TAMPA, Fla. — If you still are uneasy about getting on an airplane or a cruise ship (or paying the high prices), it may be time for a Florida staycation.
Two recently updated travel books — "Visiting Small-Town Florida" and "100 Things to Do in Tampa Bay Before You Die" — offer good ideas for staycations and day trips, so you can take advantage of living in a place that tourists flock to. Most of their suggestions avoid the big, well-known attractions, offering local gems that are off the beaten path.
Travel guides can have a short shelf life, so it helps that both books revisited and updated their tips and trips. Tampa native Bruce Hunt recently released his fourth edition of "Small-Town Florida," offering bite-sized profiles and restaurant and shopping recommendations for “79 of Florida’s most interesting small towns.”
