Hidden Tampa Bay GEM!! in Ruskin?????

Went to see madre, back from a 10 day Baltic Sea cruise, at her new home in Valencia Lakes near Sun City Center. We are always looking for places to eat out in this area. Stumbled upon a great resort/residential waterfront oasis - Little Harbor in Ruskin. Yes, Ruskin, who knew that there were such beautiful beaches on Tampa Bay, with amazing views of downtown St Pete, and Tampa, Skyway Bridge, and excellent sunsets. This is truly a Hidden gem, within 25-30 min from downtown Tampa, and only 10 min from my mom's new home. We found Little harbor resort, and there specialty restaurant overlooking the Bay, Sunset Grille. Every seat has a great view of the Bay, sunsets, and downtown St. Pete in the distance. There is a small boardwalk, the Lounge next door had indoor and outdoor seating, live band, and huge tiki bar on the water. There is a small park, and long pier out into the Bay. The sands on the beach are power white(like the Gulf). Sunset Grille serves an excellent seafood buffet Fri and Saturday nights, only $25.00 includes all you can eat, Raw oysters, peel and eat shrimp, oyster Rockefeller, huge salad bar, soups and thats just the starters, for entrees they had Salmon, Grouper, Seafood Newberg, and huge Crab Legs, very meaty, and all you can eat. They were also carving Prime Rib, and a large dessert offering. Food was hot, and fresh, and always plentiful, service was impeccable, always stopping by to refill drinks, clean the crab legs away, etc. They also have a Full menu, specializing in Seafood and Steaks. This place is a MUST of you either are in the Ruskin/Apollo Beach/Sun City area, or just want to escape Tampa, and head along the Bay. The resort is beautiful, reminds me of being up north with the large townhome style buildings. A gem of a find, we will be back..and often, even just to have a drink in the tiki bar outdoors.

Post 4th of July in Tampa...Shopping, Mexican, and Sand Dollars

Had a GREAT 4th of July with Family..the Pyrotechnical display my brother and I produced was awesome! Only had one bad mortar, but no incidents as in St. Pete Beach or Treasure Island(scary)..anyways, Friday after work went to Home Depot to start shopping for tile, as Im having both my bathrooms redone, finally getting rid of the 60's motif(older home in South Tampa)...I thought there would be more of a selection, but guess I would have to go to a Bathroom Tile showroom for that...I did find a perfect tile for bath walls and floors..now the work just needs to be done. We then went to Intl Plaza, what a great shopping area(I still hate shopping), but there are so many great stores, and layout to the mall, plus BayStreet is always happening with the numerous eateries and drinkeries, and outside seating to enjoy people watching. We decuided on my favorite Mexican place, Algusto's on Kenndy Blvd, for dinner. Again, consistently the freshest Mexican, we had the Fajitas for two, and Guacamole dip. I tried the Sangria and was pleasantly surprised at the amount of wine to fruit in this large glass.

Saturday, my friends from Orlando came down for a trip to Fort Desoto Beaches. We found a very pristine spot on the beginning part of North Beach, it was a bit of a walk from the parking area to where we wanted to go(left towards the Pier, across the inlet), but hardly anyone in sight, lots of shade from trees right on the beach. With plenty of drinks and food, we spent most the day, laying on rafts in the 87 degree crystal clear waters, and snorkeling for sand dollars. We made sure we only caught the dead ones, and through back the live ones(fuzzy hairs are on the live ones). There were plenty to be found, and some of the largest Ive seen(picture below). Saturday evening my buddy Darin had a BBQ poolside with some friends at his tower apartment building along Bayshore Blvd. It was great to relax in the evening after the day at the beach in the pool, and BBQing with the beautiful Bay, and downtown Tampa in the background. As the sun went down, the lights shown from the high rises along Bayshore and downtown on the Bay, which gave an impressive scene to an already perfect day and night in Tampa Bay.

St. Pete Pride!...Gulfport Dinner(yuck)...Alafia Biking!

