Tampa Bay and the South

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>>1228441
I'm a Tampa native and got married here.

The most well-known tourist attractions in the Tampa Bay Area (Tampa + St. Pete + Clearwater) are the beaches on gulf side, which routinely get ranked as the best in the continental US. Fort Desoto Beach is the most interesting one. As far as the cigar industry is concerned, all of that is concentrated in Ybor City, Tampa's historic district, which put Tampa on the map when it was created in the 1880s. I'm not a big cigar smoker, but there are tons of cigar bars there and ones that hand roll their own. They also have a replica historic streetcar system shuttling people from that area to Channelside, another Tampa tourist area nearby. Ybor is also known for creating a handful of popular street foods like the Cuban sandwich and deviled crab (it's like a Spanish-style crab cake). Great places to get those in Ybor are Carmine's and the Columbia. The latter has Spanish dancers in the evening, but whatever time of day you visit that one, get the 1905 salad with your meal. There is also Busch Gardens Tampa in the area, which is a theme park/zoo hybrid with African animals flanked by large multi-million dollar roller coasters. It actually has the largest assortment of roller coasters in Florida. There is also the Dali Museum (melting clocks painting guy) in St. Pete, which has the the largest private collection of his work. Elsewhere in the Tampa Bay Area is Tarpon Springs, which is the center of the natural sponge harvesting industry. It has a lot of Greek restaurants due to all the Greek sponge divers that settled there and there are lots of boat tours available. My favorite one is the St. Nicholas tour, as it's the original boat tour and they do a demo of sponge diving in the very old-timey diving suit (pic related). While you are in the South, you need to get barbecue at some point. Go to 4 Rivers Smokehouse and get the Burnt Ends (you will not be sorry).

I can provide additional info if requested.

>>1228455
Thank you for the good information boss. The sponge diving demo sounds pretty cool actually. Are there any casinos in the area? Or is that something I should save for the Dominican leg of the vacation? My wife to be loves art exhibits, shes never seen anything by Dali in person either. Would you say Tampa is the right area of Florida to spend most of our time? We're not into heavy parties or nightlife, which I know Miami is known for. I was thinking about basing in Tampa and doing daytrips to the other more well known parts. Are there any historic hotels in Tampa that you would recommend? I'm going to save your food recommendations, there is no notion of southern BBQ on the west coast really. Once again I appreciate your thoughtful response

Go to Charleston. Your wife will love it. Go on the carriage ride, hit the beach, walk around downtown. There's actually a cigar rolling shop downtown as well (and of course a bunch of tobacconists and excellent rooftop bars).

>>1228492
Is that Charleston SC you're talking about. I have some family in Raleigh so I'm considering going that far north and seeing sights along the way. How expensive are things out there? For example where I'm from $500 will get you a medium tier restaurant dinner with drinks for two and a Holiday Inn room.

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>>1228473
>Are there any casinos in the area?
Yes, and it's a big one, too. The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The Seminole Tribe of Florida actually owns the rights to the Hard Rock brand now and they have another hotel/casino at their home base in Hollywood, Florida near Miami.

>Would you say Tampa is the right area of Florida to spend most of our time?
Yeah, it's in a pretty central location in the state. Orlando and its theme parks are about one hour away from downtown Tampa and about two hours away from the Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Complex. Don't know if you guys are into the theme parks, but there are things that are very adult-relevant and not for kids at all in them.

>Are there any historic hotels in Tampa that you would recommend?
Yes. The most famous historic hotel here is the Don CeSar (built 1928) right on the beach in St. Pete Beach. There is also the Vinoy Park Hotel (built 1925 right on the water in Downtown St. Pete. My wife and I stayed there for one day during our honeymoon.

Also, if you are doing day trips, there is plenty of natural attractions around and one of the things that is pretty common in Florida, but that common elsewhere is our wealth of natural springs. One good one in particular north of Tampa is Homosassa Springs. They also have a small animal park and scheduled manatee feedings (pic is of manatees there). Another prominent one is Silver Springs also north of Tampa. They have glass-bottom boats you can ride so yo u can see through the crystal clear water. Those boats can actually trace their history back to hollowed-out log canoes with pieces of plane glass placed in the bottom starting in 1878, which makes them the oldest man-made tourist attraction in Florida.

>>1228551
The Don CeSar is exactly the type of place my wife would love. We're not too into the crowds that come with theme parks, I'm more interested with the tours and cruises by the water. I'm from San Francisco area and it sucks to be by the water here. I appreciate the help I feel more confident with the idea of getting married in Tampa. I was thinking about going in late September/early October and catching a Bucs game. From what I've read the weather is great around that time.

>>1228498
you can get a good room and a great dinner for two for about $300, add drinks for $10 a piece

additionally, there are a ton of art halls downtown if you're into that kind of thing. also a few art-themed hotels, such as the vendue

>>1228455
I'm also a Tampafag and this guy is pretty spot on.

