ZooTampa at Lowry Park ~ #TampaLocal

December 17, 2018



As the fourth-ish post in my #TampaLocal collection, I think this one actually FINALLY qualifies me as full local, and I'm honestly a little disappointed in myself that it took this long for me to make it to ZooTampa! I am a HUGE fan of animals and wildlife photography, so naturally getting the chance to break out my camera and take photos of random creatures just makes my soul happy. And, since Julie and I almost always seem to end up at a zoo of some sort, it was only fitting we check this one off the bucket list together!


Located in Lowry Park, ZooTampa features a multitude of different animals from all over the world, as well as rides for kiddos, and (amazingly) a beer and wine garden for the adults! They also have the largest Christmas tree I think I've come across in Tampa, as you can clearly see!

Though a decent amount of the exhibits had some sort of maintenance going on, our whole trek around the zoo took around two hours, including the "Expedition Africa" safari ride. And damn, it felt so good to break out my camera and dive into the way a shot lines up and the colors and exposure.



And clearly, I might be a wee bit partial to zebras, but c'mon people, baby zebras! Lucky for me, ZooTampa features a "Pay for a day, come back for the rest of the year" free option, so I will more than likely be back another day to get some more shots!




Winter Village ~ #TampaLocal

December 16, 2018 Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, 600 N Ashley Dr, Tampa, FL 33602, USA

Christmas is most definitely my favorite time of year. I get to celebrate both my birthday and the most wonderful, hopeful holiday on the calendar in the span of a few weeks, so I am no stranger to dashing off in search of Christmas magic all around.

Since I'm now a bonafide Tampa local (three years running!) one of the most obvious ways to kick-off the holiday season is the Winter Village at Curtis Hixon Park in downtown. Featuring shop stands from local businesses, coffee & treats, and ice skating, it's a fantastic way to get in the spirit and enjoy the beautiful Tampa "winter" weather.




This event is free to visit, and features light shows, "snow," and so much more that truly helps get you ready for Christmas. And I'm lucky enough to have friends (like Michelle) that let me drag them around and take 400 pictures of the whole thing!



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