Staycation Directory

Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach, FL

May 22nd, 2010

In 1986, Tampa Electric built a manatee observation platform at Big Bend Station and officially welcomed the first manatee watchers to its warm water discharge viewing area. Since then, the Manatee Viewing Center has hosted more than one million visitors who have come to see these endangered marine mammals.

The center features an Environmental Education Building where you’ll get a chance to learn about the manatee’s biological characteristics and habitat.
The center is open to the public from November 1 through April 30. The center is handicapped accessible, with vending machines, picnic shelter and gift shop.
A self-guided natural trail is also open, ideal for viewing the tidal flatlands.
Mangroves, one of Florida’s native trees, are a common and very important part of Florida’s estuarine ecology and economy.

The museum has an observation platform for viewing Manatees during the winter months. Displays and a video about Manatees are located in the education building. There’s also displays of coastal water birds, Florida landscaping, and power plant generation.

Big Bend and Dickman Rd

Apollo Beach, Florida

813-228-4289

Type of Admission: Free

StaycationDirectory

Staycation Definition and History
A staycation (also spelled stay-cation, stacation, or staykation) is a neologism for a period of time in which an individual or family stays at home and relaxes at home or takes day trips from their home to area attractions. Staycations have achieved high popularity in the US during the financial crisis of 2007–2009 in which unemployment levels and gas prices were high.Staycations also became a popular phenomenon in the UK in 2009 as a weak pound made overseas holidays significantly more expensive.The term was added to the 2009 version of the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Common activities of a staycation include use of the backyard pool, visits to local parks and museums, and attendance at local festivals. Some staycationers also like to follow a set of rules, such as setting a start and end date, planning ahead, and avoiding routine, with the goal of creating the feel of a traditional vacation.
Benefits of a staycation
Staycations are far less costly than a vacation involving traveling. There are no lodging costs and travel expenses are minimal. Costs may include transportation for local trips, dining, and local attractions. “The American Automobile Association said the average North American vacation will cost $244 per day for two people for lodging and meals… Add some kids and airfare, and a 10-day vacation could top $10,000″. Staycations do not have the stress associated with travel, such as packing, long drives, or waits at airports. Staycations may be of economic benefit to some local businesses, who get customers from the area providing them with business. In 2008, the tourism bureaus of many U.S. cities also began promoting staycations for their residents to help replace the tourism dollars lost from a drop in out-of-town visitors.