We're headed south again to St. Petersburg. No trip to this city is complete without visiting The Pier at the end of Second Avenue. The site has been a landmark since a railroad was connected to the half-mile wharf in 1889. There actually have been many piers here, but the famed Million Dollar Pier was replaced in 1973 by today's five-story, inverted pyramid design. It houses specialty shops, galleries, boutiques, various eating establishments, bars, and an aquarium. Pier visitors can fish, rent surrey bikes, hop a sightseeing boat or charter one, hand-feed wild pelicans, or get married on the water. The building is bathed now bathed in Super Bowl colors (blue and green), but will shine red or gold after Sunday's bowl winner is decided.
I bought an artist-signed, clay pot made in Ecuador from an archaeologist/shop owner who tells of great digging expeditions. It's the most expensive piece I own now, but clearly the most unique.
Moored to The Pier this month is the HMS Bounty (a replica) of the famed Mutiny on the Bounty writing and movie. Actually, it's the vessel used in the making of all the movie recreations of Captain Bligh and Fletcher Christian's confrontation is 1789.
Hubby and I boarded her, and I immediately decided that the old gal wasn't big enough for me to sail a sea or two. I fought claustrophobia below deck and stood where some sunlight could find me. Our personal guide explained life at sea, sailor superstitions, and modern day sayings that have origins on the briny. After listening to him, I think the saying out on a limb should mean the captain is using the bathroom. This is a family website so I can't write how the saying shake a leg supposedly originated.
We pointed the grill of our Ford F150 north for approx. 35 miles to Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. It's 210 acres of home to native Floridian creatures, and one of few places you can see West Indian manatees at close range 365 days/year. The park is named for the freshwater spring that produces millions of gallons of clear water an hour and whose outflow creates the Homosassa River.
Educational programs for both adults and children are offered daily. The Fish Bowl floating, underwater observatory allows visitors to see manatee and thousands of fish in their natural habitat. We were there at feeding time which is when keepers throw tons of leafy vegetables into the water next to the observatory windows. I got some great pix of the manatee chomping greens inches from my lens.
The park is a rehabilitation center for injured and orphaned manatee to re-acclimate before being returned to the wild. There is 1.1 mile of paved trails and boardwalks, and Pepper Creek Trail is a 1.5 mile, wheelchair-accessible path enjoyed by birdwatchers.
Hubby was excited the day we drove 48 minutes southeast to Tampa for adventure at the NFL Experience and a tour of Raymond James Stadium. The 18-year-old Experience is squatted in a parking lot adjacent to the venue and is a mecca for football fans of all ages. It's a festival featuring participatory games, a football card show, displays, kids' clinics, autograph sessions, food, entertainment, and pricey souvenirs. The NFL donates the proceeds to two sponsored Youth Education Towns (in Tampa) offering education and recreational facilities designed to improve academics and physical fitness, and job-related skills to at-risk kids.
Since we're old people, our most strenuous activity here was to have our picture taken in front of the Vince Lombardi Trophy. I liked the showcase full of passed Super Bowl rings. Talk about gaudy!
The stadium was Hubby's fav. The arena's bowels looked much like the ones I saw on a tour of Heinz Field. Once you've seen one, you've seen them all, I guess. Surprisingly, there are several areas that are unfinished with dirt floors and exposed ceilings. I think someone ran out of money.
Hubby commandeered the camera and snapped his way from the lofty 200 luxury suites to the gridiron, inside and out. Good thing it's a digital because the cost of film developing all those photos would equal the price of a Super Bowl ticket.
RJS opened in 1998 and normally seats 65,000. However, additional, temporary seating has been installed in the end zones for this game. I was disappointed that our tour didn't take us to Buccaneer Cove and the pirate ship. That's the only thing I wanted to see! The public balcony in front of the vessel was being readied for the media who will broadcast from there.
