Opening
Night Reception
Tentative
Location: Busch Gardens
Crystal River
Wednesday Afternoon Trip
Conference Dinner
Location TBA
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.
Weedon Island Preserve
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.
The
Florida
Aquarium
Experience the aquarium
and
see why it's among the top aquariums in the world, with more than
20,000
aquatic plants and animals from Florida
and around the world!
Daily
Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
General
Admission: $19.95
Ecotours
(90 minute boat trip in the bay): $21.95
Aquarium
Admission + Ecotour: $35.95
SS
Victory Ship Museum
The SS American Victory,
which is conveniently located directly behind the Florida Aquarium in
the
channel, is available for touring. This ship allows viewers to
discover
more about American maritime history by exploring a 1940s-era merchant
cargo
vessel which served during World War II, the Korean War, and the
Vietnam War.
Hours:
Tue-Sat 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Sun 12 noon to 5:00 p.m.
General Admission: $10.00
Henry B.
Plant Museum
This museum is an old hotel
constructed by railroad magnate Henry B. Plant. It features
splendid
Moorish architecture, opulent furnishings, and spectacular tropical
gardens.
Hours: Tue-Sat
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Sun 12 noon
to 4:00 p.m.
General
Admission: $5.00 (suggested donation)
Museum of Science and Industry
MOSI
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
Lowry Park Zoo
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
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.
Seminole
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
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.
Tampa Bay
Performing Arts Center
Tickets start at $24.50 and are available online.
Tampa
Theatre
Tickets for adults cost $9.00
and are available at the box office.
Tampa Museum of Art
The Tampa
Museum of Art’s primary purpose is to
collect, preserve, display and interpret works of art reflecting art
forms of
regional, national, and international importance for the public on a
regularly
scheduled basis