🇺🇸【Tampa, Florida】Learn from my mistakes – avoid these pitfalls!

📅 My itinerary: Day 1: Silver Springs to see manatees Day 2: John and Mable Ringling Museum + Siesta Beach Day 3: Clearwater Beach + Downtown 🚫 Pitfall Avoidance Guide Ulele Restaurant 🍤 Super popular spot, fresh seafood but quite salty (like most Florida food 😅) ✅ Always reserve in advance! 🅿️ They have valet parking—it’s free! Don’t waste $20 like we did on a parking lot. Silver Springs Manatee Tour 🛶 Traffic from Clearwater is terrible! 🚗💨 Expected 1.5 hrs → actually took 2.5 hrs → late fee risk ⚠️ We arrived 30 mins late—they rescheduled us (not sure if late fee was charged) 💡 Rent kayaks on-site if you don’t care about transparent boats 🔍 Transparent kayaks = like a magnifying glass for marine life 🐟🐢 Manatees are usually in deep water—follow tour guides to spot them! John and Mable Ringling Museum 🎪 Student tickets just $5! 🎓 Don’t forget your student ID. Siesta Beach 🏖️ Beautiful white sand + free parking 🆓 But—parking is VERY hard to find! We spent 30 mins at 2 PM 🕑… found spots easily at 4 PM 🕓 Plan extra time for parking! 🌿 Hidden Gems in Tampa Downtown Ybor City – Historic Cuban district 🥂🚬 River Center – Perfect for a walk after dinner at Ulele 🌅 Sparkman Wharf – Food trucks + waterfront vibe 🍔 Want the “TAMPA” sign? Search “Tampa Big Letters” in parking lot 📸 FREE Streetcar Ride 🚋 Use Transit app → look for Line 800 I rode from Sparkman Wharf to Ybor City – so fun! 🏡 Airbnb Recommendation: "Beautiful Private Bungalow near Hyde Park & Soho" Not an ad, but it was affordable + convenient! Host even provided a beach towel and water 🏖️💧 #Florida #FloridaTravel #TravelGuide #USA #USATravel #Tampa #TravelTips 🌴📌