Update: Returned from Tampa/St Pete

Bothuwui

I have a last minute trip to St Pete next weekend. Any places I should visit coin wise? I'm definitely planning on hitting a few flea markets I know of.

A little of topic, but does anyone know a good cuban restaurant? There have got to be tons down there.

MSD61

Are you going to the wagon wheel flea market?? I used to live about 10mins from there. It's a real nice flea market! If it's still there Suncoast coins on Seminole Blvd in Seminole ( Pinellas County) is not too bad

As far as Cuban eats, there are a lot of them. The Columbia is excellent! It's in Tampa....been there forever! It's in Ybor City which has plenty of Cuban places it eat. These two serve Spanish food:

The Columbia
2117 East 7th Avenue
Tampa, FL 33605

La Tropicana Restaurant
1822 East 7th Avenue · Tampa

This is a good place to get Cuban food:

Don Quixote Cafeteria
1901 13th Street · Tampa

mojorizn

I've been in the area now for about six years but my coin shop excursions haven't made it that far yet. I'm a bout an hour south of Tampa.

There are tons of coin shops down here and I would advise you to stay away from the pawn shops! Just take a look in the yellow pages when you get in.

PM me and maybe you can give me a call when you get down here!

Mojo

newsman

The Lincoln restaurant on Columbus Drive in West Tampa is one of the best -- it's a popular hangout for the Cuban community. La Teresita is another one with good, authentic food. The Columbia restaurant in Ybor City is more famous than those two, but also more touristy.

MSD61

Oh yeah almost forgot these places

La Nueva Rumba
La Segunda
Espo's
Arco-Iris restaurant

¡Todos estos lugares están muy bien!!!

Bothuwui

I make a trip to the Wagon Wheel every time I'm there. I'm usually in St Pete once a year. I'll try and look up some of the restaurants to try. My trip is going to be kind of rushed, so it's hard for me to plan anything. I'll probably stop by the wheel and a few shops whenever I can find some time.

JrGMan2004

Stay away from Hausers Coin... other than that... I don't know much about the shops over in Tampa... I live about 45 minutes east, in good ole Polk County! In the movie Identity, there's reference to this little 2 stop-light town not far from here... Mulberry...

Bothuwui

Well, I found out I'm allergic to oak pollen. I could barely breathe the whole time I was in Florida. On the bright side, I did pick up a few nice coins at the flea markets (Wagon Wheel and Mustang). I got a 20 cent piece for my type set, and a nice looking BU Oregon Trail Commem to fill in one of the half dollar commem slots. Also picked up a few Morgans to fill some holes in my Morgan book. I kept running into the same collectors at each of the booths. I had my price guide with me, so all the collectors wanted to check their prices too. After I bought my 20 cent piece, the dealer pulled the other 2 he had off the shelf, and bumped their prices up by fifteen bucks! At least he honored his marked price for the one I picked up. I hope that means I got a good deal. I came across 8 or 9 different tables with coins for sale.

Well, thanks everyone for all the good advice. I got to spend a day in Ybor, and enjoyed lunch at the Columbia, followed by a few cigar tours. Can't wait until I can breathe again so I can smoke all the cigars I bought.

JrGMan2004

And now you know what I go through all the time... thankfully we got some rain today and yesterday, and it's washed out a lot of the pollen... I got a bunch of oak trees right around my house... I'm glad you enjoyed you're trip to Sunny Central Florida!

MSD61

That live oak tree pollen is terrible! Another thing I don't miss about living in Florida. While I do miss my boyhood home it is nothing like I remember it. Too many people on too little land. I grew up in Maderia Beach florida in Pinellas County and it was my home for 35 years and the last time I was there it looked like Miami beach. The sea oats and dunes I used to play in are all flattened and now condos stand in their place. Oh well, I love where I live now and that's all that matters