Tampa with Grandkids

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In a previous issue of Christian Living in the Mature Years Magazine, our travel story features one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States: Orlando. We give tips and tricks on how to survive Orlando (and its theme parks) while traveling with grandkids.

If you have extra time in Florida, Orlando is only an hour and a half away from the sites and beaches near Tampa. The area in and around Tampa offers visitors wonderful ways to entertain kids and their grandparents alike.

When I visited with my family, we were so excited to visit the beaches of St. Pete and Clearwater. These beaches are famed for their sparkling water and powder fine sand. We woke up early on our first day there and all trekked out to the beach only to be met with the effects of red tide. Dead fish lined the shore, the smell was awful, and the water was murky. Drats!

 


Not to be deterred, we decided to see what else the Tampa area had to offer. We each purchased a Tampa Bay CityPASS, slapped on some sunscreen, and went exploring. Although Busch Gardens is no Disneyland, the kids loved the combination of theme park and zoo. It is much slower paced than the Disney properties, and that suited this writer just fine.

We also visited the Florida Aquarium in Tampa, which has a giant splash pad for the littles. Us older visitors enjoyed sitting at a table near the cafe watching the kids play in the water. While we didn’t stay on the beach at Clearwater, we did enjoy a visit to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

The pass includes other attractions appropriate for kids and grandparents, and it was a wonderful way to combat the vacation-threatening red tide. Hopefully we’ll get to return to the area soon to enjoy those famous beaches.

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