Odds and Ends

by Adele Woodyard
A good title for this blog since it will be on changes, updates, and general information. Like a new festival– on grapefruit, of all things. But first a change in monthly Bargains: what used to be on vaationfunflorida.com will now appear on the blog. Bargains that are continual, such as FREE admission to Lowry Park Zoo on your birthday (with ID of course) will remain on the site.

Safety Harbor first Grapefruit Legacy Fest began April 15 and 16 with a variety of events that included a recipe contest, kayak tours, and an original Grapefruit Line Dance. Live music, grapefruit murals, frozen grapefruit margaritas were all part of the festivities and admission was FREE. Although myths surround honoree Count Odet Philippe, this part is true. The Frenchman, and supposed surgeon in Napoleon’s service, brought grapefruit to Florida, via his Safety Harbor plantation in the 1830s. His plantation St. Helena, became Philippe Park in 1948

Kids Museums
Great Explorations in St. Petersburg has brought back the Touch Tunnel that disappeared when the hands-on museum moved about eight years ago. Kids love to be scared as they crawl through the pitch black maze. Unable to see in the darkness, they feel their way on hands and knees around corners, past obstacles and where a two-foot incline seems as if they can tumble down stairs. Once again it joins such interactive exhibits as a giant tree house to climb, become a firefighter or a veterinarian, make a pizza or build a robot. Open 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat., noon-4:30 p.m. Sun. $10 ages 2-54, $9, 55 and up. 1925 4th St. N; 727-821-8992. http://greatexplorations.org

The Children’s Museum of the Highlands, Sebring has a 16 foot Rock Wall you climb sideways among its hands-on exhibits. Said to be harder than it sounds. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues-Sat. open to 8 p.m. Thurs. $4. 219 N. Ridgewood Ave. 563-385-5437. http://www.childrensmuseumhighlands.com

The Miami Children’s Museum has a two-story sandcastle of dreams amid its 14 galleries. There’s even a police motorcycle and fire truck to ride. Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily; $15, $12 Florida resident. 980 MacArthur Causeway; 305-373-5437. http://www.miamichildrensmuseum.org

Have a Pet?
Get it’s face painted on a wall and help animal rescue groups at the same time. Tampapets.org started a Pup Art mural program last year with a bar and restaurant in Ybor City, with Anna Hamilton, an artist who’d already done one in Dunedin. Her mural, “Dogedin” has hundreds of dogs and cats that benefited Dunedin Doggie Rescue. Since she mostly paints to scale, donations are based on weight; e.g. a Chihuahua runs $75 while a biggie like a Labrador retriever costs $175. =”http://www.tampapets.org

Pre-Christmas Doings Around Tampa Bay

by Adele Woodyard

No snow, but it’s sure beginning to feel a lot like Christmas (for Floridians that’s whenever the temperature dips below 60 degrees).It’s then we wish we hadn’t given away our winter garb when we moved to the Sunshine State from the snowbound North. At least chilly weather doesn’t slow down the hot doings around Tampa Bay. Here’s a sample of what’s going on right now

Wondering what to get the one who has everything? Visit Arts and Crafts shows for unique gifts. For instance, this weekend there’s one in St. Pete’s Roser Park that adds historic district home tours to their 7th annual Festival; 727-772-3860.On Saturday the Garden Club of St. Petersburg presents Antiques in the Park; 727-421-0441, while Safety Harbor has their Holiday Arts & Crafts Show on Sunday; 727-776-4830.

If pottery is your thing, there are six studios displaying a variety of demonstrations during Tour de Clay. Since they all have kilns, you can keep warm while you watch. Kiln openings are timed so you can visit them all, starting at 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.in Palm Harbor. From there it’s on to Tampa, Lutz, and Odessa, ending in San Antonio at 5 p.m. http://www.tampatourdeclay.com

Polished off your gift list and looking for entertainment? The Nutcracker, a perennial favorite holiday ballet, dances across several stages this month. Dec 11 and 12,. Sarasota offers two shows at the Opera House, Saturday; 941-366-8450. Saturday is also St. Pete’s showing of The Nutcracker at the Palladium. Brandon Ballet presents two shows on both Saturday and Sunday; tickets online, http://www.brandonballet.org

Miss this weekend and you get another chance on Dec. 18 and 19 in Clearwater with the Moscow Classical Ballet at Ruth Eckerd Hall; 727-791-7400; and Largo, with the Bay City Ballet offering three performances, 727-587-6793.For a real change of pace, Chocolate Nutcracker gives a jazzy new sound to the classic performance at St Pete’s Mahaffey Theater; 727-892-5798.

Tampa presents the Great Imperial Ballet version at the Performing Arts Center on Dec. 22 and 23 813-229-7827. And that’s not all The Nutcracker ends the season with larger-than-life puppets performing Moscow Ballet’s ‘Great Russian Nutcracker’ at the Mahaffey Theater, Dec. 28.

Don’t forget the Christmas parades; the holiday lights, the visits to Santa. If you still need a nudge for the Christmas Spirit, listen to the Florida Orchestra Holiday Pops. 8 p.m Dec.11 at the Performing Arts Center, Tampa;. 7:30 p.m, Dec, 12 at Ruth Eckerd Hall. 727-892-3337. http://www.floridaorchestra.org

What’s happening in your town?

