HitchHiker's Guide to Tampa, Florida

TAMPA . . . The word "Tampa" is a Native American word used to refer to the area when the first European explorers arrived in Florida whose meaning is sometimes claimed to mean "sticks of fire" in the language . . ."The place to gather sticks" . . . which also relates to the high concentration of lightning strikes that Tampa Bay receives every year during the hot and wet summer months.


HISTORY

Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon first arrived in the Tampa Bay area in 1513, but the Spaniards focused their attention on settling eastern Florida and left the western areas alone. In 1824, only two months after the arrival of the first American settler, four companies of the U.S. Army established Fort Brooke to protect the strategic harbor at Tampa Bay.

Tampa owes its commercial success to Tampa Bay and the Hillsborough River. When phosphates were discovered nearby in the late 1880's, the resulting mining and shipping industries prompted a boom of growth and wealth that lasted through the 1890's. The Port of Tampa is now the seventh largest in the nation; today phosphate shipping is supplemented by trade in shrimp. A pleasure cruise line operates as well.

In 1886, Vicente Martinez Ybor established a cigar factory in Tampa. From the steps of Ybor's factory, José Marti, sometimes called the George Washington of Cuba, exhorted the cigar workers to take up arms against Spain in the late 1800's. Hispanic culture enlivens Ybor City which covers about 2 square miles between Nebraska Avenue, 22nd Street, Columbus Drive and East Broadway.

The military has also had an ongoing role in Tampa's development. The city was the primary outfitting and embarkation port for U.S. troops bound for Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Today the U.S. Operations Command is headquartered nearby at MacDill Air Force Base.





WHAT MAKES TAMPA UNIQUE . . .
DIVERSITY

One of the things that makes Tampa unique is the Gasparilla celebration, a festival similar to Mardi Gras with a pirate theme . . . best to check out the video . . . click here.

As far as I'm concerned, this is as close as I'm going to get to living in paradise. There are warm breezes, gone is the humidity, the daily afternoon tropical thunderstorms or threats of an impending hurricane and only the occasional cold day and night (what I call cold) . . . this is winter in Tampa, the best time to visit my part of the world. We occasionally get a freeze at night, but it never snows and cold fronts usually move fast and last a day or two, then back to warm and sunny Florida weather.

No matter what you are in the mood for, you can find it here, there is lots to do . . . you can relax and dine at a waterside cafe, take a streetcar ride to Channelside for shopping and back to Ybor City for a delight all to itself.

Ybor City is an experience that takes you back to another era, known as Florida's Latin Quarter, wrought iron balconies, globe streetlights, brick-lined walkways and the majestic architecture of cigar factories, social clubs and other unique buildings. It provides a glimpse into an era rich with culture and history . . . famous for Spanish Flamenco dancers, Cuban sandwiches, hand-rolled cigars, shopping at Centro Ybor by day and when the sun goes down, party at the many restaurants, nightclubs and bars that line the streets of Ybor City that are so reminiscent of New Orleans.

For those into sports, Tampa is home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Lightning and winter home of the New York Yankees and served three times as Super Bowl host.

Tampa is one hour away from Disney World and the home of Busch Gardens, where you can ride world known roller coasters like the Montu, Sheikra, Gwazi, Kumba and many other attractions, one of the most awesome zoos in the world and gorgeous gardens to walk through. Check out all to do at Busch Gardens by visiting their website, which is a treat in itself . . .
Busch Gardens website

Cross Tampa Bay and you will find white, sugar sand beaches, sport fishing, jet skiing, parasailing . . . there is nothing like walking the beach at dawn or watching a spectacular sunset on the Gulf of Mexico.

There is also an abundance of state parks, botanical gardens . . . a nature lover's paradise.

Famous people from Tampa . . . Ray Charles, Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys, his brother Aaron Carter, Hulk Hogan, Lauren Hutton, baseball players Dwight Gooden, Gary Sheffield and Steve Garvey, singer/songwriter Stephen Stills . . . and me!

More of my paradise . . .

