Vacation Planning to Tampa Bay - 2

Family Fun Activities

Parks and Playgrounds

Busch Gardens Africa is a major family attraction, and necessitates a full day to cover. [Read our Busch Gardens article to learn more.] To beat the heat, try the 30-acre Adventure Island water park, located next door. This attraction is sure to please kids with its water slides, wave pool and water play areas. Multi-park discount tickets are available for these two.

Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo has earned the distinction as the country’s top kid-friendly zoo by Child Magazine. As soon as we encountered the Manatee Fountain past the ticket window, my son practically levitated from his shoes and ran barefoot through the fountains that bubbled up from the ground.

The zoo offers ample locations to get close to animals including the Lorikeet Landing and Stingray Bay. There are just enough rides spaced between the animal habitats. We relaxed on the shady Safari Ride tram, which includes a behind-the-scenes tour. The entire complex is lush with trees, while being compact and easily walkable.

Wallaroo Station, a recreation of the Australian outback, is the main attraction for the pre-school set. Good luck moving them along past the Billabong water play area. Bring a change of clothes and swim shoes, and prepare to stay a while.

 

• Kids take a ride on a camel at the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa.

kthypryn

Aquatic Adventures and Museums

Set aside several hours for the Florida Aquarium. You’ll need time for the indoor activities and exhibits, as well as the two-acre outdoor water park, Explore A Shore. We enjoyed the Coral Reefs Gallery, a tunnel through the aquarium, with views on all sides, even overhead.

Save the water park for the end so your children can get thoroughly soaked. The main draw here is a two-story pirate ship with water canons, surrounded by fountains and misters.

The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) offers scores of completely hands-on, interactive exhibits. An IMAX theater is located in the main building, as are the planetarium and exhibits covering weather, space and health. Children 12 and under will enjoy Kids in Charge!, an expansive interactive center in a separate building. There are four exhibit areas; Activate!, Investigate!, Kids Create! and Fields to Meals. During our most recent visit, we spent more than two hours here. Our son took our food orders behind the pretend restaurant counter, while our toddler clambered over soft building blocks in the Crawlers’ Club area.

 

• Fort DeSoto Park Beach has been recognized as one of the top U.S. beaches by Dr. Beach.

Fundenburg

When we went to The Pier, an all-around entertainment complex that juts out into Tampa Bay from downtown St. Pete, we brought the kids to the Pier Aquarium. This facility is on a much smaller scale than the Florida Aquarium, but very manageable and entertaining for about an hour. At the Touch Tank, our son reached for a starfish, shunning anything remotely slimy. I would have liked more time at The Pier for a dolphin sightseeing boat tour, or to do more than just peek inside some of the specialty shops, like the Candle Gallery.

When it’s time for a calmer activity, the Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center in St. Petersburg offers guided nature walks suitable for all ages. A section of the trail includes boardwalks built over tidal flats and saltwater ponds, home to mullet and wading birds. On a clear day, the 45-foot observation tower offers views across the bay to Tampa. Fishing and canoeing are popular activities for those with access to their own equipment.

Where’s the Beach?

Since Tampa doesn’t have beaches in the sense of waves and sandy expanses, we head 30 minutes west across the Howard Frankland Bridge to St. Petersburg. Fort De Soto Park Beach in the Tierra Verde community was aptly rated No. 1 on “Dr. Beach’s” 2005 list of Top 10 U.S. beaches. We’ve found an ideal stretch with parking across from the Arrowhead Picnic Area. A sandbar separates the beach from deep water, leaving a shallow pool perfect for little ones.

Another nearby beach on Caladesi Island won the No. 1 top beach slot in 2008, outranking the rest of Florida and Hawaii.