We had a successful trip to Tampa! It’s fun every year, but last year was, er, a little less fun due to a couple factors which we don’t really need to go into (there were some cranky people). This year, everything went smoothly! Our hotel gave us QUEEN BEDS (as opposed to full-size beds last year, shudder), my daughter’s rehearsal venue was within walking distance of our hotel, and, last but definitely not least, there was a Starbucks connected to our hotel.
Yep, my daughter was living her best life. Instead of being at school, she was eating from the breakfast buffet while I got her morning Starbucks order. Happy kid=happy mom! Then she was off to her all-day rehearsals while I did my own thing.
I had leisurely workouts, time to read my book and sit with my planner in the Starbucks, and on Friday I had my annual blogger meetup with Stephany!! Stephany named this adventure “Beers, Books, and Bloggers.”
We started at the St. Pete Brewing Company. Now to be clear, I don’t usually have beer with my lunch. But this was a special occasion, and I couldn’t pass up the “Hazy Tampa Bay-ker”:
Then it was on to the bookstores! We started at The Book Lounge.
This was such a cute store. I wish I had taken a photo inside, but there were quite a few people there and I didn’t feel comfortable taking photos of strangers. We spent some time browsing and buying, and then walked over to Book and Bottle.
At this store, we spotted this, which Elisabeth recently mentioned:
After more browsing and buying, we went to Tombolo Books.
I loved every store, but this was probably my favorite because they had the biggest selection. More browsing and buying. I LOVE buying books, but I don’t usually do it because, um, well the library is free. But if I go to a bookstore I always want to buy something, to support them.
Here’s what I ended up with from the afternoon:
This was fun! I got to see Stephany (we both bought one of the same books- can you guess which one?) and have a little tour of St. Pete.
On Saturday my daughter had her concert. It was a situation where it was a huge venue, and I had the best view from the large screens at the sides of the stage. I got some good photos of her!
She really enjoyed all state this year because she played piccolo, which she likes more than flute. And then on Saturday night we drove back home! I’m sad the trip is over, but VERY happy to see the cats. Of course.
Do you buy books? Would you buy a book if you were at an indie bookstore?
22 Responses
What a fun trip! I am glad you got some time with Stephany and that everyone was living their best lives!
I would buy a book if I was at an Indie bookstore but it would probably be a chapter book for Paul. I can’t bring myself to buy books for myself unless they are a book I think I will reference in the future or it’s written by a friend!
When Phil got home from his mom’s last night he tensely said – there are books on every surface of this house! Well… he does have a point but it’s not the worst thing IMO…
Of all the things to clutter up a house, books would be my top choice. None of the books I bought are books I will keep for future use- I’m pretty sure they will all be donated after I read them. But, I just considered it all part of the experience (and I had set money aside ahead of time for this book buying spree!)
Sky Daddy! I love that book. I cannot wait to read Heart The Lover, I have had it on my holds list forever. I wonder if I will just break and buy it. I only buy books that I want to reread, or if someone I know has written it (I just finished SHU’s book last week!). I reread a lot so buying books is a good idea for that….although I do love my library. Glad you had a fun trip! So fun to have a blogger meetup too.
Also – wine shop and books, that sounds like my kind of place.
Yes, I wish I lived in St. Pete and could go back at a more suitable time to drink wine! I’m really looking forward to Sky Daddy and Heart the Lover… I think I’m going to read that one as soon as I finish the book I’m in right now.
i LOVE buying books on vacation! then i always associate that book with the destination, plus it’s an excuse to browse a cute bookstore!!!!
Yes that’s true- and I like getting bookmarks from the stores as a souvenir as well.
Sounds like a great trip! Now that my office Starbucks is gone I look forward to hotel-adjacent Starbucks when I travel!
I usually buy e-books from Amazon, but when I go to an indie bookstore I can’t resist buying something. Sounds like you found some good ones and got some good books!
Congrats again to your daugther!
Thank you Coco!!! I’ll report back on these books- I think they’ll all be good.
