Punta Gorda . . . a jewel in the sun

Although the Sarasota area is by far my favorite Florida destination, The Captain and I were pleasantly surprised with a sweet jewel in the sun, Punta Gorda, located approximately one hour south of Sarasota.

The Captain's parents and brother invited us on their spring break adventure to the southwest Florida resort . . . the guys wanted a deep sea fishing adventure and I was very pleased to find a beautiful little town to relax and take in some sun with our dog Kiki.

We stayed at the Four Points by Sheraton Punta Gorda Harborside which is located on the edge of the Charlotte Harbor waterfront in beautiful Punta Gorda.

The grounds were beautifully landscaped in a tropical setting, the hotel itself was decorated with a pleasant nautical theme, the rooms were super comfy with especially comfortable beds/fluffy pillows and the staff was friendly and helpful.  I was very surprised that they accepted dogs and Kiki was very happy in her familiar kennel in a new room.

A huge complaint about the hotel is that it is 100% non-smoking, which can be a form of torture for two smokers who had to escape to the vehicle in the middle of the night and in the midst of a rainstorm for a smoke (even though we tried to go smoke free with patches).  If we return to the area, that one inconvenience may be the thing that keeps us from staying at the hotel again.  It is my belief they could accommodate both smokers and non-smokers with their own areas.

Another negative was no microwave or refrigerator, but available for an additional charge.  A nice coffee/tea bar was included in the room.

The pool area was very relaxing and perfect for what we were looking for . . . relaxing in the sun . . . the surrounding landscape was awesome!  I appreciated that our dog Kiki was welcome at the pool area.

This photo of Dean's South of the Border is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Dean's South of the Border was another pleasant surprise!  The Captain and I ordered an overflowing plate of Nachos Supreme loaded with meat and cheese that was reasonably priced and very tasty and delicious.  The portions were so generous that we took home a doggie bag to enjoy later.  The service was friendly, but slow.  The atmosphere was awesome and so festive!  A live band was playing in the outdoor dining area.  I would definitely recommend this restaurant and dine there again and again.

Laishley Crab House advertises waterfront dining and the freshest seafood available.  The atmosphere was absolutely awesome . . . sadly, the food was very pricey and not so great . . . the service was less than desirable.  

For example, I ordered the Fried Shrimp plate which was just OK at the steep price of $18.00 for a moderate amount of shrimp.  It included a skimpy portion of french fries and a shriveled little piece of frozen corn on the cob . . . no salad included.  Others dining with us left most of their food because it lacked flavor.  Huge disappointment!  I do not recommend this restaurant!

Unfortunately, it rained all but one day of our stay, so we did not take our own photos and we didn't get to venture out much to explore this wonderful little town.  However, I would love to return and explore more!

The guys chartered an all-day deep sea fishing boat and came back with what equated to a freezer full of fish . . . it was worth the trip and the guys had an awesome time out on the Gulf of Mexico.  They wanted to do it again another day, but the weather did not permit another fishing adventure.

Most of the photos were taken from The Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce website.

Blooming Busch Gardens!

The Captain and I took advantage of an early morning special for Busch Gardens passholders, and we really enjoyed having the park pretty much to ourselves for quite some time, so I took advantage of the unusually peaceful time at the park to take landscape photographs.

While much of the country is buried in snow, check out these beautiful blooms that reminds me that Spring is here in Tampa.  I especially enjoyed this section of the park with all the color!

Sheikra reopened this month for those adventurous and brave enough to hang from the ride and get flung upward, upside down, sideways and even through the water from this huge roller coaster.  For a taste of the ride, click on the photo for a video The Captain made . . . he's a bit obsessed with the ride!

We really enjoyed the concert featuring Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr., formerly of the Fifth Dimension and multiple grammy winners.  They put on a fabulous show that was part of the Real Music Concert Series. We plan on going back next week to see Herman's Hermits featuring Peter Noone.  Their music specials are getting better and better . . . The Doobie Brothers will be there tomorrow!

It was a gorgeous February day with temps in the 70's-80's!

This is why we love living in Florida :)

Coming soon to Busch Gardens!

I'm so excited that one of my favorite cartoon characters, King Julien, will be a part of a new original live musical show featuring singers, dancers and rock/pop music performed by a live band!

"Madagascar Live! Operation: Vacation" coming to Busch Gardens Tampa in May 2013, will bring exciting changes to Stanleyville Theater, which will be refurbished and become enclosed and air-conditioned.

Click here for more details.

Wonderful Florida Winter

Winter in Florida can be wonderful!

The Captain and I recently spent a leisurely day at Busch Gardens Tampa.  This is one of our favorite spots to enjoy a cup of coffee while snapping photos of the lovely landscaping that surrounds this area.

