Category: Not Your Usual Destination
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Strong Tower Vineyard & Winery
When I hear “vineyard” or “winery,” I envision blue skies with fluffy, white clouds and endless rows of twisty green vines as far as the eye can see. And California, not Florida. Turns out, that would be a mistake. Terry, the owner of Strong Tower Vineyard & Winery assured me that all 50 states have
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Solomon’s Castle
In your wildest dreams, can you imagine buying swampland in Florida, building a castle out of aluminum printing plates, filling it with “art” and then charging admission for tours? No, me either. But that’s what you get at Solomon’s Castle. Howard Solomon was born in New Jersey, spent a little time in St. Petersburg and
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William Dean Chocolates
If I were dropped on a desert island and given limited choices for foods that would make my existence bearable, I’d have to go with chips and salsa and chocolate. Although both would please the palate, chocolate would soothe the senses. It’s a decadent treat, can’t-live-without-it food, perfect dessert and fabulous snack. So when I
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Chinsegut Hill Plantation
This area of Florida- Brooksville- was originally inhabited by the Seminole Indians. It’s considered the highest elevation on what is known as Florida’s Adventure Coast. Don’t assume that “highest elevation” means the top of a mountain; Chinsegut Hill Plantation sits at a whopping 269 feet. Its plantation history began in 1847 when a South Carolina
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Florida Railroad Museum
The Florida Railroad Museum in Parrish has a number of excursions to choose from but the only one that fit my schedule was the hour and a half Willow Express. Even though it wasn’t my first choice (or even second), I decided to give it a shot. My original reservation had been set for September
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Village of the Arts
Village of the Arts in Bradenton, Florida is a fun way to spend a day. Although it is a residential area, many of the houses are also businesses selling all sorts of tchotchkes – everything from crystals and gemstones, to glass, pottery, a quilt fabric shop, jewelry, wind chimes and distinctly 70s-looking tie-dyed clothing. I
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Tampa Trolley
The TECO Line Streetcar System (Tampa Trolley) is a 2.7-mile, air-conditioned, electric streetcar line connecting downtown, the Channel District, and Ybor City. The best part? It’s free. If you want to take in more than one site in the downtown area but don’t want to drive from parking garage to parking garage, or worse, walk
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J. C. Newman Cigar Company
Julius Caeser Newman, founder of the J.C. Newman Cigar Company, started rolling cigars in the family barn in Cleveland, Ohio. His mother had paid $3 a month for him to learn the trade and at age 14, he became an apprentice cigar maker. In 1895, he fashioned a cigar table from old boards, borrowed $50
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Ghost Tour
The Tampa Terrors ghost tour is a lot of fun and I recommend it – but only if nighttime brisk walking for an hour and a half over uneven terrain is within your capabilities. I was a tour guide for about seven months, and I can assure you that the stories are entertaining, the buildings
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Sugarloaf Mountain
To my way of thinking, it’s a bit of a stretch to call Sugarloaf a mountain. Steep hill to hike? Check. Pleasant scenic drive? Check. But mountain? Not so much. Sugarloaf is billed as the 5th highest named point in Florida and sits at 312 feet above sea level. It’s near Clermont. Once you get
Lisa Browder 