This summer, it’s very likely you’ve seen the Zephyrhill’s team out and about at events promoting their new “Florida Favorites” campaign, and if you haven’t… where have you been?? We were so excited when they contacted us prior to their launch help in promoting the fun campaign they are running this summer and join in on all the #FLFavorites fun. As part of the campaign, we’ve been asked to post about some of our favorite things here in the Sunshine State (clearly not hard for us to do!!). After making the tough decision to partake (not really) we were lucky enough to receive a box of swag and a Publix giftcard that we plan to use for a fun event in the future. Let’s dive into our favorites shall we?
Personally, I think the thing about Florida that is my favorite would have to be the fun of camping. Now, we are all very busy between blogging, attending events and our full time jobs, but we love to get away every once in a while to enjoy the outdoors and each others company. Most times, we like to bring some “bonus” friends with us to make the weekend extra enjoyable or to introduce them to the whole camping experience for the very first time. Whether it be tubing, hiking, sunbathing, geocaching, grilling or enjoying a nice refreshing cocktail around the fire, we always find fun things to do to keep us entertained while hanging at our campsite (and when I say campsite, I mean everything from full on “glamping” in a cabin at Lake Louisa State Park to the typical, tent style housing at Lake Manatee State Park). If only there were more hours in the week, we would probably take a camping trip once a month. We have already enjoyed tubing down Rainbow River, but there are still so many more great spots to camp out in Florida with some being pretty close to us. Don’t you worry, we are already planning an upcoming trip once the weather cools down a bit in the fall, so stay tuned!
Ryan’s got his favorite and it piggybacks off of the whole camping experience…Geocaching is a great time when camping! Although I like to keep my phone off when camping, I make an exception to Geocache! What you never heard of Geocaching? Don’t worry only those that “cache” know about the culture. Think of it as a widespread scavenger hunt for adults (and kids)! For us, no matter where we are, we like to bust out our geocaching app and get to searching. Our love started while camping but translates all over, from the center of NYC to the streets of Tampa.It is a great way to explore your home city in a new way, the caches bring you to the corners of the city that you may have never been or never would plan to visit.
Which brings us to Allison’s favorite- outdoor festivals and concerts. It’s no surprise that living in Florida includes living with gorgeous weather, which lends itself to many outdoor activities. Chances are on any given weekend there is something cool and unique going on in your city or one nearby. Whether it’s a Rum Fest, Margarita Fest, Beer Fest, Italian Fest or pretty much any kind of festival (case in point: Macaroni and Cheese Throw down), there is no shortage of events to partake in. Another of our favorites we always make sure to hit up are the outdoor markets here in Hyde Park and Downtown Tampa. They are perfect for discovering great local finds including jams, jewelry and produce. Finally, we love to check out the music and arts fests here in town too. With everything from the Gasparilla Arts Fest, to the Gasparilla Music Fest, Sunset Music Festival and this year’s newbie the Big Guava Music Festival, it’s rare we find ourselves without something awesome to check out on weekends. Making Outdoor Festivals, my #FlFavorites!
After all that outdoor fun in Florida, we were so pumped when our friends invited us to World Water Fight Tampa. A few weeks ago on a sunny Saturday afternoon, a group of us and our friends gathered at Julian B Lane Riverfront park with water guns in hand. It’s as simple as choosing a side, Blue Team or Red Team, fill up and start the games! From an adapted version of capture the flag to every person for themselves, the games were family friendly as well as action packed. This was great way for us to take advantage of a local park, gather with friends and enjoy the Florida sunshine. Check out all of the action-packed pics from the day here on Facebook!
Zephyrhills’ 50th anniversary celebration is asking people to share their “Florida Favorite with #FLfavorites on social media – every time the hashtag is used, Zephyrhills is donating $1 to Keep Tampa Bay Watch and Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful! The target donation is $50,000, and we still have a little ways to go before the campaign ends on September 15th. So get on it!
– Nicholas, Ryan & Allison
NHIE Tampa Bay
NHIE Guys 