Believe it or not . . . this was PRE-JUNGLE when it was moderately tame in certain areas. I like the look of a natural park setting with paths that lead to sitting areas and feeding areas for visiting animals. We also loved to pitch a tent in the back yard and camp in the city like fools . . . crazy things like that keep you young!

Winter in Florida

Last night's winter storm complete with 55 MPH winds, tornado warnings, lightening, thunder and tons of rain brought in the colder air again that had my heater kicking on and off all night long. Today was tolerable for me to be outdoors, in the 60's, but the nights are in the 40's . . . brrrr too cold for this Florida girl. But while the rest of the deep south has been experiencing snow, I just need to endure a night or two of the heater being on . . . I don't get out in that cold unless I absolutely have to.

The title photo was taken before our one night of a hard freeze a couple weeks ago. Gone are the pretty red flowers that were scattered all over my property, the hibiscus dropped their buds that night and left crispy plants behind.

Here are some photos I took of my corn plant that was also blooming earlier this month before the freeze . . .










It makes me so sad to look at these photos . . . I thought the plant would be protected under my carport, but nature wreaked havoc on the poor thing . . . my prized corn plant that I have had for over ten years. :(

I really hate the winter time and cold weather!

What's blooming tonight . . . August 2007

Originally posted on August 26, 2007

Fierce storms blew through my neighborhood in the early evening causing me to turn off the computer and catch up on my sleep.

As I turned on the outdoor lights to let Buddy do this running around outside, something bright caught my eye. I could not believe my eyes when I looked out there and saw my patches of mother in law tongue plants looking so gorgeous in full bloom . . . they seemed to glow in the dark.

I can't believe I did this, but I ventured out at midnight into the darkness through fallen limbs, overgrown vines taking over the garden and the paths to take this photo. It was worth getting this photo although all the while, I was hoping not to trip over baby opossums that are driving Buddy crazy at night . . . and me with his barking at them . . . hmmmm don't know where they are living, could be anywhere out there. Scary!

These storms are getting on my nerves even though it has been a rather mild summer as far as these fierce thunder and lightning storms go. As I ventured out to take the photo, it reminded me of the good old days when we loved sitting outdoors after a storm with the steamy air feeling fresher and the smell of rain in the air. It made me want those days again . . . I want my Paradise back to its full glory. It broke my heart to not be able to recognize an area because of all the stink weed vine that is choking out my large tropical plants that are leaning over in agony. I have got to quit putting it off for tomorrow . . . somebody kick my a$$ please!!

She Bops Around the Garden . . . August 2007

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy;

they are the charming gardeners who

make our souls blossom."





Cyndi Lauper - She Bops (Special Dance Mix)





Original post dated August 28, 2007

Comments from my original entry on Yahoo 360 posted follows this entry


Nature has a way of healing everything that ails you emotionally. Since I started getting out there pulling weeds, overgrown ground covers, fighting large stalks of palms, replanting and propagating cuttings . . . oh my, I have such a smile on my face and I feel so invigorated.

I came in to take a break and this 80's song from Cyndi Lauper was playing and it reminded me of me bopping around the yard ready to tear into everything right now. You know, if I had a magic wand and could make it functional, all cleaned up and pretty again . . . I would miss all the fun.

This is a photo of the Palmetto Palm I whipped into shape today . . .







Bromeliads are growing wild in both my front and back yard. The blooming has just begun . . . it will be spectacular when they are all in full bloom. The first photo is a flower bud ready to bloom, the second photo is a flower that has been open several days, so it is not as brilliant . . .










My gardenia bushes are turning into trees . . . the blooming has slowed down, they were covered with the gorgeous white flowers a couple of weeks ago. I started them from cuttings and they took off fast . . . very easy plant to propagate.





Don't laugh, but I have this thing about making trash to treasure. One of my neighbors threw this trash can away when the City provided us with those very cool trash containers on wheels. I've been meaning to paint it . . . and I actually did not plant most of those plants in that container. I was using it to hold leaves to make leaf mold as compost . . . lol this is what happens in my yard, plants appear everywhere like magic. I love elephant ear plants (alocasias) . . . they grow wild in my yard.