Tampa Bay Area - St. Petersburg Beach, Florida

[scifan57]

OK - you're a not a Chicago stranger (my father was born there in 1926) - did you get to the Museum of Art - a fav of mine is shown below that is a highlight - the Broadway show Sunday in the Park w/ George is kind of based on that painting - Dave
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Unfortunately, I didn't get to see the Museum of Art.

 

[giradman]

Unfortunately, I didn't get to see the Museum of Art.

Well, if you ever return to Chicago, then a recommendation - have you been to New York City? My TOPS for museums of all sorts in the United States are NYC & D.C. - many other great museums in this country, but often just one or several limited to a single city, but those two towns are exceptional IMHO - Dave

 

[scifan57]

Well, if you ever return to Chicago, then a recommendation - have you been to New York City? My TOPS for museums of all sorts in the United States are NYC & D.C. - many other great museums in this country, but often just one or several limited to a single city, but those two towns are exceptional IMHO - Dave

I've never been to New York City. It something to plan on for the future.

 

[giradman]

I've never been to New York City. It something to plan on for the future.

OH - hope you can make a visit to the Big Apple soon - a great first visit (for me, early 20s in the late 1960s) that can be a revelation, and just SO MUCH to do relative to museums, Broadway, historic sites (such as Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Bldg, et al), and restaurants - if you plan an upcoming visit, then I can comment of a number of those mentioned activities - Dave

 

[scifan57]

OH - hope you can make a visit to the Big Apple soon - a great first visit (for me, early 20s in the late 1960s) that can be a revelation, and just SO MUCH to do relative to museums, Broadway, historic sites (such as Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Bldg, et al), and restaurants - if you plan an upcoming visit, then I can comment of a number of those mentioned activities - Dave

A friend of mine visited New York City in 2001, including the World Trade Centre, the week before September 11th.

 

[giradman]

Sarasota - Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium - Part 1

Well, back on topic and our second day was a trip to the Sarasota and Bradenton areas shown on a previous map and also another fabulous ride over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge - although there are many attractions in Sarasota, including a copy of the 25-ft. Unconditional Surrender Statue (first quote below), we decided on two activities, i.e. the Mote Laboratory & Aquarium and the Ringling Complex (which well be a Part 2 post). The first satellite image shows the location of these two attractions.

The Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is both a marine research organization and also an aquarium, which includes all sorts of tanks, a larger one for major fish such as sharks, and also a separate building for sea mammals, including otters and manatees - below is a another satellite image of the complex, along w/ views of the large tank and the marine animals - also notice the arrow showing a dock area where boat rides of Sarasota Bay can be done.

We purchased a combo ticket which included the above, plus about a 1 1/2 hr tour of Sarasota Bay w/ a real marine biologist as a guide - narration was excellent, many dolphins were seen, and numerous birds on island rookeries - a few pics below (all from the web - overcast day) - one other activity is throwing out a net, dragging up a bunch of 'sea creatures' - then, the marine biologist sorts through 'what' was caught and explains each animal - 'look & touch' if safe is allowed - one of the most interesting creatures was the Puffer Fish, which has a deadly toxin but is a sushi delicacy (see last pic & quote) - called 'fugu', the toxin has to be cooked just to partly deactivate its deadly nature but still numb your mouth - we are sushi lovers but have never given fugu a try - Dave

Seward Johnson first built a life-size bronze precursor to the huge statues of Unconditional Surrender using computer technology. A 25-foot (7.6 m)-tall styrofoam version of the work was part of a temporary exhibition in Sarasota, Florida in 2005, at its bay front.[1] He proceeded with the manufacture of aluminum versions of the 25-feet-tall statue, marketing them through a foundation he had created.

Interest in a return to Sarasota in 2009 was cultivated by a director of a bayfront biannual show and an aluminum copy was placed at the bayfront, again temporarily. An "88-year-old donor, who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II" offered to pay half a million dollars for it against an initial asking price of $680,000.

Mote Marine Laboratory is an independent, not-for-profit marine research organization based on City Island in Sarasota, Florida. Founded in 1955 by Eugenie Clark in Placida, Florida, it was known as the Cape Haze Marine Laboratory until 1967. The laboratory aims to advance the science of the sea, both through its marine and estuarine research labs and through the public Mote Aquarium and its affiliated educational programs.

