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!

Sunday, March 13, Day 9, St. Petersburg

We attended the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle. It was a time to see people in a different setting. Some dressed to a T, others dressed, one guy walked around the church many times up and down the isles as if looking for something. People came in at all times, suppose that the daylight savings change caught some of them by surprise? The priest and his message was a 4 on a 1 to 10, lent is tough to preach around.

Here is where we are parked, intersection sign so if we forget we can find it this way:

Off to downtown. We are at the 400 Beach Seafood and Tap House. Shirleen had a beach drink, as it was across the street from our outside table. It was a Pineapple Caipirinha (Brazilian cocktail) – fresh pineapple with muddled fine sugar and Ypioca Cachaca (fermented sugar cane) over crushed ice, I a chardonnay. Shirleen’s haddock fish (ale battered) and potato planks in the background, I a Tandoori Spiced Mahi Mahi, Orange Butter Sauce, Island Rice. These meals had fresh cheddar cheese biscuits.

Our main reason for going downtown is to view the Chihuly Glass Collection that was right next to where we ate. The exhibit cannot be photographed so I took one off his brochure. The beauty of his work which is done with silicates to make the glass, inorganic compounds from the Earth's crust to give the color, heat to fire it, and air and wind to blow and shape them, and  gravity to also shape the work, all basic elements of our beautiful earth.

Here is a manhole cover:

We took a walk out to the seawall toward a crawfish festival, we found a nice bench to sit on looking to the gulf.

We walked back to the car past the Renaissance Viony Resort and Golf Club in back of the bright red flowers.

and headed to the inner gulf of St. Pete and Tampa. The first houses were beautiful to us,

these were not the best but ones we could stop by and take a picture as they were ones we did like a lot. We wind our way around these areas, going from mansions

to average accommodations. Many in each section For Sale.

Thru Tampa and found a place at a Hampton Inn in Seffner Florida off hwy 4, no highway signs to let you know where a place to stay is. Next to it is a Bob Evans, Shirleen had a Spinach salad with raspberry dressing, apples and crasins; I a a chicken fried steak with white gravy, crispy fries and canned green beans with a lot of onions – nothing unusual. Jerr

Saturday, March 12, Day 8, St. Petersburg, Florida, 75 miles – 1,790 miles

The start of the day was a walk on the Pinellas trail, 35 miles if we took it all in; it was right behind the hotel.

We took a 30 minute walk, turned around and walked back to the center of town.

The railroad influence.

It was a fun place to look at some local art, paintings, clay and jewelry. The town is a Celtic influenced location. A nice stop to look around.

We took the roads we could closest to the water, beautiful homes? Mansions. We soon found ourselves hungry and did not find anything. We travelled south on 19 alt, we got into Largo on

2441 West Bay Drive

at Venus Restaurant, a Greek restaurant. As we said, you can’t go wrong in a Greek restaurant. Even though it was 1pm they served breakfast, saw the table next to us. We both ordered eggs and fried potatoes, Shirleen a link sausage I a thick slice of ham. We continued down the busy seashore, it was school break. I stopped at a Doubletree to check on a room, $349 was the least expensive and the hotel next door was more. She said we would have to get downtown St. Pete to get in the hundreds. Well we went down and saw the sights, bright blue sky and nice sun and around 70.

Well head out towards St. Pete and find a place. Spotted a Comfort Suites, it fit our expenses. Got a good tip on a place to eat a good number of miles away,

4^th St.

Shrimp Store.

Good tip, many cars, no beaters. It was happy hour for wine, ordered 2 crab cakes, a little spice to them. Shirleen ordered the jumbo shrimp scampi, I cracker breaded deep fried oysters. Those oysters were some of the best I have ever tasted.

Look at the door handle of the restaurant.

We then drove down to the heart of St. Pete. It was bustling with young people. We also ran into some tire barriers for the Indy racing League race in two weeks.

In the dark we found our way back. jerr

Friday, March 11, Day 7, Dunedin FL

A slow morning. Some did their crossword puzzle, some find the word in a maze of letters and of course Sudoku and my write up of yesterday. We tried to eat the left over breakfast and fruit if yesterday. Then before we left we had liquid refreshment, some had orange juice and one tomato (Bloody Mary mix). Time to say our goodbyes till later, hope to meet up in Winter Haven for an art show. We ate at Brooksville at the Golden Corral. They had the biggest drumsticks I have ever seen. Again too much food.

