The Florida Lighthouse Association

The Florida Aquarium
Tampa, Florida
July 26, 2008

July meetings can be brutal !! Remember the meeting at Cape San Blas when we all stood in the unrelenting sun as a security person cut the lock on the lighthouse compound ? Or, last July when the only relief from the sun was sitting under the branches of a Florida shade tree, a large palm. So, we are trying something different this July. Let’s beat the heat and enjoy the day in air conditioning.

         
Photos by Dennis and Gayle Stemmac

Our meeting will be held in the Taylor Great Room at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa. The price of the meeting includes admission to the Aquarium. You will have the entire afternoon to explore all the galleries and to enjoy the animal feeding demonstrations, animal shows, and dive presentations. A program schedule for the shows and feeding times will be provided. For those wishing to have a most unique day, a Behind the Scenes tour showing where and how animals’ food is prepared, how the Aquarium gets natural sea water from the gulf and more is available. There is also a Behind the Scenes walk with a biologist as they feed the sharks. A 90-minute Wild Dolphin Ecotour is another option aboard the Aquarium’s vessel “Bay Spirit “ to experience the awesome animals that thrive in Tampa Bay. These optional experiences are available thru GUEST SERVICES in the lower lobby and not included in the admission.

        
Photos by Dennis and Gayle Stemac

Our guest speaker for this meeting will be Mr. Tom Wagner, the Provider Relations Manager for the Aquarium. He is a wealth of information about the facility and will give us an insight for the afternoon as well as answer any questions.

Currently, we are working with the Egmont Key Alliance in an attempt to open the lighthouse on Egmont Key on Sunday morning. As the information becomes available, it will be posted on the homepage of our webpage. Our preferred hotel is located in the Westshore area of Tampa with extremely easy access to Pinellas County and the lighthouse. The island is accessible via a daily shuttle that departs from the ferry terminal in Ft. DeSoto County Park at 10am and 11am daily. The shuttle returns at 2pm and 3pm. For anyone never having visited Egmont Key, it is a walk back in time. In addition to the historic lighthouse, there are historic sites and trails. You are able to walk the brick paths that remain from the days when Ft. Dade was active. The ruins from the fort remain today. The island is also a National Wildlife Refuge. Gopher tortoise, many species of seabirds, and many other animals can be seen on the island. The price of the shuttle is $15. but there is no admission charge to visit Egmont Key. For additional information about the shuttle, please call Hubbards Marina at 727-867-6569. Of course, on your way to Ft. DeSoto, you can stop by and photograph the faux lighthouse on Tierra Verde which is home to Tampa Bay Watch.

The cost of this meeting including the luncheon, facility rental, and access to the Aquarium is $40.

Click here to print the reservation form

Meeting Agenda

8:30 Meeting Registration
9:00 Third Quarterly meeting of the FLA begins
12:00 Lunch is served
1:00-5:00 Visit and enjoy the Florida Aquarium

Preferred Hotel

SpringHill Suites by Marriott
4835 West Cypress St.
Tampa, Fl. 33607
Phone : 813-639-9600

This is an all-suite facility featuring in-room refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker. A complimentary breakfast buffet featuring fruit, cereals, Belgian waffles, eggs, sausage and more is also included. The hotel is located in the Westshore area with proximity to many restaurants, Westshore Mall and Tampa’s renowned International Plaza. We have secured a discounted rate of $109. for a king or double room. The rooms will be released on July 11, 2008 and rate and availability cannot be guaranteed after that time.

Click here for map showing hotel location

Click for a map and directions from hotel to Aquarium (Map will not display in Firefox)