Golf Tampa Bay

Hey everyone!  Travis back with some cool Tampa Tourism information that you don't usually see.  Hillsborough County recently revised and updated their SouthShore: What A Difference A Bay Makes Ecotourism Guide.  The guide highlights activities in the SouthShore area, as well as the small businesses in the community that cater to visitors and outdoor enthusiasts. 

The pamphlet lists outdoor activities including biking, bird-watching, canoeing and kayaking, crabbing, geocaching, hiking, golfing and many more.  Also listed are accommodations, ecotours, nature education centers and a calendar of events.

To view the SouthShore Ecotourism Guide, just head over to www.hillsboroughcounty.org/econdev/tourism.  Or, if you are out and about, you can also pick one up at the Apollo Beach Chamber of Commerce and the Tampa Bay & Company Visitor Information Center at Channelside Bay Plaza. 

This is a perfect guide if you want to get out and explore Tampa Bay's natural bueaty in ways you never have before.  So, get out there and start exploring! 

We'll be bringing you more great things to do in Tampa Bay, both in nature and elsewhere, so keep checking back for some cool Tampa Bay area events!
 

Hey gang!  Travis here with some great Tampa Bay entertainment options for your Fourth of July weekend.  It's right around the corner, and we are going to be bringing you some great ways to spend your holiday. 

We'll start off with the fourth of July weekend at MOSI!  From July 3-5, Tampa’s Museum of Science & Industry will celebrate Independence Day by offering one FREE admission with the purchase of a MOSI general admission ticket. Spend July 4 with family and experience over 450 hands-on exhibits, an IMAX Dome Theatre film, and Kids in Charge!

the 4th of July - Hometown Celebration in Seminole.  This is a kid’s celebration of the ages that no kid, or kid-at-heart, should miss.  Radio Disney will be out there spinning to the tunes and providing some entertainment.  Plus, there will be amusements, games, slides, bounce houses, glow in the dark golf, children's activities, food, prizes and so much more.  If you are lucky enough (and you have to actually be there to be luck enough), you could win tickets to see Disney star Demi Lovato live in concert! 

And here’s something I know each of you will love…it’s FREE!  All of the action happens at the Seminole Mall, 11201 Park Blvd. in Seminole, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Obviously there won’t be fireworks inside the mall, but don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to get to the fireworks exhibitions after the celebration. 

And that's it for now, but I'll be back soon for more awesome things to do in Tampa Bay for the fourth of July.  So, keep checking back.  See you soon....
 

• 10% Master Account rebate
• Suite upgrades for everyone
• 50% off Golf
• 4th weekend night free
• Comp one-hour welcome reception
• 10% discount on A/V and airport transportation
• 50% off team building event
• One free coffee break
• 50% attrition allowance
• 1 per 35 comp rooms credited to Master Account
• Complimentary parking
• 15% discount on retail purchases and spa services for all meeting attendees

• 25 rooms per night for 2 nights- choose 3 concessions
• 50 rooms per night for 2 nights- choose 6 concessions
• 100 rooms per night for 2 nights- choose 9 concessions
• 200 rooms per night and above for 2 nights- receive all 12 concessions!

Hey everyone!  Travis back with an update about the City of Tampa TV and programs for your viewing pleasure!  If you have ever wondered what's happening with the Tampa Sports Authority (the folks that manage Raymond James Stadium, some golf courses around Tampa, etc.) well, CTTV if giving you an opportunity to see it first-hand. 

In an effort to improve its service to the residents of Tampa, CTTV will begin airing meetings of the Tampa Sports Authority on the channel next month. The first meeting scheduled for taping is the Executive Committee meeting set for April 13, 2009.

CTTV, Channel 15 on Verizon FiOS and Channel 615 on Bright House Networks, plans to cover both the Executive Committee and Board meetings.  In case you want to plan ahead, Executive Committee meetings are held on the second Monday of each month and regular meetings of the Board are held on the third Monday of each month. Also, to view CTTV’s programming schedule visit www.tampagov.net/cttv.

With the need to be transparent, the City of Tampa is going above and beyond, so make sure you take a look. 

And as always, keep checking back here for more Tampa tourism information, as well as updates on Tampa Bay area events and other things to do in Tampa Bay! 

