Hey there, vacationers, escapists, and those who need to just take a break from the humdrum world, and welcome to beautiful Tampa, Florida! Today the beans are checking out the cityscape from high above the waterfront, where the skies are sunny and you won't find a single flake of snow on the ground. (And if you do, well then keep it a secret. Otherwise everybody will want one.)

Anyway, Tampa the city was incorporated way back in 1855, and today boasts an in-city population of 327,000. Along with the neighboring communities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater, Tampa is a great place to escape the cold winters and have a little Gulf-side fun, as the beans did during their winter getaway. The Florida Aquarium is here (pictured in the photo below), along with Lowry Park Zoo, the Henry Plant museum, and of course there's always that mecca dedicated to suds, safaris, and steel coasters: Busch Gardens.

Or, if you prefer your vacations a little more sandy, you can always visit one of the many nearby beaches. The beans highly recommend this - especially if you don't live anywhere near salt water. You can see zebras in just about any zoo in the country. But how often do you get to see frijoles playing genuine beach volleyball?

Anyway, did you know that Tampa's nickname is "The Big Guava"? Interesting, isn't it? The beans have been to The Big Apple, The Big Easy, The Big D, and even The Big Shopping Cart, but I can't say that they've ever seen a giant guava before. (And to be quite honest, I'm not sure they'd recognize one if they saw it.)

But anyway, Tampa got the nickname "The Big Guava" when Gavino Gutierrez, an early Tampa pioneer, tried to cultivate guavas commercially here but was unsuccessful due to the climate and rising land prices. (Sounds like "The Donald" moved in on him...) However, a local newspaper columnist was more successful at planting the idea that, if New York is "The Big Apple," it would only be right to refer to Tampa as "The Big Guava." There is a Latin-style Halloween celebration called Guavaween held in Ybor City each October that is based on the nickname.

So now that the beans have met The Big Guava in person, they're busy trying to find a community willing to nickname themselves "The Big Frijole". So far, no luck. But never give up hope - There's got to be a town around somewhere where the citizens are sick of that unofficial "Cowtown" moniker one of these days, and we'll be ready.