publication date: May 24, 2010
Tucked away inside the deep crevices of
Tampa Bay lie some of the area’s
best-kept secrets that every
visitor should experience. The
ten things holiday-makers may never heard of in
Tampa Bay are among the Bay area’s most
thrilling attractions.
Gorilla Theatre – Take a seat inside the living theatre for thinking minds. This intimate, welcoming theatre sitting in its current location for the past 14 years provides audience members with the opportunity to view artful performances and compelling plays, while savoring gourmet coffee or flavorful wine. - Dallas Bull – Slip on your boots and western wear for an evening of line dancing, darts, pool tables, concerts, liquor store and much more. The Dallas Bull’s new 34,000 square foot barn is the hot-spot where country comes to play.
- Qzar – Suit up with a sensor vest and laser gun and take your position in the pulsating 5,000 square foot high-tech arena for an intense game of laser tag. Before jumping into another match, revitalize with food and drinks.
- E.G. Simmons County Park – 258 acres of native mangroves intertwined with waterways leading to an additional 200 acres of mangrove swamp reserved for wildlife, provide a scenic and relaxing environment for recreation activities to be enjoyed by all age groups. The park offers picnicking, swimming, boating, fishing and facilities for overnight camping.
- Keel & Curley Winery – Stroll into the gorgeous gardens and blueberry farms of the Keel & Curley Winery to relish in tastings of the assorted blueberry, fruit fusion, and grape wines. Be sure to try the blueberry wine, where the blueberries are hand picked, fermented and bottled right on Keel Farms. Visitors can also enjoy a tour, wine tastings, music, food and more.
- Dinosaur World – Venture into an outdoor dinosaur museum with over 150 life-size dinosaur replicas where visitors can dig for authentic fossils to take home, uncover dinosaurs at an excavation site, watch educational films, enjoy a subterranean picnic, browse the gift shop, while enjoying the incredible Tampa Bay weather.
- Skipper’s Smokehouse – The casual Key West atmosphere, Floribbean menu featuring their award-winning black bean gator chili, and live music from their own amphitheater has made Skipper’s Smokehouse the perfect gathering spot for locals and out-of-town guests to sit back and enjoy each other’s company.
- Alligator Bob’s Ecotours – Take interpretive walks on Florida’s pristine coastal and freshwater wetlands, hardwood hammocks and flat pinewood forest located on private and public conservation lands where opportunities abound to observe many rare and beautiful plants, birds and wildlife. Guests can also paddle nearby river systems to see alligators, otters, turtles and Florida wading and shoreline birds in their natural habitat.
- Hyde Park Hotel – This 24-room boutique hotel open seven nights a week, has something to offer everyone – guest or resident. Lounge, bistro café, sports coverage and live entertainment are among the amenities beyond the hotel stay.
- Gus’ Crabby Adventures – Experience environmental education, adventure and romance on Tampa Bay with Gus Muench, a 31-year veteran blue crab commercial fisherman. Enjoy a four-hour adventure on a real crab boat, while learning how to pull and bait crab traps; catch, clean, steam and eat stone crabs and blue crabs.