Hey Gang...we'll be bringing you more about the Transitions Championship taking place through this weekend at the famed Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club.  Just to give you a quick blurb about the tournament itself, here we go -

The March 16-22, 2009 Transitions Championship, which each year brings the top names on the PGA Tour to the Tampa Bay area, is played on the famed Copperhead Course at the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, located at 36750 US Hwy. 19 N. in Palm Harbor, 34684.  Proceeds from the tournament benefit over 150 local charities.  In the last 32 years, the total contributions exceed $23 million.

Ok, now that we've given you that info, let's talk about College weekend!!!  March 21 and 22 is College Weekend at the Transitions Championship.  All college students with valid student ID can purchase admission tickets for half price...tickets are regularly $40. 

The student offer is available at the Tournament Will Call Office located outside the Copperhead Course in Lot #1.  The lot is accessed from Belcher Road, just south of Klosterman.  Best access is by taking Klosterman from U.S. 19 N to Belcher and turning left on Belcher, then right into lot.

And there you go...some of the best Tampa Bay entertainment you'll find! If you want more information about the tournament, call 727-942-5566 or visit www.transitionschampionship.com.

And keep checking back here as we bring you more updates about this events, as well as other great things to do in Tampa Bay so you can enjoy this amazing Tampa Bay weather! 
 

Hey Everyone! Along with hosting a Super Bowl comes a TON of media exposure for the host city. Check out this GREAT story that the Boston Globe recently ran about Tampa Bay hosting the Super Bowl! It's a great destination article that represents Tampa wonderfully!

Boston Globe story:

In the imagination of Super Bowl marketers lives a place called Tampa Bay.

In reality, the blue expanse is Florida's largest open-water estuary, whose five bridges connect a lively, at times fractious bunch of sun-washed cities and towns. Take the cultural textures and working-port ethos of Tampa, add the wide streets and casual glam of St. Petersburg, and mix with 12 densely packed, barrier island beach colonies strung along Gulf Boulevard for 26 miles - now, where did you say you were staying for the big game on Feb. 1?

Recently we checked into a boutique hotel bargain, the mission-styled Ponce de Leon, a short stroll from St. Petersburg's Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club. With leafy pocket parks, elegant museums, and enough brick streets to fill a dozen Beacon Hills, this is a city to love.

Here at Tampa Bay&Company, we always provide visitors with the best way to plan their vacations.  From things to do in Tampa Bay, where to eat, shopping in Tampa Bay,  and Tampa Bay entertainment, the Travel Planner has you covered.  

From Tampa Bay area beaches to Ybor City and the Westshore District, visitors can begin creating their own original Tampa Bay experience before their vacation starts with Tampa Bay & Company’s 2009 Travel Planner.

The newest edition of the Travel Planner is packed with information about Tampa Bay, such as how to get around, where to stay, what to do, where to eat and various area services that are available.

Whether looking for information like the best places to shop, where to experience Tampa Bay’s arts & culture or where the best golf courses are hidden, visitors can plan out their perfect itinerary before ever setting foot in Tampa Bay.

Order your copy of the 2009 Travel Planner by visiting http://brochures.visittampabay.com or by stopping by one of Tampa Bay & Company’s Visitor Information Centers located in Channelside Bay Plaza and the Tampa Convention Center.

Have fun planning your trip to Tampa and we'll see you when you get here. 

On Monday, the weather dipped to a crisp 70 something degrees and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. It was the perfect for a day on the green, so that’s exactly where we went for another fabulous Tampa Bay&Company event.

Our 15th Annual Golf Tournament, Tee Off for Tourism was the best way to kill a few hours in the middle of the day. This year’s tournament attracted 68 golfers from all over the Bay area to the lush Emerald Greens Golf Resort & Country Club. We also hosted an online auction of donated hotel stays and attraction tickets among other vacation getaway packages that raised about $10,000.

The proceeds from both the tournament and auction are being used to fund five college scholarships for local Hillsborough County high school students completing the Academy of Travel & Tourism program. Not only was the tournament a blast, it was for a good cause!

