Sarasota boasts excellent theaters, art galleries, restaurants, shopping areas and waterways. Manatee County has a prized planetarium and is one of the better places in the state to spot manatees. Clearwater has an unusually good jazz festival every year. St. Petersburg has a picturesque waterfront downtown and Haslam's, one of the state's bigger bookstores. Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties are known for picturesque land, pretty parks and waterways.
Crystal River is one of the better places in the state to spot manatees.
Hillsborough County is home to Florida's newest attraction, the Florida Aquarium, and nearby Ybor City, an historic area known for good restaurants, nightclubs, bars, art galleries and hand-rolled cigars.