MacDill Happenings

Come out and enjoy Lowry Park Zoo for only $5 on Sunday! The $5 admission fee is available for all ages. Located in the northern part of Tampa off of W. Sligh Ave, it is easily accessible from I-275. The zoo is about a 40 minute drive from MacDill AFB. Lowry Park Zoo has been named the #1 zoo in America by “Parents” magazine and “Child” magazine. There are more than 2000 animals on 56 acres of natural habitats in seven main exhibit areas. There is a combination of natural habitat exhibits and caged exhibits in each area. The seven exhibits are Asian Gardens, Primate World, Manatee and Aquatic Center, Native Florida Wildlife Center, Free-Flight Aviary, Wallaroo Station children’s zoo and Safari Africa. At some exhibits you have the opportunity to feed the animals. There are two water play areas and you can see educational shows. Check out the Zoo School for exciting programs for everyone, from tots to teens, adults, families, teachers and more. The Zoo’s conservation education programs are designed to meet Sunshine State curriculum objectives for Florida state schools. There are also rides for an additional fee. Expect to spend at least 4 hours to see all exhibits. You can bring a picnic basket to enjoy before or after the visit at Lowry Park. Of course, there are plenty of restaurants in the zoo. Parking is free.

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Come out to St. Pete and visit the Sunken Gardens which is the area’s oldest museum at over 100 years old. This garden has some of the oldest tropical plants in Florida. You will walk through a tropical paradise with plants from around the world, waterfalls, elaborate gardens and more than 50,000 tropical plants and flowers. Purchased by the City of St. Petersburg in 1999, the Gardens offers tours, horticultural programs, special events, field trips, weddings, private and corporate rentals. The Sunken Gardens was built by George Turner, Sr. in 1903. He purchased the six acres that would become a world famous botanical attraction. His favorite hobby was gardening. He began by draining an ancient lake on the property using a unique maze of clay tiles. The drained lake was a rich muck soil that was ideal for gardening. Neighbors so enjoyed strolling through Mr. Turner’s garden, that by the early 1920′s, he was charging a nickel for tours. The Sunken Gardens was run by 3 generations of the Turner family until it was sold to the City of St. Pete. If you enjoy yoga, then the Garden offers yoga in a peaceful and beautiful setting every day of the week. Workshops are offered several times a month with topics varying from gardening to koi and goldfish in ponds. There are volunteer opportunities available from garden assistants to docents to special events assistants. Hours are Monday to Saturday 10am to 4:30pm and Sunday Noon to 4:30 pm. Admission to Sunken Gardens is $8 adults, $6 seniors (55+), $4 children (2-11). Parking is free. Located in St. Pete, Sunken Garden is just across the bay from Tampa and about a 20 minute drive from MacDill AFB.

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If you’re new to MacDill AFB, then besides looking for a place to live, one of the first things that you should do is stop by the TRICARE service center on base to make sure that you are properly enrolled. The TRICARE office is located inside the base clinic near the Exchange. When you come in the Dale Mabry gate, the base clinic will be the big buildings to the right. The TRICARE office is located on the second floor . MacDill AFB is part of the South Region of TRICARE. The personnel in the office can assist you with any updates you have for DEERS,answer questions on local medical providers and the on-base medical services. MacDill AFB has a clinic on base that provides almost all medical services found at a hospital except for emergency room care and overnight stays. For emergency room care and overnight stays, MacDill sends patients to Tampa General Hospital on Davis Island, about a 5 mile drive out of the Bayshore Gate. There is a new hospital being built by the gas station on base which should be open in the Fall. In Brandon there is the MacDill AFB Branch Medical Clinic across the street from the AMC 20 Brandon Regency movie theater so that military families don’t have to drive onto MacDill AFB for medical appointments. Make sure ask to go to the branch clinic in Brandon when you register at TRICARE. Brandon Clinic Pharmacy provides initial prescription service to eligible beneficiaries seen at the Brandon Clinic. The MacDill Clinic provides initial fill service to our Active Duty and those patients seen by a provider in the clinic. The PharmaCARE Center located near Burger King provides outpatient pharmaceutical care to all beneficiary categories. The BX Refill Pick Up Center is the central point for picking up all phoned in refill requests and any new prescription not claimed on the day it was left at PharmaCARE Center.

