In the years following World War II, Tampa Bay's barrier island beaches were transformed from a sparsely populated strip to a booming vacation destination. Following the war's end, fond memories of beachside training exercises amid sand and sea attracted thousands of former G.I.s and their families to the area for vacation. This sudden outbreak of tourism caught the attention of developers, who quickly converted the lonely stretches of beach into a vacationer's paradise, complete with snazzy motels offering the latest amenities. Once home to fishermen and well-to-do winter vacationers, the area's gulf beaches became a popular getaway for newly prosperous middle-class families, anxious to put war-weary years behind them.

This easy-to-use book is packed with practical information and enticing facts that make it fun to read."Sarasota owes its development and artistic reputation to, ironically, the circus, which wintered there beginning in the late 1800s. In contrast to circus raucousness, however, John Ringling was a man swayed by esthetics. The art he loved had a bit of three-ring showiness to it, nonetheless, as shown by the baroque Italianate palace he built himself in Sarasota." A clean, attractive layout makes it easy to find what you're looking for within each of the book's six sections, whether it be suggestions for finding the best food, lodging, kayaking, fishing or shopping; even driving directions are included. --Provided by publisher

Tampa Bay Magazine is the area's lifestyle magazine. For over 25 years it has been featuring the places, people and pleasures of Tampa Bay Florida, that includes Tampa, Clearwater and St. Petersburg. You won't know Tampa Bay until you read Tampa Bay Magazine.