Author delivers ultimate Tampa Bay bucket list to bookstores

Tampa Bay Reads: '100 Things to do in Tampa Bay Before You Die"

Linda Hurtado interviews author Kristin Hare

TAMPA, Fla. - Looking for a bucket list in your own backyard? A new book offers a complete guide to everything you might want to do in the Tampa Bay area.

Author Kristin Hare released the third edition of "100 Things to do in Tampa Bay Before You Die" to help locals and visitors explore everything Florida’s central Gulf Coast has to offer.

From the sugar sand beaches of Clearwater Beach to the history of Fort De Soto to the agricultural advances being implemented in Hillsborough and Polk counties, there’s a lot to do and see around the bay.

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And as summer approaches and the pandemic wanes, it’s a perfect time to discover or rediscover Cuban sandwiches, outdoor markets, manatees, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, and much more.

Q & A with the author:

What gave you the idea to write this book?

"We first moved to Tampa Bay 10 years ago. I wanted to get to know the area better. And the 1st and 2nd edition definitely helped. But with the third edition, we were ready to get out of our house, out of our neighborhood, get back together with people we missed, and have some adventures. And that is what this book is all about."

Did you visit all 100 places and how did you do your research?

"I have done them all and my family has some very busy stretches of months and so do my friends, and so I try to find the greatest things to do in the area. And after the pandemic, we have a high bar. It needs to be epic."

What’s new in the third edition?

"I have about 50 new things, including 14-day trips, and some really exciting things that are in here are things we've known about that we need to revisit. Maybe they've changed. They survived the pandemic, which I'm very grateful for. Places that maybe we didn't pay attention to because they didn't make news before the pandemic, but they made it and they deserve our attention."

What are your personal top five favorite places in the book and why?

"There’s two places you can go to do shuffleboard. You can go to Shuffle, an indoor bar in Tampa, or the St. Pete Shuffleboard Club, which is classic. And I love the way that younger generations have taken this kind of Florida staple and made it cool again.

"The next thing that we have is the ropes course at MOSI. Everybody has driven by mosey. It's a fantastic place to go. My kids are old enough now at 11 and 14 that the ropes course was a really great thing to do… It was challenging. It was fun. It was an extra $7 so if you’re out with the family for the day and you want to do something kind of epic, it definitely fits the bill. Also, it's covered. And you're not gonna get a sunburn. That's good, and it's exercise.

"This is one that’s in the book and I got to do after the fact, in March, and that's the Skyway 10K. You won't get to do this again until next year, but I highly recommend you add this to your list, getting to walk across the Skyway Bridge is certainly worth anybody's bucket list. It was epic and amazing, and the views were phenomenal.

"I think everybody knows how fabulous the bread is at the Columbia Restaurant. Go to the place where they make it. La Segunda is a really fantastic bakery in Ybor City. It's open through lunch. I highly recommend the guava pastries, bread, and there are now several locations, including a new one in St. Pete.

"The last one is a day trip. Devil's Den this is the farthest day trip in the book, about 2.5 hours. But there is a cave where you can go snorkeling and scuba diving, and it is otherworldly. It looks like something from a movie. While you're in Williston, head over to Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens. This is a beautiful garden built in an old quarry, and it’s an incredible botanical garden with several levels and a fantastic way to spend a day."