Shore Magazine....

SAFETY HARBOR RESORT & SPA: THE PERFECT BASE

FOR TAMPA BAY’S CULTURAL AND OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

The Tampa Bay area, including Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater, is packed with a wide variety of cultural and outdoor adventures. From great museums to the great outdoors, Tampa Bay beckons with attractions.

There’s no better base for exploring these attractions than Safety Harbor Resort & Spa. Located on the shores of Tampa Bay and in the heart all that the area offers, Safety Harbor is the perfect harbor for all that Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater offer.

There’s also never been a better time to visit Safety Harbor and the surrounding attractions. Thanks to the recent multi-million-dollar renovation, the world-class spa resort is better than ever.

As Florida’s only spa and resort with natural mineral springs, guests have been enjoying the renowned resort’s curative waters and tranquil waterfront location for more than 50 years. Safety Harbor was even recognized as an historical landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1964.

Originally inhabited by Indian shell mound builders almost 12,000 years ago, Safety Harbor fresh spring waters became legendary for their mystical powers to heal. The Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto discovered the four springs in 1539 and named them Espiritu Santo Springs, meaning the 'Springs of the Holy Spirit.' Dr. Salem Baranoff purchased the springs and sanatorium in 1944, creating the first true 'health spa' concept, which included opening the area to visitors and offering not only the therapeutic waters, but also soothing body and skin treatments and overnight accommodations.

“We take great pride in the fact that we have been in the spa business for more than 50 years,” says general manager Brett Smith. “We want the surroundings to reflect the historic background and character of the spa without being outdated.”

The new surroundings include 193 completely refurbished guestrooms, which include old photographs from the 1930s and 1940s of the resort and surrounding areas that were reproduced and hand-colored. Vibrant shades of blue and yellow in the guest rooms reflect the views of Tampa Bay and the year-round sunshine. Additional improvements included renovation and expansion of the meeting facilities, an update of the main lobby, and a long list of new equipment and treatments for the spa and salon.

Though many guests never want to leave the grounds of the resort, the Tampa Bay area beckons. Just be sure to make that massage appointment before you start exploring!

TAMPA BAY BECKONS

Just an hour from the Orlando area, the Tampa Bay area is a completely different style of destination. Though it has several excellent theme parks and sightseeing attractions, Tampa Bay is not totally tourist-oriented. The refurbished historic, dining, and entertainment area of Ybor City, an old cigar manufacturing hub, draws visitors to the downtown area, while the beaches, Busch Gardens, the Florida Aquarium, the Salvador Dali Museum, Tarpon Springs, and many other attractions keep them busy nearby. It's a great combination.

The Tampa Bay area enjoys a temperate, semi-tropical climate, marked by and average winter temperature of just 62.5 degrees Fahrenheit and an average summer temperature of only 81.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Year-round average rainfall totals just 46.7 inches. Two international airports and an advanced interstate system make the region easy to reach and explore.

TAMPA WITH ME

Many people come to Tampa just for Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. This huge African-oriented theme park features a wide range of rides, entertainment, animal attractions and exhibits, shopping, and dining. More than 3,000 animals can be viewed, providing an experience officials rightfully claim can only be repeated on an African safari. The natural setting in the various themed areas is well-done and the rides provide nice interludes from animal viewing. New for 1999 is Gwazi, their fifth roller coaster. You'll want to spend at least a day here. If you have kids, you might also enjoy adjacent Adventure Island, a water-oriented theme park with many pools, slides, and other children's attractions.

Plan to head to the Ybor City area late-afternoon, which will allow you time to quietly explore the historic sites before the hordes of people descend on the area later at night. For an overview of the area, be sure to stop by the Ybor City State Museum. This fascinating museum has a wide variety of exhibits depicting the area's earlier life as a cigar and social center, including old cigar memorabilia, factory pictures, and a renovated cigar worker's cottage. You can walk around the old tobacco warehouses (now shops and restaurants) on your own or explore more thoroughly with Ybor City Walking Tours. These interesting 90-minute tours, run by the Ybor City State Museum and Roasann Garcia's Customized Historic Tours, include many of the highlights of this historic area.

Ybor City's famed Columbia Restaurant, right on 7th Avenue, is the perfect place to eat. The Spanish scenery and cuisine (the paella is always popular) make this one of Ybor City's (and Tampa Bay's) best restaurants.

If you like Ybor City’s atmosphere, Old Hyde Park Village is another ideal place to stroll around for a couple of hours after lunch, looking for that perfect Tampa Bay souvenir. With more than 50 varied shops, you're sure to find something perfect.

