Here’s to Entertainment

by Adele Woodyard

Miss the Florida State Fair? You went to it and am now looking for more fun? Here’s some of the Arts and Entertainment available in the Central Florida area. Think Bookmark, for some go on for months.

Tampa:
The Renaissance Festival takes you back to the lords, ladies, and knights in armor days of the16th century. Medieval characters perform on stages, or a living chess board; joust on horseback, and wander through a marketplace selling everything from A (art, apparel) to F (food) to W (wood). Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 13-14 through Mar. 27-28. $17.95 adult, $14.95 senior, $9.95 ages 6-12, 5 and under FREE. Discount tickets online. FREE Parking. School Day Friday, Mar. 19 MOSI grounds, 11315 46th St. N; 813-983-0111;
http://www.renaissancefest.com

The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) is also the place to view Da Vinci—The Genius, an interactive exhibit that includes the Secrets of Mona Lisa. Best known as an artist, (Mona Lisa, The Last Supper) Da Vinci also created prototypes way ahead of his time (1452-1519). Among the displays that you can handle are replicas of over 70 machines he designed that include an automobile, bicycle, helicopter and glider. Although a pacifist, DeVinci still designed a tank, machine gun, missile and bullets. More peaceful inventions include a portable piano that could sound like a violin. Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends, now through May 31. $25.95 ages 13 and up, $22.95 12 and under, $19.95 ages 60 and up, include Da Vinci exhibit, MOSI galleries and an IMAX film. 4801 E. Fowler Ave., 813-987-6000;
http://www.mosi.org

The Tampa Museum of Art opened its brand new building with A Celebration of Henri Matisse: Master of Line and Light on February 6. The exhibit featuring more than 170 works, mostly black and white prints, runs through April 18. Open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon-Wed-Fri; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Thurs., 11 a.m.-5 p.m., weekends. $10 adult, $7.50 seniors, military, groups; $5 students, 6 and under FREE. 120 . Gasparilla Plaza. 813-274-8130.
http://www.tampamuseum.org

Six actors and a four-piece band celebrate Jesus Christ in Godspell at the Jaeb Theatre of the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, now through May 16. The musical that first opened in 1971, has been updated several times since, but such best known songs as Day by Day and Beautiful City, remain. Opens 7:30 p.m. Thurs, Fri., 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sat. and Sun. Ticket prices start at $31.50. 1010 WC MacInnes Pl. N., 813-229-7827; 800-955-1045;
http://www.strazcenter.org

St. Petersburg
Florida International Museum is the site for Cut! Costume and the Cinema, a show of 40 period costumes made for recent movies. Take a close-up look now-through May 16, at the swashbuckling outfit Johhny Depp wore in the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Ooh and Aah over the flowing gowns worn by Kate Winslet in Finding Neverland, Emmy Rossum in Phantom of the Opera. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat, noon-5 p.m Sun. $12 adult, $10 senior and military, $5 students over 6. Florida International Museum at St. Petersburg College, 244 Second Ave. N., 727-341-7900.
http://www.floridamuseum.org/

Orlando
Mardi Gras on Saturday evenings now through April 17 at. Universal Studios Florida. Mardi Gras floats, night parades, stilt walkers and hundreds of costumed characters add to a concert series and turn the theme park into a celebration that rivals New Orleans. Included in regular park admission: $79 adult, $68 ages 3-9, children 2 and under free. Theme park opens 9 a.m.; Parade times 8 p.m. Saturdays, Feb. 6-Mar. 20, Apr. 17; 9 p.m. Saturdays, Mar. 27-Apr. 10. Regular parking $14, $3 6-10 p.m. (subject to change). 407-363-8000;
http://www.universalorlando.com

Like chocolate? Try a wide variety of these sweet goodies March 6-7 at the Orlando Science Center’s Festival of Chocolate. Along with the munchies, there’s an educational chocolate museum and a creative workshop for the kids.to make their own. Included in the Center ticket price: $17 adult, $16 senior (55+), $12 ages 3-11 Advance tickets to March 5. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 777 E. Princeton St. 407-351-3600;
http://festivalofchocolate.com

