Things to Do in Mango

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.

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.

Armed with thermal meters, night-vision equipment, and EMF detectors, Ghost Party's paranormal experts tiptoe through darkened buildings. As they lead guests through basement morgues and four-story mansions built in the 19th century, the foundations settle, releasing eerie sounds. Guides escort groups along the streets of areas such as Ybor City during tours, which combine tales of murder and untimely death with facts about historical architecture and numerous photo stops. The tour, which has been featured in the Tampa Tribune, regales visitors with information about the locations and how to tactfully ask a ghost to wash its sheet. Continually adding to a record of spooky sightings, personnel revisit local haunts or rendezvous with clients for private tours throughout the U.S. at known ghostly locales such as Eastern State Penitentiary, Waverly Hill Sanitarium, and creaky-door factories.

The sounds of air hockey pucks whishing toward their targets intermingle with myriad beeps, bells, and general revelry inside Game Time's colorful space, where participants stand captivated by the dizzying selection of games at their disposal. Alongside hands-on amusements, a sports bar perches in the middle of the room to flaunt a set of pool tables and 20 large flat-screen TVs displaying sports commentators that attempt to pour themselves draft beers when bartenders aren't looking. After high-stakes rounds of skee-ball or Cyclone, ravenous players can sidle up to the restaurant where classic American staples such as chicken wings and club sandwiches sate victory-fueled hunger.

Cypress trees sway in the breeze, lush tropical vegetation soaks up the sunshine, and white sandy beaches glisten nearby as Buena Vista Watersports' rental jet skis, paddleboards, kayaks, canoes, and pontoons tote adventurers across the spring-fed waters of Lake Bryan alongside waterskiers and wakeboarders. The Key West–style resort, located just east of Disney World, allows families and friends to glimpse local wildlife as they skim scenic shorelines and chase picturesque settings at an aquatic reservoir as vast and secluded as Bigfoot's bathtub. The resort's alighted tiki torches and palm trees that border its tiki bar and pavilion attract groups for company picnics or private events such as weddings and parties, during which revelers can partake in watersports, dance to reggae, or watch a fire-dancing show.