Coming to Tampa ~ Advice?

[Buellride]

Hello all....so I have a business trip scheduled in Tampa in late August....I will be staying at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown and was thinking about MD'ing the local beaches.....any recommendations from the experts/locals? Don't want any secrets to be handed out but would like some advice for where to MD in the area....thanks in advance.

Paul

[Esteban]

There are so many nice beach areas close, by, who knows which would be the best.

[jim42]

One of the better beaches is Madeira quick hunt this morning nice 14K with 5 small diamonds at this beach. Hunt early or late as August is the hottest and most humid

[dc426]

If you have either Monday or Tuesday to play give me a shout.
813-732-4327
chris

[Buellride]

Originally Posted by jim42

One of the better beaches is Madeira quick hunt this morning nice 14K with 5 small diamonds at this beach. Hunt early or late as August is the hottest and most humid

NICE ring!!! Was that in the surf or in the towel line? I will be taking my ML705 so I can only go about 2 feet under the water with the shaft...

[Buellride]

Originally Posted by dc426

If you have either Monday or Tuesday to play give me a shout.
813-732-4327
chris

Chris...sorry I will only have Saturday and Sunday to play, convention center activity during the week (aka...work). But I will see what I can do when I get there, maybe an evening run....

Paul

[leftyz]

I live in the area but haven't really been out to many good spots. Seems like clearwater beach with all the hotels should be good, if it's allowed there.

[Surf Master]

If you are from Hi,i wouldn't wast my time in Florida,as what you find in Hi,will be no comparison,to what you find in Florida

[Buellride]

SM....I am a newbie so any opportunity I can get I am going to take it! Never been to Tampa, so instead of bars and parties I am going to be MD'ed my tail off...LOL

[DIGGER27]

Clearwater and all the Pinellas beaches would be nice, but they are not real close, especially if you take traffic into account.
Still...if you have all day....

Ben T. Davis beach is on the left side of the Courtney Campbell Causeway and gets pretty crowded and it is much nearer to your hotel.
Working man's beach, might find some decent jewelry if you are lucky.
A lot of these people that go here have very little money because they spend it on the wrong things like flashy bling instead of bills.
Other higher end people go here too because they don't want to take the drive and fight the traffic to Pinellas county to the other beaches.
I hit all parking lots everywhere I go because people lose stuff pulling keys out of pockets.
I believe it has sandy parking areas around this beach if I remember right.
Easy digging.


Other hunting spots...non beach.
There appears to be 3 parks near you, I have no idea of the rules so check them out.
2 are on the Hillsborough river so they should be nice.
Don't go near the water if you have any cuts on your body because it might look nice, but that river is dirtier than most unflushed toilets..at least it was when I lived down there.
Use bing maps for an overview of that area and the green spaces are parks and other grassy areas like private tennis clubs but they are labeled if you zoom in.

Use this to find playspaces...tot lots and schools around your area.
http://playspacefinder.kaboom.org/
Wait till it loads and then put Tampa Fla in the searchbox.

There are some schools and they mention the parks near you, also.

If you do make it to Clearwater, try a grouper sandwich at one of several Frenchy's restaurants in the area.
I have been to the Original and Saltwater Cafe's
http://www.frenchysonline.com/
I like em, but most of the seafood is pretty good and fresh almost everywhere down there.
Sorry...you won't be there for stone crab season...unlucky you.

Buy bottled water for your hunts because you will see why if you are unlucky enough to taste the tap water when you are there.
Sunscreen and a hat is highly recommended because the sun really beats down on you.

Have fun!

[jay631]

Yeah, Check out Bahama Breeze right near the airport and Frenchy's in Clearwater.

[cntrydncr1]

clearwater beach is the place to go!!

[Buellride]

Thank you all!!! THIS is great info....if I am lucky I will have my Excalibur II in hand by the time I go.....I will definitely research more locations! I have Saturday and Sunday to "play"...thanks again!

Paul

[DIGGER27]

Clearwater.
Just take a nice ride across the causeway.
I used to drive this every day back and forth to work and kept a fishing pole in the van in case there was an accident and I was stuck on the bridge.

They built a new bridge across the water into the beach area a few years ago so I guess traffic might be better.
Actually they built it, screwed it up, blew it up, and built it again.
Our tax dollars at work.

Every evening in the area around Pier 60 on Clearwater beach there is lots of entertainment going on...fun.
Music, jugglers, fire eaters...you never know what will be happening there.
A flea market/craft fair all along the pier, too.
At the end of the pier you can fish, gotta pay a few bucks but it is deep enough to catch something nice and big.
Broke my collapsible pole I travel with once on something huge when I was night fishing, probably a shark.

[DIGGER27]

Clearwater beach area...

[dc426]

Are there and "free" parking areas at Clearwater beach?

[leftyz]

I think if you go north a bit there may be some areas for free parking, and I know if you go south of clearwater beach there are small parking areas here and there, but there you are no longer technically at "clearwater beach"