Mote Aquarium is the public outreach arm of Mote Marine Laboratory, displaying more than 100 marine species with a focus on local marine life. The Aquarium opened in 1980 on City Island in Sarasota Bay. Visitors can see sharks, manatees, sea turtles, seahorses, rays, skates, seahorses, and invertebrates including cuttlefish, jellyfish, and sea anemones. Mote Aquarium also includes windows into Mote's working laboratories. The Aquarium hosts birthdays, weddings, corporate gatherings, and other events. Special group tours can be provided and are designed to show visitors how staff tend the animals and exhibits.[5]

Pufferfish are generally believed to be the second-most poisonous vertebrates in the world, after the golden poison frog. Certain internal organs, such as liver, and sometimes their skin, contain tetrodotoxin and are highly toxic to most animals when eaten; nevertheless, the meat of some species is considered a delicacy in Japan (as 河豚, pronounced as fugu), Korea (as 복 bok or 복어 bogeo ), and China (as 河豚 hétún) when prepared by specially trained chefs who know which part is safe to eat and in what quantity.

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[giradman]

Sarasota - Ringling Complex - Part 2

Our afternoon attraction was the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art which is a large complex consisting of beautiful landscaped grounds, visitor's center w/ gift shop, Ca'd'Zan House on Sarasota Bay, Circus Museum, and the fabulous Art Museum - we skipped the house having taken the tour before (but some pics below) - most of our time was in the Circus & Art Museums (see below) - actually we had just a couple of hours and missed a lot (the Aquarium & Boat Tour took up too much of our day) - BUT, we will return and then devote more of the day and also take the house tour again - this is an attraction not to be missed - Dave

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is the state art museum of Florida, located in Sarasota, Florida.[1] It was established in 1927 as the legacy of Mable and John Ringling for the people of Florida. Florida State University assumed governance of the Museum in 2000.[2]

Designated as the official state art museum for Florida,[3] the institution offers twenty-one galleries of European paintings as well as Cypriot antiquities and Asian, American, and contemporary art. The museum's art collection currently consists of more than 10,000 objects that include a variety of paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints, photographs, and decorative arts from ancient through contemporary periods and from around the world. The most celebrated items in the museum are 16th–20th-century European paintings, including a world-renowned collection of Peter Paul Rubenspaintings.[4] Other famous artists represented include Benjamin West, Marcel Duchamp, Diego Velázquez, Paolo Veronese, Rosa Bonheur, Gianlorenzo Bernini, Giuliano Finelli, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Frans Hals, Nicolas Poussin, Joseph Wright of Derby, Thomas Gainsborough, Eugène Boudin, and Benedetto Pagni.

In all, more than 150,000 square feet (14,000 m2) have been added to the campus, which includes the art museum, circus museum, and Ca' d'Zan, the Ringlings' mansion, which has been restored, along with the historic Asolo Theater. New additions to the campus include the Visitor's Pavilion, the Education, Library, and Conservation Complex, the Tibbals Learning Center complete with a miniature circus, and the Searing Wing, a 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) gallery for special exhibitions attached to the art museum.[5] (link above).

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[giradman]

Bradenton, FL - Dinner @ Pier 22 Restaurant on the Water

After our too short visit to the Ringling Complex, we headed north to the adjacent city of Bradenton to have an early dinner at the Pier 22 Restaurant (couple of satellite maps below showing its location and views of the outside & inside of the restaurant) - short drive on HW 41 to the Sunshine Bridge and back to St. Pete's Beach. For dinner, we started w/ Cesar salads and shared a dozen oysters on the half shell - I had a sushi dinner while Susan wanted some non-seafood and had roast duck.

The excellent South Florida Museum is located near the restaurant - we visited on our last stay in the area and highly recommended - consists of a Florida history portion, a planetarium, and the Parker Manatee Aquarium, where the local mascot, a manatee known as Snooty lives - now 67 years old (see quote below - Source)- ALSO check this Live Cam of Snooty and the other two manatees in the tank (images below of several displays in the museum & one of Snooty).