All in all, the tournament was a success. If you’re coming to visit Tampa Bay and want to get a few games of golf in, make sure you check out our list of partner golf resorts. If you’ve been to any of our local golf resorts, drop a comment and let me know how your Tampa Bay golf experience went.

• Macdinton's Irish Pub - Irish pub and restaurant with delicious food and friendly Irish staff. Happy hour (2 for 1) 11:30am-7pm every day but Friday. Friday 6pm-8pm, $10 ALL YOU CAN DRINK. Patio, big screen TV, darts, pool, golf, ample parking and specials every night.
• Rock-n-Sports Bar & Grille - Upscale sports bar and grille located in Centro Ybor. Outside seating available, open seven days a week for lunch and dinner specialties: ribs, seafood, burgers, wings and 25 draft beers. Private catering available for meetings, parties and sports events.
• Champps Americana -Champps is a unique, upscale casual dining and socializing experience. We differentiate ourselves by offering a fun, upbeat environment, a wide variety of food prepared from scratch and access to international, national, and local sporting events via state-of-the-art audio visual equipment.
• Ferg's Sports Bar & Grill - Ferg’s is the ultimate spot to watch the Rays because of how close it is to Tropicana Field. You get to enjoy the same atmosphere before and after the game as all the people with tickets but you get the benefit of all the camera angles and replays on TV during this big series. No matter when you show up, Ferg’s is the place to be before, during, and after each Rays game. 1320 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. (727) 822-4562, fergsonline.com.
• Champion’s Sports Bar (Marriott Waterside) -Root for your team in front of the big screen TV while you enjoy light fare and your favorite beverages. Champions is casual, so you don't have to "dress up to dress out." Located across the street from the St. Pete Times Forum. Meet your friends before hockey games and events!
• The Press Box - The “Box” as the locals call it has just recently upgraded all the big screens in their establishment making it one of the best places to actually sit down and really enjoy the game. Just ask any Buccaneers fan and they will tell you that the Box has got a very friendly staff and the wings speak for themselves.  I would recommend The Press Box any day of the week to anyone that likes sports. 222 S Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa. (813) 876-3528, .
• GameWorks - GameWorks is a casual dining experience that features entertainment guests cannot duplicate at home.
• Giordano's - Pioneer of the famous Chicago stuffed and equally renowned thin-crust pizza. Pastas, soups, sandwiches, assorted fresh salads and desserts. With several locations in Florida to serve you, we are open for lunch and dinner with a full service bar. Dine-in, carry out, delivery and catering available.
• Green Iguana Ybor City -Voted Tampa Bay's Best Bar & Ybor's Best Club. Unique restaurant with Florida/ Caribbean style menu. Open seven days a week, serving lunch, dinner & late night menu items. Catering on/off site. Live entertainment nightly. Never a cover. Sidewalk cafe available. Private banquet room also available.
• Splitsville - Bowling, billiards and dinner lounge featuring gourmet appetizers, sushi, and classic retro entrees.
• The Rec Room - Rounding out my short list is The Rec Room, a new sports bar located in BayWalk in downtown St. Pete. I have heard a lot about the Rays watch parties that have been going on throughout the playoffs, so I would expect this place to be jumping come World Series time. You can watch the game on any one of the 11 plasma screens and enjoy the company of many other local Rays fans. 121 Second Ave. N, St. Petersburg. (727) 822-4413.

Hey gang!  We are back with some more great Tampa Bay area events including options for nightlife, dinning and culture, family-fun activities and other things to do in Tampa Bay – all offered by the great partners of Tampa Bay & Company. 

If it’s your birthday this weekend, then head over to Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, and get in FREE!  Plus, you’ll get a free meal from Garden Grille, Paradise Café or Grub & Grog.  This offer is good through the end of the year (while they are celebrating THEIR 21st B-day!), so head on out and play with the wildlife! 

On Saturday, head out to Hyde Park Village for the annual High Heel Hike from 12-2pm (registration is at 11am).  This is the most outrageous 1K run/walk for any age that you’ll ever take part in.  It’s $25 to enter, and all of the benefits go to the Young Survival Coalition…log on to www.hydeparkvillage.net for info. 

