Monday, March 14, Day 10, Lake Wales, 80 miles

Started off from Seffner Florida to Lakeland Florida as there is a flower garden and a campus built by Frank Lloyd Wright to see. Well it is Monday, time to clean up the garden, it is not open.

We stopped by the Chamber of Commerce building. It is an old library look at the beautiful lines.

It stands across the street from a bird sanctuary and lake, one of many lakes in the town.

The neat story about the lake is that it had been populated by swans, but after many of them ending up on another animal’s dinner table.

One of the residents decided after all swans were gone to write a letter in 1954 to Queen Elizabeth of England and inquired about purchasing a pair of swans from the royal flock on the Thames River. The Queen replied that the royal family would donate a pair of swans to Lakeland if the city would pay the expense of capturing and shipping of the pair. Two years later, two white mute swans were released on Lake Morton. The descendents continue to grace that lake and others throughout the cities four lakes.

We ate at Garden Bistro on Mirror Lake, Shirleen’s bacon lettuce and tomato without mayo; I a Muffelato, ham, provolone, olive relish with dried tomatoes and warmed on a Panini maker, a tasty sandwich for being so far from New Orleans.

We took a walk along the shore of the lake and back to the Hollis Garden which is closed but small and easily viewed from the outside gates and this one of the swans guarding the garden..

Now we are off to Florida Southern College where the largest one-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wrights architecture in the world. It is hard to explain but hopefully the pictures will help. Nine buildings and a water dome fount that runs at 30 percent and only a couple times a day because of the water shortage. A small college one thought a couple thousand or three, most from overseas.

This was a center he designed as a library now used for meetings - look at the curved tables.

Below Wright's designed chairs, similar to those in Taliesin West.

Outside of the church and chapel:

Glass inserts to shed some light and color to the inside.

Inside the church.

One of his large scale windows.

This building is the Church, called the bike rack.

The walkways, as he was a short man these walkways are designed for those less than six feet.

The dome of water spraying inward.

We have another Garden we want to see as it stays open till 6 and we are 45 miles away and it is 3pm. Off to Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales. When we get to the docents at the welcoming table we find out that the estate closes in two minutes, and it is a must see. I cried a bit and they found a couple complimentary tickets to get back in the next day. Time for a walk around the grounds and listen to the Singing Tower, I’ll describe tomorrow with pictures. We did see a Pileated woodpecker, looked like a juvenal in size.

Where to stay? W called a Hamton Inn downtown, they wanted 200$, why? Because of the Sebring 12 Hour race many miles away but driving up the prices, she said all were that high. So we decided to take the gate ladies advice and stay at The Green Gables right in town. I called and the price was well below 100$. We figured we needed to see and hear the bell symphony tomorrow and walk through the Mediterranean style house. We checked in at the Inn, not a shock, because at that price I felt it would be a hovel, but it was clean. Eat next door at the Sizzling Grill, a bountiful lettuce salad, Shirleen a rotisserie chicken and I a Renegade sirloin steak, both with sweet potatoes, also a order of onion rings. All nicely prepared. I have noticed in Florida the run a lot of two for ones around supper time or some all day. The trick is you buy one at more than twice the price or one at a normal price, most bow to the 2 for 1, and by the time they are finished they don’t realize the pricing. Off to a regretful nights accommodations. A queen size like a double. jerr took 2 hours and 20 minutes do do this!