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Tampa actually sits on Tampa Bay, not on the Gulf Coast, but it looks across the bay at Gulf Coast city St. Petersburg. It offers an abundance of non-beachy outdoor activities, including zip-line safaris, canoeing down Hillsborough River, and bass fishing. The Great Florida Birding Trail also runs through Tampa. It's right on Interstate 4, so you can be in Orlando at dawn and drive across the state to catch the sunset over the bay. This is a more popular vacation destination than most people give it credit for, and it welcomes spring breakers: Major attractions include Busch Gardens and NASCAR. The historic district of Ybor City has undergone an artistic revival but still has lots of distinctive Latin flavor, from ethnic food to its cigar-making heritage. For stadium fan fun, cheer on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football, Tampa Bay Rays baseball, or Tampa Bay Lightning hockey teams.
The hot and humid weather that bakes "The Big Guava" most of the year doesn't dissuade the armies of tourists who descend upon Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay. The park was opened in 1959 to serve as theAnheuser-Busch brewery's hospitality center. To unwind from the Busch roller coaster, there's nearby Lowry Park Zoo. Tourists also hit the streets at Gasparilla time to commemorate the legendary Tampa invasion by pirate Jose Gaspar. Gasparilla's highlight is the Invasion, a Mardi Gras-style parade with "pirates" flinging bead strings and gold bullion to the heavy-drinking crowd. Tampa has plenty of sports outlets, too. Despite the Tampa Bay Buccaneer's reputation as perennial losers, fans still pack Tampa Stadium to cheer them on. However, many sports lovers have quietly switched allegiances to hockey team Tampa Bay Lightning or up-and-coming soccer club Tampa Bay Mutiny, with well-tressed Colombian midfielder Carlos Valderrama. Hipsters hang out in Ybor City, the artistic colony with an urban feel and an Hispanic history. New life has been breathed into historic cigar factories, now swank boutiques and restaurants. Ybor heats up even more during "Guavaween," a raucous Latin-style Halloween festival which fills the streets with costumed revelers enjoying the Mama Guava Stumble parade.