Tampa is So Much Fun! 🌴😎

5 Days & 4 Nights of Sun, Sea & Manatees 🐬💦 Day 1: Arrival Visited the downtown aquarium 🐠 + had dinner at Ulele 🍽️ – a perfect start! Day 2: Clearwater Went deep-sea fishing 🎣 + dolphin watching 🐬 Also stopped by Clearwater Marine Aquarium – great for cooling off ❄️ (PS: Parking around here is crazy expensive 😅) Day 3: Crystal River May isn’t peak manatee season 🐄, but there are still a few resident ones! Unfortunately, the water was murky after last year’s hurricane 😢 Our guide was super dedicated though—searched everywhere for manatees! Luckiest guests might even get a “hug” from a baby manatee (they’re surprisingly tough 😆) ⚠️ Note: The 3-hour snorkel tour meant floating non-stop for 2 hours 🥲 No flippers allowed—arms only! Really tiring but still a unique experience. 🍴 The Crab Plant nearby: fresh & affordable seafood 🦀, cash only! On the way back to Tampa, we visited: 🦩 Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park A mini zoo-like park with manatees & flamingos! Original price $13 → now only $9 due to storm repairs. Totally worth it! 👍 Day 4: Weeki Wachee + Tampa 🌊 Kayaking at Weeki Wachee – unbelievably clear water + tons of fish 🐟 (Note: Manatees aren’t in the kayaking zone in May 😢) Paddling for 2 hours = ultimate arm workout 💪 Later in the city: 💨 Tried hand-rolling cigars 🧡 ~ less than $100 for a class, and you keep all you roll! Perfect souvenir idea. 🍽️ Dinner at Columbia Restaurant – Tampa’s food scene does NOT disappoint! Day 5: Heading Home Finally…SLEPT IN! 😴🛌 (We started at 8 AM every other day…vacation shouldn’t be this exhausting lol) 📌 Pro Tips: Book water activities for the morning! ☀️ By 2-3 PM in May, you’ll want AC 🥵 You’ll need a car 🚗 – most attractions are ~1 hour away from Tampa #Tampa #TravelUSA #FloridaGetaway #ManateeAdventure #FoodieDiary