Wat Mongkolrata Temple

The Wat Mongkolrata Temple is a Buddhist temple located at 5306 Palm River Road, Tampa, FL, 33619. It is a small Thai Temple on riverfront grounds. The architecture is traditional Thia, with statues, rooftop accents, and bright colors. The grounds are beautifully kept up, and there are large oak trees and pavilions outside of the temple. There are Buddhist monks on site.

Sunday is the day you want to go for a full experience. The temple is open to the public from 9 am to 4 pm. There is an open market, and lunch is served from 11 am until noon. The foods that are served are traditional Thai, and although some contain meat, others are vegetarian or vegan friendly. Donations are paid for the foods, and you can put together a pretty large meal for under $10. The menu usually includes grilled meats on a stick, Pad Thai, coconut custard, egg rolls, fried bananas, or a variety of curry dishes. Keep in mind that this is set up farmer's market style, and each section has its own food. You will go to one stall for a drink, another stall for your soup, and another stall for your Pad Thai. They cook it for you, and it is served in a typical carry out container to take to your table. If you have a few people with you, it works better to assign one person to each line. 

Although this is open to the public, there are some temple etiquette rules to be followed.  The etiquette rules are pretty simple, and include things such as not walking on the mats where the monks sit and not posing for pics with the Buddha statues. Most of the rules are common courtesy, but it never hurts to read over them before a trip. This is a great trip for soaking in some Buddhist culture, and getting a little taste of Thailand while never leaving Tampa. 

Coast Guard Cutter Eagle

The Coast Guard Cutter Eagle is making an appearance in St. Pete this weekend, and will be giving public tours. This training vessel was used by the nazis during World War 2, and was later given to the United States Coast Guard as post war reparations. The coast guard has used it for training and public relations ever since. The ship is 147.3 feet at its tallest mast, and 295 feet long. Despite the 22,000 square feet of sails, the Cutter Eagle still has a 1,000 horsepower diesel engine.


Tours are being held next to the Coast Guard station, located at 250 Eighth Ave. S.E., at the Port of St. Petersburg. The tours are free this Sunday, June 16, and will be open from 10am to 7pm.

Date Night Just Got a Litte Scarier

Tampa has started a frightening new outing for the grown ups. On Friday nights, "Scream on the Green" will be showing classic horror movies at the waterfront portion of the park. The first few weeks will be playing Jack Nicholson in "The Shining." After that "Dawn of the Dead" and "The Exorcist" will be showing. 


They do not allow alcohol, but they do allow coolers with other food and drinks. There will be a food truck there (with theater style snacks) if you do not feel like packing a cooler. You can also bring blankets or chairs. The showings are at midnight each week. The park does have restrooms, and leashed dogs are allowed at the event. Mosquitos may be an issue, so repellant is recommended. Keep in mind, these are pretty scary movies. Where as I will try to keep most events family friendly, this one should probably stay a night out for the grown ups. These showings will start on June 21st. Entry is free, and the event is managed by the City of Tampa. 

Fort Desoto Gulf Pier

This weekend is Father's Day. My husband and my father are both enthusiastic fisherman, so we are heading down to the water. Fort Desoto is a county park in Tierre Verde, Florida. It is named after the Spanish-American war fort that still partially remains. You can see cannons and some of the remaining structures. There are beaches, geocaching sites, and campgrounds all within the park. There are two fishing piers. One is on Tampa Bay, and the other is on the Gulf of Mexico. We will be heading to the Gulf Pier to dip our lines. The Gulf Pier is open until 11 pm each evening. During the day it has concessions and frozen bait. We plan on going in the evening (when it is not quite as hot), so we will be packing our own cooler. It costs $5 per carload to enter the park. There are public restrooms across the parking lot from the pier.

Keep in mind, you do need a license to fish from any Florida pier. They are free for the basic license, and you can get them online at the Florida Wildlife Commission or in sporting goods departments of most major retailers. They are good for a full twelve months, so hang onto your number.

My brother knocked out on the sand during a previous Fort Desoto trip.