See Tampa Bay's Best by RV

Summer vacations come in all shapes and sizes, from warm sun soak-ups to cool coaster riding, and Tampa Bay (comprised of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater) offers something for just about every traveler. And with its west central Florida location, warm tropical climate, and diverse destinations all within easy road reach, this hot spot makes a perfect hub for RV campers. So what sort of trip gets your wheels turning: basking in the sand and surf, wandering natural wonders, going crazy with the kids, stepping back in time, catching up on culture? Here are three unique itineraries to help you get on the road to a great summer getaway.

Back to Nature
Ten miles north of Tampa, Hillsborough River State Park, one of Florida's original state parks, is teeming with wildlife and, well, life in the wild. Set up camp at one of the park's numerous RV sites (complete with full hookups, plus a pool and concessions on site), then plunge into fishing, canoeing, and kayaking on the swiftly flowing river (boat rentals are available) or hiking and biking along seven miles of trails. Be sure to take a short walk along the mile-long River Rapids Trail for a breathtaking view of the river's class II rapids.
Another overnight option is the Bay Bayou RV Resort 16 miles northwest of downtown. Perched on the shores of Double Branch Creek near the 8,500-acre Brooker Creek Wildlife Preserve, this beautiful resort also offers canoe and kayak rentals, fishing docks, and swimming. Head over to the wetland forest to check out the award-winning Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center's interpretive programs and exhibits, then hike along almost five miles of boardwalk and upland trails nestled into oak hammocks and pine flatwoods.
In addition to the sunny Gulf beaches, outdoor lovers will find numerous natural adventures worth exploring: bird-watching along the Great Florida Birding Trail; safari buggy eco-tours at Anclote River Ranch; and snorkeling in Tampa Bay, Florida's largest open-water estuary. You may also want to add to your to-do list the Florida Aquarium, one of the top 10 in the country, and the University of South Florida Botanical Gardens, which boasts 10 acres of landscape displays and collections.

Family Fun
Set up camp at the entrance to Tampa Bay just outside of St. Petersburg in the family-friendly Fort De Soto Park, which offers picnic spots, swimming and play areas, waterfront recreation (think fishing piers and a canoe trail), and a camp store to keep everyone satisfied. The park, made up of five interconnected islands, is also home to an historic fort, a dog park (for your four-legged family members), plenty of nature trails, and ferry service to Egmont Key State Park National Wildlife Refuge. You'll also get great views of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, a cable-stayed span that the Travel Channel rated third on its list of Top 10 Bridges in the world.
Tampa, an easy 40-minute drive from the park, provides several opportunities for learning and fun with destinations such as the interactive Glazer Children's Museum, the Museum of Science and Industry (essentially a huge, hands-on science playground that includes an IMAX theater), and the Parents Magazine top-rated Lowry Park Zoo. Then, of course, you can always blow off some steam at nearby Busch Gardens and Adventure Island Waterpark or at one of the area's numerous major league sports venues.

Cultural Affairs
Motor home adventurers have plenty of choices for RV resorts in the area, so pick your favorite and then park it in prime location for exploring this mega metropolis's many cultural offerings. For the history buff, there's the Armed Forces Military Museum, the Florida Holocaust Museum, and the St. Petersburg Museum of History. For the art aficionado, there's the Tampa Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, and the Salvador Dali Museum. And for the worldly traveler, there's an abundance of festive marketplaces and ethnic restaurants and shops.
Be sure to follow the morning scent of Cuban coffee to Ybor City, Tampa's historic Latin Quarter, for a stroll down La Setima, the main street of the Historic District. You'll find hand-rolled cigars (at one time, Ybor City was dubbed the "cigar capital of the world"), exotic cuisine, and excellent shopping. And at night, this Havana hot spot pulses with late-night jazz, blues, and salsa at an array of pubs and clubs.

About the Author
Joe Laing is the Marketing Director for El Monte RV Rentals. See Monty's Musings RV Camping Blog for other great RV camping vacation ideas.

Drinking Made Easy: Tampa Bay

Zane Lamprey, host of HDNet's Drinking Made Easy, just announced on his Facebook page that he will be filming an episode of his show in the Tampa Bay area and is looking for suggestions on where to film. Drinking Made Easy is a show in which Zane Lamprey and his friend Steve McKenna travel all over in the US in search of the best and most original bars, pubs, beers, spirits, wines and mixed drinks each city has to offer. This is my attempt to highlight some of the best drinking experiences that the Tampa Bay area has to offer.

