The Moppets Take Tampa
Let the kids be in charge of the itinerary in this family-friendly city.
African penguins can be seen daily at 10am and 3pm during the Penguin Promenade at the Florida Aquarium.
Is Tampa secretly run by kids? Take a family vacation here and you’ll start to wonder. The city’s zoo was named the best one for tots in the country, its brand-new children’s museum is catching major buzz, and its downtown trolley system lets families go days without the hassle of car seats. After 72 hours exploring Tampa with your children, you’ll want to salute the pint-sized leaders who must be turning cartwheels in City Hall.
DAY ONE
Wake up in your suite at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina. Located in the heart of downtown and just steps away from a trolley stop (and with a stunning outdoor pool and easy access to babysitters, to boot), it’s the perfect home base for families. Since you’re in the middle of it all, you won’t need the rental car today; just walk nine blocks to the Glazer Children’s Museum.
Opened in September 2010, this $21 million complex is essen tially a three-story theme park for the 10-and-younger set. Each of its 12 interactive areas has an educational twist, from the Vet Clinic (where kids can check Fluffy’s blood pressure) to Art Smart (where they create their own music videos).
After you’ve slid down the pole in the Firehouse exhibit for the 10th time, grab a quick lunch at Tiny Bites Café on the first floor before heading just outside to Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, an 8-acre public space on the Hillsborough River that recently reopened after a $43.6 million makeover. With the hefty price tag came some seriously cool amenities, including an interactive playground with a NEOS 360 Ring — an outdoor Wii of sorts that gets kids racing around in circles to beat the clock and each other.
Head back to Dick Greco Plaza, a public transit center across the street from your hotel, to pick up a trolley on the TECO Line Streetcar. Just three stops east, you’ll arrive at the Florida Aquarium, where elementary-aged kids will cheer for the 3pm “Penguin Promenade.” Encourage your brood to hand their Silly Bandz over to the African (or Black-footed) penguins (don’t worry, they’ll get them back) and watch as the birds play with them.
Once you’ve had your fill of underwater wonders, ride the trolley west to Ybor City to have dinner at Fresh Mouth, a great little diner with a big burger list, a “See Food” menu with options like tuna-salad sandwiches and fried shrimp and, best of all, a “Sweet Lips” section with six different malt flavors.
DATE-NIGHT OPTION: Ask for a nanny to watch the kids in the suite (the concierge will recommend a sitter service), grab your sweetie and drive five minutes to Fly Bar. Located in a revamped turn-of-the-century building, this restaurant and lounge has one of the only rooftop decks in the city. Find a seat under the stars, order the signature 1202 cocktail (Ketel One Citroen, pineapple and lemongrass) and drink a toast to the end of a packed-but-perfect day.
DAY TWO
Load everyone up in the rental car and head to Daily Eats, a retro-style diner in south Tampa. Order a round of the Cap’n Crunch-encrusted French toast — it’s just the sugar rush you’ll need for the upcoming day.
After breakfast, swing by the popular Wright’s Gourmet House and pick up a few best-selling, protein-packed turkey breast sandwiches for later. Drive 20 minutes to Canoe Escape, a 19-year-old paddling outfit ter that has helped families see some of the state’s most celebrated animals on the Hillsborough River. Choose a self-guided 4.5-mile canoe tour of the wildlife preserve, which takes about 2.5 hours. While gliding through the pristine water, you’ll see owls, turtles and alligators — lots and lots of alligators. (“Twenty to 30 on a typical day,” says Canoe Escape owner Brian Faulk.)
All of that paddling builds up an appetite. Back at the county park where your canoe trip began, grab a picnic table and chow down on those sandwiches. If the group has the energy, there are hiking trails to explore. If not, it’s back to the hotel for a nap and maybe a quick swim in the hotel’s third-floor pool.
For dinner, catch a trolley to Ybor City, take a deep breath and enter Game Time. This arcade/restaurant will dazzle everyone from toddlers to teens, thanks to its array of brightly lit video games, air hockey tables and stuffed-animal grabbers, as well as its burgers, pizza and chili-cheese fries.
DATE-NIGHT OPTION: For a seriously romantic dinner, head to Bern’s Steak House in south Tampa, which Rachael Ray recently declared the best steakhouse in the US. It’s hard not to feel all lovey-dovey amid the deep red walls, dimmed chandeliers and clinking glasses. Choose from the extensive wine list (including 170 varieties by the glass), and feast on one of seven cuts of aged beef.
DAY THREE
Rise and shine! It’s time to drive 15 minutes north to Lowry Park Zoo. The zoo may only span 56 acres, but it was named the best in the country by Parents magazine, and its obvious focus is on keeping little ones entertained.
Enter the Bush land Budgies aviary to feed dozens of tiny birds from a seed-covered stick, or splash in the Billabong water-play area. Over in Safari Africa, you can serve crackers to the giraffes, and at the Florida Manatee and Aquatic Center, you’ll descend below sea level to view rescued manatees undergoing rehabilitation at the on-site hospital. Before you leave, grab lunch at Reilly’s Reserve, a full-service restaurant with views of the elephants.
Once you’re back in your car, head 15 minutes northeast to the Museum of Science and Industry. Your kids may groan at its name, but they’ll cheer for Kids in Charge!, its 40,000-square-foot children’s science center (the largest of its kind in the country). Don’t miss the Astronaut Training Adventure, which lets kids strap on Velcro suits and soar through the air like Neil Armstrong.
For dinner, head south to the SoHo district and snag a table at Bella’s Italian Cafe. Order one of the pasta creations or build one of your own (“starburst” pasta with tomato-basil sauce is a favorite kiddo creation), and relish the way your children’s shouts don’t ruffle a soul in this boisterous environment. After dinner, walk to Bayshore Boulevard, home to the world’s longest (4.5-mile) continuous sidewalk. With the bay on one side and stately mansions on the other, it’s the perfect place for a sunset stroll.
DATE-NIGHT OPTION: Celebrate your final night with a show, opera or concert at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, the largest performing arts complex south of Washington, DC.
TAMPA MARRIOTT WATERSIDE HOTEL & MARINA
700 S Florida Ave; 813-221-49007; marriott.com
GLAZER CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
110 W Gasparilla Plaza; 813-443-3861; glazermuseum.org
CURTIS HIXON WATERFRONT PARK
600 N Ashley Dr
FLORIDA AQUARIUM
701 Channelside Dr; 813-273-4000; flaquarium.org
FRESH MOUTH
1600 E Eighth Ave; 813-241-8845; jjscafeybor.com
FLY BAR & RESTAURANT
1202 N Franklin St; 813-275-5000; flybarandrestaurant.com
DAILY EATS
901 S Howard Ave; 813-868-3335; dailyeatstampa.com
WRIGHT’S GOURMET HOUSE
1200 S Dale Mabry Hwy; 813-253-3838; wrightsgourmet.com
CANOE ESCAPE
9335 E Fowler Ave, Thonotosassa; 813-986-2067; canoeescape.com
GAMETIME
1600 E Eighth Ave; 813-241 9675; gametimeplayers.com
BERN’S STEAK HOUSE
1208 S Howard Ave; 813-251-2421; bernssteakhouse.com
LOWRY PARK ZOO
1101 W Sligh Ave; 813-935-8552; lowryparkzoo.com
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY
4801 E Fowler Ave; 813-987-6000; mosi.org
BELLA’S ITALIAN CAFE
1413 S Howard Ave Ste 100; 813-254-3355; bellasitaliancafe.com
DAVID A. STRAZ, JR. CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
1010 North W.C. MacInnes Pl; 813-229-7827; tbpac.org
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