Sarasota
Opera your thing? The winter season is in full swing at the newly refurbished Sarasota Opera House, a former 1926 theatre. Hansel and Gretel, Giovanni d’Arco (Joan of Arc) and Pagliacia are currently scheduled on alternating dates through March. Prices vary depending on seating. 61 N. Pineapple Ave. Click for times and dates of opera of choice
http://www.sarasotaopera.org

Myakka City
See Walt Disney’s “Miracle of the White Stallions”? You can watch them perform the unbelievable “Airs above the Grand Mounted” leap at Hermanns’ Royal Lipizzan Stallions of Austria during their winter training session. These magnificent white horses, originally founded in the 16th century for the exclusive use of the Hapsburg Royal Family of Austria, are descendants of those saved from extinction by General George Patton during WWII. FREE, donation welcome. Open 3 p.m. Thur. and Fri., 10 a.m. Sat. Dress Rehearsals 3 p.m. April 29, 30; 10 a.m. May 1. 32755 Singletary Rd. 941-322-1501.
http://www.hlipizzans.com

For MORE “freebies” and “cheapies”, click on Bargains at http://www.vacationfunflorida.com home page..

Florida’s Hearts and Flowers

by Adele Woodyard

In Florida the month of love and romance may don different hats in the same town. For instance:
Valentine’s Day starts off with a very loud BANG in Daytona Beach. The Daytona 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup kicks off the Series season on February 14. For couples who love the excitement of the race car scene as much (or more?) than each other, there’s a package for “2 + 2 nites + 2 race tickets” that starts at $310. Some hotel rates list from $99/ per night (Heritage Inn) to $399/night at the Acapulco Hotel and Resort. If you really want to be close to the action, the Ramada Speedway offers $425/night, with a four night minimum stay. http://www.daytonabeach.com
Loving couples who prefer to take the quieter champagne/chocolates/flowers route, will find a variety of selections on http://daytonabeach.com/romance_package

Golfing couples can have their Romantic Rendezvous at the Comfort Suite World of Golf Village, in St. Augustine. Located six miles from the downtown historic district, and eight miles from the beaches, an indoor pool offers a dip after a day on the greens. A king suite with lakeview includes a Continental breakfast, and a gift tray with champagne or wine, and chocolates, on arrival. http://www.cswgv.com
One of several places downtown St. Augustine offers for lovers, is a Romantic Suite at the award winning, © 1893 B & B, Cedar House Inn. Price ranges from $259-299; another $199 brings a dozen roses, chocolates, sparkling wine, and a private horse and carriage ride for two, with dinner. Two night minimum on weekends. 800-845-0012; http://www.cedarhouseinn.com. More info on http://www.getaway4florida.com.

A Valentine’s Day weekend at Forever Florida an outdoor couple’s dream. On Saturday, Feb. 13, they can zip over the treetops or ride horseback on dirt trails that cross acres of land inhabited only by wildlife. The day ends with a champagne toast and a 4-course dinner for two. Or for regular prices, they can create their own Sunday package around lunch. Sweetheart zipline pkg,: $210/couple; Horseback pkg.,. $160/couple; Dinner only, $80/couple, tax and gratuity not included. . 4755 N. Kenansville Rd. St. Cloud, 866-854-3839, 407-957-9794; http://www.foreverflorida.com

How about a Valentine Day getaway to Key West on an air-conditioned catamaran? With a full galley, bar, TV and outdoor sun deck? The Sea Key West Express leaves from Fort Myers Beach , but to get the $112 round-trip fare, you need to book 8 days in advance. For reservations and information call 888-539-2628. http://www.seakeywestexpress.com

Another sea going excursion is the Indian River Queen, a triple-deck paddleboat on Florida’s east coast. Although it specializes in private charters and exclusively designed affairs, e.g. weddings, such events as Friday dinner cruises, and Sunday jazz cruises are open to the public. Cocoa Village Marina, 90 Delanney Ave. Cocoa, 800-979-3370; http://www.indianriverqueen.com

Ready to tie the knot? Take a look at Anna Maria Island, the “wedding capital of the Gulf Coast”. Brides-to-be will welcome a visit to the town’s 3rd Annual Wedding Festival, Sunday, February 28, 2010. A complementary limo and beach trolley service ferries them to sites where, amid live music, wine and cheese and catering tastings, are hair and makeup demos, fashion shows, a mock wedding, and more .$7 for a pre-event brunch from 9 to11 a.m.(pre-register); $10 at door for the main event 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Chamber of Commerce, 5313 Gulf Dr. N., Holmes Beach, 941-778-1541; http://www.amiweddingfestival.com.