Awww. That’s so fun that you bought books together. Birchie will be DELIGHTED you got Sky Daddy, I know Lisa loved Heart the Lover, and I think you’ll ADORE Project Hail Mary. (I’ve never heard of The Dentist).
I’m not sure what book you both bought, but I’m assuming it was Heart the Lover (though potentially Sky Daddy). Stephany doesn’t strike me as an Andy Weir reader??? Please do tell!!!
I don’t buy many books; only books I’ve already read and want to own OR books by people I know (like SHU and soon Nicole)!
I don’t think I would have picked up Sky Daddy if not for Birchie’s rave review- but I have heard other people really loved it was well. The Dentist is the first book in a detective series I’ve been wanting to read!
If the twin book turns out to be Sky Daddy I will be ecstatic! And possibly you and Stephany will think that I am very weird once you read it, but I feel like we’ve crossed that point already. Heart the Lover is on my holds list, two week wait. I think it’s been two weeks for a few weeks, but the estimate for everything else on my Libby holds list is six months, so it’s getting close.
I would have been all over the hazy IPA. Like you, I don’t normally have beer for lunch either, unless there is a good reason and lunch with Stephany is a very good reason.
I very rarely buy books, and am less likely to buy them while traveling because of luggage space. But I do enjoy gawking at them.
This was a good time to buy books because I was driving- if I were flying it would have been hard to fit four new books in my carryon. Sky Daddy sounds VERY weird, but I trust you, and I’ve heard a lot of other good reviews as well.
Your trip looked so fun! That bookstore/wine bar sounds cool — I met a friend who was visiting from out of town at a local coffee shop that also turned out to be a bookstore and they had cocktails, wine and beer! I just got an iced coffee because it was the morning but I’d love to go back for a drink and to browse their books.
What a fun trip! So nice that the trip was more fun this year – I think I remember you did a lot of driving around last year, so that’s great your daughter could walk to her rehearsals this time, and you could have a proper holiday. Starting your day with coffee, books and planning sounds the best. I love to browse a bookstore, I will sometimes buy a book but it needs to either be an author I LOVE or a book I’ve already read and want to own. Or books for the kids.
Sky Daddy! Ha! I’m not into it, but I might cave since everyone else is into it. What adorable bookstores. I might buy more bookstores if there was one nearby. There’s one opening in my town soon!!
Ah, so close. I could’ve bumped into you. I was in downtown Tampa on Friday, but not for very long. We (I) pushed the envelope a little too far and sat in a lot of traffic on the way to the airport. Oops. Coach would’ve skipped downtown Tampa and had us hanging at the airport for hours. We ate lunch at a place called hattricks. We looked at Tampa University. I rarely buy books. I like the library. I also don’t have a dedicated book shelf to store them. I have several book shelves for kids’ books though. Glad you enjoyed your Tampa visit.
I had such a good time, Jenny! Thanks for hopping over to my side of town and giving me an excuse to buy some books. Putting my new friends on my bookshelf was very rewarding. 🙂
I’m glad your time in Tampa was a lot less hectic and cranky than last year. A Starbucks connected to your hotel – the dreeeeam!
Oh, the book tour sounds lovely and makes me want to go to St Pete! It’s too far for a day trip, but maybe I’ll do a weekend trip there sometime. Looks like they have some yarn stores, too: perfect!
SO FUN! Ahhh that weather looks gorgeous, too. It is SO COLD here this week!! I’m glad you got to meet up with Stephany, that the trip went well, and that your daughter had a good time, too! Success all around!!
I love going to bookstores. I used to buy but now I only go to the library. I would buy a bookmark, magnet or a book for my granddaughter.
Those bookstores are so cute! I am glad you had a good weekend in Tampa. It sounds like the perfect trifecta: happy daughter, time with friends and….beer! I see nothing wrong with a lunchtime, or even breakfast time beer. We are adults now, we can do what we want!! 🍻
Yeah for blogger meet ups. So fun.
That book store looks so colorful.
Hail Mary is on my TBR as well.