Hubby snagged up some blades of grass from the newly laid sod (we were told not to even step on it!) when no one was looking. He mailed them home to our green-thumbed daughter, asking her to grow a patch of Super Bowl history for him. When our son-in-law first saw the curious contents of the baggie, he commented that if it was marijuana we had sent them, we'd been really cheap!
Betwixt our day trips, we golf Hudson's surrounding courses and take lessons. Consequently, I have blisters on my fingers covered with white, medical tape. Add my arthritic thumb wrap and I look like a Tigress Woods. OK, maybe more like a physically handicapped player.
We've had some cold weather by Floridian norms - below 32 degrees at night and 50's - low 60's by day. BURRR! Right, Beaver Countians? Natives have had to uncloset the hooded parkas and thermal underwear. Fake fireplace logs are a hot commodity at Wal*Mart. The good part is that cool, windy days give me more time to read and write.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The Snowbirds Fly
Lots has happened since my last post. I’ll get you caught up on our doings here in Hudson, Florida. I had a typical “man encounter” on the golf course when Hubby and I went to play one afternoon. We were paired with a single gentleman (I’ll call him that for now). While we were waiting to tee off, the starter mentioned something about golfing with a woman that looked so stylish (that was me in my new golfing garb). The single looked at me and said, “Fine, as long as you don’t talk or giggle when I’m hitting.”
Hubby immediately ducked behind the golf cart because he knows how angry I get when men say things to me that they wouldn’t say to a fellow male. Usually the comments infer that I don’t have the ability to play with the big guys, but this yoho was questioning my etiquette! I lasered him with my best “teacher look” and replied, “Fine, and men can’t fart or burp when I’m hitting.” He got the message as did the starter who nearly fell out of his cart trying to hide his laughter. I glared at his shocked expression for a few more seconds to underscore the intent. Mr. Golfer hit his drive low, left, short, and off the fairway. I hit one of the best drives of my life straight, long, and dead center in the fairway. ‘Nuff said. I hope I see him again after I finish my golf lessons with Ray Cisbani at The Links course. He’s a great teacher and has been selected as The St. Pete Times and Tampa Tribune’s “Golf Coach of the Year” three times.
One of our first stops was the USA Flea Market in Port Richey. It’s like the market in Rogers, Ohio, only it’s all indoors. This market has everything and anything, also. I bought a silver and turquoise bracelet.
We daytripped to Tarpon Springs, just south of us, twice. If you are ever in the area, take time to visit this town known as the “Sponge Capital of the World.” It was originally established in the 1880’s as a winter resort for wealthy Northerners, but the arrival of the Greek sponge divers in 1905 changed everything. By the 1930’s, the sponge industry was generating millions of dollars a year, and as the industry grew, tourism evolved with it.
Lining narrow Dodecanese Avenue in the Sponge Dock District and connecting streets are over 100 shops, restaurants, and sweet shops featuring French and Greek pastries that required all my willpower to pass. Dining options range from authentic Greek to French, Italian, and seafood. We ate Greek. I had spanokopita which is like a lasagna, but made with Phyllo dough, spinach, feta cheese, onions, and dill. The portion was delicious and too much to eat in one sitting.
My wilted Master Card was evidence that I had a great time shopping. I bought a vase (to add to my collection), olive oil base lotions and soaps, and a dress, all made in Greece. A vase sponge, shells and air plants I’ll use to create a unique planter for my son’s girlfriend. My granddaughter gets a Greek Evil Eye bracelet. The mati (ìÜôé), Greek for eye, is supposed to protect one from someone else casting a glare of envy or harm your way. By wearing an eye, the superstition is that the eye turns away or repels the envy or harm, taking away bad luck and bringing you good luck.
I couldn’t resist a vegetable ivory earrings and necklace set to add to my unusual jewelry collection. Tagua or vegetable ivory is the seed of the Ciclantacea Palm that grows in South American rain forests. The nuts used in the set I bought came from Equador.
Homemade soaps were also my weakness. My personal favorite is a honey, oatmeal, and goat’s milk bar made by Nina and sold in her tiny shop. The suds taste sweet! Hubby keeps telling me he smells a goat in the house.
