Visit Derby Lane

Take some time this week and go visit Derby Lane in St Petersburg. www.derbylane.com The track is the oldest dog track in the United States and it was opened in 1925. This is a very clean and well maintained track with a very friendly staff. The track also has a Poker Room and a restaurant if betting the dogs is not your thing. When the lights go down and the mechanical rabbit is released the excitement begins with the dogs running as fast as they can to the finish line. They have racing six nights a week with a matinee on Wednesday and Saturday. So go see a piece of Florida history bet a few dollars and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Harbour Island Art Walk

Today www.harbourislandartwalk.com from 12-5pm is the Harbour Island Art Walk located in Downtown Tampa right outside of Jackson's Bistro. www.jacksonsbistro.com Jackson's is a very nice restaurant with a great drink selection as well as a full menu. There will be LIVE MUSIC, unique art, jewelry, home and garden items along with speciality foods. So come out this afternoon and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Blast Friday in Clearwater

Today is the last Friday of the month and from 6-10pm it is Clearwater's FREE monthly event Blast Friday. This is a family friendly event with a stage set up www.clevelandstreetdistrict.com in Downtown Clearwater off of Cleveland Street. John Cafferty www.johncafferty.com is this months LIVE music he plays upbeat rock and is the lead singer of the Beaver Brown Band. The downtown area has several nice restaurants where you could go have a meal, snack or a cold drink. Also just up the street is Coachman Park which has an interesting view of the Clearwater Beach Causeway it is also a nice place to watch the sunset without going to the beach. So get out tonight listen to some LIVE MUSIC, watch the sunset and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Hanger Restaurant in St. Petersburg

The Hanger Restaurant www.thehangarstpete.com is located at the Albert Whitted Airport in Downtown St. Petersburg. The restaurant is located upstairs in the main terminal of the airport overlooking the air field. While dining inside or outside you can see private planes landing and taking off and if you feel like some adventure take a helicopter sight seeing tour from Safari Choppers www.safarichoppers.com they are in the lobby. The menu is simple but fun and if you want to try a great southern dish try their Chicken and Waffles. They have easy listening LIVE MUSIC seven nights a week. They also have a very cool bar with comfortable seating if you just wanna snack and have a drink. Many different drink and food specials are offered daily. So go visit the Hanger Restaurant listen to some LIVE MUSIC and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

200th BLOG....Thank You !

Today i posted my 200th consecutive Blog for ENJOYING TAMPA BAY. I wanted to take a moment and say THANK YOU to everyone who has taken the time to visit and i hope it helped you find some great things to do. Well it is time for the Fall and all the holidays again which means there will be many outdoor festivals, concerts and special events so make sure you keep visiting my BLOG so you can keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Cafe Alfresco in Dunedin

Take sometime today to go visit beautiful and friendly Downtown Dunedin today. www.dunedin-fl.com The Downtown area has many nice restaurants, art galleries and unique gift shops. Make sure to visit the wonderful Cafe Alfresco which is located right next to the pinellas trail. www.cafealfrescoonline.com The restaurant offers inside seating as well as a glass enclosed patio plus a outside deck. The menu has a nice variety of salads, sandwiches and dinners. Try their Salmon or the Meatloaf you won't be disappointed and make sure you leave room for dessert. They also have a full liquor bar and a nice selection of beer and wine and a very friendly staff. So go visit Downtown Dunedin and stop by Cafe Alfresco and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Visit Heritage Village

Today from 10am-5pm at the sponge docks in Tarpon Springs they are having the FINAL day of their weekend long Arts and Crafts Festival. See the previous Blog for all the information. Visit Heritage Village today www.pinellascounty.org/heritage it is located in Largo. This 21-acre living history museum has more than 28 historic local structures with some dating back to the 19th century. There is a school, church, sponge warehouse, railroad depot and general store which is open for business as well as a variety of historic homes to visit and explore. Also right next door is the wonderful Florida Botanical Gardens www.flbg.org take a stroll and see all the beautiful foliage and flowers. So get over to Largo today and visit Heritage Village and the Botanical Gardens and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