Another great weekend in Tampa Bay comes to a close. Saturday, me and some buddies decided to venture to an unknown territory, our first Gay Pride Festival. Boasting itself as the largest in Gay Pride Festival in Florida, and largest St. Pete Festival, with close to 50,000, and over 300 vendors, bands, and a diverse crowd, I was curious to see what its all about, and glad we went. The parade(or "promenade") was over two hours long, and interesting to say the least. The amount of businesses and community that came out to support this day was amazing, I really had no idea there was such a large community like this in Tampa Bay area. The 15 blocks of the Grand Central area of St. Pete was hopping with more entertainment than the eyes and ears could handle, even more interesting was there was only about half dozen protesters. And there were an unusual amount of straight couples and families with kids that also attended the day long event. Im putting this one on my list for an annual participation, it was a a great time, talked to many interesting people. That evening, went to dinner in Gulfport to Aqua Bella's, and to see my favorite local band, Buffalo Strange. Aqua Bella's is a nice casual place along the beach front in Gulfport, a cute little artsy town on Boca Ciega Bay. Buffalo Strange was missing their lead singer, Rob, but they still sounded good. I have only had drinks here, and now know why...the food was awful!! We ordered Beer Battered Onion Rings to start - they were dripping with grease, and very little batter, kind of like oily onions. Then we had a cheese burger which was the blandest tasting burger, that came with limp fries. We also ordered a chop salad with meats and cheeses, what came out was a soggy lettuce mess, small slivers of turkey and ham, and warm...Uggg! We will be back for the cocktails and great views, but plan to eat elsewhere in Gulfport.
Sunday, my brother and I ventured out for some more Tampa Bay area off-road biking, this time it was Alafia River State Park. Its a good 45 minute trip from Tampa, but well worth the drive. I have NEVER seen this type of topography any where in Florida, the trails simply just blew me away. Large rollarcoaster type hills, all kinds of terrain, very woodsy to swampy..totally kicked Flatwoods and Wilderness Parks off-road biking, but be prepared, cause some of the trails are NOT for the novice. They make helmets a requirement, and I understand why...next time I plan to hike the Expert trails before riding(we rode the easy and intermediate trails..the intermediate was difficult enough), during the ride, my chain broke off, and I had to walk my bike out..you really get a better glimpse of the abundance wildlife(deers, wild boars, exotic plant species), lots of shade made it great to ride and not get overheated.
My brother made an announcement at the family fun day dinner tonight, that he and my sister in law and their new baby are moving to Colorado in 2 weeks!! He got a job to move back, but we are all hoping that little Sebastian will be back in Florida by the time school starts in 5 years. It was nice having them around, but i'll be happy visiting them outside of Denver, and my other brother and his family in Colorado Springs. I had to include his pic of him helping me to repair my bike on the trails today.

My Brother Greg trying to Fix my bike at Alafia River State Park (nice look Greg..LOL)

EG Simmons Park, Tampa Bay

Sunday was Family Fun Day again, hangin with my bro and his wife and the little guy, we all met at my Moms down near Sun City Center, and decided to venture out to EG Simmons Beach and Park. Its a rather large park, with a bayfront beach, great views of downtown, you really get a view of just how large the Bay really is from here. There are nice secluded little out coves on the beach, we found one near then end of the parking area and set up a blanket under the palms right on the water. There is also camping facilities, and boat ramps, bike and hiking trails.

Why Tampa?

So many ask...why Tampa, why do you stay? what is it about Tampa?

Well in short, the Water, the Weather, the Progress, the Activities, the History, the People.

Water - everywhere, most of Tampa is situated on a Peninsula(called Interbay Peninsula), so there is water to the east(Hillsborough Bay) water to the West(Old Tampa Bay), and the South(Tampa Bay). The Main river through Tampa is the Hillsborough River which starts as a Spring 30 miles to the North, and runs through the city ending up in the Hillsborough Bay downtown. 20 miles to the West of Tampa is the pristine aqua blue water and beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. Throughout Tampa Bay area are numerous lakes, rivers, streams, estuary's, bays, intracostal waterways to explore. Plain and simple, if you like fresh water, salt water, streams, rivers, oceans, Tampa's got it! In addition 5 of the nations number one beaches are located in the Bay area(Fort DeSoto, Pass-a-Grille, Clearwater, Caledesi Island, Honeymoon Island).

Weather - with an average high temperature of 76 degrees from October to May, how could you not love the weather. While others are huddled up for the winter to the North, we are basking in low humidity, beautiful blue skies, and pleasant temperatures for 75% of the year. This means all outdoor activities, sports, festivals can be enjoyed year round in Tampa. And in the summer months, June through September, although it can get very warm, the average high temps are only 88 degrees, there is a constant breeze due to the coastal winds which trigger mighty Thunderstorms in summer late afternoons/evenings, in time to cool it off a bit, and provide a lightning and thunderous show like clock work most evenings. Since most of us have a pool, beach, and airconditioning nearby, we can handle 3 to 4 months of warmer than usual temps for paradise the the other 9 months of the year.

History - the Bay area has been home to several Indian Tribes for thousands of years. The Spanish came in the 15 and 16oo's, but the American's did not start to evaluate Florida and the Tampa area until the mid 1800's. We built Fort Brooke in what is now downtown Tampa during the Seminole Indian Wars, and later used it for soldiers being shipped off for the Spanish-American War. Vicente Martinez Ybor purchased 40 acres of land just east of downtown to start his Cigar Factories. Within 10 years and by the late 1800's until the depression in the 1920's, Tampa was known throughout the world as the Cigar Capital of the World. Immigrants came to Tampa from Italy, Spain, and Cuba to prosper in the Cigar Capital. Henry B Plant chose Tampa to expand his railroad from the North, and that led to many tourists to flock to the warm temperatures, and an increase in Trade. Many of the established neighborhoods from the early 20th century still exist(Hyde Park, Tampa Heights, West Tampa, Seminole Heights, Ybor City), and have numerous architectural buildings, homes, and landscapes.