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The Tampa Bay Rays take on the Boston Red Sox. It’s the start of a quick 2 game series with the first ball being thrown out at 7:10pm. Buy your tickets now. You can saw a few dollars by buying tickets at the MacDill AFB ITT office or save transaction charges by buying tickets at the Rays downtown Tampa store. Bring out the cowbell! The Rays are a team to be reckoned with in the American League East. Remember, Carlos Pena is back home where he belongs playing first base! Expect the parking lots to fill up quickly so get to the stadium about 2 hours ahead of time to find a spot. You can use that time to have a tailgate party! Try to find a spot near the grass so that you can have some room to spread out. Or park early and stop in for a bite and drink at Ferg’s Sports Bar and Grill right across the street from the stadium. Ferg’s is the place to be before and after a game! There are private lots nearby the Trop that charge $10 for parking. The Trop is easily accessible from I-275. Inside the Trop, check out the Ray tank in centerfield. In the Left Field Street area, fans can participate in a baseball-themed game show, take their picture on a Topps baseball card, have their name inscribed onto a Louisville Slugger bat, touch and feel real game-used equipment, and broadcast play-by-play of baseball highlights. At Right Field Street kids can experience the magic of baseball in the Rays Baseball Carnival, a real working carnival that includes plinko, spin the wheel, ring-a-bat and skee ball. Or take a swing against a computer images of real Major League pitchers in a batting cage or test their arms in the speed pitch, both found in the T.G. Lee Rookie Challenge area of the Carnival. There is also kids-themed areas such as “Bats, Balls, and Brushes”, “St. Petersburg Times Pressbox” and “The Science of Baseball.” Centerfield Street has the Cuesta-Rey Cigar Bar, baseball’s first in-stadium cigar bar, as well as the Batter’s Eye Restaurant, located in the “batter’s eye” in center field. Centerfield Street also has the Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall-of-Fame.

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Pinellas County is right across Tampa Bay from MacDill AFB and Tampa.  The eastern border of the county is the Gulf of Mexico.  The largest city in Pinellas County is St. Petersburg.  The county seat is Clearwater.  Clearwater Beach is a popular tourist location and always has a crowd during Spring Break and during the summer.  Boating, beaches and fishing are popular recreational pursuits.  Communities are varied and along the coast are geared towards vistors and the water.  St. Petersburg is home to world-class museums, big-league sports and endless sunshine. The oldest city in Pinellas County, Tarpon Springs combines the history of its sponge diving tradition with the rich cultural infusion of the Greek heritage.  Tierra Verde in an island community with boating influences that is the location for Fort De Soto Park, home of the No. 1 beach in the United States.  Surrounded by John’s Pass to the north and Blind Pass on the south, Treasure Island delivers on its family-friendly, fun-oriented image as a beach destination. South Pasadena is nestled along the banks of Boca Ciega Bay, this town is anchored by delightful shops and restaurants, as well as local landmark Ted Peters’ Famous Smoked Fish.  Gulfport is proudly boasting a quirky, eclectic smalltown feel, Gulfport has experienced a revival to its downtown village with the influx of a thriving arts element. Largo is the proud home to Heritage Village, where 23 historic structures make up an open-air district with an eye into the past, along with stores, parks and delightful neighborhoods. Madeira Beach is the home to John’s Pass Village, a hotspot for commercial and charter fishing as well as the launching spot for innumerable cruises for every occasion.  Sitting at the top of Tampa Bay, Oldsmar is known for its multitude of parks and features green pastures and protected wetlands. It is also the neighbor to Tampa Bay Downs Racetrack. Pinellas County is home to America’s Award Winning Beaches: Caladesi Beach, America’s #2 beach in 2006 and 2007, Fort De Soto Park, America’s #1 beach in 2005 and 2008.  There are 35 miles of white-sand beaches on some eight major barrier islands.  Pinellas County is within minutes of many popular Florida attractions: just 30 minutes to Busch Gardens in Tampa and 90 minutes to Walt Disney World Resort, Sea World and Universal Studios Escape in Orlando.

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Today is Mummies Day at Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Tampa !  With the purchase of one ticket, Mom gets in for free today! This is a great way to share the day with the entire family.  Here is a great opportunity to experience more than 450 hands-on, a standard IXAM Dome film, “Kids in Charge!” and a 3-D film in the Coleman Science Works Theater.  Take a ride on the High Wire Bicycle!  You can take a chance on pedaling a bicycle on a 1-inch steel cable suspended 30 feet above the ground. See one of the largest dinosaurs ever discovered!  The sauropods that are in the lobby are 3 stories tall! See the permanent exhibit on health, wellness and prevention.  Or experience hurricane force winds.  The Saunders Planetarium now features a new projection dome, new seating arrangements and a state-of-the-art star projector—the GOTO Space Simulator Chronos projection system—capable of recreating the night sky from any time in less than 20 seconds from the past, present, and future from anywhere on the planet! In addition, the new interactive planetarium is capable of playing movies, ultra 3D graphics and live videos from NASA. Kids In charge! is a designed for children 12 and under and emphasizes the value of learning through play.  Normal admission is $20.95 for adults, $18.95 for seniors and $16.95 for children ages 2-12. Parking is $4.  There is a museum shop in case you want to bring home a souvenir and a restaurant to keep you going through the day.  Plan on 4 hours to see all the exhibits.

