words Al Woods
Brandon is a community located in Hillsborough County, Florida. It’s just a few miles away from the city of Tampa. If you’re planning on spending a weekend in Brandon, here are just a few of the must-sees, day trips, and free tours in the area that you might like to check out.
Paul Sanders Park
If you’re looking for somewhere to picnic among leafy oak trees and willowy moss in Brandon, head to Paul Sanders Park. In addition to picnic shelters, the park features walking trails, biking trails, and playgrounds.
Whether you’re spending a romantic weekend with your partner or a fun weekend with the family, Paul Sanders Park is the ideal place to hang out and relax after you engage in activities, trips, and tours.
FR Bottle Shop
Another place where you can chill in Brandon is FR Bottle Shop. You can sample a wide variety of craft beers at the bar, including twelve curated beers on tap, a collection of specialty bottled beers, and other locally-produced beers.
Quite simply, FR Bottle Shop is the premier destination for any craft beer enthusiast in the local vicinity. Furthermore, the service is top-notch and the friendly members of staff will be able to guide you in finding the right beer for your taste. FR Bottle Shop also provides beer tastings.
Divine Designs Salon Spa
After a night of drinking, or at any other time, you might like to relax in a soothing environment, in which case, you should head to Brandon’s Divine Designs Salon Spa for a massage, facial, manicure, pedicure, or full-body treatment.
There’s perhaps no better way to relax on a weekend away than to have a spa treatment.
Dinosaur World
If you have your car with you, there are lots of places not far from Brandon that you can drive to for an exciting day trip. Though, you should pay extra attention to the road when driving in unfamiliar places, as that’s when accidents are more likely to occur.
If an accident does occur in the Brandon area and you suffer injuries, it’s a good idea to consult a personal injury lawyer to see if you can claim compensation. But by being extra cautious behind the wheel of your car, you can reduce the likelihood of accidents happening in the first place.
Just a few miles from Brandon, you’ll find the ideal place for a day of family adventure. In fact, even if you don’t have the kids in tow, you’re sure to experience loads of Jurassic joy at the fun Dinosaur World theme park.
In addition to more than 200 life-size dinosaur models, Dinosaur World has plenty of attractions and activities to keep you entertained. Kids will particularly enjoy playing in dinosaur-themed playgrounds and digging for fossils in a sandbox.
Busch Gardens
A few miles away, in the Tampa Bay area, you can see exotic animals like white rhinos, zebras, impalas, giraffes, and ostriches up close, at Busch Gardens.
In fact, the African-themed adventure park is home to an incredible 2,000 exotic animals; most of which roam freely around the sixty-five-acre site.
And that’s not all. Busch Gardens also has some of the best rides in Florida outside of Walt Disney World Resort, including exciting roller coasters.
And you can take a ride in the Serengeti Express train to see the animals better, or take a trip on the Skyride cable car, which covers most of the park.
Free Walking Tours
While Brandon itself doesn’t have free tours, you can download the free walking tour app from the Florida Humanities Council, which covers several places in the Tampa Bay area.
You can then take a leisurely stroll and learn about the history and culture of places like Indian Rocks Beach, Tarpon Springs, St. Petersburg, Safety Harbor, and Ybor City.