We drove down the Gulf side towards Tarpon Springs; it’s a busy Friday afternoon. Luckily I saw the name of the street on the material Steve had given us. It turned out to be the right street. We meander down the heavily touristy street.

Pass a statue of  a deep sea divers suit, the original way that spong were found were with a barrell with a glass bottom or just dove down and removed the sponge from the ocean floor.

Tied alongside are many small boats with sponges strung on the rigging of the boat. We visited the Sponge Museum, a 15 minute video, describing where and how they are harvested. In the Gulf there are 9,000 square miles of water from a couple feet to 130 feet, one mile offshore to 150 miles. Each boat theoretically carries a small alter to St. Nicholas, he is to protect and aid the boat during its hunt.

We saw where there are 6 different sponges, the best cannot be found here but in the Mediterranean Sea.

I was tempted to buy a full nautilus shell to match Shirleen’s necklace. These looked suspect, not real good markings of the shell. There is a lot of Florida to look for these again.

We travelled down hwy 19A and looked a place t campout. We drive by a Holiday Inn Express I Dunedin Florida. A couple blocks up from there was a nice town square so we went back to it. As we pulled in there was a big sign that said welcome back Jay’s. I asked here who the Jay’s were, the Toronto Bluejay baseball team, spring train a couple blocks away. I asked for price, I asked if there was any out on 19 that were less cost, she said let me check something. She came out grinning and wrote down the cost, $20 less, Okayed by the manager. I guess acting dumb about the Jay’s may have helped – well not dumb just didn’t think of it. Went to a close-by restaurant, Jolli Mon’s Grill. This has the look of an eclectic, southern Florida look, a brightly decorated bar and grill. It had red fans on the overhead fans, tulip lights with three different colored shades, 2 foot long cloth fish tucked between the roof and fluorescents lights. Memorabilia on every other square inch ft all six sides of the room. Even a post with dollar bills tacked on them. Louis Martini cab and I a Bells Oberon Ale – supposed to me a wheat beer – nice flavor. Shirleen’s sloppy Joe and my catfish taco were just fine. The taco used lettuce not cabbage but had a fine mango sauce and their own home grown hot sauce, habanero chili with citrus and spices, neat bit to it.

jerr

Thursday, March 10, Day 6, Stonecrest, 125 miles – total to Their house 1,600 miles

Breakfast was made at home. Mary Ann put together a delicious egg bake, with crescent rolls for the bottom, diced ham, shredded cheese and whipped eggs. Along with cheesy potatoes. We took a leisurely morning, some playing crossword and Sudoku and someone writing his blog. Well it was time for a liquid refreshment, some had orange juice and one tomato (Bloody Mary mix), this is b4 noon.

We decided it was time to go to the Don Garlit’s Drag Racing museum,

along with his hot rod classic car museum. But you know what time it is, lunch time. Right alongside to the museums is a Cracker Barrel restaurant. Steve and Mary Ann had a sliced turkey sandwich; Shirleen a cabbage meatball vegetable soup; me the regular – fried catfish, coleslaw and macaroni and cheese.

Bricks with racers names engraved line the sidewalk going to the museum. Not sure the significance of it. There were many

30’s Fords, four door sedans, 2 door posts, cabriolet’s and convertibles. Intermixed where Chevy’s,

Dodges, Willy's and odd cars.

There was even an engine room, 8,000 HP hemi, carburetors, log manifolds, Weber fuel injector’s; a motor head like me enjoys seeing these pieces of history’s big iron. It also had old gas pumps with the Standard Oil white and red crown, signs for motor oils, even an old Wolf’s head oil can. In the back corner you could hear someone talking, sounded like an interview; we struck it,

Don Garlit’s was being interviewed for some TV crew. We heard him mention that some mornings he pinches himself just to see if his life had been real and he was not dreaming. They mentioned it had run an hour. We went into the next building, it housed many dragsters; his and other.

Us Quite a few of his Swamp Rats, funny car and first (engine in front of driver with only carburetion), second (front engine blown) and third generation (blown rear driven engine) rails. It not only showed his race memories; but his personal mementoes – Eagle Scout award received when he was 14 in 1947; meritorious achievement medal from the president.

