Day Trippin' › Florida › From Tampa › Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
The drive from Tampa to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex takes about 2 hr 1 min (east of Tampa), by real roads from ZIP 33602. Along the way we found 60 stops within a short detour: 11 coffee shops, 6 bakeries, 11 ice cream and treats and 19 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.
Photo: Gzzz, CC BY-SA 4.0
Museum
See the Space Shuttle Atlantis, a Saturn V rocket and launch pads. A must for space fans.
Heads-up: Online ticket sales were down; buy at the gate.
First third Middle third Last third Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
About 2 hr 1 min by road, heading east 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 30 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 Le China in Celebration.
Dinosaur World in Plant City, Welcome to Polk County Citrus Center in Youmans, Orlando Balloon Rides in ChampionsGate and Sling Shot in Celebration.
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.