I live in the Tampa Bay area of Central Florida on the West Coast (Gulf of Mexico), in a location where I have easy access to the beaches (about a mile or two from the water), several major roads to downtown, as well as to the other side of the Bay where the Gulf of Mexico beaches are (about 30-40 minutes depending on traffic), I'm just west of the International Airport, and 15 minutes from a huge International Shopping Plaza on the East side of the airport.
This area is considered the sub-tropics, and while the humidity can suck the life outta ya, it's good for your skin. There's plenty to do, it's not a lengthy drive to Orlando, or to the Kennedy Space Center on the other side of the state, and plenty of one-tank road trips that make weekends fun, or ... more than a one-tank trip to the Florida Keys if you want to visit a unique community and see Hemingway's home (love it).
So what's the downside? Yesterday we started our annual Hurricane Season that runs from June 1st to November 30th, and they're expecting an active season. However, even though I'm close to the water, the major storms seem to travel north or south of us (or hit East Coast), and we are pretty much shielded by the big body of Tampa Bay water, but it doesn't mean that we don't get major storm weather - I love a good storm.
Here are a few photos ...
Armani's Restaurant at Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay Westin
(just Southwest of the airport - I live about 10 min from here)
that is absolutely fabulous for Sunday brunch.
However, it's quite pricey, and while I LOVE seafood, and the beautiful view,
even though I'm not much of a meat eater. The experience is amazing.
But then, those are experiences you might consider on a special occasion. For me though, I'm not a fancy, schmancy kinda gal, and I love a good old diner or dive that serves up the best damn food you've ever had, or ... I love playing chef in my own kitchen, especially when you have someone else who loves to cook and you can make it a fun time experimenting with recipes.
Although, there IS one place that I absolutely love for the experience, because it takes you forever to decide what you want - the menu is unbelievable, not to mention the desserts that knock you for a loop. That place would be
The Cheesecake Factory, and there's one at the International Plaza Mall just on the other side of the airport about 15 minutes away from me.
BTW ... I haven't been a Southern Gal all my life, I was raised for most of my younger years in the Midwest (Chicago to be exact), and miss the winters now and then, but I love the tropics and only needing one seasonal wardrobe, because our winters here are minimal and short-lived, requiring a sweater-coat or jacket (for me anyway), and I would rather have the sandy beaches than having to shovel snow. We can always take winter vacations if we miss snow and the super cold that much.
My goodness, didn't intend to get so lengthy with this, but where I live has a lot to offer, even though I haven't experienced it all yet - not even a small portion of it, but I have a feeling that's going to change one of these days soon, and I'm looking forward to it.
That's all folks ... who's next?