I bought a Sacred Winds CD that features the pan flute, which is a traditional Native American instrument. With piano and orchestra accompaniment, it is truly the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard. It’s music that “touches the heart and heals the soul.”
More Things to do in TP: visit antique shops and artists’ galleries; tour St. Nicholas Greek Othodox Cathedral; take a walking or trolley bus tour of the city; taste wines at the 1820 Castle Winery; walk, hike, bike, or roller blade the Pinellas Trail for 38 miles between TP and St. Petersburg; canoe and kayak, fish, or go to the beach.
Next we headed north to Crystal River in Citrus County, at the heart of the Nature Coast of Florida. When I was researching this area and making vacation plans, I decided that I was going to swim with manatee. We went during the Manatee Festival so there were hundreds of craftsmen and vendors. Instead of swimming with the manatee this trip, we opted to rent kayaks and encounter them from the perceived safety of a watercraft. This was our first kayaking experience and Hubby is hooked. The manatee were plentiful in the little inlet and canal we paddled which was rather unnerving for me. These mammals are huge! They swam beside us and underneath our kayaks in clear water 2-7 feet deep. Several surfaced next to Hubby’s craft, and he scratched their backs. I tried to get a photo, but I got so flustered I forgot how to take a pic with my phone. Hubby is yelling, “Don’t lose that phone! It’s our Internet connection.” I’m fumbling with the phone and the paddle in a rocking kayak when a manatee surfaced and blew water from it nostrils at me! It was scary, but a thrilling moment. Never did get any pix. We will definitely go back for another close encounter with these gentle giants.
At the craft vendors row, I bought a CD called Saxual Healing, featuring Mark Maxwell on the saxophone, one of my favorite instruments. I added a unique, handmade, quartz-bead bracelet and a silver and gold crab pendent necklace (my Zodiac sign) to my jewelry collection.
We headed southeast to the Seminole Hard Rock Resort Hotel and Casino in Tampa one day. Many of you know that I’m a semi-reformed casino junky so you’re not surprised. The casino is 90,000 sq. ft. and obviously doing well because it is hiring 3650 dealers. Its sister casino is in Hollywood, FL. Best have lots of money if you visit this establishment. The lowest limit blackjack table I saw was $15. I saw some tables where patrons were plunking down $150 a hand or more. Most of the slots were connected to some sort of progressive jackpot that effected your bonus spins whether you played the progressive game or not. The bonuses didn’t result in much money most times. I played one machine for hours and never figured out how the progressive option worked (no instructions). A guy sitting next to me tried to explain, but I don’t think he had a handle on it either. I won $100 on the bandit, but put it and more back in. Our next casino visit will be on the Sun Cruz Line (a ship) in Port Richey. Hopefully, I’ll do better at sea.
Hubby immediately ducked behind the golf cart because he knows how angry I get when men say things to me that they wouldn’t say to a fellow male. Usually the comments infer that I don’t have the ability to play with the big guys, but this yoho was questioning my etiquette! I lasered him with my best “teacher look” and replied, “Fine, and men can’t fart or burp when I’m hitting.” He got the message as did the starter who nearly fell out of his cart trying to hide his laughter. I glared at his shocked expression for a few more seconds to underscore the intent. Mr. Golfer hit his drive low, left, short, and off the fairway. I hit one of the best drives of my life straight, long, and dead center in the fairway. ‘Nuff said. I hope I see him again after I finish my golf lessons with Ray Cisbani at The Links course. He’s a great teacher and has been selected as The St. Pete Times and Tampa Tribune’s “Golf Coach of the Year” three times.
One of our first stops was the USA Flea Market in Port Richey. It’s like the market in Rogers, Ohio, only it’s all indoors. This market has everything and anything, also. I bought a silver and turquoise bracelet.