Once you are done with the 1K, head back over to Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo for the fifth annual Zoo Run Run, a 5K run that winds through the zoo and along the Hillsborough River.  Plus, children can enter a special “Fun Run” which follows the 5K.  Log on to the Zoo’s website for info…

Next, hop in the car and make your way to Plant City for the monthly Strawberry Classic Car Show, from 4-9pm.  Make sure you stick around to see Santa Claus, who will stop by to visit the children from 5-7pm.  And…it’s all FREE!!!!  Click here, for more information. 

That’s it for this week, but don’t forget that this is just at taste of the events are providing for you all to experience and have fun with.  Just log on to the VisitTampaBay.com website and take a look at our Calendar of Events.  You'll find options for shopping, sports, beaches, golf, arts and culture and more. 

Plus, check back next week and we’ll let you know what’s up with our partners for next weekend. Make sure you stop back and let us know how you some of these events were…or if you have other events you want to tell everyone about. 

Ok, so if you’ve tuned in to the Lifestyle Blog, you’ve heard the latest reviews about nightlife, the night scene, coffee shops restaurants and other things to do in Tampa Bay.  We've got so much to do here with the attractions, beaches, shopping, golf, and sports...not to mention the arts and culture in Tampa Bay...But, where do you start?  Where do you eat?  What do you do? 

Well, now you can not only get the latest reviews about Tampa Bay entertainment, but you can check back here for a weekly (hopefully) update on some of our partner’s special events, entertainment and other Tampa Bay area events for the weekend.

Start your Tampa Bay tour off tonight you can head down to Raymond James Stadium to watch the USF Bulls take on the Kansas Jayhawks (if you were lucky enough to get tickets that is).  The Bulls have started off the season on a high note, so let’s see if they can keep the magic alive.  The game starts at 8pm, so if you aren’t there, you better be in front of a TV…it’s sure to be a matchup! 

If hard-hitting action (no, we aren’t talking football here) is your thing, then head down to the St. Pete Times Forum tomorrow for the Xtreme Fighting Championships.  This Mixed Martial Arts Event returns to the St. Pete Times Forum and it all starts at 1pm, at which time the Chrysler-Jeep Plaza outside of the Forum will come alive with performances from local bands, a bike show, and more.  

If you’d rather relax with the fam, then head down to MOSI, where there’s fun for everyone.  For tomorrow and Sunday only, folks can head down and get in for 50% off and enjoy over 450 hands-on exhibits, a show in The Saunders Planetarium, and one standard IMAX® Dome Theatre film. 

This is just a taste of what’s going on with our partners this weekend, but there’s much more happening.  Just log on to the VisitTampaBay.com website and take a look at our Calendar of Events.  Plus, check back next week and we’ll let you know what’s up with our partners for next weekend. 

Make sure you get out there, have fun, then check back and let us know how it was.  Or, if you have an event you want mentioned, just let us know. 

Here at Tampa Bay & Company we like to let all of you know about the cool, fun, exciting, neat and just awesome things to do in Tampa Bay.  Since it’s so hot outside lately, we figured giving you options for golf or other Tampa Bay area events may not be so well received.  So, when our friends at MOSI sent this information over, we just had to share.

From 9 am – 6 pm on September 7, grandmas and grandpas will receive free admission with a paid child to MOSI, including the final day of Dinosaurs! The Exhibition!...now how can you beat that?  Also from noon to 2 pm, Health and Wellness Fitness Professional June Kittay will show kids and grandparents how to get their bodies in motion! Grandparents can also enjoy a 20% discount off MOSI family memberships, and get information about Senior Programs at MOSI.

Here’s some background for those of you who aren’t familiar with MOSI – it is the largest science center in the southeastern United States (with more than 400,000 square feet) and home to the only IMAX® Dome Theatre in the state of Florida.   Kids In Charge! The Children’s Science Center at MOSI is the largest children’s science center in the nation.

If you want some more details, you can visit their website - www.mosi.org.  Or, you can always go to the VisitTampaBay website for info on MOSI, not to mention info on the rest of our 700+ partners and area events.  . 

Make sure you don’t miss out on this opportunity to spend some time with the grandparents, or grandchildren…or just spend time in the air conditioning! 

Don’t forget to come back and let us know how it was…or if you’ve been to MOSI lately, tell us what you thought.