One reason people decide to purchase real estate in Tampa Bay is the sun. The average annual number of days in which the sun makes a strong appearance is 361. This makes it perfect to spend your days out on a beach or visiting the top attractions. Yet, residents also spend time in Tampa Bay enjoying the scenery and exploring protected wildlife and lands. In fact, some volunteer their time and/or money to ensure Tampa Bay retains some of its natural beauty and scenic characteristics.
Landscaped Perfections
Natural beauty can be cultivated. This is what occurs at few popular sites in Tampa Bay. The University of South Florida is home to the USF Botanical Gardens. It has 10 acres of landscape displays and collections of orchids, tropical and carnivorous plants, palms and begonias. They coexist with birds, butterflies and other flying beings. Stop in at the plant shop and bookstore to learn more about the flora and fauna of the region.
This same arrangement, but in a more cultivated and somewhat less orthodox or scholarly setting is what happens at Busch Gardens. This is an attempt to recreate colonial Africa complete with plant and animal life. While most people come for the animals and the rides, it is possible to admire the landscaping of the theme park.
If you want to enjoy landscaping, drive through any of the towns and cities in Tampa Bay Metropolitan region. Perhaps, you can visit Sarasota and the lovely orchids and bromeliads of the Mary Selby Gardens. Among the 2,000 specimens, you can meander along a well trod path past ancient banyans, bamboo and mangrove forests
Wild and Beautiful
If you want to see natural beauty, it is often best to head off to the local state parks. While Tampa Bay cannot boast the ferocity and eerie beauty of the Everglades, it does have its own glorious wild spots. The banks of the Hillsborough River are home to some unique wildlife. Explore the beauties of Hillsborough River State Park by kayak or canoe.
Other wildlife and natural beauty is part of the Upper Tampa Bay Regional Park in Hillsborough County. The intent is to keep activity by humans down to a bare minimum within the park. The protected area includes various ecological and coastal environmentally sensitive communities including coastal hammocks, freshwater marshes, mangrove forests, pine flatwoods and salt marshes.
Whatever you are looking for, consider what each community has to offer naturally and environmentally before pursuing your dream of owning real estate in Tampa Bay, Florida. Enjoy the brash attractions of Busch Gardens, but remember the sensitive beauty and nature of the mangroves, bird sanctuaries and marshes.