We daytripped to Tarpon Springs, just south of us, twice. If you are ever in the area, take time to visit this town known as the “Sponge Capital of the World.” It was originally established in the 1880’s as a winter resort for wealthy Northerners, but the arrival of the Greek sponge divers in 1905 changed everything. By the 1930’s, the sponge industry was generating millions of dollars a year, and as the industry grew, tourism evolved with it.
Lining narrow Dodecanese Avenue in the Sponge Dock District and connecting streets are over 100 shops, restaurants, and sweet shops featuring French and Greek pastries that required all my willpower to pass. Dining options range from authentic Greek to French, Italian, and seafood. We ate Greek. I had spanokopita which is like a lasagna, but made with Phyllo dough, spinach, feta cheese, onions, and dill. The portion was delicious and too much to eat in one sitting.
My wilted Master Card was evidence that I had a great time shopping. I bought a vase (to add to my collection), olive oil base lotions and soaps, and a dress, all made in Greece. A vase sponge, shells and air plants I’ll use to create a unique planter for my son’s girlfriend. My granddaughter gets a Greek Evil Eye bracelet. The mati (ìÜôé), Greek for eye, is supposed to protect one from someone else casting a glare of envy or harm your way. By wearing an eye, the superstition is that the eye turns away or repels the envy or harm, taking away bad luck and bringing you good luck.
I couldn’t resist a vegetable ivory earrings and necklace set to add to my unusual jewelry collection. Tagua or vegetable ivory is the seed of the Ciclantacea Palm that grows in South American rain forests. The nuts used in the set I bought came from Equador.
Homemade soaps were also my weakness. My personal favorite is a honey, oatmeal, and goat’s milk bar made by Nina and sold in her tiny shop. The suds taste sweet! Hubby keeps telling me he smells a goat in the house.
I bought a Sacred Winds CD that features the pan flute, which is a traditional Native American instrument. With piano and orchestra accompaniment, it is truly the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard. It’s music that “touches the heart and heals the soul.”
More Things to do in TP: visit antique shops and artists’ galleries; tour St. Nicholas Greek Othodox Cathedral; take a walking or trolley bus tour of the city; taste wines at the 1820 Castle Winery; walk, hike, bike, or roller blade the Pinellas Trail for 38 miles between TP and St. Petersburg; canoe and kayak, fish, or go to the beach.
Next we headed north to Crystal River in Citrus County, at the heart of the Nature Coast of Florida. When I was researching this area and making vacation plans, I decided that I was going to swim with manatee. We went during the Manatee Festival so there were hundreds of craftsmen and vendors. Instead of swimming with the manatee this trip, we opted to rent kayaks and encounter them from the perceived safety of a watercraft. This was our first kayaking experience and Hubby is hooked. The manatee were plentiful in the little inlet and canal we paddled which was rather unnerving for me. These mammals are huge! They swam beside us and underneath our kayaks in clear water 2-7 feet deep. Several surfaced next to Hubby’s craft, and he scratched their backs. I tried to get a photo, but I got so flustered I forgot how to take a pic with my phone. Hubby is yelling, “Don’t lose that phone! It’s our Internet connection.” I’m fumbling with the phone and the paddle in a rocking kayak when a manatee surfaced and blew water from it nostrils at me! It was scary, but a thrilling moment. Never did get any pix. We will definitely go back for another close encounter with these gentle giants.
At the craft vendors row, I bought a CD called Saxual Healing, featuring Mark Maxwell on the saxophone, one of my favorite instruments. I added a unique, handmade, quartz-bead bracelet and a silver and gold crab pendent necklace (my Zodiac sign) to my jewelry collection.
