Tampa Bay Hidden Treasures
 People, Places, Art, Businesses, Products, Organizations, History, Trails, Nature, Museums, Towns and Fun Places ​​
Treasure List

Ohhh So Nifty - Apollo Beach

5/25/2018

 
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It was only a few years ago that Scott Kenny and his wife were selling gifts, antiques, furniture, and home décor online out of their storage unit. Now they have a store. Both artists and woodworkers themselves, they know the business. Around the store among the signs with cute sayings, the paintings, the exotic soaps, and the lamps are worn-looking chairs, desks, bureaus, and tables. This is furniture painted to look worn and then coated so as not to wear any further – a style I am told is called shabby chic. They even sell the same paint they use in the store and offer painting classes so others can do it. There is a variety of shapes and sizes of furniture, such as children’s desks, so one can find something special that fits their specific needs. There are a lot of interesting things there.

The couple is involved in the community and Scott was even named 2016 honorary mayor by the Southshore Chamber of Commerce for raising the most money for charity. They offer painting classes and even plan on expanding the store.

229 Apollo Beach Boulevard, Apollo Beach, Florida
Visit Website

Written by Daniel Noe, ChampionOfTheGalaxy.com

Armetta's Grand Jete Studio of Dance - Apollo Beach

12/1/2016

 
Dance At Grand Jete is a dance studio in Apollo Beach owned by sisters Amanda and Aysza. Every class is taught by one of the sisters themselves and they offer classes for anyone male or female between 18 months and 18 years of age. There are classes covering the dance styles of jazz, contemporary, lyrical, ballet, and hip-hop, as well as classes for toddlers and classes for those with special needs. The academic year runs from August to June, ending in a recital.
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Miss Aysza
​Amanda and Aysza do their best to create a positive, caring environment for all their students, giving attention to each one. They make sure that everyone gains something from the experience – whether coordination, balance, exercise, teamwork, confidence, socialization, or simply the memories of a good time with others. Gaining confidence can make all the difference to the future of any child. This is what they love and make their priority. Learning dance has even been known to increase attention span, according to one happy mother whose daughter took classes with them. They even offer special needs classes, thus allowing one girl with cerebral palsy the opportunity to dance for Disney.
Aysza has been dancing since soon after learning to walk and shows no signs of stopping. She graduated from the Lehigh Valley Charter School for the Performing Arts, creating choreography pieces while there. She has attended many dance conventions and performed in many venues.
Her sister Amanda also started dancing soon after she learned to walk and shows no signs of stopping. She trained in New York City with Bob Rizzo, Katy Spreadbury, Gregg Russell, Doug Caldwell, Mia Michaels, and many others. Having a dancer mother and an entrepreneur father, it is little wonder that Amanda opened her first dance instruction studio in Macungie, Pennsylvania at nineteen.  Soon joined by Aysza, she continued to teach at her Pennsylvania studio for ten years and at one time had five hundred students. For several years in a row, her company was voted the best dance studio in Lehigh Valley.
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Miss Amanda

​Now having moved to Florida, they’ve opened Dance at Grand Jete in Apollo Beach near the Harbour Isles development off US 41. They continue to spread confidence, fun, and dancing skills to the children in the community.

6128N US41, Apollo Beach, Florida
DanceAtGrandJete.com

Written by Daniel Noe, InkDoodler.com

Latitudes Apollo - Apollo Beach

5/13/2016

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​When I first walked by Latitudes I thought it was a travel agency. As it turns out, it is a restaurant serving food of styles originating in just about every latitude (and longitude) of the globe. The menu covers flavors from Greece, east Asia, and the southwestern US. They even allow people to build their own boat – meaning they pick and choose ingredients to layer their bowls with. I tried a chicken-cheese-jalapeno wrap from the lunch menu. The jalapenos were very fresh and therefore hotter than I’m used to. After blowing my nose several times, I had to ask for some sour cream to help me finish. Everything was good. Even the orange slice decorating the glass was amazing – or maybe I was just glad to be alive after eating the jalapeno wrap; I’m not sure. I’ll have to go back at night sometime when they have bands playing to try their fish and their drinks.

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131 Harbor Village Lane, Apollo Beach, FL
LatitudesApollo.com

Written by Daniel Noe, InkDoodler.com
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Manatee Viewing Center  - Apollo Beach

2/22/2016

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My son and I recently visited the Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach. We both 
love nature and seeing manatees up close is a real treat. Manatees like warm water, 
so when the gulf temperature drops below 68 degrees they come to seek a warm place 
to wait out the cold. They survive by taking advantage of Tampa Electric's warm water 
discharge canal next to the plant. 
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From the parking lot we took a few stairs (a ramp available too) to the boardwalk-like elevated viewing platform.  Rounded manatee bodies filled the little bay like so many potatoes simmering in a pot.  A tail flipper occasionally slapped the water as one of them made a shallow dive. Every few minutes one of them raised its snout for air. Mothers with babies half their size floated gently right under the viewing platform. On the day we went, fish that looked like small sharks were leaping out of the water from time to time. It is best to view the manatees at low tide, otherwise they may remain too deep to get a good look at them.  Another interesting part of the center is the Tidal Walk. This extends out into the bay crossing a shoreline usually hidden in the mangrove thicket. Signs along the way identify plants and habitat. We saw pelicans, cormorants, and a solitary sandpiper foraging along the shore.
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It was a nice day, so we decided to walk to the wildlife observation tower. Once at the top, we had a splendid view of the area, from the estuary right below us, to the city of Tampa on the horizon. I marveled that in the shadow of the massive TECO plant, this little local treasure was born. 

The center is open 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM from Nov 1  to  Apr 15 and it is free.
6990 Dickman Road, Apollo Beach, Florida
​​View Website

Written by:  Lucy Noe
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