AntiTouristTrap.Com

Tampa in a few paragraphs

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Tampa is a great city with plenty to do and see.  The city is rich in history and its economy is a blend of tourism and industrialization.

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In the early 1800's pirate Jose Gaspar and his krewe invaded Tampa bay.  For the last 100 years the residents of Tampa have celebrated a reenactment of the invasion with boats invading the city via the Hillsborough River and the mayor of Tampa surrendering a key to the city.  The invasion is followed by a parade and celebration Named Garparilla.  This invasion has lead to the naming of the NFL team in Tampa, The Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Tampa is the city that once was Fort Brooke in the 1820's.    

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By the late 1800's the Two Henry's  (Henry Plant & Henry Flagler) brought railroads to the state.  While Flagler went down the East Coast of the state.  Plant cut through the middle of the state to Tampa.  His mark was left permanently on the Tampa Bay area as he Built the Tampa Bay Hotel which became the campus of the University of Tampa, a beautiful campus located on the Hillsborough River opposite of the Downtown area.  You can see the legacy in the local high school named after him, "Plant High School" and the name of near by Plant City that is the Strawberry Capital of the world.  Contrary to popular belief, Plant City was named after Henry Plant and not after the mass quantities of strawberry plants which cover much of the area.

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During the Spanish-American War, Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders set up camp at the Tampa Hotel.  When the US invaded Cuba, many of the US military forces left for Cuba from Tampa Florida.  An 8 inch artillery cannon sits on the campus today still positioned in the direction of Cuba.

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With the state of Florida previously being owned by Spain and being the closest state to Cuba.  There is a rich vibrant Cuban population which has blessed Tampa with their culture for centuries.