The weather was typical for what we have been experiencing this winter . . . temps in the upper 70's with no humidity and no threats of afternoon storms.  Paradise!  As we relaxed and took in the sights and sounds of the park and enjoyed the wonderful weather, my thoughts went to my friends in other parts of the country who have been bombarded with snow.  I've lived in Florida all of my life and have never experienced snow, and although we have had to ensure some colder winters, this is a typical winter in Central Florida.  

I would not want to live anywhere else!

What gorgeous landscaping!  This is another view of the same area where we were sitting.  Bromeliads, orchids, tropicals and everyday houseplants are featured in this area.

These landscape photos are just a taste of one of our favorite relaxing spots at Busch Gardens.  The landscaping throughout the theme park are varied and equally as impressive.  They will be featured in future posts.

There is so much to do at Busch Gardens!  It can't all be seen in one day for sure.  In addition to the regular features of the park, there is the occasional concert series and special presentations.  This is one of the lineups for this year!  Another series features The Doobie Brothers and the Goo Goo Dolls!

If you are visiting the Tampa Bay area, 

don't miss out on a visit to Busch Gardens!

Tropical storm woes

Barely into the hurricane season, the Tampa Bay area has been slammed with the most rain we have had in a long time by Tropical Storm Debby.  So far, this area has experienced the worst part of the storm.


At the moment, we are in Tropical Storm Warning/Watch mode, in and out of tornado watches/warnings and severe thunderstorm watches/warnings have become normal.  The forecast calls for a couple more days of more of the same and we have already had 10-15 inches of rain throughout the area.


The photo comes from our local cable news channel, Bay News 9, who have provided awesome 24/7 coverage of the storm.  Bayshore Boulevard is virtually unrecognizable . . . they describe it as "non-existent" . . . I'd hate to live in that area right now!  I've posted photos of that area before . . . this is what it looks like on a normal day . . .

Many areas of Tampa are flooded, making a drive in traffic a nightmare!  There are stalled vehicles all over the place!  I wonder how many people are having a "mental health day" from work?

This photo comes from WFLA Channel 8, a local network affiliate . . .

Tropical Storm Debby looming, before the flooding.

Although the weather service has deemed Tropical Storm Debby unimpressive, those living in the Tampa Bay area will disagree!  

Normal life has been majorly disrupted!  How about the owners of this home?  OMG it is one of my nightmares with all the trees on our property!

Photo source:  Bay News 9

Even the local gators are enroute to safety . . . at least this one is using the crosswalk!

Photo source:  Bay News 9

For more photos . . . click here

Last night's sleep was intermittent . . . I kept waking up to the sound of fierce winds whipping through the trees with the heaviest rainfall I've experienced in a long time.  We slept with the television fixed on the 24/7 storm coverage.

With the storm stalled out in the Gulf pounding areas of Florida, there are many more stories yet to be told.  Let's pray that it weakens and goes away soon!

This is just the beginning of hurricane season . . . the one reason I hate living in Florida!

Back to normal?

The Captain is back to work after a lengthy recovery from surgery.  

Life is returning to normal for us.

Through the past couple of months, we have been all over the area making new discoveries and enjoying old favorites.

We ventured through the wilderness and the concrete jungle as well . . . many more trips to Busch Gardens and Adventure Island Water Park . . . continued discovering MacDill Air Force Base, Downtown Tampa, Ybor City and surrounding areas.

Now that life is returning to normal, I hope to chronicle our adventures in this awesome area of Central Florida we call Tampa Bay.

Why we love living in Florida!

The weather has been awesome with gorgeous blue sky days!  So far it has been a warm winter . . . 70-80's during the day, 50-60's at night . . . NO SNOW . . . NO AFTERNOON STORMS . . . NO HUMIDITY!!  It has been a great time to enjoy the beauty of Florida and explore the outdoors.  Great time to visit this part of the world . . . no wonder the snowbirds descend upon us this time of year!


The Captain and I have been getting out more and experiencing the outdoors . . . often enjoying an early morning adventure of fishing, exploring local parks and the historic culture that Tampa has to offer.


As a result there are a ton of photos I have yet to process, but I have not forgotten!  I also haven't forgotten about the series on Vintage Disney.  We haven't even scratched the surface of exploring Busch Gardens and the area beaches.  I promise to get to these projects soon!


The Gasparilla pirates will invade Tampa at the end of January and we plan to be right in the middle of it this year.  We will be taking lots of photos and reporting on the festivities.


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Come on down to Florida!

Merry Christmas

From our family to yours

Merry Christmas!

Hope your day is happy, festive

and full of love :)

Fishing Adventure at Ballast Point ~ Tampa, Florida

The Captain and I started in the middle of the night . . . beginning with a trip to the 24/7 Walmart to buy some last minute items we needed for our adventure.

