The Super City is a fitting site for Super Bowl XXXV - the third Super Bowl to be held in Tampa Bay.

From the day in 1974 that Pete Rozelle announced that the 27th NFL franchise was awarded to Tampa Bay, the area began a campaign to host the Super Bowl. Tom McEwen, columnist and former sports editor of The Tampa Tribune, says it was always the people who made the difference in Tampa's selection as a Super Bowl site. Chief among them was the late Shirley Ryals, a genuinely dynamic personality who headed up the first Super Bowl committee. Tom remembers that committee members greeted NFL officials at the airport and treated everyone like a VIP.

Ten years later in 1984, the dream became a reality as Tampa Bay hosted its first Super Bowl. The Oakland Raiders beat the Washington Redskins, and Tampa had opened the door for mid-sized cities to host the sport's biggest game.

Tom believes the media and the public love coming to Tampa because of its convenience. "It's called a 20-minute city," he says, "due to the fact that nothing is more than 20 minutes away."

He then added, "We have a great stadium, too - considered the best in the league. It's so successful that they're adding more luxury suites to the original 160."

Michael Kelly, Executive Director of the Tampa Bay Super Bowl Task Force, agrees. "Raymond James Stadium is one of the finest facilities in the country and was one of the strongest assets in our community's bid to host Super Bowl XXXV." The new stadium virtually ensures that the city will host many more to come.

The city has also made the big game even better for fans. "The NFL Experience," which lets fans interact with players during the week prior to and following the game - and is now a part of every Super Bowl - began during the 1991 Tampa Bay Super Bowl.

For this year's event, the annual Gasparilla Invasion and Parade - an all-day pirate fest that ends with a fabulous fireworks display over Hillsborough Bay - has been rescheduled to coincide with the game. It's all part of the reason that the "Super Bowl has become a national holiday," in the words of Leonard Levy, President of Hillsborough Printing, who spearheaded the successful effort to get an NFL team as Chairman of the Tampa Sports Authority.

And memorable experiences are what the Super Bowl is all about. Dick Crippen, who is now with the Devil Rays but served as sports director for WFLA's TV News Department, recalls, "My greatest Super Bowl memory was Super Bowl XXV at Tampa Stadium during the Persian Gulf War in 1991. The war was very close to home because central command was run from McDill, practically down the street.

"Black Hawk helicopters circled the stadium, military security was very visible and when Whitney Houston sang the National Anthem, there wasn't a dry eye in the place."

So, could anything make this year's game even more memorable? How about an appearance - and victory - by the home team Buccaneers? It's a very real possibility. The team just missed out last year, and has improved greatly in the off-season. But whoever gets to the game will get a grand welcome from the city, this year and any year the Super Bowl comes to town.

By now, everyone agrees that Tampa Bay has everything needed to satisfy team owners when they close the door to vote on where the Super Bowl will be held. Every hospitality-related business and attraction in the area cooperates to make Tampa Bay a super site for this game that has become, as Leonard Levy says, "a national holiday." The Super Bowl in Tampa is the result of many people working together for the benefit of all. In a way, it's a national honor awarded to this place we call home. << Back to top of page

Tampa Bay's two earliest visitors, the conquistadors Panfilo de Narvaez (1528) and Hernando DeSoto (1539), came in search of gold. Visitors today come more in search of golden sunshine, unique cultural experiences and world-class attractions, though there are plenty of golden opportunities in the region's thriving economy. With so much to offer, from beaches to theme parks to zoos, it's hard to see and do it all in just a few days. But if you do have just a single weekend to explore the scene, where are the best places to go?

Tampa Bay's number one tourist destination is, of course, Busch Gardens. The park is nearly overwhelming, with choices that range from thrill rides to live animal encounters. The roller coasters are some of the best in the world and the live entertainment is geared to all ages. You could easily spend the entire weekend here. In Tampa at the intersection of Busch Boulevard and 40th Street, two miles east of I-275, (813) 987-5082.

Another great place to see wildlife is the Lowry Park Zoo. This 24-acre zoological park is home to hundreds of animals in natural habitats, from endangered primates and tigers to native Florida species such as alligators, manatees and otters. 7530 North Blvd., Tampa, (813) 932-0245.

Florida's unique marine environments can be explored in depth without leaving the city. The exhibits at The Florida Aquarium recreate the region's wetlands, coastal waters and deep ocean environments, which provide habitat for a multitude of fascinating creatures. Special exhibits here also display exotic marine life from around the world. 701 Channelside Dr., Tampa, (813) 273-4000.

Over at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI), there are more than 400 hands-on activities to capture your imagination and increase your knowledge. One popular exhibit lets you withstand up to 75-mile-an-hour hurricane-force winds. The IMAX Dome Theatre shows a wide variety of films on an

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85-foot-high screen that completely surrounds you. 4801 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, (813) 987-6300.