8th Avenue Pub in Safety Harbor

The 8th Avenue Pub www.8thavepub.com is located in Safety Harbor right off of Main Street and 8th Avenue North. This is a very nice local pub with a friendly staff and a daily Happy Hour from 4-8pm. They have a full liquor bar as well as 14 craft beers on tap and a great selection of bottled beer. The pub has LIVE MUSIC on Tuesday, Friday,Saturday and Sunday. The pub also offers Wood Fired Pizza's that are a thin crust 12 inch pie with 6 nice sized slices. The owner Mike is a great guy and he is always around make sure to say hello to him. So go to the 8th Avenue Pub have a craft beer and a great pizza and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Skipper's Smokehouse 33rd Birthday Bash

Well www.skipperssmokehouse.com  Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa turns 33 years old today and they will be celebrating from Noon til Midnight with LIVE MUSIC all day and it is all FREE. Skipper's Smokehouse is a unique music venue with some good down home food and a full liqueur bar as well as a nice selection of beers. I have seen many shows at the Skipperdome and i always am impressed at the quality of the music and the diversity of the styles from Funk, Rock, Rockabilly, Indie, Zydeco etc. So if you have never been to Skipper's today is a great day to visit and spend a day listening to great LIVE MUSIC and remember to keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

3rd Friday Music Series in Safety Harbor

The 3rd Friday of every month Safety Harbor has their 3rd Friday Music Series that takes place in DOWNTOWN SAFETY HARBOR on Main Street. Enjoy an evening filled with shopping, dining and entertainment. www.cityofsafetyharbor.com Enjoy LIVE MUSIC throughout downtown as well as food vendors, unique shops and restaurants. Stop at FUNK'S WAY at 228 Main Street this is a unique ART GALLERY with all types of Arts and Crafts and say hello to FUNK. Just down the street is BRADY's BBQ www.bradysbackyardbbq.com at 340 Main Street stop and have some BBQ, wine or a beer. Also make sure to visit THE CHOP SHOP hair salon at 500 Main Street they have a stage set up out front with one of the staff cutting hair and talking with the crowd. Take the time to meet the owner MIKE and make an appointment to get your hair done. So go and visit SAFETY HARBOR tomorrow night and see all this great town has to offer and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Hideaway in Safety Harbor

Every Thursday night at The Hideaway in beautiful Safety Harbor www.thehdwy.com some of Tampa Bays best bands play. The Hideaway is a very nice clean bar with a friendly staff and a nice selection of beer, wine and drinks plus LIVE MUSIC several nights a week. They have big screen TVs to watch all the games as well as a large outdoor patio. So if you want to listen to some excellent LIVE MUSIC or go and watch a game visit The Hideaway and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Naughty vs Nice Art and Fashion Show

Tonight from 8-10pm in Downtown St. Petersburg at Club Detroit it is the Naughty vs Nice Art and Fashion Experience. Club Detroit is a very nice lounge located in the heart of the "Burg" it is a unique place in a historic building. Tonight's FREE event is a rock and roll themed art and fashion experience presented by Nevada Vanderford. This event www.stpeteartandfashionweek.com is part of the St. Petersburg Art and Fashion Week. St. Petersburg Art and Fashion week is a series of art and runway fashion shows once a year in September.The week long event is family friendly and also includes workshops, boutique shows, art shows, LIVE MUSIC along with a high end fashion gala. So go to Club Detroit tonight for an Art and Fashion show and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Tuesday Farmer Market in Gulfport

