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Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida. We ventured through a maze of traffic to downtown Tampa, on the way passing the New York Yankees training stadium and Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL Tampa Bay Bucs. Having lived on the beach side south of Clearwater for many years the area is not foreign to us but there has been so much growth to this part of Florida we felt, every bit, like tourists. We have not moved our motor home in two weeks and our trek around the central west coast has been with the car we tow behind us. Lots of car driving has been part of our busy schedule. We are not keen on having a schedule, but family and friends brought us to this neck of the woods so drive we must. Well, not must just more like personal election. Every visit to Tampa should include a drive around the University of Tampa campus. One architecturally interesting building is Plant Hall, UT's central building, once housed the Tampa Bay Hotel, a resort built by Henry B. Plant in 1891, and the Moorish minarets atop the distinctive structure have long been seen as an "iconic symbol" of Tampa. Our nephew was a student there and our niece had her wedding in Plant Hall. We are very interested in architecture and whenever we travel it is an important part of our adventures. Along with the architecture comes volumes of history that helps keep structures alive to educate and keep memories alive. From city to rural settings to beaches you don’t have to drive too far, well on paper it’s not too far but in reality, the miles pile up. Just a mile from our home camp is Strong Tower Vineyard & Winery. This is, for Florida, a total surprise. When you think of Florida wine the first thing that comes to mind is awful fruit swill, not palatable wines from vitis vinifera grape. This unique find is a diamond in the rough. Beautiful, serene 12-acre property with mature vines and an owner/winemaker who knows the craft and produces very tasty wines. Florida, with its hot, wet climate and sandy, poor draining soil is far from the best for growing wine grapes. Through education and science backed by several universities in the state conditions were honed for optimum growing and production. We sampled several of the wines and settled on a Pinot Noir that was very nice. A pleasant, quiet afternoon was spent under a gazebo with a cool breeze and view of the vineyard pleasing many of our senses. We love the novelty of surprises around every corner and surprised we were.
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About UsTravel is living life to its fullest. Sharing our journey and adventures create memories that live on as we truly enjoy the passage of time Archives
October 2022
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