Tampa Bay's nature theme continues at The Florida Aquarium, which has become one of the area's most popular attractions. This huge aquarium features more than 5,000 examples of Florida flora and fauna, with highlights being the various ecosystem exhibits and the huge 14-foot-high aquarium viewing area. Plan on spending several hours wandering through the numerous exhibits.

Just across the Hillsborough River, don't leave Tampa without visiting the Henry B. Plant Museum. This huge building was originally the 511-room Tampa Bay Hotel, built by railroad mogul Henry Plant. It's now filled with memorabilia from his life and the early days of the hotel and Tampa Bay’s interesting early days as a tourist destination..

The city of Tampa offers much more to see, including: the large Lowry Park Zoo, which includes a hospital and rehabilitation center for Florida manatees; the Museum of Science and Industry, the largest of it's kind in the Southeast U.S.; and the eight-gallery Tampa Museum of Art.

SEEING ST. PETERSBURG & CLEARWATER CLEARLY

Located on the west coast, bordered on the east by Tampa Bay and on the west by the Gulf of Mexico, the Pinellas County peninsula and its famous beaches are cultural and adventure cornucopia. St. Petersburg/Clearwater offers 35 miles of white sand beaches on the Gulf of Mexico and 345 miles of shoreline around the peninsula, which encompasses the resort communities of Clearwater Beach, Dunedin, Indian Rocks Beach/Redington/Bellair Beach, Madeira Beach, St. Petersburg, St. Pete Beach, Tarpon Springs, and Treasure Island.

Along with the award-winning beaches, Safety Harbor guests will find interesting culture, such as the Salvador Dali Museum; fresh seafood; and interesting outings to small towns like Tarpon Springs and peaceful Fort DeSoto Park.

Any Tampa Bay area visit has to include St. Petersburg’s Salvador Dali Museum. This popular harborfront museum showcases the life and work of the strange Spanish surrealist painter. Five galleries display a selection of more than 90 oil paintings, 100 watercolors and drawings, and 1,300 graphics, sculptures, photos, and other works. The six masterworks and many other smaller canvases trace Dali's entire career. Depending on your tastes and interests, you'll be entranced for hours or finished with the museum in less than 30 minutes. Either way, be sure to visit what has to be one of the best museum gift shops in the state.

If you have time, head back into the downtown area and follow the signs for parking at or near The Pier. This lively complex out on the water features five floors of shopping, dining, boating tours, and an ongoing array of activities and live music.

The third floor features Great Explorations. This hands-on museum lets everyone touch, move, and interact with exhibits that educate and entertain. Areas for kids (and kids at heart) include Phenomenal Arts, Explore Galore, Exchange, Think Tank, Touch Tunnel, and Body Shop.

From The Pier, you're close to a number of other interesting possibilities. Museum-goers have a choice of the Museum of Fine Arts, which is noted for its collection of French impressionist paintings and a collection of photographs by American master photographers; the St. Petersburg Museum of History, housing a permanent interactive exhibition of the chronology of St. Petersburg's history, filled with priceless artifacts, documents, and photographs (including a replica of the world's first commercial airliner which flew from St. Petersburg to Tampa in 1914); the new Tampa Bay Holocaust Memorial Museum and Educational Center, the third largest in the nation; and the Florida International Museum, which welcomes ongoing major exhibitions from around the world.

Up in Dunedin, locals and visitors alike salute the area's Scottish heritage each spring with the Highland Games and Festival. Clearwater's Jazz Holiday in October is one of the nation's premier jazz festivals, drawing many repeat visitors to Safety Harbor. Other area events include the two-week Fun 'n Sun Festival, the Festival of States, and the John's Pass Seafood Festival.

Depending on your length of stay at Safety Harbor, you also should try to make time to take a drive up US 19 to Tarpon Springs. Located about 30 miles north of St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs is known as the 'sponge capital of the world,' thanks to Greek immigrants who came to Tarpons Springs early in the century to make a living from sponging, fishing, and boating. Though sponges are still harvested and sold, many Greek descendants now make a living from the tourists who come to walk, shop, and dine along the Sponge Docks. The Tarpon Springs Cultural Center is a perfect place to start your exploration.