Where’s Florida’s Warm Days?

       by Adele Woodyard

These past almost-two weeks remind me of New Jersey winters without the snow. It’s been so cold for so long (for Florida anyway) fish are floating belly up in the bays, over 40 turtles are thawing out at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, and a few houses are tottering on the edge of deep sinkholes. How can that last be from cold weather? Not sure but think it has to do with sand, limestone, the aquifer, and our extra demands on electric power. Whatever, the chill is not conducive to being outdoors. I’m just trying to stay warm without thinking about my electric bill.

 However, we’re supposed to start warming up just in time for January’s exciting events. In the Tampa Bay area. Martin Luther King’s birthday (Jan. 18) brings a number of celebrations, starting with the 10^th annual Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival for all ages, this weekend. Music, entertainment, food, arts and crafts will be found at various “villages” scattered throughout Al Lopez Park. 4810 N. Himes Ave. Tampa. FREE  7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun.. www.tampablackheritage.org .  . 

The 24^th annual National MLK Drum Major Parade for Justice includes bands from across the country to downtown St. Petersburg  on Jan. 18. Route runs from Third Ave S to Central Ave, Bayshore Dr. and Fifth Ave. N. before disbanding at Vinoy Park. FREE. 11 a.m-2 p.m. Mon.  727-893-7134.

Plant City  has a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Parade that adds police motorcycles and floats to marching bands, from MLK Blvd. to Marshal Middle School. FREE. 1 p.m. Sat. 813-757-6760; www.plantcitymlkfestival.com

Kids ages 5-12 can learn all about Dr. King on a MLK Play Day in Dunedin.  They will enjoy his story through games, crafts and other themed activities at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center, 550 Laura Lane. 9 a.m.-noon, Mon. $25 with recreation ID card, $35 without.727-812-4545.

The Civil War is back in the news with the Brooksville Raid Festival this weekend. Watch the Blue and the Gray battle it out at 2:30 p.m. Sat and 2 p.m. Sun. Confederate and  Union Camps open at 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat., 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sun, for food, artillery demonstrations, and more. Sand Hill Scout Reservation, 1100 Cortez Blvd. (SR 50), Brooksville. $6 adult, $3 ages 6-12, FREE 5 and under, and scouts in uniform.  352-799-0129; www.brooksvillereenactment.com

The last two weekends in January is time to start Tampa’s  Mardi Gras—the colorful, raucous and long-lasting .Gasparilla Extravanganza.  Pirates will invade Tampa on Saturday, Jan. 30, but little ones have their day on Sat. Jan. 23. Watch for the highlights of festivities that last into March, on my next blog.

Happy Holidays II

by Adele Woodyard

 Re-Scheduled:

Buckets of rain drowned out several big holiday events in Pinellas County this weekend, but all is not lost. New dates and places are:

Saturday, Dec. 11 will be snow day for both downtown Clearwater and Oldsmar. “Miracle on Cleveland Street” will have 40 tons of the cold white stuff for kids of all ages to play in, plus Santa and tree lighting in Station Square Park, 5:30-10 p.m.. www.myclearwater.com/downtown  

Oldsmar’s “Christmas Wonderland” has slopes of ice for kids to slide or sled  at R.E. Olds Park, from 6-9 p.m.. Holiday jazz band, Santa, pony rides and good things to eat add to the fun.

Sunday, Dec. 12 is Dunedin’s day when snowflakes are sprinkled on the Pinellas Trail, Main Street. Music, carols, Santa and carriage rides help make it an “Old Fashioned Christmas” from 6-10 p.m.

