Things to Do in Greater Northdale

When crafters step into Pottery Bears 'n Beads' vast studio, shelves brimming with more than 1,000 paintable ceramic pieces and finished works by other artists dash away inhibition and flood minds with inspiration. Picassos and fledgling artists create side-by-side, forming a social community buttressed by friendly staff members who lend guidance and break down creative barriers with templates and design suggestions. Whether painting pottery with a floral pattern or painting canvas with a portrait of a family pet, crafters draw from a rainbow of paints and a full arsenal of supplies. Artisans of all ages can also hand-stuff a bear, leopard, frog, dog, or other animal, outfitting finished friends with birth certificates, sounds, or outfits to ready them for a tea party or NATO convention.

While letting their creative sides flourish, patrons can munch on BYO snacks, order in from several nearby restaurants, or enjoy complimentary adult beverages on Friday ladies' nights. To document the good times and give clients a solid alibi, Pottery Bears 'n Beads gifts a free photo of the festivities. Also, to encourage good grades in its younger crafters, it waives the studio fee for students who present a report card with an A.

Standing atop a board, a paddler rhythmically dips an oar into Old Tampa Bay's sparkling waters, smoothly skimming the surface while soaking in views of the sun sinking beyond the horizon. Tampa Bay SUP's team welcomes the uninitiated and veterans alike to experience this for themselves via paddleboard lessons and rentals. Their lessons last 20 minutes before students are free to enjoy leisurely paddling, which affords lofty vantage points from which to gaze upon marine wildlife and boosts core strength so that students may wrestle the animals into submission. Once they are ready to go out on their own, paddlers can request that staffers bring boards to various launch sites around the Tampa/Clearwater region, or pick them up at Tampa Bay SUP's beachside shops. Tampa Bay SUP also rents kayaks with all the necessary equipment included, sells paddleboards, and gives tours.

Dunedin WaterSports sets visitors sailing past fluffy clouds and gentle wakes on the Gulf of Mexico on jet skis, kayaks, paddleboards, and jet boats. With rental sessions lasting from 30 minutes to a full day, staff members equip renters with the means to paddle out to the likes of Caladesi Island State Park and its mangroves or zip along the tranquil coastline. Jet-boat rentals speed groups to fishing locations, and when the water is right, visitors may try paddleboarding with Poseidon's trident. The team can also provide fishing gear for angling trips or sets of snorkeling gear to get visitors close enough to swim alongside fish.

The newest addition to the fleet is the jet-pack-like flyboard, which uses hydraulic water pressure to create forceful streams that help to propel participants from the water’s surface and through the air. Not keeping solely to the Dunedin beachfront, the team also delivers speedboats and watercraft to customers’ launch sites.

Lazee Lizard opens up the Gulf, Tampa Bay, and Florida's myriad waterways to adventurers with its standup paddleboard and kayak rentals. In such vessels, explorers paddle blue waters to take in the sights, get in a workout, or spot manatees and dolphins trying to wipe the grins from their faces. To keep the maritime fun accessible, Lazee Lizard's team can also bring equipment directly to each customer's watery launch site.

The course at Plantation Palms Golf Club slithers among numerous water hazards and over an incessant barrage of elevation changes, keeping golfers on their toes. David Harman orchestrated the links-style layout to tangle with the natural lay of the land and added his own flourishes in the form of large, white sand bunkers and gently billowing greens.

Players make swift acquaintance with local difficulties on a par 5 first hole that stretches 561 yards from the back tees. Elsewhere on the front nine, two par 3s measure 198 yards and 221 yards, calling on golfers to exhibit distance and accuracy or the ability to hypnotize opponents into believing they just saw a hole in one. Plantation Palms' on-site restaurant, the Oasis Bar & Grill, is open to the public and has a menu that features items such as a grilled mango fish sandwich and the Plantation Palms club sandwich.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course

• Total length of 6,824 yards from the back tees

• Course rating of 73.4 from the back tees

• Course slope of 139 from the back tees

• Four sets of tees per hole

• Scorecard

Though West of the Moon Art Glass has been around for more than 35 years, its facilities are brand new. Because of a recent relocation, their artisans inhabit a fresh space, where they sculpt custom stained- and leaded-glass works of art for local homes, businesses, and even churches that recently decided to install windows. Their experienced hands masterfully tackle any task customers set before them, whether it be a window, a light fixture, or a wall sculpture. The same meticulous attention goes into leading classes, which grant pupils the tools to craft their own masterpieces from materials that range from fused glass to faux bone. For those who prefer to skip right to the finished product or lack the space in their garden to grow their own glass, the gift shop sells jewelry, sun catchers, and window panels.