Skip to content

Top Navigation

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Trip Inspiration
  • Plan Your Trip
  • World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises
  • Travel Tips
  • News
  • Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Travel + Leisure

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Explore

    Explore

    • World's Best

      The greatest islands, cities, hotels, cruise lines, airports, and more — as voted by you. Read More Next
    • The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2020

      Whether you're traveling solo or planning a family vacation, here are the 50 best places to visit in 2020. Read More Next
    • Let's Go Together Podcast

      Start listening to T+L's brand new podcast, Let's Go Together! Hosted by Kellee Edwards. Read More Next
  • Trip Inspiration

    Trip Inspiration

    • Trip Ideas
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Spring Travel
    • Summer Travel
    • Fall Travel
    • Winter Travel
    • Solo Travel
    • Romantic Getaways
    • Luxury Travel
    • Beach Vacations
    • Adventure Travel
    • Road Trips
    • Family Travel
    • National Parks
    • Holiday Travel
    • Travel Photography
    • Photo of the Day
    • Culture and Design
  • Plan Your Trip

    Plan Your Trip

    • Travel Guides
    • Flight Deals
    • Travel Deals
    • Ways to Save
    • Hotels + Resorts
    • Attractions
    • Amusement Parks
    • Disney Vacations
    • Festivals + Events
    • Airlines + Airports
    • Buses + Trains
    • Ground Transportation
  • World's Best

    World's Best

    • Top Hotels
    • Top Cities
    • Top Islands
    • Domestic Airlines
    • International Airlines
    • Tours
    • Safaris
    • All World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises

    Cruises

    • Find A Cruise
    • Caribbean Cruises
    • River Cruises
    • European Cruises
    • All-Inclusive Cruises
    • Family Cruises
    • Alaskan Cruises
    • Disney Cruises
    • See All Cruise Vacations
  • Travel Tips

    Travel Tips

    • Travel Trends
    • Packing Tips
    • Points + Miles
    • Budgeting + Currency
    • Customs + Immigration
    • Responsible Travel
    • Travel Etiquette
    • Travel Warnings
    • Weather
    • Mobile Apps
    • See All Travel Tips
  • News

    News

    • Wellness
    • Celebrity Travel
    • Animals
    • Jobs
    • Offbeat
    • See All News
  • Food + Drink

    Food + Drink

    • Restaurants
    • Wine
    • Beer
    • Cocktails + Spirits
    • Bars + Clubs
    • Celebrity Chefs
    • Cooking + Entertaining
    • Food Fairs + Festivals
    • World's Best Restaurants
    • See All Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories

    Travel Accessories

    • Travel Bags
    • Shoes
    • Travel Tech
    • Shopping
    • Style
    • Gift Guides
    • See All Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Travel Tips
  3. In Photos: a Lost Toy Tiger Goes on an Incredible Airport Adventure

In Photos: a Lost Toy Tiger Goes on an Incredible Airport Adventure

By Erika Owen
June 17, 2015
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
Credit: Courtesy of Tampa International Airport
Losing something at an airport almost never works out in your favor, unless you’re Owen Lake. The six-year-old recently left his stuffed tiger—named Hobbes after the iconic comic book character—at the Tampa International Airport. Owen misplaced his toy on the way to vacation in Houston with his parents. Once they realized the tiger was missing, Owen’s mother gave the airport a call and Hobbes was quickly located. Instead of setting the stuffed animal on a desk to wait for his family, Tony D’Auito—the airport’s operations manager—decided to take Hobbes on a vacation of his own.

When Owen and his family returned from their trip, they were greeted with a photo book featuring shots of Hobbes exploring the airport—checking out the control tower, contemplating the airport’s ice cream options, testing out the luggage trolleys at the airport hotel, and more. Cue collective “aw.”
Start Slideshow

1 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Credit: Courtesy of Tampa International Airport

Hobbes taking in all of the airport's ice cream choices.

1 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Credit: Courtesy of Tampa International Airport

Hobbes testing out the luggage trolleys at the Tampa Airport Marriott.

2 of 13

3 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Credit: Courtesy of Tampa International Airport

Hobbes shadows a few airport employees.

3 of 13

Advertisement

4 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Credit: Courtesy of Tampa International Airport

Hobbes checks out the airport's control tower.

4 of 13

5 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Credit: Courtesy of Tampa International Airport

Hobbes learns about an airport firefighter's job.

5 of 13

6 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Credit: Courtesy of Tampa International Airport

Hobbes takes a break for some gym time.

6 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Credit: Courtesy of Tampa International Airport

Hobbes asks a few questions at the airport's info desk.

7 of 13

8 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Credit: Courtesy of Tampa International Airport

Hobbes plays Jenga.

8 of 13

9 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Credit: Courtesy of Tampa International Airport

Hobbes meets some of the Marriott's staff.

9 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Credit: Courtesy of Tampa International Airport

Hobbes gets a close look at a Southwest plane from the tarmac.

10 of 13

11 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Credit: Courtesy of Tampa International Airport

Hobbes' airport adventures were all put into a photo book.

11 of 13

12 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Credit: Courtesy of Tampa International Airport

Hobbes and Owen are reunited, with a few photos depicting the stuffed animal's airport adventure.

12 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Credit: Courtesy of Tampa International Airport

Owen takes a look at Hobbes' new photo book.

13 of 13

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Erika Owen

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 13
2 of 13
3 of 13
4 of 13
5 of 13
6 of 13
7 of 13
8 of 13
9 of 13
10 of 13
11 of 13
12 of 13
13 of 13

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message
Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap
  • Travel Guide Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
Travel + Leisure is part of the Travel + Leisure Group. Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. Travel + Leisure is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation Travel + Leisure Group All Rights Reserved, registered in the United States and other countries. Travel + Leisure may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.travelandleisure.com

View image

In Photos: a Lost Toy Tiger Goes on an Incredible Airport Adventure
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.