This is the view that greeted us as we walked upon the pier.  The photos don't do the early morning sky justice . . . it was overwhelmingly breathtaking.  What was really beautiful is the downtown Tampa skyline at this time.  What you are looking at in this view is the Port of Tampa.

Click on any of the photos for a larger view with greater detail.

It surprised me that this early in October, it was freezing out there (well, what this Florida girl calls freezing).  The winds were whipping around and I was chilled to the bone!  Good thing we still had blankets in the van from our trips to the beach.  Once I got wrapped up in a blanket, I was fine.

I just sat there gazing at the sky for the longest time . . . the changing colors were amazing.  The water was choppy from the wind and took on a spectrum of colors.  The sights and sounds of the morning stillness, along with the beachy smells conjured up those awesome childhood memories for me again.

We had the whole pier to ourselves except for a few people at the very end and some people in the park area enjoying the changing colors of the sky.  I would be so very happy to grab a cup of coffee on the way over there and just watch the changing sky.  Being on that pier gives a panoramic sky view . . . just AWESOME!

This is a part of the downtown Tampa skyline . . . not the greatest photo, but I love the way the sun bounced off of the sides of the buildings.  Next time I'll get better photos of this view!

All of a sudden, the birds started to appear . . . a few at first . . . 

. . . and more appeared . . .

The night skies turned to day . . . with a smidge of orange skies.

The little guy was not too happy with the intrusion of the bigger bird!

As more and more birds appeared, so did the fishermen.

A view of Bayshore Boulevard . . . notice the beautiful pinkish sky!

The big rock bulging out of the water is full of little birds . . .

The sun begins peaking up from the horizon . . .

I love the way the sunlight reflects against the pier!

Well . . . we proceeded to fish throughout the morning and a chilly early morning turned into a hotter mid-morning at which time we had enough of feeding the fish and decided to drive around and take more photos of Tampa.  We did catch two little fish, but nothing substantial to bring home.

The fun was being in the midst of it all and experiencing night turn into day on Tampa Bay.

Hope you enjoyed the photos!

Ballast Point Park ~ Tampa, Florida

Ballast Point Park is a located on Tampa Bay (featuring awesome views of downtown Tampa and the Port of Tampa), down the street from Bayshore Boulevard, one of the most picturesque points in Tampa.

click photo for enlarged view

The park dates back to Tampa's earliest days, originally named Jules Verne Park.  The Hillsborough County Historical Commission placed a historical marker at the park which reads:

"Formerly Jules Verne Park . . .

Mrs. Chester W. Chapin, controlling owner of the company which operated the city's first electric trolley cars, purchased these acres and in 1894 developed this site into a tropical park as a terminal for her line.  

She named it for the French writer Jules Verne (1814-1905) who in his famous novel "From the Earth to the Moon" first published in 1865, chose Tampa town as his launching site for the imaginary shot of his rocket to that planet near one hundred years ago."

The park features a lovely fishing pier that brought back so many memories of my childhood.  As we ventured down the pier today, flashbacks of fishing with my dad came to mind.  The one memory that stands out are the ugly blowfish that were often caught off that pier.  They really freaked me out as a child!

click photos for enlarged views

As a dating teenager, the pier was a fun spot to enjoy a relaxing evening after having dinner out.  That pier has been a fun spot for me as I became an adult, looking for a frugal way to spend a very enjoyable evening, either fishing or merely walking the pier watching others fish.  There is something about fishing piers at night that fascinate me in the simple way of just enjoying one of nature's gifts . . . the sounds, the sights, the smells.  It is an awesome way to spend an evening!

click photo for enlarged view

We passed by the familiar picnic pavillions and I could almost feel the happy childhood excitement and wind on my face as I ran around and played with my cousins and second cousins.  Family picnics back in the day meant the whole family got together . . . such happy memories just walking around that park!

Each sheltered picnic pavillion includes a grill, lots of picnic tables in shady surroundings that includes a children's playground. 

The tree-lined walkways along the water are popular among joggers, walkers and rollerbladers with quick access to Bayshore Blvd.

Some views of Bayshore Blvd., downtown Tampa and Port of Tampa from the Ballast Point Pier:

click photos to enlarge views

It was one of those overcast days in Florida . . . hit and miss showers all over town.  Notice the difference in cloud formations . . . watching the sky fascinates me!


Ballast Point Park is an awesome place to spend the day picnicing with family, relaxing on a park bench enjoying the Florida sunshine, fishing on the pier or just passing the day or evening watching others fish . . . there is also a restaurant on the grounds (have no idea what the food is like).


Check it out if you find yourself in Tampa and just want to enjoy a little relaxation with spectacular surroundings . . .