Cigar City Brewery
The Cigar City Brewery is an up and coming, GABF award-winning brewery located in Tampa. This brewery has a small bar and offers tours of the facility where they create their year round and seasonal beers. One great feature of this brewery is that you get the chance to try prototype beers before they are mass produced for public consumption. Cigar City Brewery is growing so fast in Florida and other areas in the region that they are currently working on a new brewhouse. My personal favorite beer that they carry is the Pale Ale IPA named Jai Alai.
Cigar City Brewery

Bern's Steak House
This world famous steakhouse is not a place that the average Joe typically goes for a drink, but it is worth noting that they currently have the largest wine list of any restaurant in the world. Their wine cellar is so large that they recently stumbled upon a $30,000 bottle of 1947 Chateau Latour that they didn't even know they had.
Bern's Steak House

Ceviche Restaurant and Tapas Bar
Ceviche makes my favorite Sangria in the Tampa Bay area. Their sangria (red or white) is not only very tasty, but it is also very strong! The original location of this restaurant is in Tampa, but I personally like the St. Petersburg location better. It is located right off the bay and is only walking distance to other great restaurants and bars. Nothing beats sipping on this sangria on a nice lazy Sunday or while dancing to Spanish music in the downstairs flamenco bar.
Ceviche

The Independent
This St. Petersburg beer hall serves over 100 different beers. Most of their selection is European, but they also carry some domestic micro brews. This bar is for people looking for a real beer experience. The bartenders are especially good at taking your current beer tastes and finding the perfect new beer for you to try. The atmosphere is typically very chill and the crowd is normally pretty young/trendy.
The Independent St Petersburg

Ybor City
This area of Tampa holds the nightlife that Tampa Bay is probably most famous for. It is in this area that you can find a plethora of bars, clubs and even the Tampa Bay Brewery. Ybor City is known as the Cigar Capitol of North America and also has Florida's oldest restaurant (Columbia Restaurant). In my experience, Ybor City is something different for everyone so the best way to experience it is to take a stroll down 7th Avenue and see where the night takes you.

If anyone else has advice for where Zane Lamprey should film the Tampa Bay episode of Drinking Made Easy, please leave your comment below.

Columbia Restaurant: Ybor City

A couple weeks ago I was showing some friends from Austria around the Tampa area and was very lucky when we stumbled upon Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City. I had heard a little about how good the restaurant was but had no idea how great it would actually turn out.

Columbia Restaurant was founded in 1905 when Colombian immigrants were making their home in Tampa's Ybor City. It is the oldest restaurant in all of Florida and has grown to become the largest Spanish restaurant in the world. The large dining rooms are extremely beautiful and very authentic. It did not take long before the atmosphere had me feeling like I was vacationing in Spain again as I sipped on my Sangria.

I know that I normally blog about attractions in the area that are cheap or free but this dining experience is worth every penny! I ordered the Boliche "Criollo" which is "Roasted eye round of beef stuffed with chorizo and roasted in flavorful gravy." The food was absolutely amazing! The beef practically fell apart in my mouth and was so full of flavor. I was very surprised by how much I loved something as simple as the black beans, rice, and plantos that came as a side dish with my meal. I also had the chance to try the Pampano en Papillot. The dish is described as a "boneless fillet of Pompano with seafood stuffing of shrimp, crab meat, artichoke, butter and white wine, wrapped in parchment paper and baked". I will admit that I am not a big fan of seafood, but I would order this dish in a heartbeat if given the opportunity. If the entrees were any indicator of how good the deserts would turn out to be, then I definitely wish I would have saved room for desert!

For those that are looking for more than just a dining experience, Columbia Restaurant Ybor also touts a cigar bar, live music and nightly traditional Flamenco Dancing shows Monday through Saturday. If you can't make it out to Ybor, Columbia also has locations in St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Celebration, St. Augustine, and Clearwater Beach.

If you are coming to visit the Tampa Bay area and are looking for things to do or live in the Tampa area and have never experienced this "Gem of Spanish Restaurants", I highly recommend doing so! Your taste buds will thank me...

You can find more information at the Columbia Restaurant Website.