Know NOTHING about this area

I want to visit some friends in Clearwater/Tampa area. I wonder what we can see and do for about 4 to 5 days. We will have a car. A road trip would be possible. Anyone have some suggestions on how to spend a relaxing but exciting time in Tampa and Clearwater for 4 or 5 days? We do not want to rush around, just have fun. Also, any recommendations on a moderate hotel, something with a pleasant view, a fridge, would be helpful. Thanks.

Know NOTHING about this area

Here are a few suggestions

Busch Gardens - great for roller coasters and water rides (you WILL get VERY wet!)

Florida Aquarium

Boat trips from Clearwater marina

Honeymoon and Caladesi Isalnds

Tarpon Springs (a complete dump in my opinion but you might like it!)

John%26#39;s Pass village and the Seabird sanctuary

Fort de Soto beaches

Further afield, Homosassa Springs

The beaches from Clearwater to St Petes, pick the ones that suit you best.

Know NOTHING about this area

Tarpon Springs is hardly a %26#39;dump%26#39; as the previous Florida %26#39;expert%26#39; states. It%26#39;s an interesting place to visit and offers a bit of Florida history regarding the sponge industry.

For other ideas, use the %26#39;Browse%26#39; sidebar to the left and the %26#39;Tampa tourism%26#39;, %26#39;Attractions%26#39; and other links to learn what%26#39;s available.

Thank you, endeavour, it%26#39;s a real pleasure to hear from an obvious expert, and, in addition, one who KNOWS he%26#39;s a expert.We have names for those sort of people in the Uk but I%26#39;m sure they would be removed.

It was very clear that my opinion of Tarpon Springs was my own, and I stick by it. It is tacky and false, the only thing in its favour is that it is free.

It is also very clear that the questioner wanted some personal feedback, not just to browse the site, but then I would have to bow to your obvious expert knowledge.

aardvark10

Your opinion doesn%26#39;t count and I prefer not to offer rambling answers. The poster gave NO indication of specific likes/dislikes so I leave it up to others to babble on incessantly

FYI - TA advised many of us via private emails to recommend various TA options to use along with web sites people can research on their own - encouraging more do-it-yourself education. If you don%26#39;t like what TA does - complain to them. I just followed their recommendation.

So, no matter what you or I think or say, people will still come to Florida and spend their money which is really all that matters anyway. Keep Florida green.

The Florida Aquarium is great! You can spent an entire day there.

Ybor City used to be a great place to hang out at night, but I haven%26#39;t been there for several years so I don%26#39;t know how much it%26#39;s changed. It%26#39;s an old historic area --cigar factories and such -- that has been turned into bars, restaurants and residential.

If you%26#39;re looking for some non-beachy fresh air and exercise, take a ride on the Pinellas Trail: www.pinellascounty.org/trailgd/default.htm

But really, with only four to five days to hang out with your friends, I%26#39;d concentrate on the beach. You%26#39;ll find plenty of bars and restaurants there to keep you occupied at night, or you can hit Ybor or whatever else is the flavor of the moment.

Endeavour10 -

Why do you say ';your opinion doesn%26#39;t count';?.

Is this what you say to anyone whose opinion does not correspond with yours? Perhaps you%26#39;d like us all to go away and leave you to it?

Is this an instruction from TA?

Endeavour - you surpass yourself.

How can you say to anyone that their opinion does not count. You really are a very arrogant and sad person to make such an observation.

Everyone is entitled to their view. I found Tarpon to be OK but there were parts that were a bit tacky - if aardvark does not like it then it his his right to express that valid opinion but to say his opinion is worthless is really out of order.

Shame on you.

Thanks for the info Aardvark. I certainly appreciate your opinion more than those of another ';so called expert,'; who obviously has no life but living on his/her computer (over 2000 posts)

Banker1, listen to Aardvark. Anyone who says that someone elses opinion does not matter is not worth wasting your time on.

Thank you dcb95sol.

My feelings exactly.

One thing that is clear to all mature adults is thast personal opinions about specific ';attractions'; will vary. Why, there are even some people (very few) who don%26#39;t like Florida! Wouldn%26#39;t be much point in discssions groups if we all agreed 100%.

Well, you%26#39;ve gotton the obvious but generally good advice. By the way, Tarpon Springs is an area settled years ago by greek immigrants who founded a sponge diving industry. The main drag [Dodocanese Ave] is (a) touristy, but (b) authentic; who ever said the two were muutally exclusive? Good greek friends of mine always comments on how current the music, etc. is, the same as what is au courant in greece. And, the food is almost uniformly delicious. Let me be specific: lovely, crisp greaseless calamari; wonderfully cold, resiny retsina wine and of course the other delectible items of the greek culimary tradition. A favorite restaurant of mine is Santorini, as they have a few outside tables facing the sponge and fishing boats. Pappas at the corner of Dodocanese and Alt. 19 is the 900 pound gorilla of the local restaurants and, while excellent, is otherwise like any large, successfull restaurant anywhere. Brilliant, but the charm, to me, is in the smaller places. Lastly, I almost always fall in love--or at least deep like--with one of the young greek lovelies hosting at a restaurant or otherwise just breathing and walking. But I digress.

Favorite beaches: (a) Ft. Desoto State Park, less developed; (b) Passagrille for the nice combination of beach and across-the-street restaurants and bars, and (c) Clearwater Beach for much the same reason.

Lastly, if you do not smoke cigars, you should definitely start the habit on this trip. My advice: go to Ybor city, say about 8PM, stop off at King Corona on 7th avenue, order a nice cuban coffee and buy a cigar. I recommend anything by Arturo Fuente--the petit coronoa is a nice beginner--mild yet flavorful. Sit outside, watch the lovely young things parade by, listen to the nice tropical music on the sound system, and pretend that its%26#39;s 1939 and La Habana is still a short flying-boat trip away, the casinos and libations waiting.

Have a good time!