Monday
Night Reception at Busch Gardens (included with registration)
Monday evening from
7:00-9:00 PM
Following the Monday sessions, there will be an optional opening night
reception at nearby Busch
Gardens, a well-known theme park and wildlife preserve
combined. The visit will include food and beverages, along with a
great view of the preserve. There is no cost.
Wednesday
Afternoon Trip to Crystal River (included with registration)
Wednesday afternoon from 1:15 - 6:30
PM
There will be an optional trip to the
Crystal
River Archaeological State Park, where there are several Native
American temple and burial mounds, and a small museum. There will be
live demonstrations of ancient ceramic production, woodworking, use of
ground penetrating radar, and a boatride along the river. There is no
cost.
Thursday Evening
Social Dinner (not included in registration fee)
Thursday evening from 7:30-11:30 PM
This optional conference dinner is at the renowned historic Columbia Restaurant in
Ybor City (see below for more information on Ybor City). The dinner
includes appetizers, an open bar for the first two hours, and a
choice of several entrees (including vegetarian options), desserts,
etc. in a buffet format. Coffee, soda, and iced tea are also included,
as well
as seeing the Spanish Flamenco show. Transportation is provided (within
this
time frame). To purchase a ticket, please go to the Registration
&
Payment page.
Saturday Excursion to
Weedon Island Preserve (not included in registration fee)
Saturday May 15
This excursion to the Weedon
Island Preserve in St. Petersburg includes several archaeological
activities organized by the Florida Public Archaeology
Network and the
Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of the Traditional Small Craft Association.
Visit the forensics lab, ceramics lab, help build a sculling oar, fiber
fishing net, or go on the guided kayak tour. The cost will be a $10
entrance fee plus transport (TBA). Please inform us in advance if you
are interested.
THINGS TO DO ON YOUR OWN
*all prices are current as of September 2009
Dining
Tampa: A variety of
restaurants from fast food to fine dining are available in the Tampa
area
and can be seen by clicking here
USF Area: A list of restaurants near the USF campus can be seen by
clicking here.
Downtown Tampa: A
list of restaurants can be
seen here.
Busch
Gardens Theme Park and Adventure Island
Two miles from USF campus
Disney
World and
Other Attractions
Orlando is about an hour from USF and offers a variety of
attractions.
Museum of Science and Industry
MOSI
Across the street from campus
MOSI is the largest science
center in the south. The facility encompasses over 400,000 sq ft,
which
includes exhibits on many scientific topics of general interest
(dinosaurs,
planetarium, butterflies, space exploration, etc).
Daily
Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (open until 6 p.m. on weekends)
General
Admission: $20.95
IMAX films: $10.95
Seminole
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Around a 15 minute drive from campus
If
you are interested in gambling, over 3,200 games are available at the
Hard Rock
Hotel & Casino in Tampa. The casino also features over 50 tables of
live action poker. Lessons are offered for the beginning gambler on
weekdays
from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Hard Rock also
offers several fine dining options
Weedon Island Preserve
Around 40 minutes from
campus
This
3,700-acre nature preserve on Old Tampa
Bay
was home to at least four prehistoric cultures. Perhaps the most
celebrated
group was the Weeden Island Culture whose distinctive ornate pottery
was first
recorded on Weedon
Island in 1924 by
Jesse
Walter Fewkes of the Smithsonian Institution. (The cultural period is
spelled
differently from the island) Public programs, guided hikes and exhibits
interpret the rich natural, cultural, and archaeological history of the
Preserve.
(727) 453-6500
1800 Weedon Dr. NE. I-275 exit 28 Gandy Blvd east, south on San Martin Blvd.
and east on Weedon Dr. NE,
continue to third turn on left.
Lowry Park Zoo
Around a 15 minute drive
from campus
Tampa’s
Lowry Zoo houses more than 2,000 animals in lush natural
habitats. Zoo
areas include Safari Africa, the Wallaroo Station, Asian Gardens, free
flight
aviaries, Florida boardwalk, Florida Manatee Center, Primate World, and
Birds
of Prey.
Daily
Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
General
Admission: $19.95
River
Odyssey Ecotour: $14.00
Zoo+Ecotour Combo Ticket:
$29.95
Big
Cat Rescue
Around a 20 minute drive
from campus
The sanctuary is home to the most
diverse population
of exotic cats in the world, with 16 species and subspecies of wild cat
represented among more than 100 residents. These include tigers,
lions,
liger, leopards, cougars, bobcats, lynx, ocelots, servals, caracals and
others,
many of whom are threatened, endangered, or now extinct in the wild.
Weekday
tours occur at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Saturday tours occur at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 1:30 p.m. The cost is $25 per person. No
children under ten are allowed on these
tours. No tours are given on Sundays.