Florida is also an important locale for Professional Baseball Spring Training - the Pittsburgh Pirates train in Bradenton and play games at McKechnie Field - the New York Yankees train in Tampa - tried to convince Susan to attend a game, but she had no interest - shucks!

At the end, a long day and much accomplished - Dave

Snooty (born July 21, 1948) is a male Florida manatee that resides at the South Florida Museum's Parker Manatee Aquarium in Bradenton, Florida. He is one of the first recorded captive manatee births, and at age 67, he is the oldest manatee in captivity,[1] and likely the oldest manatee in the world. Due to his hand rearing from birth, Snooty was never released to the wild and is the only manatee at the museum's aquarium that has regular human interaction.[2]

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[scifan57]

I like the fact that the pink museum fits in well with your like of pink hotels.
If you're ever in Baraboo, Wisconsin, there's the Circus World Museum at the former site of the Ringling Brothers Circus winter quarters before they moved it to Florida. Circus World Baraboo - Wisconsin Dells | Attractions | Magic Show

 

[giradman]

I like the fact that the pink museum fits in well with your like of pink hotels.
If you're ever in Baraboo, Wisconsin, there's the Circus World Museum at the former site of the Ringling Brothers Circus winter quarters before they moved it to Florida. Circus World Baraboo - Wisconsin Dells | Attractions | Magic Show

Yes, love the architecture and colors of those Ringling buildings - need to do the house again after posting those pics. I've been to Wisconsin just a couple of times but never visited the place linked above, although I saw it mentioned when looking at some web links about the history of the Sarasota location. Dave

 

[giradman]

St. Petersburg Downtown - Dalí Museum & Chihuly Collection

St. Petersburg is one of the larger cities in Florida (see first quote below) and about the same population as my home town - the downtown area is on Tampa Bay and offers many attractions - see the map below - there are two AAA Diamond Attractions, i.e. the Dalí & Holocaust Museums, but the others highlighted are worth a visit - we first visited the Dalí Museum, which started w/ a light but excellent lunch at their cafe (recommended!), then went to the Chihuly Collection. In the past, we have visited the Fine Arts & History museums, but not the newer one on the Holocaust (a choice for me but not Susan - we've been to plenty holocaust museums, including several tours through the one in Washington, D.C.

The Dalí Museum is a newly opened architectural beauty to visit, both outside and inside (as discussed in the second quote and shown in the images below); the cafe is on the first floor next to the marvelous and large gift shop. We first visited this collection when located in a smaller structure on the bay a little further south from its present locale. There are a variety of art works & photos and usually a special exhibit to view - just some examples of the art below.

Dale Chihuly is an American glass sculptor, often of LARGE lighted objects - see third quote below & check link, if interested. The Chihuly Collection is closer to the Fine Arts Museum - not large and a small gift shop - but the art works are truly gorgeous and large - see the pics below for a few examples.

On our last visit to downtown St. Petersburg, we enjoyed visiting The Pier (last quote & image), which was built in 1973 and lasted 40 years - the structure was demolished recently and is now being rebuilt - not sure what the ultimate design will be, but maybe some of our Tampa Bay members might chime in w/ comments. Dave

St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2014 census estimate, the population was 253,693,[5] making St. Petersburg the 5th most populous city in the state of Florida and the largest city in Florida that is not a county seat (the city of Clearwater is the county seat).[6] St. Petersburg is the second largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, after Tampa, composed of roughly 2.8 million residents,[7] making it the second largest Metropolitan Statistical Area in the state. It is also a popular vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. The city is located on a peninsula between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico and is connected to mainland Florida to the north.[8]

The Salvador Dalí Museum is an art museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States, dedicated to the work of Salvador Dalí. It houses the largest collection of Dalí's works outside Europe. It is located on the downtown St. Petersburg waterfront by 5th Avenue Southeast, Bay Shore Drive, and Dan Wheldon Way. On April 18, 2012, the AIA's Florida Chapter placed the building on its list of Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places.[1]

Dale Chihuly (born September 20, 1941), is an Americanglass sculptor and entrepreneur. His works are considered unique to the field of blown glass, "moving it into the realm of large-scale sculpture".[2] The technical difficulties of working with glass forms are considerable, yet Chihuly uses it as the primary medium for installations and environmental artwork.

