Tampa is a big city that is closer to an even bigger city named Orlando, so many times tiny little Tampa doesn't get much attention when it comes to extraordinary vacation destinations. It is competing against Orlando, one of the most vacationed spots in the whole world.

However; I think that I may be able to surface a couple of gems in the Tampa Bay Area after living here for over 30 years.

First and Foremost I will quickly mention the obvious Tampa vacation destinations.

Busch Gardens

Adventure Island

Yes, these are large parks and if you haven't had a chance to ever go I would definitely say that they are both enjoyable, but I would like to focus on places you can go that won't show up on every TODO list on the internet today.

Ok, so here's 3 quick suggestions for fun things to do in Tampa.

Vertical Ventures

This place is pretty ROCK-ous. They have tons of awkward things to climb of all different levels, so it can keep a group of people laughing and entertained for quite some time. Plus, if you time it right you can usually catch a "regular" at the place hanging from the rafters like the picture above, which is just cool to watch.

Go now, yes RIGHT NOW! and Play, because it is an enthralling experience.

And if you're in Tampa don't miss out on playing at Imagine Escape Games, which is one of the top 5 escape rooms in the United States. They have four brain-bending and fun-filled rooms that will keep you and your co-puzzlers occupied and immersed. Trust me, you will lose track of time, you will get anxious, you will start to panic and then when you escape (which I hope you do),

YOU WILL FEEL LIKE A GENIUS.

I mean seriously. Escaping from one of these rooms puts you on par with Einstein for a bit.

TopGolf

I know what you thinking.

Eh…this is a bad suggestion, golf isn't for me.

But, what a second. Give this place a chance. It is a blast. Even if you have never hit a golf ball in your life just go and see what happens. It is likened to bowling in that everyone watches one person that hits the ball and points are made by making it into certain holes.

Now, here are three great little food places that I enjoy to go to on the regular in Tampa.

Felicitous Coffee Shop

If you look up mom and pop unique coffee shop in the dictionary you are sure to find this unique little place. Felicitous is a little coffee shop close to USF that has a fun environment that is conducive to a nice afternoon coffee. It is filled with art from students at USF and there menu is very unique, serving up coffee drinks with names like honey bear and dirty chai.

If you have the time to stop by and grab one of there unique coffee drinks, please do, and I promise that you will remember this little place forever.

Cazadores Grill

This place doesn't look like much from the outside, but don't let that fool you. I can assure you that this is one of the best steak/meat restaurants that you will ever eat at. They serve many different things on there menu but to be honest I would just order there Cazador platter which is basically amazing(well, if you like meat that is). Also there Tostitos are fantastic as well. If you eat one place in Tampa, it has to be here. The food is so good and the people that run this place are very nice as well.

HOT Krispy Crème Donuts

So, this last one isn't unique to Tampa, but I don't care because you can never really go wrong when it comes to hot krispy crème donuts. This Krispy Crème is located right of the interstated in the middle of Tampa on Nebraska Ave. Just make sure to go when the HOT light is turned on and you will be in paradise.

In conclusion, if you're looking for a couple of fun things to do in Tampa and some good food and desserts, I hope that this list helps you out.