50 Fun Things to do in the Tampa Bay Area
13. John Chestnut Park
John Chestnut stands out as one of Tampa metro’s best parks. This quiet, shady Pinellas County park features beautiful boardwalk trails, great views of Lake Tarpon, and prehistoric looking cypress swamps. It’s the best park in the area for light exercise. Take a morning or evening stroll and you are bound to come across dozens of deer and the occasional armadillo and gator. Even on hot afternoons, you can find a shady escape at John Chestnut. The main loop around the park is great for walks, bike rides, and runs. In addition, you will also find picnic shelters, a sand volleyball court, softball fields, and a large dog park.
Address: 2200 E Lake Rd, Palm Harbor, FL 34685
14. Bayshore Blvd.
Tampa’s wonderful 4.5 mile long pedestrian path, the longest continuous side walk in the world, is the best place in the city to go for a relaxing weekend morning stroll, jog, or bike ride. Gorgeous views of the skyline and river make exercise a breeze. An occasional dolphin or manatee sighting adds in a little more excitement to an already enjoyable workout. Beautiful homes, palm trees, and clear skies make this one attractive urban ride. Plan your visit around sunset for even more spectacular views.
Address: 312 Bayshore Blvd Tampa, FL 33606
15. Clearwater Beach
A visit to Florida’s Gulf Coast just isn’t complete until you have step foot upon the crystal smooth white sand of Clearwater Beach. The wide, sandy beach offers plenty of room to enjoy a summer’s day of swimming in the warm waters of the Gulf (be sure to avoid noisy, crowded -impossible to find parking- weekend visits). In addition, the Pier 60 nightly sunset festival is a lively year-round celebration of arts, entertainment (free movies on the beach), and live music. Bonus – lots of fun tropical themed restaurants and bars to visit after your day of fun-in-the-sun. My favorite restaurant is Marina Cantina, a local Mexican restaurant overlooking the water.
Address: 1 Causeway Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33767
16. Silver Moon Drive In
Located between Tampa and Orlando lies Lakeland, a city known for its’ abundance of lakes (38 named lakes plus several smaller ones). In this town, you will find one of the remaining drive in theaters in the state. This clean, affordable (only $7 for a double feature!), family-friendly drive in is the perfect weekend date or family activity. Plus, it is easily accessible for locals and tourists, both in Tampa and the Orlando area.
Address: 4100 New Tampa Hwy, Lakeland, FL 33815
17. John’s Pass Village and Boardwalk
Conveniently located right next to the beach, you will find John’s Pass Village and Boardwalk, a fantastic dining, shopping, and entertainment destination featuring over 100 local businesses. You will be treated to beautiful views of Boca Ciega Bay as you stroll along the 1100 foot long wooden boardwalk.
Asides from scenic waterfront dining choices and unique local shops, you have plenty of interesting activities to choose amongst including a pirate themed sunset cruise and a narrated dolphin cruise at Hubbard’s Marina. When you tire of a long day of dining (check out Mad Beach Craft Brewing) and shopping, you can walk right over to Madeira Beach for a little R&R.
Address: 12901 Gulf Blvd, Madeira Beach, FL 33708
18. Hyde Park Village
This quaint, open air shopping & dining destination in Tampa’s Hyde Park neighborhood is a relaxing alternative to a stuffy, crowded indoor mall. Nice landscaping, an excellent collection of upscale shops, great local restaurants, and Cinebistro (a luxury dinner/movie theater) will give you plenty of options for an all day weekend excursion. Be sure to check out the Calendar of Events, which is loaded with both weekly (Irish 31 running club) and annual events (Holiday Tree lighting ceremony, Fall Festival and Pumpkin Patch). One of my favorite local coffee shops, Buddy Brew, is conveniently located here.
Address: 1602 W Snow Cir, Tampa, FL 33606
