TAMPA, Fla. — Evening anchor Leslie Draffin had the chance to play tourist in Tampa Bay on Thursday. She got to check out what the city has to offer, like riding a bike on the riverwalk, taking a streetcar through downtown and exploring the Florida Aquarium.
Leslie said accessing the bike route was easy and the weather was perfect. Along her ride, she saw dozens of people walking, running and hanging out with their dogs. Plus, there was a scenic view of the river, the University of Tampa, the Tampa Museum of Art and the Tampa Children's Museum.
Leslie got to talk to Florida Aquarium President and CEO Roger Germann, who's a huge hoops fan. Germann said he's planning on taking his kids to the Final Four games this weekend.
"One of the great things of hosting this in Tampa is having the Lady Bears and all of the folks come here for the Final Four," he said. "It's a great infusion of energy in a great town like Tampa, especially at the Florida Aquarium. We are excited to host fans, players and just do our part to make sure this is the best Final Four ever."
Together to Tampa: Final Four in the Sunshine State
The aquarium is home to unique critters: sharks, jellyfish and sea turtles. It even has lemurs too! Germann said the aquarium offers a dive program where you can swim with the fishes. Leslie was all for it, until Germann mentioned the sharks.
To quote Bruce from "Finding Nemo", fish are friends not food, but who knows if that's the case with people?
Overall, Leslie said the aquarium was her favorite part of the day.
Armature Works is another attraction in downtown Tampa, and it's accessible from the riverwalk. Leslie said it's an interesting concept: part food court, part co-working space, with shopping options and an amazing courtyard.
Armature Works director of marketing Jessica Mooser said there's plenty to do in the area for basketball fans.
"We're super excited to be hosting [the Final Four] here in Tampa," Mooser said. "Tampa has a lot to offer for out of town guests, especially with tourists coming. There's tons of the things to do we are an active city, and the beaches aren't too far away, so there's plenty of things to do to keep you occupied."
Leslie's next thing on her checklist was to ride on the river to dinner with a water taxi service.
Leslie and sports reporter Jessica Morrey explored Ybor City for dinner. It's the Cuban area of Tampa where cigars are king. They ate at the Columbia Restaurant, which is more than 100 years old and was delicious. Afterwards, they walked off their food and enjoyed the live music and culture before heading back to the hotel.
Fans won't have to venture far to find all these attractions. The places Leslie explored Thursday were just a few blocks from Amalie Arena, where the Lady Bears will play Friday night.
Friday is going to be a big day, and Leslie said she's excited to finally see the Lady Bears play in person!
Tipoff against Oregon is set for 6 p.m. Central time Friday.
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