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Celebrate the history and the future of trains on National Train Day today from noon to 5pm at Union Station. This is a free family event! The Tampa Union Station is a Local Landmark Structure. Union Station, located between Downtown and Ybor City on Nebraska Ave in Tampa, will take part in the nationwide event which celebratesthe laying of the “golden spike” in 1869 as the first intercontinental railroad was built. On May 10, 1869, in Promontory Summit, Utah, the “golden spike” was driven into the final tie that joined 1,776 miles of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railways, ceremonially creating the nation’s first transcontinental railroad. Learn more about the history of trains and local train clubs and see exhibits from Florida Coalition of Rail Passengers, National Association of Railroad Passengers, Friends of Tampa Union Station, Tampa Bay History Center, TBARTA, HART, TECO Line Streetcar, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library/Burgert Bros. Collection, Operation Lifesaver/CSX, City of Tampa, Amtrak, Florida Railroad Museum and ACL & SAL Railroads Historical Society. Check out the HO scale display from the Suncoast Model Railroad Club and an N scale modular display from Plant City Historical Society There will also be live music and of course admission is free! There will be Amtrak superliner to see!

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If you’re looking for something to do beside go shopping this Friday, then go to downtown Tampa. Instead of paying for something at the store, take the family for a free fun and educational experience! Check out the Tampa Museum of Art in Tampa on Friday.  Art on the House takes place each Friday from 4 pm to 8pm. Art of the House provides access to the Museum galleries free of charge, but donations are always welcome. The Tampa Museum of Art building has 66,000 square feet that includes eight galleries providing 14,000 square feet for art exhibitions. Located on Ashley Street in downtown Tampa, the Museum is along the banks of the Hillsborough River directly across from the University of Tampa.  Opening shows feature art by Henri Matisse. Prints, paintings and sculpture by Matisse are included. The Tampa Museum of Art also will have contemporary art from the Margulies Collection, photographs by late 20th-century photographer Garry Winogrand, 20th century paintings by famous modern artists and Greek and Roman antiquities.  Outside the Museum is the Curtis Hixon Park with a dog park.  The children’s play area at the park has one of the funniest interactive playgrounds!  The touch light game at the park will give you a great workout!  Normal admission prices for adults is $10, seniors, groups, military plus one guest $7.50, students $5, and children ages 6 and under free. There are two nearby city parking garages, Poe and new Curtis Hixon garage at the Museum, and several public parking lots on or nearby Ashley St.

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The Friday Extra Concert Series continues on 11 May at the Lowry Park bandshell, 7525 North Blvd. in Tampa, starting at 7pm. Opening the night is SAA with their unique blend of multicultural jazz, funk and rock. Closing the night out will be blues guitarist Kraig Kenning. Sponsored by the City of Tampa, the Friday Extra Concert Series alternates locations between Lowry Park and Curtis Hixon Park in downtown Tampa. These concerts highlights the rich music scene in Tampa. All concerts are free! Bring a blanket, chairs and food for a great picnic! Alcohol is not allowed, but you can bring all the non-alcoholic beverages you want! Lowry Park is bordered on one side by the Hillsborough River. The 0.9-mile asphalt Lowry Park Trail runs along side the River. The trail meanders along the riverfront and through beautiful oak woodland hammocks. Park amenities include picnic tables, shelters, restrooms, fishing docks, a canoe and boat launch, and grills. Lowry Park is located in the Lowry Park Central neighborhood of Tampa. Lowry Park Central boundaries are Riverbend to the south, the Lowry Park North to the north, Sulphur Springs to the northeast, the Seminole Heights area to the southeast and the Armenia Gardens Estates to the west.

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This weekend John’s Pass celebrates the 11th Annual John LeVique Pirate Days. John’s Pass is on the Gulf just north of St Pete Beach. This festival celebrates the founding of John’s Pass. The great hurricane of 1848 cut this barrier island in half creating the pass discovered by turtle farmer John Levique Come out for the Pirate’s Ball, sea battle and boat parade, a family treasure hunt, adults and children’s costume contests, various themed merchandise, a pub crawl, artists & crafters, food and beverage vendors, along with an abundance of pirate performers. The Pirate’s Ball runs Friday from 7pm to 11pm in the Main Parking lot at John’s Pass and is for adults only. Pub Crawl tickets are $25 per person. On Saturday, the Sea Battle takes place in the channel in front of Johns Pass Boardwalk at noon and will be followed by a parade at 1:30pm. The Family Treasure Hunt begins on Saturday and continues on Sunday. This event is limited to 500 families. Friday’s hours are 3pm to 11pm. Saturday’s hours are 10am to 8pm and Sunday’s hours are 10am to 6pm. Admission is free. There will be something for everyone! Listen to live music or join the street dance in the village. Wander around the more than 150 shops in the village. Parking is available at the 325 space parking structure at the Boardwalk as well as nearby Madeira Beach Middle School for free. A free shuttle service is available from Madeira Beach Middle School.

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