Every Tuesday from 9am-3pm it is the Gulfport Farmers Market in Downtown Gulfport. www.gulfportma.com This is a beautiful little town that is right on the Gulf. They have nice restaurants, unique shops and events year round. They have an Art Walk the 1st Friday and the 3rd Saturday of every month and many other great festivals. My favorite place to eat in Gulfport is the wonderful Italian bistro Pia's Trattoria www.piastrattoria.com which offers indoor or outdoor seating. The Italian menu has a nice variety of antipasto's, panini's and pasta dishes with a nice selection of beer and wine. The food is always delicious and fresh plus they have a very fun and friendly staff. So go to Gulfport today visit the market have breakfast, lunch or dinner at Pia's and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Cafe Alfresco in Dunedin

Take sometime today to go visit beautiful and friendly Downtown Dunedin today. www.dunedin-fl.com The Downtown area has many nice restaurants, art galleries and unique gift shops. Make sure to visit the wonderful Cafe Alfresco which is located right next to the pinellas trail. www.cafealfrescoonline.com The restaurant offers inside seating as well as a glass enclosed patio plus a outside deck. The menu has a nice variety of salads, sandwiches and dinners. Try their Salmon or the Meatloaf you won't be disappointed and make sure you leave room for dessert. They also have a full liquor bar and a nice selection of beer and wine and a very friendly staff. So go visit Downtown Dunedin and stop by Cafe Alfresco and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

LIVE MUSIC at Marker 8

Today in beautiful Dunedin from 3-6pm at the MARKER 8 Tiki Bar www.marker8.com which is located at 1420 Bayshore Blvd. they are hosting a afternoon pool party with LIVE MUSIC on their patio bar. The patio has a great view of the Gulf of Mexico with room to dance and a big pool to jump in when you need to cool off from the heat. The local band www.theblackhonkeys.com the Black Honkeys will be playing their upbeat funky music that will make you want to get up and dance. So get out this afternoon to Marker 8 Tiki Bar listen to some music and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY !

Rusty Bellies Shrimp Festival

Today at the Sponge Docks www.spongedocks.net in Tarpon Springs from 11am -10pm it is the first ever Rusty Bellies Shrimp Festival. This is a family friendly event taking place right outside Rusty Bellies Restaurant www.rustybellies.com located on the far west end of the Sponge Docks. This is a wonderful seafood restaurant serving Fresh and Locally caught seafood. There will be LIVE MUSIC throughout the day and free face painting and balloons for the kids from 3:30pm - 7pm. There will be booths selling food, drafts, liquor, margaritaville margaritas, and Deep Eddy Ruby Red Vodka Cocktails throughout the tented area. Tonight the party gets going when the band The Black Honkeys  www.theblackhonkeys.com take the stage between 6-9pm their music is a funk and soul blend that will make you want to dance in the streets. Also make sure you walk around the downtown area and visit the many unique gift shops and if seafood is not your thing there are several very nice Greek restaurants where you can have a great meal. So get out today and join the party at the first ever Rusty Bellies Shrimp Festival and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Art on the Water @ Harbour Island

Saturday from 11-5pm there is an art event called Art on the Water happeniong at Harbour Island right outside of the restaurant and lounge Jackson's Bistro. www.jacksonsbistro.com The event takes place at this wonderful location with 60 artists set up on the waterfront.along with LIVE MUSIC. The artist will be representing many different mediums and they will have many items available for purchase. There will be food and drinks available and if you would like to have a nice lunch stop inside Jackson's Bistro they have a nice menu and a friendly helpful staff. So get out tomorrow afternoon for an nice art show and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Tampa Bay Lightning Fan Fest

Well it is almost time for hockey again and this Saturday starting at 8am at the Forum in Tampa www.tampabaytimesforum.com it is Tampa Bay Lightning Fan Fest 2013. Fan Fest is a family friendly event that brings the players and fans together to get ready for the new season. This event will have plenty of stars for you to meet and at 11:45 and 2:15pm they will be signing autographs. This FREE event will  have special offers, www.tampabaylightning.com discounted food items, a special Kid Zone area and the players will be on the ice practicing in three shifts. So go this Saturday to the Tampa Bay Times Forum for Fan Fest 2013 and remember to keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

