Advertise on podcast: Exploring Tampa Florida... and Beyond

It’s been five years since Pam and I first moved to Tampa, Florida, so I asked her if she’d come on the show with me to talk about living here. We discuss both the pros and cons of living in Tampa, if Tampa is the best part of the state, and then we compare Florida with both California and Hawaii. Then my “hater” friend John had to come on the show to share his hysterical point of view on why Florida blows California away. And finally, my friend Kris comes on to share his story of being flooded out of his home during Hurricane Helene last year.

We've got a lot of ground to cover today! We're gonna expand on last month's talk about observation towers in the Tampa area, and answer the question, "were they wrong about their stated heights". We're gonna share some absolutely incredible facts about alligators. We're gonna have a conversation about population growth in the Tampa area with "everyone moving here". Then, we are going to review three, popular biking and hiking trails: The Upper Tampa Bay Trail, The Ream Wilson Trail, and the Oldsmar Trail.

Many people may have heard of the Manatee Viewing Center, but today we are going to talk about The Florida Conservation and Technology Center, a new co-op between Tampa Electric, The Florida Aquarium, The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the University of Florida, which includes the Manatee Viewing Center.  They are doing a lot of awesome things there.  It's fun! It's educational. They've got some great hiking trails.  They've got an awesome observation tower… and it's all free!  Also included... No winter in Tampa; Where's the beef; Everyone needs a woman like this; Tampa Bay's best observation towers; Parking HERE would be nice, and Am I trespassing again?

Today we are going to have some fun in the St. Petersburg area.  We will go hiking and kayaking at Weedon Island Preserve.  We will visit Sunken Gardens and compare it with the Florida Botanical Garden.  We will investigate some St. Pete Beach history by visiting the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum and the  St. Petersburg Museum of History.  We will have an awesome pizza on the pier at Spa Beach Bistro.  We will be refused entry to both The Museum of Fine Arts and the Salvador Dali Museum, but we will  bounce back quickly and check out the many awesome amenities at Vinoy Park and Elva Rouse Park. 

Today we are bringing Luke Rorech on the show to talk about St. Petersburg.  Luke is a realtor who was born and raised in the Tampa Bay area, and whose office is located in St. Petersburg. We’re gonna talk about what makes it such a special place to live, and the best neighborhoods to buy in.  We’re gonna talk about some of the best places to stay on vacation, as well as some attractions you can’t miss.  We are even gonna talk about some of the best, little-known dives. Whether you are a vacationer, a local, or someone considering buying here, this episode will have something for you to love.

The title pretty much says it all.  Today we are going to briefly talk about some things going on in my life since the last episode. Then we will discuss adventures at the Brooker Creek Preserve, Florida Botanical Gardens, Heritage Village, and a glorious evening walking down Clearwater Beach. Also included: I think they REALLY mean "no dogs", the impossible tour to follow, I need a destination, don't eat the fruit, overdressed, "You're sick? Get away from me! ...400 miles away!", and embrace the tourist in you.

I've lived in the Tampa Bay area for a year now and I think it's an awesome place. I'm really happy that I moved here. However, just as anywhere does, it has it's flaws. Although they may not be a deal breaker for me, they definitely could be for someone else. So, in the interest of giving anyone thinking about moving here a well rounded opinion, today we are going to cover my top eleven reasons why someone should NOT move to the Tampa Bay area.

The title pretty much says it all. Today we are going to talk about tropical storm Elsa and how the news totally blew it out of proportion, for the most part. We are going to talk about the Tampa Bay Lightning winning back to back Stanley Cups. We are going to talk about Amalie Arena and my first ever trip to Tampa, and along with that we are going to discuss a whole slew of things near the arena.... The American Victory Museum Ship, Sparkman Wharf, the Tampa Bay History Center, and best places to park.

In this episode we are going to talk about the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and the Florida Aquarium, two huge visitor attractions in the Tampa area. I've got some good news and some bad news related to them. One is a "can't miss" and the other is a definite "skip it".

Pam is joining me on the show today for a discussion about several things. We discuss our first trip to Busch Gardens, Tampa, an important disk golf update, her move to Florida, drum circles, and a lot of other really fun topics. Also included: Crying while stalking Steven King, Don't molest the alligators, Don't tangle with a hyena, Roller coasters that make you feel old, Woodstock in Tampa, Crazy drivers driving up insurance, and much more.

Today we are going to take a detailed look at several of the area's zoos and animal sanctuaries. We are going to review ZooTampa, the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary, and the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary. I'm going to talk about why I was not able to check out either Busch Gardens, or Big Cat Rescue. I'm also going to share a near deadly experience with a water moccasin and a super fun experience mini-golfing with gators.

Disc golf is an awesome way to get out of the house and spend a fun day in the sun, either with friends or zenning out by yourself, and it's practically free to play. When I first moved here, I couldn't help but notice that the Tampa area has A LOT of disc golf courses, so I set out a goal to play them all. Some were really good, and some were really bad. Today I will share that journey with you. We will discuss the worst three courses in the area, the top four, and some other ones which you should just have on your radar.

There are six locations for Disney parks around the world: Anaheim, Orlando (Not technically, but generally speaking... We cover that today.), Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Today, I am super excited to bring on Carol, a lifelong friend who has visited every Disneyland Park, and also every Disney theme park around the world. We have an awesome conversation, not just about the parks and their differences, but about the locations the parks are in as well. We also do a little Disney trivia, and just have an overall, really good time.

In this second part of our series on purchasing real estate in Tampa, we tackle the depressing but very serious subjects of sinkholes, floods and hurricanes. We will jump into how sinkholes are formed, why the area around Tampa has such a problem with them, and where some of the best and worst areas are located. We will then talk about insurance issues regarding sinkhole coverage, flood coverage, and "wind damage" coverage.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are playing the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 55, and the big game is happening right here in Tampa. In this episode we are going to discuss the run up to the Super Bowl, the incredible fan experiences downtown, and all the pre-game excitement that has been buzzing around town this week. The bulk of the fan activities take place along the Tampa Riverwalk, so we are going to discuss that area as well. Even if you don't care about football and hate sports, it's an amazing place that everyone visiting here should check out, so there's something for everyone in today's show.