Mad dogs and Englishmen may go out in the midday sun, but only damn fools do the same thing on a typical summer's day in Florida. I was just such a fool one afternoon last summer – my first here – when I decided to walk to lunch from the Planet's offices at Lemon and Howard down to Kennedy Boulevard. When I returned soggy and sheepish to my desk, I understood why, when the rest of the world is joyously heading outdoors, Floridians with any sense are staying resolutely in, where there's air conditioning.
But that doesn't take away the summery urge to relax, to let things slide a bit, to escape. In fact, summer here is all about sloth. It's hot, it's wet, it's sultry, there's nothing to be done but, well, sin a little.
Which brings us to the theme of this year's Summer Guide. Let me tell you, it's almost as fun writing about Guilty Pleasures as it is indulging in them. Certainly it's healthier – less calories ingested, fewer brain cells killed. We're talking mac and cheese, The Brady Bunch, "Easy Like Sunday Morning" and The Da Vinci Code – all better when enjoyed from afar. We invite you to argue with our choices – or add a few of your own.
We also present the first Tampa Bay Guilty Pleasure Hall of Fame, in which new Floridian Max Linsky samples some of the best worst stuff the area has to offer. See if you agree with our nominees, which have been rated, according to guilt-inducement ratio, on a scale of 1 to 10 donuts. Look for the occasional donut on later pages of the Guide, too; when you see one, it denotes a story about an activity that contains at least a mild risk of embarrassment – like, say, wedding crashing or playing hooky at Busch Gardens.
But it's not all guilt. We know there are many of you out there who resolutely insist on being active in the summertime. For you, we've compiled a slew of ideas for fun stuff to do, from horseback riding to salsa lessons, from Par 3 Golf to yoga on the beach. And our Events Editor Leilani Polk has put together comprehensive lists of what's going on in our region's parks, museums and other attractions during the summer months.
Whatever you do, we hope your emphasis is on the Pleasure, not the Guilt. As one of our staffers said when we were planning this issue, she feels guilty about none of her pleasures, because if she did, they wouldn't be pleasurable anymore.
Sheesh, what hippies raised her?
-David Warner
This article appears in May 12-18, 2005.