funny stickers everywhere, pirate jokes (ode to the Tampa Buccaneers), and neon colored walls and ceilings. Our favorites were the black bean and Baja fish tacos. The owner created his own line of hot sauces that are available to try or buy bottles of ranging in sweet heat to full blown burns in every Tijuana Flats.

Our Weeki Wachee Favorite

• Rent kayaks from the Kayak Shack: We kayaked several miles of the crystal clear Weeki Wachee River by renting from the Kayak Shack and then paddling into the Weeki Wachee Springs State Park. At certain times of the year when the water gets chillier elsewhere, the manatees return to the river and you’ll see a bunch of them swimming right alongside you. Manatees are known as gentle giants because they swim slowly and are harmless to humans. So if one smiles at you, just smile back. The Weeki Wachee River is consistently 72-74 degrees year round so it’s always a good time to rent out the Kayak Shack’s kayaks, canoes, or stand up paddle boards.

Our Dunedin Favorites

• We said many different pronunciations of this town’s name when we first started exploring this area. The correct pronunciation is “DUN-EE-DIN”, not DUNE-DIN, and not DUN-DIN. We learned the hard way, so here’s to giving you a leg up on your visit!
• Relax on the beach at Honeymoon Island: It’s one of Florida’s State Parks and has an absolutely incredible beach. Experience beautiful white sand beaches and the clear Gulf of Mexico. Bring fishing rods, as you can wade in the water out to the jetties to stand on and fish from. These jetties also protect parts of the beach from eroding away; because of their position in the water, they create beautifully scalloped shore lines. There are nature trails to explore, a dog park, ferries to other islands, and a cafe to grab lunch or a few beach snacks. Beware of seagulls, they are not afraid to attack your food, so have someone watch your six as your eat. Only $5 per vehicle to enter. We hope you enjoy!
• Stroll the Main Street in Dunedin: This town is extremely walkable and welcoming to tourists and locals alike. The main street is full of restaurants and shops for both day and night. Visit the Dunedin History museum. Take a bike ride along part of the 50 mile paved Pinellas bike trail that runs through the heart of downtown Dunedin. Be sure to take a walk down to the water and stop on the short pier at the end to catch sunset and part of the Gulf of Mexico with Caladesi Island just on the other side. There are also several small parks that host pop up artisan markets. Do a little research before you go to make sure you don’t miss out!

Our Favorite Dunedin Restaurants

• Crown & Bull: This modern American restaurant and bar has such a fun outdoor patio area; perfect to enjoy a meal under their shady courtyard trees. Enjoy their lounge areas with firepits as well while you sip on your favorite beverage. There is something for everyone whether it’s for brunch, lunch, dinner, or cocktails.
• Lane’s Lemonade & Dairy Bar: Enjoy the best fresh squeezed lemonades served from a red train car that used to transport fruit locally in Florida in the 1800s. We’ve tried the pomegranate and strawberry flavored lemonades and they were absolutely delicious! If you’re in the mood for ice cream, they have that too, but it’s only soft served.
• Strachan’s Homemade Ice Cream: You can’t go wrong when you enter Strachan’s and the smell of sweets greets you at the door. They have hard or soft served ice cream in their gourmet and signature flavors. If you are into sorbets or sherbets, they have that too! They also have fudge, cakes, and other goodies available. Stop in and check it out for yourself; you’ll want to taste everything!

Our Anna Maria Island Favorites

• Bradenton, FL is about 1 hour and 15 minutes from Tampa.
• Soak in the sunshine at Anna Maria Beach: One word to describe this beach, stunning. The white sands and crystal clear blue water make for the perfect beach day. Rent bikes or golf carts to get around the island so you can see a little bit of everything. Parking is the only issue, so once you find a spot in upper section of Anna Maria Island, you’ll want to keep your car there. Stroll two pier areas and look out onto really still water.
• Soak in the sunshine at Coquina Beach: South of Anna Maria Beach is Coquina Beach. It’s just as beautiful as they share the same white sands and crystal clear blue water. Parking is much easier to find at Coquina Beach. On most weeks out of the year, you are able to stroll pop up markets to check out vendor and artisan booths on the sidewalk that runs the length of both long parking lots.
• Take a scenic nature walk in Leffis Key Preserve: Explore Anna Maria Island’s only nature preserve. Take a walk around the nature boardwalk and peek into the water to see fish of various species swimming around. If you head straight through the preserve you’ll walk up a hill to see a 360 degree view of the Sarasota Bay and part of the Gulf of Mexico. Walking Leffis Key Preserve won’t take you long at all, but we enjoyed the change of scenery so close to the beach. Parking is available in a little lot at the entrance of Leffis Key or you can park across the street using the parking lot for Coquina Beach.