After visiting some of the attractions, perhaps you'd like to delve a little into the cultural side of things. The best place to start is Ybor (Ee bore) City, Tampa's historic Latin quarter and once the "Cigar Capital of the World." Florida's cigar industry began in Key West, but when a hurricane destroyed the island in 1885, Don Vicente Martinez Ybor decided to move his operations to Tampa, where he felt they would be safer. In 1886, he opened his first cigar factory; within a year he had opened two more.

Workers flocked to the area and the community flourished as shops sprang up and social clubs were formed. Cubans, Spaniards, Italians and Jews formed the multicultural web that was supported by more than a hundred cigar factories.

You might find yourself getting hungry as you walk among the antique street lamps and historically and architecturally significant buildings, and you're in luck, because Ybor City has become a mecca of fine dining. Seventh Avenue, the district's main street, is lined with stellar restaurants, inparticular the Columbia Restaurant, run by the Gonzmart family. Tradition is a way of life at the Columbia.

As in its earliest days, Flamenco dancers continue to entertain the guests and the 1905 Salad and Paella is ordered by all who know. The restaurant is voted Best Spanish Restaurant by Tampa Bay Magazine year after year.

The Don Vicente de Ybor Historic Inn, built in 1895, now houses Carlino's Restaurant, a fine dining establishment run by Rita Carlino, one of Tampa's true culinary geniuses.

At Bernini, housed in a former bank, you can count on an innovative menu and an elegant environment. The beautiful people enjoy being seen at this great restaurant in the heart of Ybor.

At the Green Iguana, "Floribbean" cuisine is served as live music floats over the bar filled with fun seekers enjoying Green Demon Margaritas and other libations. It's the place to meet those you know and those you don't.

Ybor's most beautiful restaurant is La Mezzanine. The striking decor, sophisticated service and American cuisine with European flair draws Tampa's trendiest people and most glamorous visitors.

Hop over to Ninth Avenue and enjoy the Café Creole Seafood House and Oyster Bar, which specializes in cajun and creole dishes. All your favorites are here, including jambalaya, crawfish etouffée and seafood gumbo, with hot jazz to round out the experience.

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But Ybor City's certainly not the only place for outstanding dining. You can't mention Tampa cuisine without mentioning Bern's Steak House. It's a Tampa Bay experience extraordinaire. The wine list is the largest in the world, with more than six thousand individual selections (the 5-pound volume is far larger than the Tampa Yellow Pages). Bern's offers 200 wines by the glass, two dozen different types of caviar and a 65-page dessert menu. From 5,000 to 8,000 pounds of carefully aged steaks are served here every week. This pinnacle of Tampa Bay dining - now one of the world's best-known restaurants - had humble beginnings. In 1953, Bern Laxer and his wife Gert opened a small luncheonette, charging 30 cents for a large hamburger and 30 cents for breakfast with the customer's own favorite jam (they kept records and stocked over 30 different jams). These days, under their son David Laxer, Bern's continues to amaze visitors and locals with an attention to detail that is seldom seen anywhere else in the world.

J. Ryans on the Grill is an upscale California-styled eatery that serves American bistro food. The Chicken Pot Pie is served in an unforgettable puff pastry.

New City Bistro is a casual wine bar with an extensive wine list. New City serves new world cuisine that's creative and comforting at the same time. The staff has a flair for pleasing those who really care about food.

Pipo's Jr. Cafes are a group of small cafeteria-style restaurants scattered throughout Tampa Bay. Pipo's features roast pork and other authentic Cuban and Spanish fare. For more than 20 years, Pipo's has been pleasing the palates of people who really know how this food should taste.

At Taj Indian Cuisine, the sweet and spicy fragrances fill the air of this gourmet restaurant. The vegetarian and specialty dishes can be tailored to suit your own personal tastes.

New world cuisine with a Tampa Bay twist is featured at 3 Palms Grille. Plantain Horseradish Crusted Grouper, Crab Cakes with Banana Chutney and Southern-Style Catfish lure diners to this casual spot.

The Cactus Club, in Old Hyde Park Village, serves Southwestern-style cuisine that truly captures the flavor of Santa Fe. The sidewalk cafe is one of the finest people-watching spots in Tampa. The famous Blues Burger wins the award for Best of Tampa Bay every year.

Ciccio & Tony's features pasta, New York-style. On Sundays and Mondays, the Pasta Festivale has roving waiters serving more than a dozen pastas at a fixed price that includes all the salad, foccacia bread and pasta you can eat.

Il Gabbiano is romantic and creative, but what diners relish most is their special Moroccan evenings, when tagines and cous cous are served. The food is authentic and the service is gracious.

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