>>1228577
I go to St. Pete Beach all the time it's really nice and my favorite of all the beaches there. People get married at the Don CeSar all the time, it's pretty nice from the ones I've seen.

There's also lots of cruises that go around the Carribean/Mexico leaving from around Channelside in Tampa. They're Carnival which is a little more for families but I'm sure there are some "classier" ones for you and your wife.

Which I could say more but the other Tampafag has done a really good job

Oh yea Anon, if you are gonna stay at the Don Cesar go to "Ted Peters" it's an amazing burger, they also have smoked fish and their own microbrew root beer.

If you want Mexican and a dive bar check "The VIP"

Don Cesar also has an amazing ice cream place in it. You can also walk down the beach and one of the hotels I'm blanking on the name has a rotating restaurant, it's easy to spot and gives a nice view. I use to sneak into the Don Cesar to use their pool while at the beach.

Downtown St. Petersburg is also pretty cool imo, check out the pier.

If you're not from the south and have never been to a publix go there and get a sandwich.

It makes me happy to see a Tampa thread on /trv/ so I came back. It's my home and I miss it because I'm out /trv/ling but I think it's the most superior place in Florida. Orlando besides amusement parks is boring, Miami kinda sucks and I don't see the appeal of Jacksonville. Tampa has everything beaches, nightlife, food and is a good travel hub. There's other cool places but their too small. While everybody should check out Disney/Universal I think Busch Gardens is more fun because it has good rides, a zoo, tons of stuff to do and is made a by a fucking beer company AND there is a water park next door.

>>1228455
>Columbia and Carmines
Go to these places Anon. Columbia is really famous because it's where the mob use to eat back in the day. If you're into cigars then Ybor is the place for you.

The fanciest, nicest and coolest restaurant is Berns. It's a really good steakhouse and they give classy tours of their winery and steak facilities. It's a little pricey but it's kind of the "go to" place for people in Tampa for special events in their lives like birthdays, weddings and graduations.

>>1228627
Many pro wrestlers live in the Tampa area because it was a good airline hub. Also all the clubs. Hulk Hogan played bass in a group called Ruckus and was discovered by wrestlers at the show.

>>1228627
I appreciate the good information Tampa anons. I've even talked with somebody from the Don CeSar and it is much more affordable than I thought for the level of accommodations and service they have. My neighbor came from Jacksonville and I had a long talk with him about Tampa and he says we probably won't want to come back to California lol. Either way I'm happy for the contributions to the thread it got me more excited for the wedding.

>>1228627
>Berns
Ah, I forgot about that one. They claim they have the world's largest wine cellar.

Secret (okay, not really secret, but still useful) tips:
If you want to save money on that place, you can go to the bar and order a steak sandwich and onion rings for super cheap, and it's a bar-only menu item.
Do the dessert room. It seems anti-climactic after you've gone through your multi-course meal in the dining room, but it is super-duper intimate with a private piano player and a dessert menu that has literally dozens of items to choose from. Definitely get a bottle of ice wine with whatever you get. That stuff's expensive, but it's for a once-in-a-lifetime special occasion.

Supplementary note to prove I'm not shilling for them: the darkened and old-fashioned gaudy interior made me feel like I was entering the Haunted Mansion when I visited. Food and service were still top notch, though my wife doesn't like french onion soup and that comes automatically with your meal.

>>1228815
>Many pro wrestlers live in the Tampa area because it was a good airline hub.

/asp/ie here. Any good stories.

>>1229715
Not really. When the wrestling territories were around Championship Wrestling In Florida was one the the major ones. They were based in Tampa and did their TV there in the Sportatorium and did major shows at Fort Hesterly Armory,USF Sun Dome and St. Pete Bayfront Center.

>Jacksonville resident here

I'm watching this thread closely. J-Ville doesn't really have much in the way of entertainment unless you like subpar football teams or driving half an hour to get to places

>>1230035
Sounds awful.

>>1230026

Cool. I've met Brock Lesnar, Jerry Lynn and Diamond Dallas Page in Minneapolis. All were super nice and chill.

I once saw Raven and gave him a wave. He just sneered back. That's so Raven.

>>1230077
Surprised that Lesner was nice. He doesn't really like people that much. Moved to Saskatchewan and lives on a farm with no internet,miles from the nearest neighbor.

>>1230423
Might be because I didn't sperg out. Plus, we were in a bar, which is an inherently social environment. On top of all that, this was in Minneapolis, where he's sort of a hometown hero, so maybe he's just a bit more receptive to folks there.

>>1228441
I was in Clearwater a few months ago, it's cute. I don't think it's super interesting but if you're in the cigar business there is a part of Tampa that is like a little Cuba, for someone with your background that would definitely be worth checking out.

The beaches are great, clean with perfect sand, and lined with nice resorts. No waves though, as a surfer I was afraid that I would be bored as shit, but I rented a jetski and had a blast zipping up and down the coast as fast I could go.

