Jodi Avery’s Top 10 Things to do this Summer in the Tampa Bay Area

Jodi Avery’s Top 10 Things to do this Summer in the Tampa Bay Area

The summer is in full swing! Are you looking for some fun things to do with your family? I know I am always looking for activities or places to go with my four kids. Here are a few ideas I thought you would enjoy. Let me know what you do during the summer. I would love to share them with my clients and friends.jodi 4

10. Enjoy a baseball game Baseball is one of America’s favorite pastimes. I love going to baseball games especially to see our awesome Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.Did you know we have several other minor league teams that play in our area including: the Dunedin Blue Jays, Clearwater Threshers, Tampa Yankees and Bradenton Marauders. The minor league teams have so many promotional nights including days that kids are free. Usually tickets are between $6-$8. Games are a blast!

9. Go to the beach We have some beautiful beaches in our area and it doesn’t cost anything to take the family to the beach. Five of Florida’s top 10 beaches are right here in the Tampa Bay area. The beaches were ranked by USA Today’s 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards. They are Clearwater Beach, Clearwater; Siesta Beach, Siesta Key; Pass-a-Grille Beach, St. Petersburg; Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin and Fort De Soto Park, Tierra Verde. jodi 6

8. Check out the zoo or aquarium If you don’t want to travel to Orlando to theme parks, stay in town and check out the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, home of Winter the dolphin or visit the Florida Aquarium in Tampa. Both are beautiful places to see our sea life in action. If you want to go on rides and see zoo animals, take a trip to Tampa and visit the Lowry Park Zoo or Busch Gardens. If you really like getting wet spend the day at Adventure Island just across from Busch Gardens.

7. Go to a museum Did you know in 2012 Tampa Bay was awarded the honor of being one of the “Top Arts Destinations” by American Style Magazine? It was also named one of the top five most culturally diverse and integrated urban areas in the country by the U.S. Census Bureau. Take a visit to our bay area museums Tampa Museum of Art, Henry B. Plant Museum, The Salvador Dali Museum, Glazer Children’s Museum, Great Explorations Hands on Museum, Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) or the Morean Arts Center to name a few.

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6. Take a trip to a park Our area has so many fun local parks within each city to explore. Some have playgrounds for kids and others even have trails, wooden walkways and observation towers like the Boca Ciega Millennium Park. You can even take your dog to dog parks throughout Tampa Bay. One of the largest parks in Pinellas County is Fort De Soto park with 1,136 acres of five interconnect islands. You can picnic, bike, kayak and even camp there. There’s even ferry  service to Egmont Key. I also recommend WeekiWachee Springs State Park and Rainbow River.     jodi 5

5. Watch the sunset We are so fortunate to live in a place where our sunsets are magnificent. You can take a drive to your local beach and see the sunset or you can go to your favorite restaurant on the water and view a beautiful sunset. I love go to the Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort and Golf Club.

4. Go fishing I love fishing withjodi 3 my family. You can go fishing off of one of the piers in the area. The old Sunshine Skyway is a great place to go fishing. It’s actually a state park called the Sunshine Skyway Fishing Pier State Park.

3. Take a boat ride You can rent a boat and take the family out on the Gulf or the intracoastal waterway. Make it a day of relaxation and site seeing. It’s even fun to dock at water front restaurant for a bite to eat. You can also go fishing off the boat. I know my family loves to fish off the boat.

2. Go Rollerblading I love taking my kids rollerblading. We go to the Tampa RiverwalkUpper Tampa Bay Trail, and along Bay Shore Boulevard. I also like the Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail.

jodi 11.  Be adventurous There’s a great adventure course in Bradenton called Tree Umph Adventure Course. I took my family there and we had a blast!. You can play outdoors and climb, swing, jump and ZIP line. Another great place in Tampa is the Big Red Balloon Sightseeing Adventures. You can also try Verticle Ventures in Tampa. Or if you really want a thrill go skydiving at Jump Florida Skydiving in Plant City.

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In my 2016 A-list, I will have “My top 30 things to do with my kids.” Make sure you check it out!

I love being able to sell homes in our beautiful community. We have so much to offer those who live here. If you know someone looking for a home, please have them give me a call at 727.238.9660 or email me a jodi@jodiavery.com so we can find that perfect home for you or your friend.