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Tampa Travel Guide
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Everything Tampa.
Tampa's vacation getaways accommodates any budget and is known as the "Nightlife Capital of Florida's West Coast."
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The city of Tampa is one of Florida's most versatile places that is inclusive of nearly everything one might want to experience while on vacation, save snow and mountains! A true Florida vacation destination, Tampa offers you the chance to enjoy a lavish breakfast at one of the many extravagant cafes, do some window shopping (or full-blown splurging!) at some of the finest shopping plazas around, climb aboard some of the fastest, tallest, and most exhilarating rides at Busch Gardens, devour deliciously fresh seafood, take in a sporting event or two, catch the sunset as you stroll along the beach, and then head over to historic Ybor city for a night filled with excitement and entertainment that won't soon be topped. When you think about it, what more could you ask for while on vacation?
Tampa, or in this case, Tampa Bay, is not lacking for fun-in-the-sun activities. Several beaches can be found nearby, namely Clearwater Beach, Madeira Beach, and Indian Rocks Beach, all offering their own unique attributes to best suit your need. If you're looking for a beach teeming with activities such as volleyball games, jet skiing, and parasailing, then you'll most likely find yourself atop the white sand of Clearwater Beach. If you're looking for a little more solitude and relaxation, perhaps you'll opt for Madeira Beach or Indian Rocks. Regardless of what your idea of a great day at the beach entails, you'll surely find it close by when you vacation in Tampa.
If you're wondering what you will do once you've hit your sand and surf quota, fret not. One major area attraction is Busch Gardens, a theme park combining adrenaline-pumping roller coasters with breathtakingly beautiful (and sometimes scary) animals from all over Africa. Visitors have a chance to enjoy gravity-defying rides, then view some of the world's most fascinating creatures, grab a bite to eat, and rest their feet while listening to some live entertainment.
Many places in the Tampa Bay area are multifaceted, offering marvelous shopping, dining, and entertainment venues throughout the day, and then transforming into one pulsating, boisterous, vibrant party scene following the sunset. Channelside and Ybor city are the two that immediately spring to mind.
Channelside is located, you guessed it, on the edge of Tampa Bay and boasts waterfront dining and shopping that is hard to beat. In addition to the many eateries, visitors can enjoy a movie at either of the two movie theaters, or browse shops featuring coffee, high-end swimwear, cigars, fine wines, and much more. After you're done with the shopping and eating and finished daydreaming that you are here to board one of the many cruise ships that docks here, it should be getting close to transformation time. Several bars and nightclubs open their doors for anyone and everyone who is looking to have a good time, whether that be listening to live music performances or shaking their groove thing on the dance floor.
Ybor City is a culturally rich destination near Tampa, dating back to the 1800s when it was established as a major cigar factory location. One of three National Historic Landmarks in Florida, the city is currently most famous for the abundance of nightclubs and bars that make it a very popular evening and weekend hotspot. Many festivals and events are held in Ybor throughout the year, but no matter what time you're in town, Ybor city is a must-see! The museums, sidewalk cafes, authentic Cuban sandwiches, unique stores, comedy club, and more dance clubs and bars than you can experience in one night are all competing for your attention. For those with a time constraint, take the trolley that travels directly through the city for a warp-speed tour.
Keep your eyes open and your schedule flexible while sightseeing in Tampa, for there are countless museums and galleries scattered throughout the town that even the most researched and prepared travelers will be pleasantly surprised to find.
With so many things to do and see, how does one decide between going to the Florida Aquarium or the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center? Others will find themselves torn between the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and the Tampa Greyhound Track. The University of South Florida Botanical Gardens is deserving of a gander, as is the Lowry Park Zoo. Sport fanatic? Check out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or catch Tampa Bay Devil Rays game, depending on the season, of course.
The only way to satisfy all these sightseeing demands would be to, well, stay longer! And who could blame you? You're on vacation; you shouldn't have to make difficult decisions right now anyway.
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Theme Parks 