We headed southeast to the Seminole Hard Rock Resort Hotel and Casino in Tampa one day. Many of you know that I’m a semi-reformed casino junky so you’re not surprised. The casino is 90,000 sq. ft. and obviously doing well because it is hiring 3650 dealers. Its sister casino is in Hollywood, FL. Best have lots of money if you visit this establishment. The lowest limit blackjack table I saw was $15. I saw some tables where patrons were plunking down $150 a hand or more. Most of the slots were connected to some sort of progressive jackpot that effected your bonus spins whether you played the progressive game or not. The bonuses didn’t result in much money most times. I played one machine for hours and never figured out how the progressive option worked (no instructions). A guy sitting next to me tried to explain, but I don’t think he had a handle on it either. I won $100 on the bandit, but put it and more back in. Our next casino visit will be on the Sun Cruz Line (a ship) in Port Richey. Hopefully, I’ll do better at sea.
Monday, January 5, 2009
The Snowbirds Have Landed
Readers,
I said I would never have a journal-type blog, but I've changed my mind. I want to share with you our adventures here in Florida. We arrived on Jan. 1 with little difficulty compared to our other road trips. The car door didn't slam on my arm and give me a giant hematoma that lasted for months, we didn't have our room search by the police because my husband was seen walking the dog near a car theft, the dogs didn't lock us out of a motel room (see a previous posting for that story), and no one tried to scam an elderly couple staying next to us to open the door to him in the middle of the night so he could rob them. Max (our doxie) didn't upchuck his kibbles even once, thanks to Dramamine.
This year we arrived at two accidents on Interstate 95 before the police. They were of the multi-car variety where someone hits the breaks and eight cars behind him suddenly link up like roller coaster cars. No one appeared to be seriously injured, but there were many unhappy campers. Clemson fans on the way to their team's bowl game in Tampa and senior snowbirds headed for warmer parts don't mix well on an interstate with a 70 mph speed limit of which no one obeys.
I finally breathed a sigh of relief when we saw that the house I rented over the Internet truly existed. My sister kept voicing her concerns over the holidays that the ad was a ruse and the photos were bogus. I've rented a condo and three houses using the Internet over the last couple of years and haven't been disappointed or conned on any of them. She told me that I'm due for trouble and would spend three months living in the pick-up truck with my hubby and two (left one with my dad) dogs. The house is in a development two miles south of Hudson on the Gulf coast, about 30 minutes north of Clearwater/St. Pete. The community layout is such that each house faces the street, but the back faces a canal. It's so relaxing to have my AM coffee on the rear patio and look out over the water. Today, a dolphin surfaced at our seawall! I'm told that dolphins don't usually come up the canals so the sighting was special. The house is well-equipped and stocked. I've found 50 rolls of toilet paper and an equal number of rolls of paper towels. The house cleaner must have a germ phobia because there are five large tubs of disinfecting wipes and enough bottled water to hydrate 100 camels. The kitchen has all the gadgets so the half of my kitchen that hubby packed was unnecessary. He got carried away this year with his preparedness. The giveaway was when two life jackets appeared in the garage during unloading. It's comforting to know that if a tsunami blankets the area, we will be able to swim to higher ground wearing our preservers.
During our first couple of days we familiarized ourselves with the area by locating all the necessities: a Publix (hubby's grocery store of choice), a Wal-Mart, a manicure/pedicure shop, the giant flea market, a Beall's outlet, and the golf courses. We're set, now. Other establishments will be found as needed like the emergency room of a local hospital. Last year I pulled an ab muscle pushing a broken down golf cart (long story). The muscle began spasming so I had to go to an emergency room where I stood for three hours waiting to be seen by a doctor. The receptionist apologized later for the long wait because she forgot I was there. The waiting room emptied three times except for me! I was hard to miss since I flinched with every spasm and couldn't bend to sit.
Today we played golf. Hubby insisted going to the course early to hit practice balls. I don't like to waste any good shots I might have in me on the range. He swings, I watch. Then we go onto the course and I beat the snot out of him. Today, we played to see who had to do the supper dishes (no dishwasher). Tomorrow we play the same course so I'm going to up the ante to who does the laundry. I know where NOT to go on the course now.
Other highlights: Our mail is being forwarded. Last year it was lost for a month before anyone in the US Postal Service could find it.
