TAMPA BAY : Once a small fishing village that later became the “Cigar Capital of the World,” Tampa Bay has become one of the Sunshine State’s most vibrant vacation destinations. With cool bay breezes and warm sunshine virtually year-round, visitors can choose from the waterfront city’s wide array of diversions, from roaring down roller coasters at Busch Gardens or rowing down the nature rich Hillsborough River to catching a ball game from the bleachers or catching some rays on the beaches.

OTHER PLACES Boca Raton Bonita Springs Bradenton Brooksville Clearwater Captiva Island Charlotte Harbor Cocoa Beach Daytona Beach Daytona Beach Shores DeLand Destin Emerald Coast Everglades Ft Lauderdale Flagler Beach Fort Myers Fort Myers Beach Fort Pierce Fort Walton Beach Gainesville Gulf Islands Hollywood Jacksonville Key Largo Key West Kissimmee Lake Buena Vista Lake City Lakeland Marco Island Marianna Melbourne Miami Miami Beach Naples Ocala Orlando Ormond Beach Panama City Pensacola Plantation Pompano Beach Punta Gorda Sanibel Sarasota Sebring Siesta Key Space Coast South Walton Beaches St Augustine St Petersburg Tallahassee Tampa Titusville Vero Beach West Palm Beach

The Hillsborough River flows through Tampa and is a popular recreation site for hiking, biking, horseback riding, fishing, canoeing and kayaking. Canoe Escape offers two-hour to full-day paddling trips that allow abundant opportunities to spot native wildlife such as alligators, turtles, snakes, deer, river otters and birds of prey. Where the river meets the bay in downtown Tampa is where tycoon Henry Plant built the opulent Tampa Bay Hotel in 1891. The hotel’s Moorish minarets topped-off an interior of luxurious furnishings. Now a National Historic Landmark, the hotel is the Henry Plant Museum with all original hotel furnishings depicting the turn-of-the-century Victorian lifestyle. Ybor City is Tampa’s Latin Quarter and one of only three National Historic Landmark Districts in the state. Ybor City was founded when Cuban cigar factory owner Don Vincente Martinez Ybor moved his operation to Tampa in 1886. Other cigar manufacturers followed and soon “Mr. Ybor’s City” became the "Cigar Capital of the World" with 12,000 “tabaqueros” rolling 700 million cigars a year in 200 factories. The cigar industry created a vivacious Latin community where Spaniards, Italians, Jews, Germans and Cubans worked and socialized together. Ybor City’s culture and heritage lives on through its brick streets, wrought-iron balconies and globe street lamps. Historic buildings have turned into trendy boutiques, coffeehouses and nightclubs. Often referred to as the "Nightlife Capital of Florida’s West Coast", Ybor City's nighttime festive atmosphere is created by thousands of revelers strolling in and out of chic restaurants and bars along 7th Avenue. Busch Gardens, a 335-acre African-themed family entertainment park in Tampa, offers a wild time of a different kind. The park captures the true spirit of Africa bringing visitors up close to lions, hyenas, hippos, white rhinos, crocodiles, giraffes and zebras. Busch Gardens features two of the top steel roller coasters in the world and the largest and fastest dueling wooden coaster in the Southeast. New in 2005 is Sheikra, the first dive roller coaster in North America. Tampa Bay visitors slow down by heading to the beach to sink their toes in the sand and soak up the sunshine. With a semi-tropical climate marked by an average temperature of 71 degrees, there’s definitely plenty of sunshine here. And there’s 35 miles of white, sugary sand lining the Tampa Bay region’s coast along the Gulf of Mexico. Tampa Bay offers a diverse selection of attractions, and enough diversions to keep visitors entertained for a weekend or a whole week. And with rich history, pristine nature, theme parks, beaches and a sizzling nightlife scene all in one waterfront destination, Tampa Bay is home to the best of everything that Florida has to offer. TAMPA

Take a look at the Travel Tidings Florida FEATURES section for more in depth articles on many places and destinations in the Sunshine State. ORLANDO Golf in Orlando – Designed By Legends, Legendary By Design Move Over Kids – Orlando's a Playground for Adults Too Teens and Tweens Discover Action, ADventure, Thrills in Orlando ST PETERSBURG/ CLEARWATER St Petersburg/Clearwater has become Florida's Cultural Center

Getting there: Tampa International Airport, recognised as one of the world’s most user-friendly air travel facilities and just seven miles from downtown Tampa, offers an average of 265 daily nonstop scheduled departures to 50 domestic destinations and 44 weekly nonstop scheduled departures to seven international markets. Main Interstates: I-75 and I-275 travel northsouth; I-75 travels around Tampa while I-275 travels through the city and over the Bay. Both connect to I-4, which travels east-west, connecting Tampa Bay to Orlando and the east coast of Florida. Rail and Bus: Amtrak National Rail Passenger Service and Greyhound Bus Lines both service Tampa, with stations in downtown Tampa. Amtrak operates out of historic Tampa Union Station offering north-south connections as well as links to nationwide rail travel.

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About Us: Travel Tidings Florida features vacation travel information for the cities and regions of Pensacola, Destin/Ft Walton Beach, Seaside/Beaches of South Walton , Panama City Beach , Marianna , Apalachicola/Port St. Joe , Tallahassee , Live Oak/Lake City , Cedar Key/Steinhatchee, Jacksonville/Amelia Island, Gainesville, St. Augustine, Flagler Beach/Palm Coast, Crystal River, St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Tampa, Ocala, Orlando/Kissimmee, Lakeland,Daytona Beach/New Smyrna Beach, Cocoa Beach, Fort Pierce/Vero Beach, Sarasota/Bradenton, Charlotte Harbor, Fort Myers/Sanibel, Naples/Marco Island, Sebring/Arcadia, Florida Keys & Key West, Fort Lauderdale, Lake Okeechobee, Miami, and Palm Beach and more than 500 destinations throughout the state of Florida.  Activities, entertainment and speciality interestes include everything from romantic getaways, spas and secluded parks to family themeparks and holiday resorts, busy places popular for adventure, sports and surfing. General topics covered include dining, lodging, shopping, travel accommodations, attractions, hotels and more. Do not hesitate to contact us for further information at info@traveltidingsflorida.com!