Our Miami Favorites

• Explore murals and graffitied walls in Wynwood: There is art everywhere you look in Wynwood. There were a few portraits that blew our minds because from afar they look so life like and even when you get a closer look they still look just as great. The artists use different mediums and spray paint cans of various shades to add depth and dimension to every piece you see. The most popular murals are inside of Wynwood Walls, but that does have an entrance fee. Fear not, Wynwood is so full of art that if you don’t feel like splurging for a ticket, you’ll still have a great experience. We do recommend walking this area during the daylight and grabbing lunch at one of the restaurants in town. We also recommend checking out Walt Grace Vintage Cars and Guitars store as well as popping into Scooter Steve’s.
• Cast your rod at Newport Fishing Pier: We really liked this pier because it goes so far out into the ocean and there’s a great view of the tall Miami buildings. To get onto the pier, you’ll pass through the outside portion of a restaurant called Beach Bar at Newport Pier. It’s the perfect location to grab a bite to eat for lunch and get right back to catching your own dinner from the sea. You’ll need to bring your own fishing rods.
• Stroll down or fish from South Pointe Park Pier: South Pointe Park is a 17 acre urban park. Explore the walkways from the parking lot shaded by beautiful trees or find a spot to sit on the turf rolling hills, roller blade or walk along the water, and catch the sunset from the pier. You can fish from this pier too, but be careful as this pier is prone to pedestrians taking selfies.

Things to Note

• When visiting Ybor City: This really cool and historically Cuban area of Tampa is pronounced (E-BORE). In Ybor there are a lot of Cuban restaurants to dine inside or outside, ice cream shops, comedy clubs, and authentic cigar shops. During the day you’ll see everyone smoking cigars outside and shop employees hand rolling cigars in the storefront windows. This area is generally safe to visit during the day; however, at night most of the restaurants become clubs and is known for being an unsafe area with a high crime rate. We’ve gone during the day and it was fun to walk around. If you visit, you’ll also see Ybor’s chickens roaming around.
• Our opinion of Clearwater: The beaches are beautiful, but they are over populated with over priced rental cabanas lining the shoreline and beach making it hard to find a spot if you’re bringing your own blanket, towels, and chairs. Clearwater itself is marketed towards tourists so you’ll find restaurants, tour boats, and gift shops everywhere. The cost for parking also averages about $40 for just a few hours, so you can drive north on Mandalay Ave or south on Coronado Dr to find cheaper parking and some smaller lots that have public access trails to the beach where you can find a less crowded beach spot. It is fun to experience though! They’ll have pop up craft and vendor markets, magic shows, or dancers near Pier 60. You can also fish from Pier 60, but you’ll have to pay to get onto the pier, check their website for pricing guides.
• You know those signs people have on their fences that read ‘beware of dog’, well some words of wisdom we received when we first moved to Tampa held up to be true ‘beware of seagulls’ and pelicans. Both of these should really be named vultures. We have personally been victimized by the seagulls snatching our sandwiches right out of the grasp of our hands. Ha! And I grew up on Long Island going to the beach most days in the summer and I still hadn’t seen birds as persistent and aggressive to snag your lunch. We think having beach goers in Florida year round really taught the birds to take advantage of the vacationer.
• If you’re looking for more restaurants to dine in, check out my Yelp collection for Tampa and the surrounding areas. We tried our best to keep track of the different places we’ve eaten at in most cities that we have spent a good amount of time in. So click this link to view our Tampa, FL! Been There; Ate That collection of restaurants.

Let’s Get Connected

We could talk about a million of other places we visited in Florida while we were living in Tampa, but this is where we will end for now. If you’re traveling and want to know more about a certain area, just send us a message! We get so excited when we have the opportunity to share our favorite places with you! We hope you enjoyed our list and that you have so much fun in the Sunshine State making memories that will last a lifetime with your best travel companions. All the love. Xo

Madison Basile

Long Island, NY> Lynchburg, VA> Pittsburgh, PA> Tampa, FL> Nashville, TN