Tampa🏖️ ｜ 5-day Thanksgiving Holiday in Tampa
Tampa was really fun. It lasted for five days and four nights, excluding the first and last days, totaling three and a half days. We rented a car and tried to visit as much of the area as possible. The weather on Thanksgiving was quite warm, allowing us to go swimming.
?? The hotel had private beaches and free umbrellas and chairs for two days at JW Clearwater. However, the hotel service was just average. If you come for the beach, you might as well stay here. For the next two days, it was at Hyatt Tampa. It offered free breakfast. Parking was $45 per day with valet service, but it's easy to find cheaper parking nearby. 🅆
Day 1️⃣ After landing, we went to Ulele. It had free valet parking.
P2-3 Little Toot Dolphin Tour. There are many dolphin tour companies at the port. We booked for 4:30 pm, which was basically to catch the sunset. It was best to sit at the stern of the boat. The captain would find areas with more dolphins and create waves, and many dolphins would jump out at the stern. It was super cute 🐬
Day 2️⃣ P4-8 John and Mable Ringling Museum. On Monday, the main building's art museum was free. It was their couple's art collection. Further inside, there were Cadzan and Rose Garden. But the most beautiful one was the pink main building. It was super photogenic! It's recommended to come around 3-4 pm when the light is better.
??️ Siesta Beach. The sand is as white and fine as flour, but the water is a bit dirty. There's not much entertainment. We just took a look and left.
Day 3️⃣ P9-10 In the morning, we went out to sea for half a day of fishing. It was so much fun! As soon as we pulled the line, there were fish biting the hook. Just the process of reeling in the line was a bit inexperienced. We caught 7 white grunts. There was a pig-like sound. If you plan to fish for a whole day, you can go further to catch more different kinds of fish. Bring sunscreen and it's better to bring a towel or something convenient to wipe your hands because the fish bait is very smelly. After getting off the boat, the crew can handle it for $10. Then you can go to nearby or ABC Chinese restaurant for processing.
??️ P11-15 In the afternoon, we directly lay on the beach at Clearwater Hotel for the whole afternoon. Ordering a small drink was very comfortable. The sunlight was just right and the water was very clear. It felt more pleasant than Siesta Beach mainly because there were fewer people.
Day 4️⃣ P16-18 Weeki Wachee State Park. Go kayaking in the morning. In the less crowded areas, the water quality is good and it's easier to encounter small animals. We saw raccoons, otters, and manatees! However, the boat and life jackets were not very clean. And many turns were quite sharp, making it easy to collide. It's better to have two people in one boat for better control. The whole trip lasted for two hours.
?? In the afternoon, we went to Tarpon. There was only one old man selling sponges at the stall. The quality was very good and it could be used for face washing and makeup removal. The other stores were pretty similar.