This is our first visit to Alafia River State Park about 40 minutes east of Tampa. It’s a small quiet campground with an abundance of bird life and miles of mountain bike trails. 
Site 25
The river and ponds support a wide variety of water birds. Every evening a couple hundred egrets gather in the reeds across this pond. It’s quite a sight to see them arrive and leave each day.
Florida is basically a flat state but it has a surprisingly challenging trail system. This park is a former phosphate mine that created new landforms when they excavated the phosphate. A branch of the Alafia River runs through it and several small ponds developed after the mine disrupted the area. The trails are built and maintained by volunteers from the Swamp Mountain Bike Club.
So far we have mostly stuck to the easy trails but Shelly tried a more challenging one today and will try a few more.
A familiar reminder that we’re in Florida.
A day in Ybor City
Ybor City is a section of Tampa known for it’s cigar producing past. Today it draws people to the area for its restaurants and cigar cafes. 
In its heyday, worker social clubs dominated the city’s social and political life.
A wonderful Cuban bakery. Highly recommended.
The area around Centennial Park supports a large population of feral roosters and hens.
A pretender to the throne of the Plant City Strawberry King.
Tincan Travels 
Hail to the King!
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ah, the lush life. thanks for the photos. keep having fun. love you guys
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we all enjoy the photos , keep going and going …
take care
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Shelly, you have always been royal to us! Just hope you did not have to eat the “whole things”!
Have a blast!
Joanne and David
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I loved Ybor City when I was there in the fall. Did you check out mojitos at the columbian?? Yummy food beautiful decor!! How was Shelly’s trail?? Looks gorgeous, birds at sunset ❤️
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We did go in to the Columbia but it was mobbed. We had a meal at it’s sister Columbia in St. Augustine. Shelly’s Loop was a gnarly, above my ability.
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