DERBY LANE in St. Petersburg

Take some time this week and go visit Derby Lane in St Petersburg. www.derbylane.com The track is the oldest dog track in the United States and it was opened in 1925. This is a very clean and well maintained track with a very friendly staff. The track also has a Poker Room and a restaurant if betting the dogs is not your thing. When the lights go down and the mechanical rabbit is released the excitement begins with the dogs running as fast as they can to the finish line. They have racing six nights a week with a matinee on Wednesday and Saturday. So go see a piece of Florida history bet a few dollars and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Farmers Market in Gulfport

Every Tuesday from 9am-3pm it is the Gulfport Farmers Market in Downtown Gulfport. www.gulfportma.com This is a beautiful little town that is right on the Gulf. They have nice restaurants, unique shops and events year round. They have an Art Walk the 1st Friday and the 3rd Saturday of every month and many other great festivals. My favorite place to eat in Gulfport is the wonderful Italian bistro Pia's Trattoria www.piastrattoria.com which offers indoor or outdoor seating. The Italian menu has a nice variety of antipasto's, panini's and pasta dishes with a nice selection of beer and wine. The food is always delicious and fresh plus they have a very fun and friendly staff. So go to Gulfport today visit the market have breakfast, lunch or dinner at Pia's and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

8th Avenue Pub in Safety Harbor

The 8th Avenue Pub www.8thavepub.com is located in Safety Harbor right off of Main Street and 8th Avenue North. This is a very nice local pub with a friendly staff and a daily Happy Hour from 4-8pm. They have a full liquor bar as well as 14 craft beers on tap and a great selection of bottled beer. The pub has LIVE MUSIC on Tuesday, Friday,Saturday and Sunday. The pub also offers Wood Fired Pizza's that are a thin crust 12 inch pie with 6 nice sized slices. The owner Mike is a great guy and he is always around make sure to say hello to him. So go to the 8th Avenue Pub have a craft beer and a great pizza and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

LIVE MUSIC at Quaker Steak and Lube

The weather was bad Friday night so today from 5pm-8pm www.quakersteakandlube.com it is the Fan Appreciation Party at Quaker Steak and Lube in Clearwater. The party is being held by two of the Bay areas best party bands, the funky soul shaken music of www.theblackhonkeys.com The Black Honkeys and the classic rocking southern music of www.gregbillingsband.com The Greg Billings Band Both of these bands have been playing in Tampa Bay for many years and know how to get everyone dancing and having a great time. The LIVE MUSIC will be happening outside in the parking lot so make sure you are dressed accordingly. Quaker Steak and Lube is a fun family place with some of the BEST wings i have had locally. They have a nice menu with something for everyone as well as a full liqueur bar and a great selection of beers. So get out tonight for some LIVE MUSIC that will have you dancing in the street and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Arts and Entertainment Pass

Downtown Tampa museums and restaurants have gotten together and created the ARTS and ENTERTAINMENT PASS that gets you into museums and special deals at local restaurants. The pass will cost you $30.00 with an actual value of about $80.00. When you purchase a PASS you will get one admission to the unique Florida Museum of Photographic Arts www.fmopa.org Henry B. Plant Museum www.plantmuseum.com and the Tampa Bay History Museum www.tampabayhistorycenter.org . You also get one movie ticket www.tampatheatre.org Tampa Theatre and a BOGO for the TECO Streetcar www.tecolinestreetcar.org. The PASS is good until September 30 2013 you can purchase the PASS at the museums mentioned or at the Tampa Theatre. A list of attractions and restaurants can be found at www.tampasdowntown.com/play. So get your PASS now and start ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

