In March 2009, my husband was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Since we were only in Tampa for a short time, we stayed at a hotel until the end of the season. We stayed at the Westin Harbour Island. The staff was super friendly, we were within walking distance to everything that we needed and we had a great view from our room.
The hotel pool was very nice too. There was a little poolside bar, and you could even order from the restaurant and get it delivered to you. The weather was great much of our time there and I spent a lot of time poolside.
Perhaps my favourite part of this hotel is that it was located next to Jackson's Bistro Bar Sushi. Their food, especially their sushi, was amazing. This is where my love for sushi began, so it will always hold a special place in my heart! It is located on the waterfront and has spectacular views. We even attended a delicious Easter Sunday Brunch that they hosted. The variety of food was amazing and tasted great!
My husband and I are regular church goers and since we were in Tampa for Easter, it was very important for us to find a church. Located within walking distance from our hotel was the Sacred Heart Catholic Church. It was a beautiful church and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a church to attend while in Tampa.
The St. Pete Times Forum, which is now the Tampa Bay Times Forum, was also only a short walk from our hotel which was very convienient. Last summer the Forum underwent some major changes and I have heard it is spectacular! If you are ever in Tampa Bay, I highly recommend taking in a hockey game!
A little further down, you will come across Channelside, which offers a variety of shopping, restaurants and a movie theater. We ate here several times and watched the Cruise ships coming into port. I really enjoyed this as I took a cruise from Tampa in 2002 so it brought back a lot of great memories. Not far from Channelside is The Florida Aquarium. They have a great variety of aquatic life on display and even offer a dolphin cruises. While we didn't have time for the cruise, we would definatley recommend the aquarium if you visit Tampa.
During our time in Tampa, our friends from Finland happened to be in Orlando, and we were so fortunate to get to spend some time with them, including a day at Busch Gardens. There is so much to do there including lots of amusement rides, and animals to see. You can easily spend a day walking around and enjoying all of the sights. I highly recommend this, as there is a little bit to do for everyone!
We really enjoyed our time in Tampa and I look forward to going back in the future.
I would love to hear about your favourite spot in Tampa, or if you have never been, why would you like to visit Tampa Bay?
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