 More Fun In December

Tampa

Victorian Christmas Stroll at the Henry B. Plant Museum is a walk through an 1891 Christmas with themed trees, toys, music and Old Saint Nick.  10 a.m.-8 p.m. now through Wed. Dec. 23. $10 adult, $5 12 and under; Discount days 12/7 & 8, 12/14 &15, $6, $3 12 and under. 813-254-1891; www.plantmuseum.com

 Ride a carriage through picturesque Hyde Park, 7-10 p.m. Sat. and Sun. through Dec. 20. $10 person ($20 minimum), FREE kids 2 and under. 813-251-3500; www.oldhydepark.com

Friday-Saturdays, at 6-9 p.m. through Dec. 30, Lowry Park Zoo celebrates the holiday with  their evening annual winter festival. Live reindeer and penguins, visits with Santa, horse-drawn carriage rides and Frosty’s Foam Factory are part of the fun. $13 adult, $11 ages 3-11, 2 and younger FREE. 813-935-8552; www.lowryparkzoo.com

Largo

Visit Heritage Village’s decorated homes and galleries beneath trees sparkling with colored lights.10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fri., Sat. and Wed., 1-4 p.m. Sun. Continued through Dec. 30. FREE (donations welcome). 727-582-2123; www.pinellascounty.org/heritage

 Kissimmee

Lights are frozen within larger-than-life ice sculptures at Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center.. Open daily, hours vary, through Jan. 3. Since ice is kept at 9 degrees F, better wear hats, scarves, gloves, etc. $18.99-$25.99 adult; $16.99-$22.99 seniors; $9.99-$11.99 ages 4-12; discounts online. 407-586-4423; www.gaylordpalms.com   

 See www.vacationfunflorida.com/bargains for Orlando doings.

Happy Holidays

by Adele Woodyard

Florida’s Ho! Ho! Ho! Season brings such a number and variety of celebrations around the state, you can’t miss at least one wherever you are. Here’s some samples that are currently on my personal radar (more on vacationfunflorida.com/bargains): 

Dec. 5-6 calls for a boat ride to Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park in the Florida Keys. From 9 a.m-3 p.m. tour boats ferry passengers on the hour to enjoy homemade cookies, cakes and other refreshments at the historic Matheson House, decorated for a 1900s Christmas. $5 donation adult, 12 and under FREE.

A Christmas Festival of Lights runs from 5 p.m.- 9 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12-through Thursday, December 31 at the Stephen  Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs. Opening day, Dec 12,  begins with a 10 a.m. breakfast hosted by good ole Saint Nick himself. Park’s craft square and gift shop will be open from 9 a.m.-9 p.m.. The town’s Christmas Parade begins at 5:30 p.m. on Main Street and ends inside the park, where you can munch on FREE hot dogs and cookies while listening to a carillon concert. There’s even a bonfire and marshmallow roast at the craft square, all for a requested donation of canned goods or new toy (opening day only). $2 per person Dec. 13-31, when visitors are treated to oak trees adorned in  thousands of lights, the antebellum museum dressed for the holiday, and a gingerbread village in the craft square.

Dec. 12 brings an evening of Christmas carols from 6-9 p.m. at the Ravine Gardens State Park in Palatka, along with entertainment on stage at the Civic Center.

Dec. 13, travel back to the Old South of the 19^th century for a Plantation Christmas Open House at the Gamble Plantation Historic State Park in Ellenton. From 10 a.m.-4 p.m., women in period dress join with the gray uniforms of the 4^th Florida Volunteer Infantry, who reenact a Confederate encampment.

Click on www.floridastateparks.org for what’s going on in a park near you.   .  

The Bach Festival Society will present holiday favorites and a singalong, 7:30 p.m. Sat. Dec. 12, and 2 p.m. Sun. Dec. 13. Enjoy the concert at Rollins College Knowles Memorial Chapel, Winter Park. Contact 407-646-2182 or www.bachfestivalflorida.org for ticket information.

Closer to home (North Pinellas & Pasco Counties)  there are such activities as Lighted Boat Parades (Dunedin and New Port Richey,12/5; Tarpon Springs 12/12); Holiday Parades (New Port Richey, Palm Harbor, 12/12; Tarpon Springs and Safety Harbor, 12/19); Holiday Concerts (Dunedin, 12/6,13 & 18) and all-day festivals (Palm Harbor 12/5-12/6; New Port Richey 12/11-12/13; Safety Harbor 12/13). Not to mention all the breakfasts with Santa where the kids whisper their wants in his ear, between bites.