LIVE MUSIC Tonight Quaker Steak and Lube

Friday night from 8pm-11pm it is the Fan Appreciation Party at Quaker Steak and Lube www.quakersteakandlube.com located in Clearwater. Tonight's party is being held by two of the Bay areas best party bands, the funky soul shaken music of www.theblackhonkeys.com The Black Honkeys  and the classic rocking southern music of www.gregbillingsband.com The Greg Billings Band  Both of these bands have been playing in Tampa Bay for many years and know how to get everyone dancing and having a great time. The LIVE MUSIC will be happening outside in the parking lot so make sure you are dressed accordingly. Quaker Steak and Lube is a fun family place with some of the BEST wings i have had locally. They have a nice menu with something for everyone as well as a full liqueur bar and a great selection of beers. So get out tonight for some LIVE MUSIC that will have you dancing in the street and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Rock the Park in Tampa

ROCK the PARK in Downtown Tampa is a FREE monthly music concert series on the first THURSDAY of every month and takes place from 6:30-9:30pm www.rocktheparktampa.com at Curtis Hixon Park. The park is a great place to see a concert with stadium styled seating as well as food and drinks for purchase. The concerts are right in front of  www.tampamuseum.org the Tampa Museum. Also just across the street are several nice places to eat. Walk around downtown www.tampasdowntown.com and explore making sure to stop by The Tampa Theatre it looks great at night www.tampatheatre.org . So go out tonight to listen to some LIVE MUSIC and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Alesia Restaurant in St. Petersburg

Last night i visited Alesia Restaurant again in St Petersburg with some friends. This restaurant was founded by three partners with French, Vietnamese and Chinese backgrounds which influences the wonderful mix of dishes and flavours. www.alesiarestaurant.com The restaurant offers outside as well as inside setting. The inside is a open and simple dinning room with local art on the walls and the outside patio is spacious with plants, art and comfortable seating. The menu is simple with a nice variety of dishes to pick from and they also have a good wine and beer selection with reasonable prices and nice sized portions. I had the Asian style beef stew which was fresh, tasty and a very unique dish. The service was very friendly and the restaurant was very clean. So go visit Alesia Restaurant in St. Petersburg and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Glazers Childrens Musuem Free 2-7pm

Every TUESDAY from 2-7 pm the GLAZER CHILDREN'S MUSEUM in Tampa is FREE. www.glazermuseum.org The FREE admission is offered to EVERYONE even the adults. The museum is located in the Curtis Hixon Park www.thetampariverwalk.com which is a waterfront park with a playground as well as a dog park. Also the Tampa Museum is located in the park right next to the children's museum. www.tampamuseum.org So go over to Tampa this afternoon to check out the museums and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Visit Heritage Village

Today from 10am-5pm at the sponge docks in Tarpon Springs they are having the FINAL day of their weekend long Arts and Crafts Festival. See the previous Blog for all  the information. Visit Heritage Village today  www.pinellascounty.org/heritage it is located in Largo. This 21-acre living history museum has more than 28 historic local structures with some dating back to the 19th century. There is a school, church, sponge warehouse, railroad depot and general store which is open for business as well as a variety of historic homes to visit and explore. Also right next door is the wonderful Florida Botanical Gardens www.flbg.org take a stroll and see all the beautiful foliage and flowers. So get over to Largo today and visit Heritage Village and the Botanical Gardens and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Sponge Docks Art and Craft Show

Today as well as MONDAY the Sponge Docks www.spongedocks.net in Tarpon Springs are having an Arts and Craft show in the streets of the sponge docks. Located on the Gulf of Mexico, Tarpon Springs is a laid back town filled with unique shops the famous Hellas bakery, Greek restaurants and art galleries. Dodocanese Blvd. is the area's main street and it will be welcoming more than 90 of the nation's top artist and craft designers. There will be jewelry, ceramics, plants, photography, paintings as well as homemade crafted soaps. While at the Sponge Docks visit Rusty Bellie's Seafood Restaurant which is located at the far end of the docks. This is a wonderful place to eat they have their own boats that catch their fish FRESH daily. www.rustybellies.com So visit the Sponge Docks today or tomorrow and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!