The St. Petersburg/Clearwater area is also an ideal place for shopping. If you didn't buy anything at the Dali Museum or in Tarpon Springs, some solid shopaholic possibilities include: John's Pass Village and Boardwalk, a row of wood structures on pilings that house shops and restaurants; Haslam's, a giant bookshop that is definitely one of the largest in the state; P. Buckley Moss, a gallery specializing in the primitive works of the famous artist; and the Florida Craftsmen Gallery, which showcases the work of more than 150 state artists and craftspeople.

Like Tampa, St. Petersburg/Clearwater offers some interesting outdoor adventures as well. The Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, is located in Indian Shores. It's typically a quiet refuge for area locals and visitors. This fascinating sanctuary is a haven for hundreds of sea and land birds, as well as housing the largest wild-bird hospital in the U.S.

Another good possibility is Fort DeSoto Park, which is located off the Pinellas Byway. This barrier island fort was constructed for the Spanish-American War, though it never came under fire. The facilities now include the remains of the fort, camping, fishing, hiking, biking on a popular island-wide asphalt trail, and a stunning beach.

Those who like undeveloped barrier islands will also enjoy Honeymoon and Caladesi Island state parks near Dunedin. Honeymoon Island is connected to the mainland by a causeway, while famed Caladesi Island is accessible only by a ferry service which operates from Honeymoon Island and downtown Clearwater.

There’s much more to see in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area. Depending on your interests, other options include: the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, a small local spot on Clearwater Harbor that doesn't have the hype of many modern aquariums; and the Tropicana Field, the oddly shaped cable-supported dome that hosts Tampa Bay Devil Rays baseball and other events (tours are available).

It’s easy to see why the Tampa Bay area is such a popular destination. With so much to see and do, many Safety Harbor guests either have to extend their stay or make plans to return.

For Further Information:

Safety Harbor Resort & Spa, (888) BEST SPA.

Tampa/Hillsborough Convention & Visitors Association, (888) 224-1733.

St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, (800) 345-6710.

Tampa:

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, (813) 987-5171.

Adventure Island, (813) 987-5600.

Ybor City State Museum, (813) 247-6323.

Ybor City Walking Tours, (813) 247-6323.

Columbia Restaurant; (813) 248-4961.

Old Hyde Park Village, (813) 251-3500.

Henry B. Plant Museum, (813) 254-1891.

Lowry Park Zoo, (813) 932-0245.

Museum of African American Art, (813) 272-2466.

Museum of Science and Industry, (813) 987-6300.

Tampa Museum of Art, (813) 274-8130.

St. Petersburg/Clearwater:

Salvador Dali Museum, (727) 823-3767.

Great Explorations, (727) 821-8885.

The Pier, (727) 821-6164.

Museum of Fine Arts, (727) 896-2667.

St. Petersburg Museum of History, (727) 894-1052.

Tampa Bay Holocaust Memorial Museum and Educational Center, (727) 821-8261.

Florida International Museum, (727) 822-3693.

Tarpon Springs Cultural Center, (727) 942-5606.

John's Pass Village and Boardwalk, (727) 391-7373.

Haslam's, (727) 822-8616.

P. Buckley Moss, (727) 894-2899.

Florida Craftsmen Gallery, (727) 831-7391.

Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, (727) 391-6211.

Fort DeSoto Park, (727) 866-2662.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium, (727) 447-0980.

Tropicana Field, (727) 825-3100.

SIDEBAR

TAMPA BAY TIDBITS

--Early visitors to the region often registered as guests of the community with various chambers of commerce. As the area's popularity grew, tourism societies were formed and provided recreational and social activities for people from similar parts of the country.

--The world's first commercial flight was made by a young daredevil named Tony Jannus, who flew from St. Petersburg to Tampa on January 1, 1914.

--Known as the world's longest sidewalk, Bayshore Boulevard borders Tampa Bay for 4.5 miles without a break. It's frequented by joggers, walkers, skaters, and bikers (and many fitness-minded Safety Harbor guests).

--The first Florida brewery was built in Tampa in 1897 and was called the Florida Brewing Company.

--The rich and famous call the Bay area home, including tennis great Pete Sampras, L.A. Dodgers superstar Gary Sheffield, General Norman Schwarzkopf, George Steinbrenner, and Hulk Hogan.

--Bern's Steak House has the largest working wine cellar in the world, while the Columbia Restaurant is the oldest and largest Spanish restaurant in the world.

--The title to a park in Ybor City is owned by the Cuban government.

--Though Clearwater is now known for its wide award-winning beaches, it was originally the site of Fort Harrison, where wounded soldiers recuperated after fighting Indians on the Florida frontier.