After a “toss ‘n turn” sort of sleep (possibly due to the horrible TV fire scenes from L.A. we filled our heads with before turning out the lights), we again watched the sunrise as a motivator to get up and start the day.
Another breakfast in the Concierge Lounge and then Pam was off for her 9AM conference start. Since there weren’t great sessions from mid-morning until lunchtime, at 10AM we met up for a walk to the University of Tampa campus to visit the impressive and historic Henry B. Plant Building. From there, we found a sandwich place back in the downtown core and took our sandwiches to the hotel for a quiet lunch together. The woman who prepared our sandwiches told us that, the day before, a man had jumped from a ninth-storey window a few buildings away. As sad as that was to hear, it was also quite jarring and depressing. So a quiet lunch together was what we needed.
A university-level clarinet ensemble performed at 1PM, so we enjoyed that. Pam went off to her afternoon sessions, and I hopped on the streetcar outside the Convention Center and headed to Ybor City, a place that I’ve enjoyed exploring on past visits to Tampa. We met back up after 5PM for something to eat at the hotel and then headed back to the Convention Center for the day’s highlight: a concert by the 11-member Florida-based a capella group, Voctave. It was a musical evening that truly blew us away.
Another beautiful south Florida sunrise, at 7:22AM from our hotel room.
The breakfast view of downtown Tampa from the 24th floor Concierge Lounge.
These palms in front of the Tampa Convention Centre indicate the temperature progress during our visit to Florida - sort of. After yesterday and today seeing highs of 14C, tomorrow is forecasted to rise to 21C!
Henry B. Plant Building and Park
One of the most stunning buildings in south Florida is the Henry B. Plant building on the University of Tampa campus. Visiting and exploring this building was our modus operandi for the period of Pam's break this morning.
The Henry B. Plant Museum was supposed to open at 10AM. But when we arrived at 10:10AM, this white sign indicated it was closed. We spoke to someone who told us they are closed for the next several days, as they dismantle Christmas decorations.
And, sure enough, the veranda was starting to show evidence of the Christmas decoration removal process. Boxes and boxes of Christmas trees and decorations, ready for storage.
As the Henry B. Plant museum only occupies one end of the massive former 500-room hotel, with the University of Tampa's admin department occupying the rest, we were allowed to wander most of the building's first floor. It gave us a good idea of the magnitude of the building and some of the great rooms that were used for dining and entertainment in yester-year.
The main foyer.
One of the grand staircases.
A performance hall.
The main first floor corridor, which seemingly goes on forever.
The Fletcher Lounge was the entertainment and dining showpiece, with an upper gallery. From the outside, this hall has a huge silver dome.
The trains terminating at Tampa's Railway Station continued on past the station to loop around at the hotel to drop passengers.
The main entrance. Note the half-masted 'Stars and Stripes', in commemoration of the passing of former President Jimmy Carter, whose funeral took place today from the National Cathedral in Washington.
Monument to John F. Kennedy.
This mounted gun is in honour of Theodore Roosevelt, who oversaw a battalion based in Tampa in 1898 (Roosevelt and his wife stayed at the hotel), as part of the military efforts involving Cuba. Roosevelt went on to become President a few years later.
Crossing the Hillsborough River towards downtown Tampa after visiting the Henry B. Plant building, this view provides a good idea of a section of the Tampa Riverwalk.
Ybor City Historic District
After lunch back at the hotel and a short lunchtime concert at the Tampa Convention Centre, Pam continued with her afternoon conference sessions, while I took the TECO Streetcar to Ybor City, as I had done in 2023 when I was here. This is the heart of Ybor.
An eastward view of E. 8th Avenue, the main street through the Ybor City Historic District. Notice the streetcar tracks.
A moving monument to the rescuers at the World Trade Center on 9-11.
Ybor City really came to be as a result of the relocation of the cigar industry from the Miami area to Tampa. The Tambero Cigar Company still has a store in Ybor. Each November, there is annual cigar festival.
Tampa Sweethearts were one of the most famous brands in the hey-day of cigars. The old factory still stands on 22nd Street, although it is now the head office of the Feunte Company - as the sign above says, the 'reigning family of premium cigars since 1912'.
In terms of eateries, perhaps the most famous place to eat in Ybor is the Columbia Restaurant, established in 1905. It comprises an entire city block and is still going strong today, promoting Spanish cuisine. The ornate windows and frescos are very impressive.
Another typical streetview in Ybor, this time, looking westward on E. 7th Avenue.
Feral roosters and chickens continue to rule the roost all over Ybor.
Centennial Park, in the heart of historic Ybor, contains this statue commemorating the immigrants who came to Ybor in the 19th and early 20th centuries and solidified the city's claim as the cigar capital of America.
So, from where or whom does Ybor City derive its name? From this man: Vicente Martinez-Ybor, the pioneer of the cigar industry and founder of Ybor City.
Typical homes from the hey-day of Ybor City as a cigar-making center.
Another example of the interesting architecture of Ybor, this is The Castle, which has a very European look. It is now a disco.
On the edge of Ybor sits La Segunda Central Bakery, which has been serving Cuban coffee, pastries and, reportedly, Tampa's best Cuban sandwiches, since 1915. I indulged in a cappuccino and a guava-cheese pastry.
Back at the hotel, the blue sky made this mid-afternoon photo from our 25th floor hotel room irresistible. This is looking south into Tampa Bay.
Some Concert Scenes from Today
University of South Florida Clarinet Ensemble comprises undergraduate and graduate students of the USF Music Program. They performed four pieces in a lunchtime concert: a piece by Percy Grainger, a Slavic Dance, an arrangement of Shenandoah, and the famous "English Folk Song Suite" by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
All-State Elementary Chorus
Voctave - world class. And I mean WORLD CLASS!
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