A Florida Thanksgiving

by Adele Woodyard

 In a couple of weeks it will be Thanksgiving, a national holiday that many of us will celebrate with family and/or friends. For me it will be a gathering of two families, 19 in all, at my son and daughter-in-law’s house in Gainesville. A birthday cake will join the traditional pumpkin pie, for three of the guests have their special days this month, one of them on Thanksgiving Day.. Hope the weather cooperates, for tables will be set around the pool, and we can eat outdoors, like they did in the Plymouth colony  388 years ago. Perhaps the day will remind four of us of a Thanksgiving we shared one November. Here’s  part of the piece I wrote for Coast to Coast Magazine,  Nov-Dec. 1995:

        “A huge turkey made from baled hay greets campers near the entrance to Spirit of the  Suwannee Park in north Florida. Fallen leaves rustle underfoot. Pale gray smoke from a hundred fire rings rises toward the late November sky. As the day closes in on 2 p.m., campers clad in jeans and jackets pour out of RVs, trailer homes and tents. Bearing salads, sweet and mashed potatoes, veggies, pies and cakes, they converge at tables set beneath tall oak trees that drip with Spanish moss. These hearty dishes are set down beside roasting pans piled high with steaming turkey, stuffing and gravy, furnished by the park.

       All sizes and ages rush to find a seat and bow their heads as a deep voiced baritone invokes the blessing. …table numbers are called out and the hungry horde flocks to  fill their plates (with) this sumptuous spread that costs campers a mere $2, in addition to a covered dish big enough to feed six to eight.

      Surrounded by hardwoods and pine, within walking distance of the Suwannee River, you can easily imagine what Florida’s first Thanksgiving was like. To wonder if Indians will step out from behind the trees, for the Timucuan Indians once lived and hunted in these woods. But the illusion doesn’t end when the tables are empty. Each November the park stages Old Tyme Farm Days, an annual step back to the past…”      

 The rest of the article shows what else we found in the park that weekend, when we pitched two tents and canoed on the Suwannee River. According to their web site, much has been changed and/or added, since our visit. The annual Thanksgiving Day feast is now $5, and Old Tyme Farm Days have added to their hands-on exhibits. 580 acres has grown to 800, 270 campsites now number 600 improved, and there are comfortable cabins for those who have neither RV or tent.  There’s even a treehouse with bath and kitchen, if you’d like to sleep high aboveground. But the “pickin shed” for musical groups with banjos and guitars, bass and fiddles is still there, along with fishing on Rees Lake.  See for yourself what’s all year round at http://musicliveshere.com; 386-364-1683.

Wherever you are, whatever you do, may you have a happy Thanksgiving.

Preserving Florida’s Past: Part II

by Adele Woodyard 

Preserving the state’s history and/or ecology has been an underlying aim for the Florida state parks since the first ones were built for recreation in the 1930s. Here are three of them, near or on the Apalachicola  River, that I visited during my recent Panhandle trip.

Torreya State Park lies on the eastern edge of the river about midway between I-10 to the north and Bristol, on S.R. 20 to the south. As such it’s an easy drive to or from the Panhandle Pioneer Settlement I wrote about last week. One of the first of the eight parks built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) it was named after the  Torreya tree (Taxifolia), a species of conifer also known as Stinking Yew. Decimated by an unknown fungus, this rare and endangered tree can be found in the high bluffs and deep ravines along the river, and in southernmost Georgia. 

Being a history buff, I was more interested in the Gregory House, a plantation home that sits atop a bluff and overloooks  the Apalachicola River 150 feet below. Originally built about 1849 at Ocheesee Landing, by planter Jason Gregory, it was moved across the river by the CCC in 1935.  Ranger Dan Cole tells us how they dismantled the house and carried it piece by piece, up the steep hill only to be stored on the property for the next two years.

Apalachicola River 150' below

During a tour of the house, he points out one of the four bedrooms that was rented to an eye doctor or river captains, a common practice in those days. Cole tells us why one object is called a “courting” candle (the “date” is over when it burns down to a certain point); that a sewing machine on display was one of the first Singer built; and that the handsome young  Gregory. was only an inch over 5 feet tall.

