We have several affinity credit cards with hotels and also take part in their numerous promotions which offer free hotel nights. On occasion we’ve been lucky enough to benefit from these by using them as part of a great vacation.
When passing through Johannesburg, we used IHG points to book the Intercontinental at the airport which was really convenient, and typically quite expensive. We also used a few free nights in Washington D.C., when we went to see the cherry blossoms. Sometimes however, we find ourselves with a free night that is about to expire leaving us wondering if we can organize a last-minute weekend getaway.
This year, we were in this predicament, and thought: Hey, let’s drive up to Tampa to explore the West Coast of Florida for a bit! With an early start, that would give us a couple of days to see some interesting sites.
From Miami it’s still a good 4 hours’ drive, so this is not something to do as a back-and-forth day trip, or at least not for us. Having a couple of nights would probably have been better but we thought we’d do our best to pack in as much fun into the time we had with just the one free night. This meant for an early start and off we went. First stop Downtown Tampa!
Day 1: Downtown Tampa
The Tampa Riverwalk
This area is full of interesting venues. Created in 1975, the Tampa Riverwalk started off with wooden planks as a pedestrian walkway. It wasn’t until 1989 that the Rivergate Tower was constructed, and the walkways replaced with concrete pavers. Over the last 20 years, the area has grown with the addition of hotels, restaurants and parks and it has become one of the foremost attractions in Tampa.
The Market in Armature Works Heights is a great place to have lunch at the Riverwalk. It started off as a factory to maintain streetcars for Tampa Electric back in 1910 and was abandoned in 1946 as automobiles replaced the need for streetcars. It is now an event space and has numerous eateries to choose from.
Henry B. Plant Museum
The Henry B. Plant Museum is definitely a must-see in the Riverwalk area. Constructed in the opulent times of 1891 when inhabited by Henry Plant, it was purchased by the city in of Tampa in 1905 and operated as a high-end destination hotel into the 1930s offering all kinds of amenities that would draw the rich and famous via train to enjoy the Florida weather in the lap of luxury.
The Tampa Historical Museum was created to preserve many of the artifacts and the history of this beautiful building, and the rest of the building became home to the University of Tampa.
Tampa Theater
Also nestled in the Riverwalk area is the Tampa Theater. Built in 1926, this elaborate and ornate theater is definitely worth getting to early enough to tour the interior and see the amazing décor.
Tickets are more than the 25¢ they were when the theater opened, but it is worth it if you can get in to see a show. They also do occasional theater-organized tours, but these are few and far between. The historic theatre is a not-for-profit venue and the monies earned from tickets and concession sales help keep the theater open and affordable to all.
At the time of our visit, they were showing the classic “Wiz” which is a rendition of the “Wizard of Oz” with Michael Jackson and Diana Ross. There are also live shows and a variety of performances occasionally at this venue, but just getting in to see the beautiful theater is a treat regardless of the show.
For dinner, we had heard about a famous native-inspired restaurant called Ulele and made reservations to check it out. Might as well make our night out in Tampa special so we treated ourselves to some interesting dishes.
Day 2: Tampa and Environs
The Florida Aquarium
The following day we headed out from our one-night stay to see the popular Florida Aquarium in Tampa. We were lured in with pictures of the largest known seahorses and octopus on the website. We just love animals and marine life and while we have some reservations about keeping these critters in captivity we can also understand how this brings awareness to some who may otherwise never see these fascinating creatures.
The aquarium is a non-profit venue and is involved in multiple conservation projects such as coral restoration and sea turtle tracking.
Also, good to know, it’s only a few steps from the cruise terminal.
Manatee Viewing Center
After the aquarium we also headed out to the Apollo Beach Power Station in the hopes of seeing manatees. Unfortunately, we didn’t really see any manatees, except perhaps a snout or two. Although we did see an aggregation of tarpons, some sharks and even an eagle ray from the viewing platform. The water however was pretty murky that day. Maybe it always is… and the constant, loud whine from the power station was enough for us to just want to get out of there.
The Manatee Lagoon in Riviera Beach on the East Coast is another power station where you can see manatees during the winter month. We found this area to be much quieter and they have a very nice education center where you can learn about manatees too. There’s even a web cam to view them underwater.
Bok Tower Gardens
Heading back towards the East Coast, we also took the long way to enjoy a stop along the way at the Bok Tower Gardens. This 250-acre garden and bird sanctuary is on Iron Mountain which is also the highest point in peninsular Florida at 298 feet above sea level.
The historic singing tower is just beautiful. It measures 205-foot tall and was built in 1929 by Edward W. Bok, a Dutch immigrant who started out in the state working as an office boy. He later became the editor of the ladies Home Journal which went on to become one of the most successful magazines in the country. A well-known philanthropist of the era, Bok supported numerous causes including the saving of Niagara Falls. The creation of the Singing Tower was fueled by Bok’s desire to create something as beautiful as the Taj Mahal (history link).
The exquisite tower is made of pink marble and coquina and is decorated with intricate tile work reminiscent of stained-glass picturing sea creatures, birds and animals. There is also a sundial on one of the façades and a brass door on the side facing the Reflection Pool.
The Singing Tower contains a 60-bell carillon that weighs in at 60 tons! It plays music when the bells are activated by using a keyboard akin to a piano and produces a lovely chime and melodic sound. Singing Tower carillon concerts are held daily at 1pm and 3pm with short recorded renditions on the hour and half-hour. It’s definitely worth standing by to hear the soothing sounds.
In retrospect we would have been better off to skip the Manatee Center and come straight to the Bok Tower Gardens. Onsite there are plenty of trails with lovely flower gardens, birds and butterflies. There is also a nice place to have a snack or lunch as well as a gift shop. While the gardens stay open until 6pm the buildings close earlier at 5pm so we had to rush a bit. Note also that viewing the tower when the sun hits it early morning or as the sun starts to set. We were happy to see it late afternoon with the sun lighting it up.
And just like that, with a couple of packed days, we headed back home to make up with our cat. We had a great time in Tampa and its environs and even with just one night managed to get in a lot of great sites.