Out of Touch in Tampa

  I decided on a whim around 6pm on New Year's Eve to take a walk along Tampa's Riverwalk.  You may be familiar with Riverwalk from the commericals running during the past year estolling its virtues and asking for your financial support to complete it.  My walk started out well enough - a leisurely stroll taking stock of the boats in front of the Marriott Waterside Hotel.  From there it was under the Habour Island Bridge past the Tampa Convention Center and up the River.  If you are familiar with the route of Tampa's River Walk then you know that a major improvement in the form of the recent completion of a walkway under the Platt Street Bridge has made enjoying Riverwalk much less danerous. Prior to the addition of the underbridge walkway below the Platt Street Bridge - the Riverwalk was better characterized as a River-dash, since you needed the skills to sprint across 4 lanes of oncoming traffic barreling at you at 40 miles per hour over the hump of the bridge.  It was not for the faint of heart or those not fleet of foot.  Just ask the occassional uninitiated tourist who saw his or her life flash in front of them as they dove for the safety of the sidewalk.   Back to my New Year's Eve stroll.  A funny thing happend on my way up the Riverwalk to the Pl... Read More