"Tampa - from a Native" a Tampa Travel Page by DonnaFL

From tourist's point of view, the major tourist attraction in Tampa is Busch Gardens, an amusement park with several roller coasters and zoological park with a wide variety of animals. Another area attraction is Lowry Park Zoo; a pleasant small zoo especially well suited for young children as well as the young at heart. Click here to view some animal pictures from Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo.

While Tampa does have some beaches, they are on the bay and are less popular than the beaches directly on the Gulf of Mexico in Pinellas County. One of my favorite beaches in Pinellas County across the bay from Tampa is Sand Key. This is a nice beach because it has a large parking area, a bath house with restrooms and changing rooms and a large beach.

Here are some web sites that might be helpful for researching a trip to Tampa.

http://www.visittampabay.com/

http://www.ybor.org/

Next a little history about Tampa.

The founding of the city of Tampa has its roots in a military fort built to make sure the Seminole Indians in a newly formed reservation did not stray from their newly designated residence. Ft. Brooke was established in 1824 at the point where the Hillsborough River flows into Tampa Bay.

Tampa's modern history is an interesting blend of cultures from various groups. One of the major influences is the immigrant populations: Spanish, Cuban and Italian mostly, that came to work in the Ybor City cigar factories during the late 1800s. The Ybor City State Museum shows how the cigar workers hand rolled cigars and a typical home.

This melding of cultures has built Tampa into what it is today and created interesting cuisine combinations . In Tampa, it is not unusual to find restaurants serving Cuban, Spanish and Italian specialities all on the same menu.

So try a Cuban sandwich, which traditionally includes roast pork, ham, swiss cheese, pickles on crusty Cuban bread - lettuce, tomatoes, onions might be added also; or black beans and rice, or Garbanzo bean (chick peas) soup or cafe con leche (Cuban coffee).

Henry B. Plant, who built his railroad down the west coast of Florida, constructed a grand hotel for his railroad passengers when they reached Tampa in the 1890s. This hotel, called Tampa Bay Hotel, is now Plant Hall at The University of Tampa. The building is constructed in the Moorish style as can be seen in the picture with minaret. This landmark is a must see if you visit Tampa and if time allows you can visit a museum showing some of the furnishings from the hotel.

During the Spanish-American War, then Lt. Col. Theodore Roosevelt (later he became U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt from 1901-1909) stayed at the Tampa Bay Hotel for a brief time. The First United States Volunteer Cavalry, also known as the Rough Riders, camped in the Tampa area while waiting to embark from Port Tampa to Cuba.