Florida is a state I’ve visited many times, but I had never been to the Tampa Bay Area or St. Petersburg until last week! This trip came to be because I want to relocate. I currently live in Louisiana and have wanted to change states for a few years but couldn’t find the right place. My friend Angela had the week off for spring break, so I figured this would be the perfect time to check out the area! (Spoiler: I fell in love with the city)
Knowing that we would be doing a lot of driving and apartment touring, we decided to drive. And you would think since Louisiana and Florida are fairly close, it wouldn’t take THAT long. But we ended up taking over 10 hours to get there — and losing an hour because of time change didn’t help. By the time we checked into our hotel, we were exhausted, but we still wanted to explore a little. Our hotel was in the perfect location!
THE HOTEL
When you go on vacation, you know you’re going to spend more money than usual, but we didn’t want our hotel to be the bulk of the cost. I was lucky to find the hotel we stayed at! Not only was it downtown and in a great location, it was very affordable. If you’re visiting the area, you should look into staying at The Barrymore Hotel. It was exactly what we were looking for!
Despite it being downtown and walking distance from the Riverwalk, it was very quiet around the hotel. Angela and I both said how safe we felt, and the staff was very nice! The room wasn’t anything exciting, but we each had our own bed and a great view. We stayed for 4 nights, and I think the grand total was just at $450 total! The room itself was actually a tad cheaper, but there was a hidden parking fee that wasn’t mentioned on the website or upon arrival. I only knew about it because I read reviews of others complaining about it. It was $10/night, so nothing crazy, but it would’ve been nice to not have that additional charge.
Overall, it was a great place to stay! In hindsight, we could have walked to the restaurants we ate at in downtown, but both times were at night, so we felt safer driving. There was also a restaurant located inside the hotel, but it was closed while we visited. We didn’t utilize the small store located next to the front desk either. It appeared to be like a convenience shop, where you could grab some snacks or forgotten travel items.
DAY 1
Our first official day in Tampa was jam-packed with apartment tours. Like I said before, the main reason for the trip was for me to check out the area and see if it was where I wanted to move. We still managed to hit some cool spots throughout the day!
Hyde Park Village was the first place we went, and it quickly became my favorite. It was basically an outdoor shopping area that was so picture perfect. All the buildings had a modern feel, and the businesses ranged from local to world renowned. Just to name a few: Anthropologie, Soul Cycle, Buddy Brew Coffee, Kendra Scott, Forbici, Made Well, and Clean Juice. From a tourist standpoint, it seemed to be very low key and tucked away in the midst of homes, condos, and off of a pretty busy street. I’m sure if you live in that area and go often, Hyde Park is a bustling, pedestrian-friendly area. Lots of people were biking and walking their dogs, or they were lounging on the green in the center of it all. If you drive there, they do have free parking in garages! We only went during the day, but I can imagine that Hyde Park itself is very popular and lively at nights and weekends as well.
Something I was really interested in seeing even before the trip was the mall. This might sound silly, but I absolutely love walking around the mall in my hometown! Unfortunately, that mall is suffering, and many businesses are closing (even before the pandemic). That was not the case for the International Plaza — a gorgeous indoor and outdoor mansion of a mall. Even though it’s located right next to the airport, we didn’t come across a lot of traffic. There’s stores and businesses I had never even heard of in this mall! Needless to say, I was in awe.
It was getting to be lunch time when we got to the mall, so we chose to eat at a place on the exterior of the mall. The place the restaurant was located was called Bay Street, and we happened upon it while by the food court inside the International Plaza. The Mexican restaurant that caught our eye was Rocco’s Tacos and Tequila, and the food was bomb! I got the spicy tacos, and the flavor was out of this world. And it was Taco Tuesday when we went, so I got a regular margarita for $6! There were plenty of weekly deals going on with drinks and all you can eat food items. I would definitely recommend this place!
We took a lot of time in the afternoon the first day to drive around the area. My goal was to see as much as possible! I did want to mention a cool street, which is Bayshore Drive. We went off the map and drove right onto this road without even trying. From the name, you can guess it’s waterfront and had amazing views the whole way up and down the coast. The scenic view was amazing, but the cool part to me was seeing so many people outside. From joggers to bikers to baby strollers to dog walkers, I felt like people really liked getting outdoors. I love my bike, and there’s not many places to ride in my hometown. I always knew Florida was a place of many outdoor activities, but it was refreshing to see so many people utilizing that luxury!
Another place I saw a lot of people milling about was the Riverwalk. Again, another waterfront place that’s perfect for a casual evening stroll or outdoor exercise. Angela and I didn’t walk the entire length of the Riverwalk, but it was right outside of our hotel, so we had to check it out! That was one place we were walking at night, and we felt completely safe. I can assume the entire pathway was lit, but I can only speak for the section we walked. It was very well lit, and there were either ropes or railing on the side by the water. While on the Riverwalk, we ran into the coolest places, and one of them we stopped to have dinner.