We discovered that the sofa is actually two recliners separated by a cushion. Probably not a big deal for anyone whose dog hasn't claimed the only free-standing recliner and is willing to bite to keep it.
No-see-'ems are nasty, nearly microscopic insects that bite.
The "Goodie Bar" ice cream vendor works the neighborhood.
I said I would never have a journal-type blog, but I've changed my mind. I want to share with you our adventures here in Florida. We arrived on Jan. 1 with little difficulty compared to our other road trips. The car door didn't slam on my arm and give me a giant hematoma that lasted for months, we didn't have our room search by the police because my husband was seen walking the dog near a car theft, the dogs didn't lock us out of a motel room (see a previous posting for that story), and no one tried to scam an elderly couple staying next to us to open the door to him in the middle of the night so he could rob them. Max (our doxie) didn't upchuck his kibbles even once, thanks to Dramamine.
This year we arrived at two accidents on Interstate 95 before the police. They were of the multi-car variety where someone hits the breaks and eight cars behind him suddenly link up like roller coaster cars. No one appeared to be seriously injured, but there were many unhappy campers. Clemson fans on the way to their team's bowl game in Tampa and senior snowbirds headed for warmer parts don't mix well on an interstate with a 70 mph speed limit of which no one obeys.
I finally breathed a sigh of relief when we saw that the house I rented over the Internet truly existed. My sister kept voicing her concerns over the holidays that the ad was a ruse and the photos were bogus. I've rented a condo and three houses using the Internet over the last couple of years and haven't been disappointed or conned on any of them. She told me that I'm due for trouble and would spend three months living in the pick-up truck with my hubby and two (left one with my dad) dogs. The house is in a development two miles south of Hudson on the Gulf coast, about 30 minutes north of Clearwater/St. Pete. The community layout is such that each house faces the street, but the back faces a canal. It's so relaxing to have my AM coffee on the rear patio and look out over the water. Today, a dolphin surfaced at our seawall! I'm told that dolphins don't usually come up the canals so the sighting was special. The house is well-equipped and stocked. I've found 50 rolls of toilet paper and an equal number of rolls of paper towels. The house cleaner must have a germ phobia because there are five large tubs of disinfecting wipes and enough bottled water to hydrate 100 camels. The kitchen has all the gadgets so the half of my kitchen that hubby packed was unnecessary. He got carried away this year with his preparedness. The giveaway was when two life jackets appeared in the garage during unloading. It's comforting to know that if a tsunami blankets the area, we will be able to swim to higher ground wearing our preservers.
During our first couple of days we familiarized ourselves with the area by locating all the necessities: a Publix (hubby's grocery store of choice), a Wal-Mart, a manicure/pedicure shop, the giant flea market, a Beall's outlet, and the golf courses. We're set, now. Other establishments will be found as needed like the emergency room of a local hospital. Last year I pulled an ab muscle pushing a broken down golf cart (long story). The muscle began spasming so I had to go to an emergency room where I stood for three hours waiting to be seen by a doctor. The receptionist apologized later for the long wait because she forgot I was there. The waiting room emptied three times except for me! I was hard to miss since I flinched with every spasm and couldn't bend to sit.
Today we played golf. Hubby insisted going to the course early to hit practice balls. I don't like to waste any good shots I might have in me on the range. He swings, I watch. Then we go onto the course and I beat the snot out of him. Today, we played to see who had to do the supper dishes (no dishwasher). Tomorrow we play the same course so I'm going to up the ante to who does the laundry. I know where NOT to go on the course now.
Other highlights: Our mail is being forwarded. Last year it was lost for a month before anyone in the US Postal Service could find it.
We discovered that the sofa is actually two recliners separated by a cushion. Probably not a big deal for anyone whose dog hasn't claimed the only free-standing recliner and is willing to bite to keep it.
No-see-'ems are nasty, nearly microscopic insects that bite.
The "Goodie Bar" ice cream vendor works the neighborhood.
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