The St. Petersburg Pier, known locally as The Pier, was a landmark and tourist destination extending into Tampa Bay from downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. The Pier featured a five-story inverted pyramid-shaped building.[4][5] Constructed in 1973, it was designed by St. Petersburg architect William B. Harvard, Sr..[6] May 31, 2013 was the last official day for the public to visit the pier.

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[suenc]

Well, March has arrived and Susan & I have some monthly trips planned - the first was a delayed birthday gift for her (January - mine is in April and we'll be traveling to the Georgia Coast) - this time we returned to the Tampa Bay Area - brief quote below of the size and population of the region from the link. Our specific destination was a 5-night stay at the Don CeSar Resort on St. Pete's Beach - this was our 5th visit there done over nearly a 40-year period.

Tampa-Clearwater-St. Petersburg are located along the west central coast of Florida (see first two maps below and notice the closeness to Orlando, i.e. Disney World). We flew into the Tampa Airport, picked up a rental car, and drove just 30 minutes or so to the resort (see additional maps of the route, Tampa Area, and some satellite views of the land and water - beautiful!). The last four images are of the Don CeSar Hotel from the front, back, and views of the two pools and the Gulf of Mexico. Unlike the Florida east coast, the sun sets over the water providing some spectacular views.

This travelogue will first discuss our present visit, which included a number of day trips to state parks and other cities (on one of the satellite views, I've circled some of the towns, cities, etc. that will be included in upcoming posts); I'll cover some of our previous trips to the area (probably at least a dozen or more) just to give those who may be traveling to the Central Florida some suggestions for activities. Also, I imagine that there are forum members who live in the area; if so, please 'chime in' w/ corrections (not a native Floridian BUT frequent visitor) and add some posts. Hope all viewing this thread will enjoy - Dave


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I always enjoy staying at the “Pink Palace”--great location, food and service. This was a typical Ott “see and learn” vacation, never a dull moment.

 

[suenc]

Well, March has arrived and Susan & I have some monthly trips planned - the first was a delayed birthday gift for her (January - mine is in April and we'll be traveling to the Georgia Coast) - this time we returned to the Tampa Bay Area - brief quote below of the size and population of the region from the link. Our specific destination was a 5-night stay at the Don CeSar Resort on St. Pete's Beach - this was our 5th visit there done over nearly a 40-year period.

Tampa-Clearwater-St. Petersburg are located along the west central coast of Florida (see first two maps below and notice the closeness to Orlando, i.e. Disney World). We flew into the Tampa Airport, picked up a rental car, and drove just 30 minutes or so to the resort (see additional maps of the route, Tampa Area, and some satellite views of the land and water - beautiful!). The last four images are of the Don CeSar Hotel from the front, back, and views of the two pools and the Gulf of Mexico. Unlike the Florida east coast, the sun sets over the water providing some spectacular views.

This travelogue will first discuss our present visit, which included a number of day trips to state parks and other cities (on one of the satellite views, I've circled some of the towns, cities, etc. that will be included in upcoming posts); I'll cover some of our previous trips to the area (probably at least a dozen or more) just to give those who may be traveling to the Central Florida some suggestions for activities. Also, I imagine that there are forum members who live in the area; if so, please 'chime in' w/ corrections (not a native Floridian BUT frequent visitor) and add some posts. Hope all viewing this thread will enjoy - Dave


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Myakka River State Park - Part 1

Florida has numerous nature parks, so always a pleasure to leave the developed areas & cities to visit the native flora & fauna of the state. For our first all day trip, we drove about an hour to Myakka River State Park. The route crosses the lower end of the huge Tampa Bay over the beautiful Sunshine Skyway Bridge which is just over a mile long and 430 ft peak height (check short quote below and link - there have been over 200 suicides since its opening); the first pics below show the route on I-275 to I-75 to the park near Sarasota (an upcoming day trip post).