Cole’s most intriguing tale featured daughter Chaffa. With no slaves left to care for the property after the Civil War, the family moved out. Chaffa, an unmarried teacher,  returned to the homestead at age 50, and eventually wed a childhood sweetheart whose wife had died. Two years later he was beaten to death on the front porch, by the son of a former slave. Ranger-guided tours 10 a.m. weekdays, 10 a.m., 2 and 4 p.m. weekends. 850-643-2674; www.floridastateparks.org/torreya

 The next two are in Apalachicola, on U.S. Hwy 98. The town was named one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations, in 2008. Over half the buildings listed on the Historic Walking Tour pamphlet date back to the 1800s, when the town was the third-largest cotton port on the Gulf Coast. Today the cotton and sponge warehouses hold shops, art galleries and restaurants serving seafood fresh from the ships that line the waterfront.

 The Orman House was built in 1838 by Thomas Orman , a cotton merchant  who was instrumental in helping the tiny town grow in importance during the mid-19^th century. Used for both business and social gatherings, the antebellum house was built in sections at the very beginning. The wood was pre-cut in Syracuse, New York and shipped to Apalachicola by sailing vessel. Like the Gregory House it was

Orman House

assembled on a bluff overlooking the Apalachicola River. It became one of the state park’s more recent acquisitions in 1999.   .   Open  9 -12 a.m., 1- 5 p.m., Thurs.-Mon.  Closed major holidays.one

Also on site, the adjoining Chapman Botanical Garden, honors a prominent southern botanist, physician and Apalachicola resident in the 1800s. Dr.Alvan Chapman and his wife, are buried in the Chestnut Street Cemetery, established in 1831. Construction had me miss the garden, but the elaborately carved marble headstones in the cemetery made for an interesting stop in itself. Open 8 a.m.-sunset daily.     850-653-1209. www.floridastateparks.org/ormanhouse   

 John Gorrie Museum State Park honors a little-known physician whose invention gave Florida—in fact, the world—a way to beat the heat. Shortly after moving to Apalachicola in 1833, he donned a number of hats, serving as mayor, postmaster, city treasurer, bank director, council member and founder of Trinity Church. But it was as a doctor that Gorrie gave his most important, and least recognized, contribution to humanity. After developing a Rube-Goldberg device to cool the rooms of yellow fever patients, Gorrie invented an ice-producing machine. Although he received the first U.S.  patent for mechanical refrigeration in 1851, he was unable to market his invention before he died four years later. A replica of his ice machine is on display, as well as exhibits depicting Apalachicola history Open 9-12 a.m., 1-5 p.m. Thurs-Mon. 850-653-9347. www.floridastateparks.org/gorriemuseum   

 Saving money? Download our eBook where 52 out of 100 places to go are FREE.  100 FLORIDA “freebies” and “cheapies” Vacation fun for $5 or less is available on www.vacationfunflorida.com.

A Suwannee River Adventure

by Adele Woodyard

The river Stephen Foster never saw, but  immortalized in the song, “Old Folks at Home”, originates in Georgia’s Okefenokee  Swamp. It winds through northern Florida for 240 rural, and often heavily wooded miles, before spilling into the Gulf of Mexico by the little town of Suwannee. Here the river is wide and deep enough for a weekend trip I took on a houseboat in the early 90s. Today you can launch your canoe or kayak on the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail, and paddle from the white water rapids of Big Shoals near the Georgia line, past rocky banks and sandbars, south to Manatee Springs.

October 1 is the last day to register for the Paddle Florida Event, a week-long, 123-mile boat trip down the Suwannee River trail. Scheduled from October 15-22, 2009, the first night starts at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park with a final party at Fanning Springs State Park on October 21, and a nine-mile paddle to Manatee Springs State Park on Thursday, the 22^nd. There a shuttle takes you back to the Spirit of Suwannee and your car.  The inaugural event last year drew 160 paddlers to the week of camping, campfires and entertainment. Prices range from $60/day + 30/day meal, if desired, for up to four days, to $300 adult, plus $150 if full meal deal, for the week. www.paddleflorida.org or call Bill Richards, 352-377-8342.