Our next activities where to be in Gainsville at the butterfly and arboretum at University of Florida. That idea was scrapped. The traffic on I-75 was at a standstill. We heard there was a truck hauling a backhoe that hit an overpass. We decided that doing a back road travel would make it to late. On the way back I took a cat nap to rest up for tonight.

Now the evening event! We are trying a new restaurant – Tarverna Red - Italian flavor. www.tavernared.com. We were seated in a corner next to the bar, thought this was a bad place but turned out to be one of the best spots as there was and is every night live singing. Wine is two for one and some attractively priced meal – 15 different ones for $10. Mary Ann had a flatbread – Margarita style, mozzarella, basil and red sauce, the colors of the Italian flag for which the flatbread is designed around. Shirleen a corn meal breaded fish and home made French fries, Steve a naked chicken breast, of which we all shared in on, and fettuccini noodles. I had a veal chop bone-in, well prepared, charred and caramelized, juicy – full flavored with jasmine rice and peas. I almost forgot, I had a Cajun soup, spicy, hamburger, chicken, sausage, shrimp, cabbage, corn in a flavorful tomato sauce.

Dancing.  Now for the rest of the story. The singer came on for a couple hours. She had a fine voice singing romantic to upbeat songs.

Steve and Mary Ann danced a couple of dances but were outdone by a 70 year old guy who danced an energetic limbo, slithering up and down like a live python snake. Ah, to be old again. Headed back to home for a cool down period and a restful night. jerr

Wednesday, March 9, Day 5, Stonecrest

Ash Wednesday, time for something that will remind me of the eventually of a great life. We went to a new church, St. Mark the Evangelist, the priests are from Poland, St. Pauline priest and brother, and in each of their churches they have a picture (icon) of our Lady of Czestochowa. As you can see it is a brilliant and intense colors. Then noon attendees are there because there is no mass just a small service which precedes the crossing of ashes on the forehead.

Simply a neat multi-metal cross in the entry.

TooJay’s original gourmet Deli restaurant in the villages for lunch. Our waitress noticed the cross on our forehead, hard to miss, they laid it on thick. She asked where we went for ashes as she said, “she is coming back.” This is a great Jewish deli originally from New York. Mary Ann and Steve split a bowl of chicken noodle and a turkey sandwich, Shirleen a grilled cheese with fries, I a bowl of chicken matzo ball soup with half a corn beef sandwich, next time I would go for a whole sandwich, it was just simply delicious.

This afternoon we looked at the model homes, we walked to another house, looked up and saw a blimp overhead.

Steve said they were manufactured down south and with no markings was probably being flown to the purchasers.

I left the device that lets me download pics from the camera Abby gave me. Steve took me to Office Depot and I picked up an inexpensive card reader, $8.34. Not the $35 I thought it might cost.

Supper started out with happy hour, $2 dollar wines, and a gin and tonic for Shirleen, back to her Hawaii days. I went for a second round and as I came to the bar, I thought the bartender was looking at me and I hollered my order, as I then noticed, he meant the people next to me. I apologized for stepping on their order and they said that’s fine. I asked where they were from and they said, she Michigan and he Pennsylvania. We chatted and I left with my order and grabbed her half filled glass of cab. She said hey, that’s mine. I again had to apologize. We again laughed. When I got back to the table before we were seated at the dinner table, I noticed they got a big dessert. I went over to them and said, I am back for some dessert that brought big laughs. I then left them alone. What a nice dinner at Bonefish Grill, like Brookfield WI, lots of people. They have a special on Wednesday, 5 buffalo shrimp which is an appetizer normally. We settled on a naked salmon for Steve and Mary Ann a tilapia sandwich. Shirleen had the small fillet mignon with asparagus I had the Imperial Wolf fish, a inch and a half thick firm fish – simply delicious, could have left the shrimp and cheese sauce off it. The Jasmine rice was well done, like just right. Dinners had a garbanzo bean veggie. So what do you do after a great meal?

You order a Brownie dessert, drenched with chocolate topped with whipped cream and a double scoop of vanilla ice cream with a smattering of chopped nuts. jerr