Myakka River State Park is described below (second quote; link above) - the river and several lakes are on the property (the upper lake can be viewed on an air-boat ride or canoe rentals) - see satellite and diagrammatic maps; there is a gift shop w/ a decent restaurant for a quick lunch or snack - a combination ticket includes a narrated air-boat cruise on the lake and an open tram ride (pics below) w/ excellent commentary by the driver/guide. There are numerous opportunities to see many different kinds of animals; of course, many alligators live in the park (last images below) - note the pics in these posts will be a mixture of my own and ones from the web. Part 2 of this split post will show some of the other animals - this was a throughly enjoyable day and a pleasant break from the 'hotel environment' - Dave




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Myakka River State Park - Part 2

The park has numerous other activities beyond the ones mentioned previously - plenty of trails (like the one below w/ overhanging Spanish moss, especially from live oaks), kayaking & canoeing, bicycling, horse riding, camping, overnight cabins, etc. - below just another description of the park (Source). Birding is a MUST here - we saw some bald eagles and many water birds (pics below mostly my own w/ labels) - the vultures are the 'garbage collectors' locally -

On our way out, we did a trail hike to the Canopy Walkway and Tower - the vegetation in the trees is clearly visible; the tower provides a panoramic view of the treetops (Susan decided not to climb and is seen on her phone sitting on a bench) - there were a number of fires in the distance, which were intentional 'ecological burns' set by the rangers to control and promote floral growth in the park. Again, an extremely enjoyable day and highly recommended if visiting the area - BTW, we did use insect repellent and were not bitten by any insects. Dave




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The sign said “Welcome to the real Florida”--lots of nature, peace, flora and fauna.

 

[suenc]

St. Petersburg Downtown - Dalí Museum & Chihuly Collection

St. Petersburg is one of the larger cities in Florida (see first quote below) and about the same population as my home town - the downtown area is on Tampa Bay and offers many attractions - see the map below - there are two AAA Diamond Attractions, i.e. the Dalí & Holocaust Museums, but the others highlighted are worth a visit - we first visited the Dalí Museum, which started w/ a light but excellent lunch at their cafe (recommended!), then went to the Chihuly Collection. In the past, we have visited the Fine Arts & History museums, but not the newer one on the Holocaust (a choice for me but not Susan - we've been to plenty holocaust museums, including several tours through the one in Washington, D.C.

The Dalí Museum is a newly opened architectural beauty to visit, both outside and inside (as discussed in the second quote and shown in the images below); the cafe is on the first floor next to the marvelous and large gift shop. We first visited this collection when located in a smaller structure on the bay a little further south from its present locale. There are a variety of art works & photos and usually a special exhibit to view - just some examples of the art below.

Dale Chihuly is an American glass sculptor, often of LARGE lighted objects - see third quote below & check link, if interested. The Chihuly Collection is closer to the Fine Arts Museum - not large and a small gift shop - but the art works are truly gorgeous and large - see the pics below for a few examples.

On our last visit to downtown St. Petersburg, we enjoyed visiting The Pier (last quote & image), which was built in 1973 and lasted 40 years - the structure was demolished recently and is now being rebuilt - not sure what the ultimate design will be, but maybe some of our Tampa Bay members might chime in w/ comments. Dave

The Dali Museum was fascinating but crowded, so I didn’t see quite as much if I wanted to. I am now wearing my new Dali “melting” watch. The café had surprisingly delicious Spanish food. Chihuly’s glass work is incredible, almost from another planet.

 

[giradman]

The Dali Museum was fascinating but crowded, so I didn’t see quite as much if I wanted to. I am now wearing my new Dali “melting” watch. The café had surprisingly delicious Spanish food. Chihuly’s glass work is incredible, almost from another planet.

Susan has 'chimed in' w/ some comments - the Dalí Museum cafe is highly recommended and she is right about the menu, a top portion of which is shown below (not included are additional sandwiches & wraps, and a short but nice list of tapas) - also, some alcohol offerings including a number from Spain - the cafe is named after his wife, Gala.

Most will recognize the painting The Persistence of Memory which is in MoMA in New York City - I've probably seen the actual art work at least a half dozen times - her watch (also shown below - she bought the silver men's version). Dave

P.S. we both had a cup of delicious gazpacho & the small ensalada mixta; then shared a nice flan (like a creme brûlée) w/ freshly made cappuccinos.
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