Take a moment to stop here in downtown Tampa and appreciate the sacrifice of this Marine who is…read moreremembered downtown with this historical marker that was erected in 1981 by the citzens of Tampa to honor one of their own. The marker reads: "During the Inchon invasion in Korea, September 15, 1950, Marine 1st Lieutenant Lopez's platoon was engaging the enemy. Exposing himself to hostile fire he attempted to hurl a grenade into the pillbox whose fire was pinning them down. Wounded, he fell and dropped the grenade. Dragging his body forward, critically wounded and unable to grasp the grenade, he sacrificed himself rather than endanger the lives of his men. With his wounded right arm, he cradled the grenade under him absorbing the full impact of the explosion. With courage and devotion to duty, he gallantly gave his life for his men and his country." First Lieutenant Lopez was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. http://www.marinemedals.com/lopezbaldomero.htm [Review 10418 overall, 185 of 2019.]

Safety Harbor is full of history if you look for it! The first newspaper was called the Tropical…read moreBreeze, started in 1915! After one year, the paper ceased but then came the Safety Harbor Herald which moved to this site in 1920. The paper grew to 12-16 pages and published every Friday! Life is good with local history!

There are two bridges that provide access to and from Davis Islands. This is the one for getting…read moreback to Tampa, where the Columbia Drive Bridge is for getting onto the islands. Yes, the bridges are one way. The bridge's origins trace back to the early twentieth century, when the area around the Tampa Bay Hotel was transforming from a remote outpost into a connected urban district. Henry Plant had already insisted that Lafayette Street be extended and bridged to support his hotel, and that same logic of connectivity carried southward along the river. This bridge takes you directly past Tampa General Hospital. The design is restrained and businesslike, low concrete railings, rhythmic balusters, and a profile that sits lightly on the water. The structure's is on durability and continuity rather than spectacle and while it's been reinforced and updated in the decades since construction, the basic form remains consistent with the city's early twentieth century approach to river infrastructure, where even the quieter bridges were designed to harmonize with the riverfront rather than dominate it. There is no toll to cross the simple and steady link across the river. [Review 140 of 2026 - 2247 in Florida - 25330 overall]

Operated by the Florida Turnpike, this is a 68 mile long stretch of road that extends from Tampa to…read moreLecanto. A second phase that would extend even further is in design. I drove the stretch between I-275 and Waters Road three times back and forth as that was the easiest and quickest way between my hotel and the office where I was working this week. That stretch was straight but the bit where it goes past the airport definitely confused a few Florida drivers. The initial stretch from Courtney Campbell Causeway and Hillsborough Avenue (adjacent to the Tampa International Airport) is not tolled. From Campbell Causeway and north for 13 miles, the roadway is tolled. There are two overhead SunPass gantries (at Anderson and Sugarwood) and six ramp plazas. Manual toll booths were eliminated when the roadway was converted to all-electronic cashless tolling in 2014. If you don't have a SunPass or equivalent toll transponder, you can expect to be billed by mail (with an additional administrative fee) as they read license plates. The few miles of the road I drove were well signposted and smooth. There were enough traffic lanes for morning and afternoon rush hour that did not back up. I'm sure there are times when it does. [Review 18970 overall - 1582 in Florida - 2494 of 2022.]

The Veterans Expressway of Tampa is part of Florida State…read moreRoad 589. It extends 15 miles from SR 60 to Van Dyke Road in Hillsborough Co. near Lutz. I used the southern part of the expressway on my drive from my I-275 downtown hotel to Clearwater Beach. The first 2 miles of the expressway to the Courtney Campbell Causeway is not tolled and passed west of Airport. Overall to this nonlocal, the signage was confusing and stressful. I was fortunate to have GPS and be on a Sunday afternoon. Panic avoided.

Where else but Gulfport would you find a skateboarding gecko sculpture! This place is unique and…read morehost of Gecko Fest as well as numerous funky houses, businesses and people. Everyone I've met here is in a good mood and welcoming! Gecko life is good in Gulfport!

Dropped off our ballots here and very convenient. They had a tent setup outdoors and a drop box…read morew/staff available to assist. They double checked the envelopes to ensure signature and dates on them before dropping them in the ballot box. They were very friendly and helpful. Convenient location off of Gunn Hwy.

As a Hillsborough county resident I needed to update some information for upcoming elections. This…read morelocation is great for residents in the north Tampa area. This office is located toward the end of a shopping plaza and there was lots of parking space available. The staff was extremely helpful and friendly. I highly recommend this office.

I love old drawbridges and the best kind of old drawbridge is a "lift" bridge where the roadway is…read moreliterally lifted up, as opposed to a "swing" bridge where the roadway twists out of the way or a "bascule" bridge where the span lifts like a leaf ("bascule" is French for leaf). The Hillsborough Avenue Lift Bridge is also known as the T.N. Henderson Bridge (I have no idea why) and it carries State Route 600 and US Highway 92 over the Hillsborough River. It was built in 1939 by the Cone Brothers Construction Company and designed by J.H. Dowling of the State Road Department. What is particularly unique here is that there are two separate bridges at this crossing. The vertical lift bridge serves eastbound traffic and a neighboring bascule bridge serves westbound traffic. The lift bridge was originally part of a road expansion project connecting Tampa's northern suburbs and remains one of only two operable vertical lift bridges in Florida. The much larger Main Street Bridge (aka John T. Alsop Jr. Bridge) in Jacksonville is the other. Vertical lift highway bridges are quite rare. This one features a Warren pony truss lift span with the main span hoisted by cables from machinery housed in two steel towers containing concrete counterweights. In 1999, the bridge underwent rehabilitation to maintain its functionality which is when the bascule bridge was built. There is no toll to cross in either direction. There is a small park on the east bank to the south of the bridges or you can briefly park in the grocery store on the north side. Both bridges have a pedestrian walkway next to the outside lane. There is also a walkway under the bridge on the west bank but I wouldn't recommend going there after dark. I did hang around for a bit but did not get the opportunity to see either bridge lift today. [Review 328 of 2025 - 1983 in Florida - 23890 overall]