Corbin and I constantly get asked about date night ideas and places to visit in FL. Tampa Bay has a lot to offer and so many things to see and places to check out. We recently visited downtown Tampa and stayed at Embassy Suites and got to experience Yacht Starship. We wanted to share all of the details about this dinner cruise and what to expect on this unique date night.
Yacht Starship dinner cruises include a full 3-course meal, free drinks, a live DJ and beautiful views of the sunset. This cruise lasts for 2 hours and cost $80 per person. They also offer a sightseeing cruise that includes drinks, live DJ, and views for $50 per person. They also have a brunch cruise that is offered on Saturday and Sunday for $54.95 and includes food and drinks.
Yacht Starship has two locations, one in Tampa Bay and one in Clearwater. They also have private charters for special events as well and you can host events like weddings on any of their Yachts. They are also connected to the Lost Pearl which is a Pirate boat experience that is great for kids.
While cruising, we enjoyed a 3 course meal of delicious food, drinks, live DJ and beautiful views. This is a great romantic date night and such a great experience! We highly recommend checking it out next time you’re in Tampa and you won’t want to miss this one of a kind experience in Tampa.
We had the opportunity to partner with Embassy Suites Downtown Tampa for a hosted stay this past weekend and had the best time. It was our first time in downtown Tampa and we loved it! There is so much to do and see in Tampa and we are sharing all of the details about our stay and places to visit while in Tampa.
We had the opportunity to partner with Embassy Suites Downtown Tampa for a hosted stay this past weekend and had the best time. It was our first time in downtown Tampa and we loved it! There is so much to do and see in Tampa and we are sharing all of the details about our stay and best places to visit while in Tampa.
Stay
Embassy Suites is a beautiful hotel made up of all suites. We got to stay in the King Suite and it was so gorgeous. All of their rooms have a full living room area with a couch, chairs, desk area, and a tv. They also have a full length mirror and a small kitchen area with a fridge, microwave, sink and storage for food. Their bathrooms are super spacious with a walk in shower. Each suite is complete with a comfy bed, window with a view of the bay, and another tv.
Amenities
Some of our favorite amenities include their beautiful heated pool with a view, Starbucks shop, complimentary breakfast, and Taste their full restaurant. The complimentary breakfast was amazing and complete with an omelet station. The best complimentary breakfast we’ve ever had. We also loved having a Starbucks to grab our coffee both mornings before heading out on our adventures.
Restaurant
Taste is their full restaurant that has some delicious food. We got to try items from their upcoming summer lunch menu and it was amazing! So many great flavors and they also made all of the dishes gluten and dairy free for me. My favorite was the plantain cups that had fish, avocado, and spices in it. Corbin’s favorite was definitely the ahi nachos and bread pudding. Sharing some photos below of all of the delicious food.
Location
The Embassy Suites Downtown Tampa is connected to the convention center and conveniently located near the Amalie Arena, River Walk, Sparkman Wharf, and the Aquarium. The street car stops right in front of the hotel as well for easy access to different places in downtown Tampa.
Things to do
There are so many different activities in the downtown Tampa area from restaurants, to events, to shops, to fun activities. We got to enjoy Zoo Tampa and the Florida Aquarium while visiting and both are such fun activities! We also got to sail with Yacht Starships and experience their dinner cruise. The riverwalk is also close by and is always hosting different events.
It has been such a blast getting to know our new home town Ocala, FL and finding all of the fun activities and best places to eat around the area. I wanted to share with you all why you shouldn’t miss Ocala, FL when visiting FL and also share with my local audience some fun things to do in the local area. If you live in Orlando, Tampa or Gainesville visiting Ocala would be a great day trip as we have a lot of things to do and see here.
Things to do:
Kayaking at Silver Springs or Rainbow Springs
We love both of these springs and they each have something different to offer, if you do go kayaking I recommend booking through Get Up and Go Kayaking as they have clear kayaks that you can see through.
W.E.C (World Equestrian Center)
This is such a neat experience and one you don’t want to miss! They have several free shows throughout the year, restaurants, a five star hotel, pool, and don’t miss their Christmas Spectacular at Christmas time.
Ocala Civic Theatre and Appleton Museum
These are right next to each other and are both great experiences. The Civic Theatre has theatre shows year round to see. The Appleton Museum is a neat place to view art.
