Maybe you’re the kind of person who likes to find the hidden gems and experiences that aren’t typical tourist attractions. Whether bizarre, historical, or unique–you love discovering what isn’t often listed in travel brochures that only the locals know about…or do they? If you’re traveling to the Tampa Bay area for a getaway or vacation, here are five lesser known experiences that are all within driving distance of Tampa, make fun day trips, and are a blast from the past!
Parque Amigos de Jose Marti
A tour we think you'll love
Tampa is known for its Cuban influence. Before the communist revolution, this small piece of land was donated by America to the Estado Cubano (Republic of Cuba) and, despite complicated political tensions, continues to remain property of Cuba. That means that whenever you enter Parque Amigos de Jose Marti (Friends of Jose Marti Park), you are momentarily stepping outside of the United States and onto Cuban land. This small park contains soil from each of Cuba’s provinces, and also boasts the statues of Jose Julian Marti Perez, and Jose Antonio de la Caridad Maceo y Grajales who fought for Cuban independence. This park is normally open Monday to Friday from 8:00am-1:30pm.
Henry B. Plant Museum
Home now to the University of Tampa, it’s hard to miss the beautiful Moorish Revival style building overlooking the Hillsborough River that was constructed by railroad magnate Henry B. Plant back in 1891. Originally built as a luxury hotel to attract well-traveled holiday makers of the age with its lavish extravagances, it had electricity, telephones, extensive gardens, a golf course, tennis courts, hunting and fishing facilities, a heated swimming pool, a spa, a bowling alley, stables, a race track, and a 2000-seat casino. The hotel eventually closed down in 1930, but a portion of the property is kept preserved as a museum to tour and see many of the artifacts left from the glory days of the original hotel.
Pinecraft (Amish Community)
Heading south to Sarasota, you might be surprised to stumble upon the Pinecraft community where the Amish and Mennonites have established as a Florida hub. The community is known for its crafts, furniture, and of course food. If you’re hungry you better head on over to Yoder’s Restaurant for genuine Amish dishes and desserts. Did someone say homemade pie? Oh yeah, almost all our posts mention pie somehow!
Tarpon Springs Epiphany Celebration
Florida is often a popular destination during the winter months, and especially during Christmas. But after December 25th, what is there to do? Up the coast you’ll find the lovely community of Tarpon Springs–a very popular tourist destination where Greek residents have been diving for sea sponges for generations. Because of the strong Greek Orthodox population, the celebration of Epiphany (Theophany) on January 6th is huge, and the entire city joins in the festivities. One of these traditions even includes a priest tossing a cross into the waters for a group of young divers to compete to fetch out of the chilly waters. The winner receives a yearlong maritime blessing. So if you’re in the area on January 6th, this may be something you don’t want to miss!
The Hacienda Hotel
In the once sleepy city of New Port Richey, there is all new buzz about the reopening of Hacienda Hotel–the onetime destination for celebrities of the early 1920’s to stay and enjoy the exotic beauty of Florida. Some of these celebrities included Irving Berlin, Ed Wynn, and many others from the silent film era. The refurbishments and renovations should be complete for the hotel to open as early as Fall 2021!
Want to discover more of what Tampa Bay has to offer? SerVacations offers exciting single-day and multi-day vacations for families, couples, groups of all ages, and seniors! We offer custom volunteer vacations where you serve at local non-profits in the morning and see all the sights in the afternoon. If you are interested in visiting the Plant Museum, it will be featured on our upcoming 2021 Christmas Serve & Stroll Itinerary!