Love to paddle but can’t make the journey this year? Like to camp but don’t have a canoe or kayak? No problem; the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail is also open to hikers, bikers, even horsemen, all year long. Thanks to the Florida State Parks system, FREE river camps are springing up along the way. Sites consist of five screened, raised sleeping platforms with electricity and ceiling fans, each holding 6-8 people. Hot showers and restrooms are available. Set approximately 10 miles from established parks and campgrounds, almost all are accessible only to the river and hiking trails. Hubs are White Springs, Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, Suwannee River State Park. Lafayette Blue Spring State Park, and towns Dowling Park,  Branford, Fanning Springs and Suwannee. Current river campsites are located at Woods Ferry, Holton Creek, Dowling Park, Peacock Slough, and Adams Tract, with more on the way. www.floridastateparks.org/wilderness

Backyard Travel

by Adele Woodyard
Whether far or near, alone or with a group, travel writers “travel”. While I write this, Steve is in the Florida Panhandle, but my last FAM trip was right down the street! Never overlook small town attractions. I may have already written about places like Caladesi Island, 2008’s #1 beach, and the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa, but there’s always ones I miss.

For instance, the pricey, 900 acre Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in North Palm Harbor is well-known among 18-hole aficionados. I’d driven by its entrance on U.S. 19 hundreds of times but it took a bus-load of hospitality people and (two writers) to inspire me to drive through its shaded streets. Along the way we glimpsed some of the six heated swimming pools, 11 tennis courts, and miles of hiking and biking trails, besides the vast, manicured greens. Families welcome, recreation centers geared to kids keep them amused while mom and dad are on the links. Click on
www.innisbrookgolfresort.com
for a peek at some of the 620 guest rooms and suites.

The Safety Harbor Museum of Regional History is within easy walking distance of the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa, home of the Espiritu Santo Springs. Located on a Tocobagan Indian shell mound, it overlooks Old Tampa Bay.
The museum’s displays and dioramas feature fossils, beads and pottery from prehistoric times, Spanish explorers, and turn-of-the-century settlers.
www.safetyharbormuseum.org.
The opposite direction leads you to complex and colorful artistic exhibits at the Syd Entel Art and Glass Gallery. I was so fascinated with their blown glass displays, I almost missed the bus.

The stop at Dunedin’s Fine Art Center was way too short for a building that houses exhibition galleries, a café, studios and a children’s art museum. The Center also offers classes and workshops in a wide variety of mediums for skill levels from beginner to professional artist.
www.dfc.org.
Named by two Scottish merchants in 1882, Dunedin has a particularly attractive Main Street. A short walk past interesting boutiques brought us to the Best Western Hotel on the waterfront and dinner at the Bon Appetit Restaurant. We sipped champagne while trying to identify islands that dotted the gray-blue water of St. Joseph Sound. Finishing touch: a scrumptious dinner of filet mignon, salmon, an intriguing vegetable mix and rich chocolate dessert

More on a trip that began and ended at Honeymoon Island State Park will be found in our upcoming Ebook. Watch for 100 FLORIDA “FREEBIES” and “CHEAPIES” Vacation fun for $5 or less.

What’s Around Your Corner?

by Adele Woodyard
So often when we think of “vacation” it stands for a trip to other states, even other countries. We forget, or not see, what may be just around the corner, until the demands of work reduces holiday time to long weekends. Or you long for just a day’s change of scenery to lessen the stress without breaking the bank.

It wasn’t until I had to write my first column on Florida travel back in 1992 that I discovered Heritage Village. A perfect day trip, yet I’d lived in Tampa for almost 20 years and didn’t even know it existed. What’s more it was FREE. Was I the only one who missed it? How many more such places were there?

For the next three plus years I traveled around the state, looking for attractions to put in my monthly column, Florida Fun For Few $$’s. Some of them appear in our upcoming eBook, 100 FLORIDA “Freebies” and “Cheapies” Vacation fun for $5 or less. One of them is Heritage Village, also known as Pinewood Culture Park. This step into Old Florida has grown some, added more festivals and fun things to do and see, and after sixteen years it’s still FREE.

http://www.pinellascounty.org/heritage for more on the 31st Annual County Jubilee from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on October 25, 2008. Giant craft
festival, live music, food and historic demonstrations will be part of the fun.