It’s back! The Smithsonian Museum is giving away free tickets to amazing museums again on April 4, 2020. Here’s what you need to do:

Like everybody else, I was shocked at the news of Kobe Bryant, along with his daughter and 7 others, passing away in a helicopter crash. It hit me, even though I never met the guy and he never knew of my existence.

Ginnie Springs is a privately owned campground along the Sante Fe River in Gilchrist County known for its three springs, scuba diving, snorkeling, paddle boarding, canoeing, river tubing, camping and party atmosphere.

This has been on my list for a very long time. Bok Tower Gardens consists of 250 acres of gardens with a singing tower, 205 feet tall, as it’s centerpiece.

Possibly my favorite state park. 385 acres of land (with 2,400 acres submerged underwater), 4 miles of beach, a 3 mile hiking trail . It is the most visited state park in Florida with over one million visitors per year.

Ybor City is the bar crawl capital of Tampa, but not only that, this little historic Latin neighborhood makes some of the finest cigars in the world, has music filled streets, an eclectic range of restaurants and did I mention bars? Lots and lots of bars. I mean, like a lot of them.

Every 4th Friday of the month downtown Tampa has a party of free (or pay-as-you-will) admission to local museums, art galleries, and local attractions.

Every year cardholders for Bank of America, Merrill Lynch and U.S. Trust get free access to a selection of free museums on the first full weekend of every month. Just provide your credit or debit card along with a photo ID. Let’s take a look.

Something I like to do is go to these little minor league baseball games. I find they are much more enjoyable than going to see the Rays or Marlins. I don’t have to pay for parking (or deal with the headache of parking), tickets are cheap and all the seats are good.

Back in 2016 me and the fam attended the annual Egypt Shrine Circus–the first time I’ve ever attended the event so I had no idea what to expect.

Colt Creek State Park is one of Florida’s newer state parks, being established in 2007 as the state’s 160th state park. It is located in Polk County, in Central Florida and is part of the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve.

Gatorland bills itself as the alligator capital of the world. With 110 acres, 2,000+ alligators and a myriad of other animals and shows, including an alligator wrangling show, they are probably right about their claim.

The Fun Lan is Tampa’s last old school drive-in theater and is my favorite place to catch a movie.

I’ve been to Caladesi Island a number of times now and love it each time. Caladesi Island was originally part of a larger barrier island on the Gulf Coast, but after being pummeled by hurricanes enough times, particularly in 1921 when a hurricane pass was created, cutting the barrier islands apart.

Homosassa Springs is another classic Florida day trip–one that should be near the top of your list. It has been popular since the early 1900s when passing trains would stop to let passengers take a look at the blue spring filled with exotic Florida fish and manatees.

The Tampa Bay Hotel is now home to the University of Tampa, and the building’s southern wing has been preserved as the Henry B. Plant museum in order to show off the hotel’s glory days.

Located in “The Cube” along the Tampa Riverwalk, the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts occupies the 2nd and 3rd floors and presents collections from the cutting edge to the vintage.

I was absolutely blown away by the diversity and quality of art I saw here–stretching from flawless Greek sculptures to clever modern art to Florida-infused masterpieces. This is a highly recommended Tampa experience.

This was a somber experience. I didn’t know quite what to expect or how I was supposed to feel.