Downtown Art Walk
This is such a neat experience. There is music in the town square and tons of different artists there each time and the shops downtown are open at night. It happens the last Friday of every month.
Sholom Park
This is our favorite park to visit and there is so much to see here. It’s great for a nice walk outside or a picnic.
Biking on Greenway Baseline Trailhead and Santos Trailhead
You don’t want to miss biking or walking on either of these trails. The Greenway includes part of the FL National Forest and Santos is beautifully covered with tons of trees as well. They are both unique trails and we love biking on them.
Light up Ocala
This event is a must see in our area! Several people travel from places in FL to see this event. Our whole downtown is lit up in Christmas lights and we have several vendors at this event.
Zip the Canyons
This is a really fun experience right in Ocala, FL. There are several zip lines on this course and the views are amazing.
Restaurants
There are so many different restaurants here in Ocala. I wanted to share my top favorites along with places that are great with Gluten and Dairy Free options.
Brunch
The Gathering Cafe (this is my absolute favorite! It’s a local coffee shop that has amazing coffee and breakfast)
First Watch (this is a chain, but has such great food!)
Symmetry Coffee (they have great coffee and some good brunch too! I love their lunch options too)
Lunch
Pie O’ Mine and Greens (they have great build your own salads and wraps)
Latinos Y Mas (they have great salads as well)
Brick and Iron Cafe (great smoothie bowls)
Ivy House (they have a great lunch menu with salads, sandwhiches, burgers and such a cool atmosphere)
Salyulitas (they have great tacos and guac)
Dinner
Braised Onion (this is by far one of my favs here and so good with allergies)
Latinos Y Mas (has great mexican food and you can sit outside)
Mojos (they have a great menu and you can eat here at lunch or dinner)
Mesa de Note (this is a great Italian restaurant and they were great with my allergies)
Harry’s Seafood Bar and Grille (this has great seafood and New Orleans style food)
Pie O Mine (great stone fired pizza, they have Gluten and Dairy free pizza options)
Blue Highway Pizza (great casual place and great pizza, they have Gluten and Dairy free pizza options )
Dessert
Sarafey’s Gluten Free Bakery (I love this place and they have great gluten and dairy free baked goods)
Happy Pineapple (amazing dole whip)
La Dolce Vita Gelato and Pastry (don’t think they have non dairy options)
Hope you all enjoy exploring Ocala and all of the many things to do and see in our local area. Check back for more travel guides coming this month!
Orlando is one of our top favorite cities we love visiting in FL and we visit about twice a month. It’s such a beautiful area and filled with so many different fun activities. We are here to help you know where to stay and what things you need to do and see when visiting Orlando as a couple. This last weekend we had the privilege of being hosted by the Wyndham I-drive and Icon Park. We got to explore more of the Orlando area and had a blast getting to enjoy our weekend getaway. We wanted to share a recap of our trip and why we think you should start planning your next couples getaway there soon!
Wyndham I-Drive
The Wyndham I-drive is right in the heart of Orlando on I-Drive one of the highlights in Orlando. I-Drive is filled with so many restaurants, attractions, and things to do. The Wyndham I-Drive is also a five minute walk to Icon Park which is home of The Wheel (used to be the Orlando eye). The Wydham I-Drive is a beautiful and quaint resort that has two pools, lagoons, gardens, a cafe serving Starbucks, a full restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and a hot tub. We got to stay in the Executive suite and the room was absolutely beautiful! It had a full king sized bed, a living space, dining room, three balconies, a mini kitchen with coffee maker, sink and refrigerator, a full sized bathroom with a walk in shower and an extra half bathroom in the front of the suite. It has plenty of space for three people to stay and to relax when visiting Orlando. The resort is an 8 minute drive to Universal, a 20-25 minute drive to Disney, and a 3 minute drive to Icon Park.
There are two pools and a hot tub to enjoy with their restaurant Gatorville that is perfect to grab lunch or dinner.
What we loved most about our stay is that it was close by to Icon Park and also easy access to so many different places on I-drive and the Orlando area. Their customer service is top of the line and everyone on staff was super friendly to us. We can’t wait to go back and visit again soon!
You can save 20% off by using the link below to book your trip at their best rate, no minimum nights required!