I can see it as a good place for a honeymoon if you're the sit around n chill suburban type. Nice hot tubs with other couples in them, maybe you can convince the wife to swing? Florida has a lot of older couples that are into that.

>>1230035
>J-Ville doesn't really have much in the way of entertainment unless you like subpar football teams or driving half an hour to get to places

I live in a Tampa suburb about a half hour from downtown, and the distance doesn't bother me. Also, you are near St. Augustine, which a pretty cool little town.

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>>1231050
>Florida has a lot of older couples that are into that.
MUCH older.

>>1231221
Seriously though, I remember reading something about the CDC finding that Seniors were showing the fastest rates of new STD infections.

If your wife is dead and you're at the end of tour life wouldn't you try to hook up with some of those big titty grans? They don't call it a nursing home for nothing.

In Key West you'll see fat wrinkled ass everywhere. Often on a Harley Davidson.

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>>1231228

Tampa Bay is a very great area to live/visit, imo. I've lived here my whole life, and if water is your thing, this area is a tremendous place to live. However, some areas give limited access to fishing inclduing Tampa Bay itself. This is why deep sea fishing is so popular here. The beaches IMO are the best in the world, maybe except for maybe two in the Mediterranean.

Cuban food in Tampa is a must have. Our sports scene is energetic, despite all the shit we get. This is mainly because the Rays have a low attendance and get a bad rep for the location of their awful stadium. However, the Lightning have the best fan base in hockey, and I love going to every game no matter what. Also if you're a fan of soccer, the Rowdies in St. Pete are fun to watch. Downtown St. Pete is nice, and it even has a smaller beach. Vinoy Park is an awesome walk.

Tampa Bay's real downside is the traffic. Daytime traffic is the worst, and the Frankland becomes a race track at night. Kenneth City (Pinellas County) police will give big fines for really small traffic violations like going 5 mph over.

>>1232104
>the Lightning have the best fan base in hockey

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>>1232104
>the Rays have a low attendance and get a bad rep for the location of their awful stadium

What everyone pining for a new stadium for the Rays keep forgetting is that the current stadium, Tropicana Field, despite not being the prettiest stadium, is entirely enclosed and air conditioned. This is a Godsend in Summer, when not only the heat and humidity are suicide-inducing, but also the torrential mid-afternoon rain storms that happen pretty much every day during that time. Having a new pretty outdoor stadium will expose you to all of this crap and make attendance even worse.

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>>1228441
>Are there any locals or southerners on this board that could attest to Tampa being a good place to get married?

Never got marries in Tampa, so I can;t speak to that, but it is certainly possible to have a good time in the area.

>I wanted to spend maybe a week or so there,

That seems long to me, but of course if you are getting married there some of your time will be taken up in wedding activities.

>But I'd like to know a little more about what to do in Tampa and if that's a good place to start a tour of the south.

Where else in the South you looking at?

>I am also a Bucs fan so I'd hope to hit a game out there.

Oh shit, pic related, I can't like you any more.

>>1233023
I have family in Raleigh so I was thinking about working my way up there and seeing any sights on the way.
>>1232104
Good information. I've been thinking about moving for a while now. California is not kind to the tobacco industry, and at this point I'd rather relocate and finish my degree in a state that's more conducive to being a young married person.

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>>1234139
>I have family in Raleigh so I was thinking about working my way up there and seeing any sights on the way.

Panther Heart guy back...

You'd likely come up 95 -- not many sights on-route, but you pass near Savannah, Charleston, and tight through Hotlanta, God help you. You should cross Florida and see pic related, unless this stuff does not interest you at all. The Saturn V is amazing. Tell your new wife you get a blow job for every time your hear Also Sprach Zarathustra while at Canaveral. You will thank me later.

>>1234288
lol

His advice about the Kennedy Space Center, Savannah, and Charleston is correct, though. The latter two are old-school towns that have been around since colonial times and have preserved their old charm beautifully. More specific info on those can be provided if requested.

Only thing I have to add is groupon has a boatload of cheap dinner cruises for two that head out sail around the skyway bridge and come back all in less than 3 hours.

>>1232094
what did he mean by this?

isn't Kennedy Space Center on the other side of Florida?

>>1235049
>isn't Kennedy Space Center on the other side of Florida?

Yeah, it's like two hours away from downtown Tampa on the East Coast. It is the most impressive and historically-relevant museum in Florida, though. Also, because it's Florida and you have to compete with the big theme parks even if you're just a museum, they do have one ride: the Space Shuttle Launch Experience. It's like a next-gen motion simulator that simulates the force of gravity in a shuttle take-off.

>>1235263
>it's like two hours away from downtown Tampa on the East Coast
>two hours

Wow you definitely can't trust map projections. I takes nearly 7 hours to drive across my state, Florida does not look that skinny.

>>1235266
>I takes nearly 7 hours to drive across [Florida]

Well yeah, if you're driving north to south. Only way that would be possible going east west is if you only took back roads in a zigzag pattern.