Tampa - Category of Things to Do

Ybor City is the only place to be at night, though new clubs open and close like wildfire. The free Weekly Planet ( www.weeklyplanet.com ) has nightlife listings , as does the Friday Tampa Tribune .

Amphitheater 1609 E 7th Ave, Ybor City tel 831/248-2331, www.amphitheaterybor.com . A live music favorite featuring everything from retro to techno.

Castle 2004 16th St at 9th Ave tel 813/247-7547. A Gothic inspired drinking joint.

Irish Pub 1721 E 7th Ave, Ybor City tel 813/248-2099. Convivial spot for late-night drinking.

Masquerade at The Ritz 1503 E 7th Ave, Ybor City tel 813/247-3319. A lively high energy dance club.

Skipper's Smokehouse 910 Skipper Rd tel 813/971-0666. Blues and reggae rule at this family-oriented live music venue.

A twenty-minute drive northeast from downtown Tampa takes you to the colossal Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI), at 4801 E Fowler Ave (daily 9am, closing times seasonal, tel 813/987-6100; $13 including IMAX; www.mosi.org ), where topics such as health, the environment, and space and the stars are tackled through hands-on activities and a program of shows. Plan your day around the Challenger Learning Center (more space adventure where you can defy the laws of gravity), the 75mph Gulf Coast Hurricane and the IMAX shows.

Nearby, at Busch Boulevard and 40th Street, Busch Gardens , one of Florida's most popular theme parks (daily 9.30am6pm; longer hours in high season; adults $48.76, children $39.22, parking $510; tel 813/987-5082, www.buschgardens.com ), offers the Southeastern US's fastest, largest, most nerve-jangling roller coasters, incongruously set in an interpretation of colonial-era Africa. A sedate monorail journey allows inspection of a variety of African wildlife, but by far the most popular of the twenty-odd rides is Gwazi , a double wooden roller coaster that pits the two against each other in a race to finish first. Other winners include the nerve-jangling Montu and the enormous Kumba . For those weary of the G forces, the water rides Stanley Falls and Congo River are a refreshing alternative on a hot afternoon.