Things to Do in Lakeland

"We've got more canoes and kayaks than fingers and toes to count them," Captain Wendy explains. "Also, three sailboats, eleven pontoons––all rentable. The funny thing is, this business came from a big accident." She's referring to the company’s inception in 2002, when a devastating hurricane led a friend to sign his company’s single sailboat over to Wendy and her husband, Bruce. "We were in marketing––then, suddenly, we were in boating." More than 10 years later, Windsong Charters has flourished under the duo’s stewardship. The company now performs 200 weddings each year and equips a wide range of patrons to revel in the breathless joy of cutting through playful zephyrs and out across the water. Wendy and Bruce encourage fishing, drinking, and bringing pets on boating voyages, and the two share stories to delight guests or calm champagne bottles propped next to brand-new yachts. As propellers hum to life and paddles make a gentle kissing sound against the surf, visitors scan the horizon for the variety of wildlife that slips along just below the surf's surface or comes wheeling out of tufts of cumulonimbus. "I wish the animals would give us their schedules,” Wendy says, “but, on a given day, you could see manatees, dolphins, stingrays, and lots of birds."

Start by selecting any plate, bowl, flowerpot, mug, jug, or unexpected pottery discovery from a variety of contemporary and functional finely crafted artifacts. The Pottery Patch's colorful design books and friendly staff can help if you need inspiration or artistic guidance. After you make a sketch, you'll pick out paint colors (The Pottery Patch has more than 50 pigments). Then carefully direct your brush in tune with your dreams and wishes, letting your creative juices flow wildly onto the dinnerware of your choosing and spill onto the floor that is thoughtfully provided. There are no studio fees at The Pottery Patch, and pottery ranges from $7 to $75, depending on size and type. Once you're finished, The Pottery Patch glazes and fires your piece in a kiln; it'll be ready for pick-up in about a week, just like a slow-baking cake or a reverse movie rental.

The Bead Boutique puts beauty into the hands of the beholder, leading to a sense of accomplishment rivaling that of a financially successful mime. There are more than 60 different rotating classes, most of which are about two hours long, for aspiring bead buffs of all experience levels. Beginners can learn the tricks of the trade with a class in basic stringing, basic wire wrapping, or basic knotting. Intermediate users can choose from a number of weaving classes, increasing technical proficiency while earning the sophomoric right to put freshmen in lockers. With the basics down pat, third-level mages can try out a class in metalsmithing, PMC, or copper etching, among many other advanced-level courses.

The licensed skydive veterans of Skydive Tampa Bay, Inc., have accompanied customers soaring from the bellies of airplanes since 1978. These plummetologists have earned national and international championship titles and multiple world records, and now start beginners on a path to their own air-bound accolades with introductory tandem jumps. Lessons begin with on-ground instruction before instructors securely attach students to their torsos like thrill-seeking mother kangaroos and freefall for two miles. After students learn the basics through tandem dives, instructors put them through the Accelerated Freefall Program, which includes classroom time, ground training, solo jumps, and post-dive critiques of freefall techniques and maneuvers.

Captain Larry and his esteemed crew at Tampa Water Taxi Company whisk passengers along the city's historic harbor and through Davis Island Canal so they can spy stunning views of notable architecture and wildlife. During the night tour, sojourners glide past the notable dwellings that speckle Davis Island. Knowledgeable guides color in the background of the historic Plant Hall of the University of Tampa as ghost-ship crews strain to listen in without being seen. Reflections of the city's lights dance in the gentle waterways, and stars overhead twinkle in time with the craft's romantic melodies as passengers snack on refreshments and sip premium complimentary white or zinfandel wine. Daily tours span 75 minutes, and vessels are known to rub shoulders with friendly dolphins, which often approach boats to fish for invitations to human pool parties.

Since 1973, Adventure Diving has transformed land walkers into underwater explorers with dives and scuba lessons. Its location in the Crystal River puts adventurers on the doorstep of the "Manatee Capital of the World," and regular snorkeling trips lead guests into the crystal-clear waters for a chance to glimpse the adorable creatures. Adventure Diving's scuba-certification courses combine online learning and practical lessons to enable solo excursions. A full slate of above-water activities keep feet dry and collectable water wings in their original packaging, allowing visitors to soak in sunset cruises, airboat rides, horseback adventures, and helicopter tours.