Later in our trip, we were told how great this place was. We figured it was a popular place, but from the sound of it, this is a staple in Tampa Bay! The place I’m talking about is Armature Works, and it’s a must-see venue! This food hall has an array of options, and it’s perfect for a date night or a family outing. There’s a huge lawn with chairs and tables set up, and there’s even an equal sized area that’s cemented as well. I can imagine this is a hot place for live music and small concert events! We chose to get the best view of the city of course, which meant hitting up the rooftop patio. The place we went was called M. Bird, and it was very fun! It was nice because you could totally just go for drinks and not have to get food. The vibe is so laid back and chill, even the seating and service was very “pick where you want and we’ll find you.” I thought that would make it confusing and chaotic, but nothing we ordered was missed. Only downside was that you had to go up to the bar to order anything. I personally let the bartender choose my drink! It was appropriately called the Out of Towner, and it also wasn’t my favorite. I don’t love cucumber, so that’s probably why lol! The food there is appetizer style, and I chose the jerk chicken egg rolls. Now those were bomb!
DAY 2
We finished the apartment tours before lunch, so the rest of the day was free time for us! We chose to drive to St. Pete because we had a few things we wanted to do. I was very surprised it was only 30 minutes to get all the way to the west coast of St. Pete. Which made the area even better for me!
Our first stop was obviously lunch, so we parked downtown and walked to find a place that looked good. Honestly, all the places looked like great choices, but we settled on Parkshore Grill. Apart from having a subpar waiter, we loved our meals. I was feeling my classic chicken Cesar salad, and it had to be one of the best ones I’ve ever eaten. I consider myself a Cesar salad connoisseur, and I genuinely think that one is easily top 5 for me. I would not recommend this place if you’re frugal with money because it was way more upscale than how the outside appeared. They offer private dining and catering as well as an expansive spirits menu. I would however recommend this place if you’re looking for a fine dining experience. We were not, so we probably looked slightly out of place lol!
After finishing our meal, we headed to St. Pete beach! Before we hit the sand, we had to make a pitstop at the gorgeous Don CeSar Hotel. This pink palace is so picturesque and I’m sure a major tourist attraction. The history behind the building is reason alone to visit! And if the outside of this hotel is as amazing as it was, I can only guess that staying in one of their suites is out of this world. Of course, Angela and I had to have a mini photoshoot in the courtyard at the back of the hotel! It was just footsteps from the white, sandy beach and hotel pool area. I can imagine myself going back there to read on the terrace or enjoy one of the restaurants or bars inside the Don CeSar. The only downside was the parking — it was $27/hour to park on their property. In hindsight, there was beach parking that was only a few dollars an hour. We definitely should have parked there, walked to the hotel, and saved some money!
Speaking of the beach, WOW. The most beautiful beach I had ever been on! And I knew it was well-known and was one of the best beaches in the country, so it was awesome to spend some time there. I helped Angela get some content for her boutique, and then we left. If you’re visiting the area, make a whole day out of it! The water is clear and many people were going out pretty far, and the water only came to their waist still. Many others were sailing, jet skiing, and even just in inflatable tubes relaxing. The sun wasn’t beating down on us (I didn’t even bother with sunscreen for the hour or so), and it wasn’t burning hot like the months to come will be.
The later part of the afternoon and evening was dedicated to seeing family members. I had cousins I hadn’t met before that live near St. Pete beach, so we went to visit with them after we left the beach. They told me stories about my grandfather, who passed away 5 years ago, so it made me happy to connect with extended family members. Angela’s husband Will also had an aunt and uncle that live about 20 minutes from Tampa, so we grabbed dinner with them. We ate at McAllister’s Deli (which I was already familiar with from Louisiana), and they were very helpful in talking about the area!
DAY 3
We started off the last day with a cancelled apartment tour, so we had some extra time to explore new parts of the city! We spent the morning in Ybor City, which my grandmother had told me about. She spent her high school years in Tampa, so she suggested I go there. It was a completely different vibe from the main part of the city, but it wasn’t bad! There’s a lot of history there as well, and the Cuban architecture made it stand out among other areas of Tampa. I’d love to explore Ybor City more in future visits.
Our lunch stop this day was my favorite of the trip! And funny enough, it was the most spur of the moment place we ate. It’s called the American Social, and when I think of life in Tampa or anywhere by the water, this place is what I think of. The majority of the restaurant is outdoor seating, but there’s inside dining as well. We sat at the outdoor bar that overlooked yet again… more water! The scenery honestly can’t get much better than this place. I can see myself going out for a girl’s night, drinking, and having a blast there! Even though I’m talking about drinks now, I didn’t end up getting one. I tried Angela’s Tiki Rita, and that was so freaking good. I tried the Chicken B.L.A.T. and PLEASE do yourself a favor. Get it with truffle fries. You most definitely will not be disappointed!
The last little bit of our trip was spent seeing the city and driving around even more. We walked around Davis Island and drove past Tom Brady’s house. Then we drove down Bayshore Drive again and revisited Hyde Park Village because we loved it so much! We wandered back into downtown and grabbed some pizza for dinner. The place was called Eddie & Sam’s NY Pizza, and it tasted just like New York pizza. It was sold by the slice, which I love, and the atmosphere was a true pizzeria like my favorite one in New Jersey.
We wanted to go out with a bang, so we ventured over to have drinks at the JW Marriott! This rooftop flat was located on the 6th floor of the hotel, and it was also in the heart of downtown Tampa. The view was incredible, and we had a blast! I got the Rose’ Colored Glasses drink, and I mean, come on… look at that picture. The best part was that we were there at golden hour, and we of course, had another mini photoshoot lol! Would you expect anything else from two bloggers? Needless to say, it was the perfect end to a great trip.
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