What do you do when you’re bored and in Orlando? Drive to Tampa, of course!
Traversing west across Florida, Carolin and I saw our warm and cloudy spring day threatened by storms over the gulf. Thankfully, after breaking away from the congestion around Champions Gate, we cruised towards the towering clouds as they dissolved into blue.
The drive west on Interstate 4 isn’t awful, but there’s really not much to see. After passing the power lines morphed into the iconic silhouette of Mickey Mouse, the urban area fades into thick green forest.
About 45 minutes outside Orlando, it was along a stretch like this where we saw a sign advertising ‘Fresh Strawberry Shortcake.’ In search of all things spring, we opted to follow this prophetic sign, which also gave us the opportunity to pass Tampa’s stopped traffic.
Plant City may have under 40,000 residents, but it is home to the ‘world famous’ Parkesdale Market.
This adorable fruit stand has been open since 1969, retaining much of the charm! The little shop sells fresh produce, some household items, plants and has food.
There’s also a small display on the history of berry cleaning and harvesting.
Disregarding everything else, the market’s star attraction is, as advertised, their heavenly strawberry shortcake! Served only when berries are fresh, it’s on the menu for the first half of the year.
With freshly picked strawberries resting atop a slice of shortcake, this dessert is what dreams are made of… until you try it. I’m not trying to get mobbed, but neither Carolin or I enjoyed it too much. The shortcake was bland and too dry, while the berries lost much of their natural flavor to the sugary sauce they soaked in.
The little cafe has almost every combination of strawberry, ice cream and shortcake, so take your pick.
The back of the market functions as the plant store, feeling almost like a jungle.
There’s even a ceremonious throne for berry royalty. Who that is, remains a mystery.
In my tireless quest to discover the “Real Florida,” I’d be disheartened to omit Parkesdale from any list. The quintessential Floridan experience it provides is unmissable, only complemented by the lackluster shortcake.
Living in the Sunshine State, I had grown accustomed to a unique brand of wine carried by Publix. I have yet to find Keel & Curley outside the state, but I can promise you I’ve looked! If you ever get the chance, their Key Lime wine is DELICIOUS!
All this to say, Keel & Curley’s flagship winery is also in Plant City.
I grabbed a glass of their Sangria as Carolin and I took the self-tour around their grounds.
The property held a tasting room, restaurant, grape vines and a brewery (is that what they call the place where they make wine?), the latter accessible only on a private tour.
They also had some animals, including a tenacious sheep!
Every time we tried to walk away, he would intensely stare at us:
The indoor tasting area was aesthetically pretty,
while the wine list on tap included every flavor the company has created.
Forgoing a second glass, we rejoined Four on the way towards Tampa.
In just about 20 minutes the city was on the horizon, sans clouds!
Tampa isn’t my favorite city, but some of the views downtown are quite nice.
Carolin and I merged onto Bayshore Boulevard, a road that follows the Hillsborough Bay. With the water on one side and mansions on the other, its a gorgeous drive!
The increasing winds created choppy waters, with some waves even breaking over the seawall.
We drove the five miles through the sea spray to Ballast Point Park.
A small park in a wealthy neighborhood, it gives stunning views of the skyline from across the bay. They have swimming benches overlooking the water, its the best place to relax for a few minutes, or hours.
Back in town, we discovered Tampa’s free trolley service! I was elated to find something similar to Lisbon’s famous trolleys.
Parked at the station, we ran to catch it, only to see the horror in our faces reflected as the doors slammed.
We walked around the little plaza next to the station while we waited.
FINALLY (after only ten minutes) the trolley arrived!
Tampa’s trolley system launches at Whiting and Franklin, right in the heart of downtown. Winding along the water, it passes Amelie Stadium and stops at Sparkman Wharf before terminating in Ybor City.
It’s a really nice ride, and a good way to get to Ybor City!
One of the purposes of this trip was to check out Ybor City, one of Tampa’s coolest neighborhoods. I had heard a ton about it, yet somehow never been!
In the neighborhood, the trolley makes a few stops down 8th Avenue, Ybor’s lifeline.
We got off in front of Centro Ybor.
Ybor City also functions as the Cuban neighborhood of Tampa, with palm lined streets and brick buildings.
It felt a bit like Bourbon Street in New Orleans, in the way that it seems to come alive at night.
This part of Tampa is also known for roosters, which we saw a few of. The troop likes to wander the different streets.
Thus far avoiding the storms, the blistering humidity meant one thing — ice cream!
THANKFULLY, Chill Bros (‘Chillura Bothers’ proper) had just opened their shop in the neighborhood.
It was DELICIOUS, even if they scoopers were a bit stingy on the sampling…
We walked back to the trolley station with our ice cream, as the rain had finally come.
On the way back into the city, we hopped off at Sparkman Wharf.
This developing area is the new place to be in Downtown Tampa, complete with a number of boutique shops, a storage container food hall and even a Splitsville bowling alley!
Unfortunately, much of the food was incredibly overpriced and lacked a certain quality. We chose to forgo eating, instead walking down to the water.
It’s a cool area, there’s just not much there; especially after coming from the culturally packed Ybor. The LightHaus beer garden had a cool energy, and is a place I wouldn’t mind stopping again!
On the way back to the car, we stopped at my favorite undisclosed overlook.
Before heading out of town, Heights Public Market was calling our name. My favorite food hall, as you all should know, has some of the best food in the city.
I stuck with Graze, my personal favorite, choosing their turkey burger, with cinnamon drizzled Sweet Potato Fries.
I cannot rave about Armature Works enough!
After dinner, we made the drive back to Orlando, ending our great day in Tampa. We took a brief detour in Lakeland for cheap gas, but it was a lie!
I don’t love Tampa, but it is always nice to visit a different city, if only for a day. Life’s about creating adventures — regardless of your financial position or workload. There’s always something out there, you just have to find it!
Turquoise Skies 