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TAMPA BAY, FLORIDA
Tampa is a city of History. Founded in the
early 1800's as Fort
(George Mercer) Brooke, at the mouth of the Hillsborough River
where it empties into Tampa Bay, its original reason-for-being was
to quell the "Seminole Menace", but afterward it became central to
activities both military and civilian. From there Tampa City has
grown into a sprawling metropolis of huge proportions. To learn
more about Fort Brooke as the beginning of Tampa, visit
tampabayhistorycenter.org/ftbrooke.htm
.
Because of the Floridian climate and
proximity to both Tampa Bay
and the Gulf of Mexico, this area in many ways epitomizes Bay
Lifestyles on Planet Earth: Fishing, Boating, Jet and Water Skiing....
any sport associated with water can be found in abundance in
Tampa Bay, and then some. To see some of the more "Off the wall"
water sports going on in this bay community,
visit:
www.tampabaykitesurf.com.
Prior to the 1970's industrial pollution
had been a problem in the
waterways surrounding the City of Tampa, as it was in many city's
near water, but great efforts have been made to clean and restore
Tampa's aquatic resources, with excellent results. Fishing in
Tampa Bay is a great past time here, and it is no wonder. For good
tide info visit
www.gandybait.com, and to get lots more info on
fishing in the Bay area visit Captain Charlie's site at
www.floridasaltwater.com.
Among the many things that make Bay Living
in Tampa unique is a
geological formation called Agatized Coral, found only around the
Ballast Point region on the Gadsen peninsula below Tampa City proper.
This stone is extremely rare, from a global point of view, and besides
being the State Stone of Florida, Agatized Coral comprises the remains
of an ancient coral reef where over a dozen coral species were preserved
that are unknown in any other part of the world.
Visit
www.fossilcoral.com to see examples of this beautiful gem quality
agate fossilized coral, and to read more about the formation itself. As
an
aside it should be mentioned that the domain name AgatizedCoral.com is
presently for sale. Contact the webmaster for details.
Keeping History in mind, it would be an incomplete visit to
Tampa
indeed, without stopping by Ybor City, a restored historical district and
nexus of activity for many people and things. Ybor City is the home of
Tampa's cigar making industry, and has been since its inception,
although much of that has been replaced with a true variety of
proprietorships and establishments now. Shops, Nightclubs
www.castle-ybor.com
, and businesses of all types occupy the old
buildings, and there is more than a hint of rustic in the air.
For a good view of Ybor City as it once was visit
www.ybormuseum.org/museum.html.
Prior to The arrival of Fort Brooke in
1824, the Tampa Bay region was
well known among the indigenous people of Florida, and archaeological
remains of this area speak loudly of its popularity among ancient
Floridians, whose presence can be detected as far back as the end of the
last ice age. For a good view of some fine west central Florida indian
artifacts, and much more, visit
www.paleoenterprises.com.
Librarys are the true intellectual heart
of any city, and there is no
better place to measure the real pulse of a community than at its
libraries.
To access Tampa's Library system, part of the Hillsborough County
Library System, visit
www.hcplc.org.
Tampa Bay considers itself a great patron
of the Arts, and from the
architecture and sculpture of Downtown, to wall paintings and murals,
it portrays an image of that well. Visit the Tampa Museum of Art or
check out
www.salvadordalimuseum.org.
Tampa Florida is also home to Macdill AFB, as well as to the
largest
community of retired military personnel in the world. Many nearby
industry facilities cater to military contracts and other aspects
government funding. The official site of Macdill AFB is here,
www.macdill.af.mil.
Below are several links having to do
with the Tampa Bay Area,
and they should come in very handy indeed for anyone interested in
visiting the area, or learning more. Thanks for visiting with us once
again in this column, and please stay tuned for more
"Baylife on Planet Earth" community features in the future.
www.tbay.com
http://www.thecentroybor.com
Bay Living on Planet Earth.
Bill Gallagher 12-22-02 |
