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1. Moonlight Paddles Unwind on the water with an evening paddle around Weedon Island. The 1,000-acre nature preserve just south of the Gandy Causeway in St. Petersburg sports lush seagrass beds and mangrove thickets brimming with wildlife. Sweetwater Kayaks offers 2 to 3-hour TGIF paddles the second Friday of each month, weather permitting. Cost for canoe/kayak rental is $15; free with your own boat. The outfitter also coordinates overnight trips to Shell Island. Space is limited so reserve early. For more information, contact Sweetwater at 727-570-4844 or www.sweetwaterkayaks.com. 2. Sleep With The Sharks Snuggle up with sea creatures after dark at the Florida Aquarium near downtown Tampa. Sleepovers can be arranged for any group of 10 or more, and include admission, a private trek through the aquarium, behind-the-scenes tours, pizza, latenight snack and light breakfast. Dive into your sleeping bags at midnight alongside snoozin' snappers and evening eels. Prices range from $25 to $42 per person, depending on group size. For more information, call 813-273-4000 or visit www.flaquarium.net. 3. Pier Fishing at The Sunshine Skyway The magnificent Sunshine Skyway Bridge connecting Pinellas and Manatee counties provides a dramatic backdrop for anglers that flock to the old Skyway approaches to fish, but night fishing holds a special allure, inviting one to kick back and relax. As one enthusiast puts it: "When I fish during the day, I've got my cap on forward, but when I fish at night I wear it backwards." While night catches vary, sharks and snook abound, hiding in the shadows awaiting dinner. The south pier is the longer - some say better - of the two fishing piers, but both are well lit and offer drive-up and drop-a-line convenience. Both piers also have restrooms and all-night bait shops, where you can pick up snacks, drinks and plenty of free advice. Cost is $3 per vehicle plus $2 per adult. Bring heavier gear to land the big fish. Call the south pier (Manatee County) at 941-729-0117 or the north pier (Pinellas County) at 727-865-0668. |
4. Beachwalk 101 Hit the books (er, rather the beach) with Hillsborough Community College's Beachwalk by Moonlight at Picnic Island. The non-credit course, offered four times a year, lets students comb the shoreline and seine the water for marine critters, while instructors identify animals and discuss the importance of the Tampa Bay estuary. Ah, the joys of Florida living! The next "class" meets Friday, April 4 from 7 to 9 p.m. Cost is $5 per person. Call Pat Cannizzaro at HCC at 813-253-7523 for more information. 5. Camp Out Under The Stars For an outdoor "room" with an unbeatable view, few things can top sleeping under the stars at Fort DeSoto Park in south Pinellas County at the mouth of Tampa Bay. The park features seven miles of sugar-white beaches - frequently cited among the best in America, an historic fort built in 1898 during the Spanish American War, and numerous water and land trails. More than 200 campsites are available, with water and electrical hookups, picnic tables and charcoal grills. A camp store, restrooms/shower facilities and laundry also are available. One catch: reservations must be made in person, in cash, no more than 30 days in advance at one of three county offices. There's a two-night minimum stay and pets are not allowed. For more information, including an update on campsite availability, call 727-582-2267. Nightly fee (January - July) is $33.30. 6. Prowl For Owls Boyd Hill Nature Park in St. Petersburg typically offers night hikes the second Monday of each month (conditions permitting). Lucky participants may spot a Florida screech owl as they trek through hardwood hammock, sand pine scrub and marsh areas with park rangers who supply illuminating commentary on the night life. Admission is just $2 for adults and $1 for children, but reservations go fast. Walks are temporarily suspended due to concerns about the mosquito-borne West Nile virus, although human illness from the infected insects is rare. Call 727-893-7326 for an update and information. |
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