Progress - from the 1950's to present, Tampa has been growing by leaps and bounds. Many from the North came here to escape the brutal winters, and the ability to attain land and homes for far less than it would cost in the North. In addition, Tampa Bay's cost of living was considerably less, and there were far fewer taxes. Most transplants came from the MidWest(Ohio, Michigan, Illinios, Indiana), with the remainder coming from the Northeast(New York, Connecticutt, New Jersey). Things have changed quite a bit over the past 10 years(the 90's to present). The growth has been abundant, and the Tampa Bay area now has close to 2 million residents, with the city of Tampa having nearly 360,000. A Financial District was created in the 60's and 70's(current downtown), a Services Sector, Westshore Business District, which is now the largest business and services sector in the state, and 5th largest in the Nation. A National Historic Landmark area, Ybor City. Tampa Bay is now the 12th largest media market in the Nation. In the 19 years I have called Tampa home, I have seen more skyscapers built downtown, a national hockey team(Tampa Bay Lightning - Stanley Cup Champions) and Forum built, a professional baseball team(Tampa Bay Devil Rays) and Dome arena established, new Football stadium built for the SuperBowl champion Tampa Bay Bucaneers. Downtown continues to expand its Arts Museums, Cultural Exhibits, and Parks and trails to accommodate the growth. One of the nations largest Aquariums was established in Tampa(Florida Aquarium). Two lane roads transversed into 4 lane highways. And progress just doesn't stop. It nice to live in an area where things change, and most of the progress and changes are for the better and for the people of the city.

Activities - For a small city, Tampa has it all. And its nice to have it all in a small city.
Sports - Football, Baseball, Hockey, Arena Football, College Football, Soccer, Baseball and Basketball - all National teams, nationally recognized, and state of the art arenas and fields to play on.
Theater - Tampa Bay Perforing Arts Center is then largest Center for the arts in the Southeast, along with over a dozen other venues for broadway and local productions(Mahaffey, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Gorilla Theater, many more).
Museums - Dali, Fine Art, Art, Childrens, Holocaust, History, Natural, Fire, Police, Science and Industry, Explorations, International.
Concerts - every major concert act alsways makes a stop through Tampa performing at numerous venues(Forum, Bayfront Arena, Amphitheter, Tampa Stadium, USF Sundome, among the other theaters listed above)
Festivals -ahhh, the numerous festivals year round, some of the biggest in the Nation, and lots of people watching, and of course food and BEER!(Gasparilla - month long celebration, Florida State Fair, Strawberry Festival, International and Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Guavaween, numerous Art Festivals including the Gasparilla and Mainsail). Most of the smaller communities and neighborhoods have monthly festivals like CLearwater Jazz Fest, Hyde Park Music Series, St. Pete's RibFest, John's Pass Seafood Festival, St. Pete's Festival of States.
Attractions - people come from all over the world to visit the area. It's nice to have these in my backyard - Busch Gardens theme park, Adventure Island water park, Lowry Park Zoo, Florida Aquarium, St. Pete Pier, Big Cat Rescue, Suncoast Bird Sanctuary to name a few.
Recreation - what do you want to do today? Well you can do most everything here in Tampa. Biking Trails(on and off road), Kayaking/Canoeing, Wind Surfing, Fishing, Boating, Sunbathing, Skating, Hiking. There is a park almost every few miles throughout the city for the purpose of getting out and keeping active.
Shopping - well, some people consider this an activity, and for those that like it, any name brand store can be found in Tampa, whether its exclusive(International Plaza), outdoors(Hyde park Village, Centro Ybor, BayWalk), Entertaining(BayStreet, Westshore Plaza) or Outlet(Ellenton), its here..from Funky(Ybor City) to mondane(University Square), it's here.
Nightlife - as if the above isn't enough, its great to know that there are many entertainment options. Ybor City is Tampa's French Quarter like area with a bar, club and entertainment venue for anyone. Channelside, SOHO, Hyde Park, Westshore, BayStreet. Downtown St. Pete holds it's own for numerous nightlife options, Central Ave and the waterfront bars and clubs. As far as restaurants, Tampa is known as one of the Nations busiest places to eat our, because so many of us eat out, and this is because there are so many places and options to eat. Its no wonder places like Hooters, Outback, Bonefish Grille, Hops all started here in Tampa. But its more than just the chains, some of my favs are : Berns and Charley's for steaks, Yoko's and Samarai Blue for Sushi, Cappy's and Ed&Sams for Pizza, Royal Palace for Thai, Kojaks and Jimbo's for BBQ, Oystercatchers for seafood, Bernini and Laughing Cat for Italian, Acropolis for Greek.

One thing about Tampa, is it's not a Big Deal. What I mean is, it's not a big deal to do any of the above. Whether it's a sports game, day at the beach, trip to a museum or park, or going out for dinner, it's not a big deal as opposed to going out in a big city. You gotta love havin it all in a small city. And I love to travel to the bigger cities around the country(NY, Chicago, Boston, LA), so having a World Class, convenient airport with numerous non-stop, inexpensive flights to most major cities is another plus!!