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20 things even the most seasoned locals haven't done in Tampa Bay (and a bit beyond)

By Ray Roa on Thu, Apr 21, 2022 at 2:16 pm

When someone spends their days writing about dead people, they’re bound to learn a few things about how to live. Just ask Kristen Hare, whose day job is writing obituaries for the Tampa Bay Times.

As she makes the rounds in support of the third edition of her “100 Things to Do in Tampa Bay Before You Die” book, Hare said that writing obituaries during the pandemic really started to coincide with searching for adventures.

“I didn't set out to write both obits and a bucket list book, but, looking back, they are tied together by one very big thing—our lives and how we live them,” Hare who first moved to Tampa Bay in 2012 and released her first “100 Things” book in 2014, said.

“I hope the obits that I write help people connect with our neighbors, and I hope this book helps people connect with this fantastic, crazy place we get to call home.

“To celebrate the release—and ahead of Hare’s St. Pete (Friday, April 22, Tombolo Books) and Tampa appearances (Sunday, April 24, Oxford Exchange)—she’s hand-picked the 20 activities from the book that even the most seasoned Tampa Bay locals might not have done.

Have a look below, and get the latest edition of Kristen Hare’s “100 Things to Do in Tampa Bay Before You Die” at your local bookstore or directly via Reedy Press.

All photos captions below are by Kristen Hare unless otherwise noted.

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Photo by Kristen Hare

See all the fireworks from the rooftop at TPA

4100 George J Bean Pkwy., Tampa. (813) 870-8700
The best part of the 4th of July is seeing the fireworks. The worst part is hearing them. From the rooftop of Tampa International Airport's parking garages, you can see all of Tampa Bay fireworks without having to listen to them.

Photo by Kristen Hare

Try the devil crab at Brocato's

5021 E Columbus Dr., Tampa. (813) 248-9977
We have some great restaurants in Tampa Bay, and more open all the time. Don't forget the classics, like Brocato's in Tampa, where the devil crab is fried and delicious.

Photo Courtesy, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System

Discover the past from your couch

00 N Ashley Dr., Tampa. (813) 273-3652
You can visit the John F. Germany Public Library in Tampa for this one, or you can just visit their website and see decades of photos from the Burgert brothers. Their work spans the late 1800s to the 1960s and shows Tampa as it once was.
Photo Courtesy, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System

Photo by Kristen Hare

Step right up to the Carnival Museum

6938 Riverview Dr, Riverview. (813) 671-3503
Head to Riverview to see 54,000-square feet of carnival history at the International Independent Showman's Museum. You'll find an old ferris wheel, a costume from Gypsy Rose Lee, and a lot of clowns.

Photo by Kristen Hare

Get fresh juice and pie at the Citrus Place

7200 U.S. Hwy-19, Terra Ceia. (941) 722-6745
This family owned shop is just off the highway in Terra Ceia and it's the place to go for fresh orange juice and delicious key lime pie.

Photo by Kristen Hare

Be fancy and spend the day at the Don

3400 Gulf Blvd, St. Pete Beach. (727) 360-1881
Maybe spending the night at the Don CeSar Hotel on St. Pete Beach isn't an option, so how about the day? You can get a day pass for $75 (it doesn't include parking), and spend the day by the pool, in the sauna, in fitness classes or in the steam room.

Photo by Kristen Hare

Tour downtown Tampa like a tourist on an eBoat

333 S Franklin St., Tampa. (813) 767-2245
Downtown Tampa has come a long way in the last decade, but there's a lot to do on the water, too. Rent an eBoat from just outside the convention center, and you can cruise Harbor and Davis Islands, rubberneck at the fancy homes and see downtown Tampa in a whole new way.

Photo by Kristen Hare

See the only college campus built by Frank Lloyd Wright in Lakeland

840 Johnson Ave., Lakeland. (863)680-4597
At Florida Southern, you can tour the Child of the Sun campus and see the Frank Lloyd Wright's work in action.

Photo via Google Maps

Taste paradise at the Jerk Hut

4495 W Gandy Blvd, Tampa. (813) 835-5375
Jerk Hut is an actual hut on West Gandy Boulevard, and inside that location and two others on Tampa, they're cooking up delicious, authentic Caribbean food.
Photo via Google Maps

Photo by Kristen Hare

Take a dip in Lithia Springs

3932 Lithia Springs Rd. Lithia. (813) 744-5572
You don't have to drive north for hours to get to a spring. There's one in Lithia, just outside Fishhawk Ranch. Check the website, it gets full, and get there early to enjoy a dip in the clear, cold water.

Photo by Kristen Hare

Go see the trees at Medard Park

6140 Turkey Creek Rd., Plant City. (813) 757-3802
Trust me. This reclaimed phosphate mine-turned-county park in Plant City one-of-a-kind. Once you're in the park, off Sacred Hill Drive, you'll find a spot with trees as far as you can see with roots growing above ground.

Photo by Kristen Hare

Take the healing waters in North Port

12200 San Servando Ave., North Port. (941) 426-1692
Bring a noodle with you to Warm Mineral Springs, and plan to spend a few hours floating and absorbing all the minerals from this prehistoric sinkhole. It draws people from all over the world.

Photo by Kristen Hare

Go back in time and take the tour at the Plant Museum

401 W Kennedy Blvd., Tampa. (813) 254-1891
We've all seen the minarets of the old Tampa Bay Hotel, and while most of the space is now the University of Tampa, there's a corner that's all museum. Take the tour and see how it all began.

Photo by Kristen Hare

Pamper yourself at the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa

105 N Bayshore Dr, Safety Harbor. (727) 726-1161
The water used at this spa comes from the Espiritu Santo Springs, which have attracted people for hundreds of years. Come for a spa service and stay for the day, and make sure to take a dip in the plunge pools.