September Fun in Florida

by Adele Woodyard

Last week featured FREE entertainment, this week bring out the plastic. Whether food, flea market, paddling, theater, something’s going on from the Panhandle to the Keys.

Orlando
Sept. 1-30 is gourmet dinner time at the 5th Annual Orlando Magical Dining month. Over 60 restaurants from A (A Land to Remember) to Z (Zen) offer a 3- course prix-fixe dinner for $30 (tax and tip extra). $1 each meal benefits the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Central Florida. For restaurant, menu and reservations click on: http://www.orlandomagicaldining.com

Sept. 17-19 is the big weekend for the following towns:

Destin: 32nd Annual Seafood Festival has Starship starring Mickey Thomas and LoverBoy, arts & crafts, and more, at 210 Harbor Blvd. Contact: 850-837-6241.

Ocala: Brokenbone Bike Rodeo offers food, drink, and leather craft vendors along with the action at 7191 NW Gainesville Rd. Contact: 352-789-8736.

Stuart: Nautical Flea Market and Seafood Festival has new, used, closeout boats, fishing equipment and supplies for sale, at 2616 SE Dixie Hwy. Contact: 954-205-7813.

St. Petersburg: The Palladium Theater presents Sondheim’s A Little Night Music 7:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. 253 Fifth Ave. 727-822-3580. http://www.stpeteopera.org

Tarpon Springs: Last weekend to see Our Town on stage at the Performing Arts Center.
8 p.m. Fri-Sat.,. 2 p.m. Sun. 727-942-5605. http://www.tarponarts.org

Big Bend area
Sept. 18-25 is the first ever Hidden Coast Paddling Festival with guided fresh and saltwater paddling trips. Host towns start at Cedar Key followed by Suwannee, Horseshoe Beach and Steinhatchee. http://www.hiddencoast.net

Tampa
Sept. 21-26 Skipper Smokehouse celebrates its 30th anniversary (under current owners) with a week of FREE concerts. Rock, reggae, blues, ska—you name it, they got it. Be sure and try the mullet 910 Skipper Rd. 813-971-0866. http://www.skipperssmokehouse.com

Florida Keys
Sept. 22-26 are the dates for the this year’s Birding and Wildlife Festival that’s Key-wide. Start with a reception, dinner before take off on field trips.A special event Sept. 24 is a guided walk in the National Key Deer Refuge Ohio Key from 8-11 a.m. Bring sunscreen, binoculars, water, etc. Contact: 305-872-0774. http://www.fla-keys.com”

Safety Harbor Spa offers two different dinner shows with music, prizes and games starting at 6:30 p.m. The Suncoast Dixieland Band takes the stage Tues. Sept. 28; Las Vegas own Carme in a Big Band performance, Wed. Sept. 29. Contact: 727-573-4654.

Florida’s Fountain of Youth?

by Adele Woodyard

When Ponce de Leon landed in Florida in 1513, he was reputedly seeking “Bimini”, a tiny Bahamian island that was said to have a “fountain with waters of marvelous curative power”. Considering he was already governor of Puerto Rico, his navigation wasn’t very good. He not only missed an island that’s practically on Miami’s doorstep, but didn’t step foot on the mainland until near what is now St. Augustine. Although that historic city claims they have his *Fountain of Youth, it didn’t work for him. He was 61 when he died, and that was OLD back then.

Ponce de Leon should have sailed to Florida’s West Coast. In particular, Pinellas County. Florida has long been a retirement haven, and for years, St. Petersburg struggled with being called, among other things, “God’s waiting room”. May is “Older American’s Month” and around here, we are living longer When I moved from Tampa. to Pinellas five years ago, I was struck with the number of people celebrating their 100 plus birthdays. It seemed there was a picture and/or announcement of at least one in the paper, every week. No wonder. According to an article in the May 7, 2010 issue of the St. Petersburg Times, Pinellas County has about 300 centenarians. And 18 of them, aged 100 to 111, had made it to a special party held in a Clearwater community center in either a wheelchair, or on their own two feet.

Is there something in the water?
The county doesn’t have a fountain, per se, but it does have mineral springs that the Tocobaga Indians claimed had healing powers. Hernando De Soto, who believed he’d found the Fountain of Youth on Old Tampa Bay, thought its waters cured his sick soldiers. In the mid-1940s, these springs became the basis for the *Safety Harbor Resort and Spa.

Perhaps together with a never-grow-old outlook?
St. Petersburg is home to the Three-Quarter Century Softball Club, better known as the Kids and Kubs. Begun in 1930, men had to be 75 years or older, to join. By 1985 similar clubs had started up around the country . Instead of “just for fun” the “old men” began to play against these other teams in the U.S. and Canada. When I wrote an article about the Kids and Kubs in 1994, the oldest St. Pete member had just turned 102. Though no longer an active catcher, this spry centenarian had married his second wife just short of his 96th birthday. I ended the piece with “Could be Ponce de Leon missed the right place to look.”

Should you want to try your luck with the water:
*Safety Harbor Resort and Spa 104 N. Bayshore Dr. 727-726-1161

*Fountain of Youth National Archaeological Park 11 Magnolia Ave. St. Augustine. Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. $8 adult, $7 senior, $5 ages 6-12. 800-356-8222, 904-829-3168..

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.