Day Trippin' › Florida › From Tampa › Blue Spring State Park
The drive from Tampa to Blue Spring State Park takes about 1 hr 59 min (northeast of Tampa), by real roads from ZIP 33602. Along the way we found 78 stops within a short detour: 18 coffee shops, 5 bakeries, 13 ice cream and treats and 25 places to eat.
The list below is the best few of each kind, in driving order, with how far into the drive you reach each one (counted from Tampa) and the detour it adds. Stops marked Our pick are chosen by us; the rest come from OpenStreetMap listings, so confirm hours before you count on them.
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Springs
The best place in Florida to see manatees in winter, hundreds at a time, from a boardwalk.
Heads-up: Day-use reservation required since July 15, 2026. Spring run closed to all water use Nov 15-Mar 15 (manatee season). French Landing ramp and rentals closed from Nov 2, 2026.
First third Middle third Last third Blue Spring State Park
About 1 hr 59 min by road, heading northeast from the middle of ZIP 33602. Traffic and weather change that.
Good ones to start with: Winn-Dixie Bakery (Seffner), The Patio (Dover), Dinosaur World (Plant City), Sakura King (Plant City) and Toufayan Bakeries (Youmans). The page lists 29 in all, in driving order.
Winn-Dixie Bakery in Seffner, The Patio in Dover, Toufayan Bakeries in Youmans and Starbucks in Lakeland. Check hours first; they come from OpenStreetMap listings.
Sakura King in Plant City, Ford's Garage in Lakeland, 4 Corners Tavern in ChampionsGate and Fatburger in Celebration.
Dinosaur World in Plant City, Orlando Balloon Rides in ChampionsGate, Ripley's Believe It or Not! in Orlando and Sleuths Mystery Dinner Show in Orlando.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Stops come from our own picks and OpenStreetMap listings; hours and detours change, so check before you go. We do not store anyone's location.