Icon Park
Icon Park needs to be at the top of your list for attractions to visit in Orlando. Icon Park is home to The Wheel. The Wheel (previously known as the Orlando eye) takes you up in an air conditioned ride 400 feet above Orlando with the most amazing views. Icon Park is also home to the Museum of Illusions which is filled with several fun illusions and photo opportunities. There were so many fun attractions there to check out! It makes the perfect day trip activity for a date or a long weekend away. You definitely want to grab the play pass which includes 7 different attractions and discounts at restaurants and stores. It’s good for 30 days too so you can always go back and see more! The play pass includes: The Wheel, Museum of Illusions, Sealife, Madame Tusades Wax Museum, 7D Motion Game, Orlando Starflyer, and Pearl Express. We loved The Wheel, Museum of Illusions, and Sealife. The Wheel takes you up 450 feet about Orlando and you can see everything and the views are stunning! The Museum of Illusions was one of our favorites as there was so much to do and see at this museum. They had a ton of photo opportunities and fun activities that make you laugh. Sea Life was also so cool to see as well. It was a full aquarium and had a ton of fish, turtles, sharks, jellyfish, salamanders, and other marine life to see. Our favorite was the Salamanders. They also have gift shops in both Sea Life and Museum of Illusions as well as a full market place to grab food at during your adventure.
We definitely had a blast and this would be such a fun day date for couples who live in the area or are visiting Orlando. Check out more on my instagram and Tik Tok. You can save over 50% off right now on the play pass too. I linked it here for you all and make sure to check out their page for more info! Also make sure to follow us here on our blog and social accounts for more FL couples travel and adventures.
We are so excited to call Ocala, FL home now. We love all of the beautiful moss covered trees and historic downtown area. We wanted to share some of our favorite local highlights. Be on the lookout for a part two as we get to know our area better.
World Equestrian center
This is a must see in Ocala, FL and you can’t visit Ocala without seeing WEC. It looks like a building you would see in Europe. This is one of our favorite places to visit, take pictures, and walk around. They have five different restaurants on site, tons of shops, a lot of horse shows going on throughout the year, a five star hotel with a pool, special events throughout the year including the Christmas Winter Wonderland event in December, and a beautiful chapel. All of the decor in their hotel is regal animal themed and absolutely gorgeous. You can visit WEC anytime of the year for free besides special ticketed events. Here are some pictures of WEC below.
Trails for Biking
One of our favorite things to do in Ocala is go biking or hiking and they have so many beautiful trails that are a part of the FL National Forest. Our favorite trail is the Greenway Trailhead at Baseline. It’s surrounded by beautiful pine trees and moss covered trees. We love biking through this trail and it’s a great trail for many activities. We also have enjoyed Santos Trail as well for biking.
Downtown Ocala
Downtown Ocala has so much to offer between their Market days, to art walks, to lots of shops and restaurants. We absolutely loved the light up Ocala event this year where we got to see the whole town square light up in Christmas lights and they had several local businesses and vendors there as well. Symmetry Coffee is a little coffee shop downtown that is a really cute place for coffee and pictures. We also love Harry’s Seafood, Salyulita’s, Ivy House, and Merevino downtown. The square has a really cute gazebo and lots of moss covered trees. It’s the perfect spot for strolling downtown or taking pictures. We haven’t checked out Market day but are planning on doing that soon.
Kayaking at Rainbow Springs or Silver Springs
There are a couple of local springs around Ocala including Rainbow and Silver Springs. If you want to go on a glass bottom boat tour then Silver Springs is your go to. That is on our list of things to try soon. Rainbow Springs is perfect for Kayaking and Tubing. We just went kayaking and what an amazing experience it was. The views are gorgeous and don’t forget to check out kayak tours with Get up and go kayak at Rainbow Springs. Plus you get to see a lot of FL wildlife while on the water. It’s also such a peaceful experience! Be prepared to get wet!
Ocala Civic Theatre
If you enjoy entertainment and seeing shows then this is the place for you. I got to see It’s a Wonderful Life with my husband recently and it was such a great experience. It was a very professional show. They have a lot of shows happening throughout the year.
These are just some of our top favorite things right now to enjoy. We can’t wait to explore more of Ocala and share more spots with you all in part two of our blog post. More FL travel guides and places to visit in FL coming soon!
Beyoutiful Adventure 