St. Petersburg, Clearwater and their Gulf Beaches  The bay's west side takes itself less seriously. Medical manufacturing and defense plants (Honeywell, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin) have been growing in recent years, but tourists (families in summer, Canadians and American northerners in winter) are also key to the economy, despite occasional run-ins with storms such as Hurricane Jeanne, which hit the area in late September 2004 but caused little major damage to the properties listed in this guide.The population here rose a more modest 8.4% between 1991 and 2003, to nearly 940,000, in part because Pinellas County has virtually no undeveloped land.

Most who spend an extra day on this side of the bay will lounge on the beaches, tour the Salvador Dali or Florida International museums, watch Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Tropicana Field from spring to early fall or play a round of golf at some of the area's private or public courses.

This Bud's for you — Busch Gardens offers an enterprising mix: all of those roller coasters (Montu, Kumba, Gwazi, Python and Scorpion) scattered throughout a 330-acre natural habitat zoo, where the animals have much less foliage for cover and therefore are easier to see than those at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom in Orlando. The most authentic area is the 80-acre Serengeti Plain, which has free-roaming zebras, giraffes and other grazing animals. The biggest ride in this zone is Rhino Rally, which puts guests in a Land Rover for a bouncy ride through habitat that includes white rhinos, gazelles, Watusi cattle and wildebeests. (When this ride is functioning properly, which isn't the case at all times, a "flash flood" turns the Rovers into rafts that float down a short, man-made river.) In 2004, the park added Cheetah Chase, a kiddie/family roller coaster with fun-but-not-so-frightening curves, and a rousing 35-minute, African-themed show called KaTonga — Musical Tales from the Jungle, which stars storytellers, acrobats, dancers and puppets. Also on the show circuit, R.L. Stine's Haunted Lighthouse stars Christopher Lloyd in an amusing 4-D tale of ghostly love.

When you need a break from the rides, the Clydesdale barn is a great place to see these large horses being groomed several times daily. And most adults won't want to miss the Anheuser-Busch Hospitality House, where free beer is still handed out. (Some guests even "enroll" in the 40-minute Budweiser Beer School, where "students" learn about the brewers' art, get free suds and earn a graduation certificate.)

<strong>Busch Gardens and Adventure Island</strong> (below) are near Temple Terrace, about 20 minutes north of downtown Tampa. Admission to Busch Gardens is $53.95 per day for adults and $44.95 for kids 3-9. Parking is an additional $7 ($11 for preferred parking, which is closer to the entrance). The park is usually open from 9 a.m. to at least 6 p.m. 3000 E. Busch Blvd., Tampa; 888-800-5447 or 813-987-5283; www.buschgardens.com.

Across the street and slightly north of Busch Gardens — and charging a separate admission — Busch-owned Adventure Island offers spills, chills and other wet fun for guests willing to brave Key West Rapids, Tampa Typhoon, Gulf Scream, Wahoo Run and other water rides. Tickets to Adventure Island are $31.95 for adults and $29.95 for kids. Parking is $5. The park is usually open from 10 a.m. to at least 5 p.m., from May through August and on weekends in mid-March, April, September and October. 10001 Malcolm McKinley Dr., Tampa; 813-987-5600; www.4adventure.com.

<strong>Urban oasis</strong> — The Gulf Beaches are far different than those found on Florida's Atlantic Coast. The latter, with few exceptions, are more crowded, the water is cooler and the surf is more active. The Gulf of Mexico off Pinellas County is generally warmer (80-90 degrees from late spring through early fall) and often bathtub calm. Most of the beaches here are wide and flat (the dunes and the sea oats pretty much disappeared 40 years ago). The beaches stretch 28 miles from Pass-a-Grille on the southern end to Clearwater Beach on the northern end. The best locations include Pass-a-Grille/St. Pete Beach, nearby Fort DeSoto Park, Treasure Island, and naturally beautiful Sand Key and Caladesi Island State Park. (Related item: Fitness & health)

Access to most of the beaches, which are 20-50 minutes west of downtown St. Petersburg, is free, but most charge for parking (from $1 an hour to about $7 a day). 800-944-1847 or 727-360-6957; tampabaybeaches.com.