Weekend

The weekend has flown by and here we are Monday morning getting ready to pack up and move again. We tried to fit as much as we could into our weekend here in Tampa.
Saturday morning we got ready early and made it out the door by 9 and decided to head over to the Tampa Power Plant. Because the water in the Gulf of Mexico is still pretty cold, around 70's, the Manatees look for warmer water. This coal fueled Power Plant discharges water into the Gulf that is around 80 degrees. If you want to see Manatees then your best bet is to come here. The volunteer at the Power Plant was very informative about the Manatee and area. He said that the water in the Gulf is starting to warm up so they close this viewing area April 1st. As it is, we saw only about 6 swimming around this inlet. He said that in January and February there are over 300 Manatees jammed into this inlet to stay warm. Along with the Manatees we saw many types of fish. Snook, Lambs Head and of course the Shark feeding on them all. We spent some time here watching the Manatees and fish swim around. Unfortunately the Manatee don't really come out of the water very much so you might see a hump form their back or flippers.
We left the Power Plant and headed to downtown Tampa to a place called Ybor. It used to be cigar central with many factories. Today it has become a hot spot for restaurants, nightclubs and shops. It's primarily on one street for only 10 blocks. As the parking attendent told us, "You don't want to go very far because if you have a gun, they will have two!". Message understood.
There was an Italian Festival going on in the park and they had a Bocci Ball Tournament.
We ate lunch at one of the local restaurants which is in the heart of this district. They have street cars that cover most of the city.
Saturday night we went back out because a friend was in town visiting her parents and friend. It was great to catch up with Karen and recount some old memories of our days of playing volleyball together. Her friend, who lives here in Tampa, took us to a great Italian Restaurant and we ended the night at an Irish Pub.
Sunday morning we decided to venture out and find Bay Shore Blvd. because we have tried for 2 days to find it and haven't been successful. It was worth the wait because this road follows Tampa Bay. You can see the city skyline on the other side and it has a nice sidewalk where people ride their bikes, roller blade, walk and run.
Last night we spent several hours looking online to find our next stop. We were bouncing back and forth between the weather site and campgrounds because it is still cold on the pan handle of Florida. You know Reta, it must be above 75 at all times. It looks like we will try and head over towards the coast of Tampa to a place called Clearwater. Our friend Rico emailed me to tell me that it is a nice place and we should check it out. Its warm and by the water so here we go.