Tag: Florida
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Horse Country
I’m one of those people who loves exploring. That doesn’t mean it has to be someplace well-known, either. I love to jump in the car, choose a road that looks like it might lead to tucked away locations, and head in that direction. You just never know what you’ll find, and that’s the fun of
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Rainbow Springs State Park
If Florida wasn’t so muggy in the summer, I think I’d spend all my day trips at the fabulous parks with their bodies of water, hiking trails, towering greenery, unexpected wildlife, and sublime quiet and save the museums, galleries and restaurants for cooler months. But the parks are often my best experiences. And so it
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Junkyard Dog Antiques & Internet Sales
If you’re like me, you can’t tell the difference between valuable items and useless junk in the antique stores. But that doesn’t stop me from browsing on the off chance I’ll find something I must have. If that’s the case for you too, then here’s another antique store for you – Junkyard Dog Antiques &
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3 in 1 Disaster: Devil’s Den Spring, Devil’s Millhopper & the Butterfly Rainforest
This was not my most successful day trip. I chose three different sites that were relatively close together. I figured I’d have three separate blog posts and several fun adventures. That was not to be. Let’s start with Devil’s Den. Online, it’s described as an underground spring inside a dry cave. They’ve found fossils dating
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Lavender ‘n Lace Tearoom
Lavender ‘n Lace Tearoom is a family-owned business in Lake Alfred, Florida. It’s easy to drive right past it because it’s located in a residential area at the end of the block. Hafeez and Sara Bajwa have owned Lavender ‘n Lace Tearoom for almost 35 years. As the story goes, Hafeez was a merchant seafarer
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Bok Tower Gardens
If I had to recommend one garden out of all the gardens I’ve seen so far in Florida, this would be at the top of my list. It might even garner the top spot. Bok Tower Gardens is gorgeous, even when you miss the peak blooming season like I did. But you can’t tell that
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Circles Restaurant
This restaurant was recommended by a friend when she heard I was going to see the manatees at the Big Bend hydroelectric plant. She said it was five minutes away and had great food. I took her advice and, once there, asked to look around. The inside looks small but extends behind the hostess booth
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Haiku Tampa
Many, many years ago, I spent six months in Ito, Japan. I discovered sashimi, sushi, gyoza and sake. Lord knows I drank enough sake to sink a ship. The dance troupe I was with stayed at a hotel on the side of a mountain and we were shuttled back and forth to the hotel at
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Dames Cave
As a child, I wanted to discover a cave. I’ve always loved (a) a good challenge and (b) the thrill of discovery. I think the whole cave thing probably took root right after a childhood vacation to Carlsbad Caverns. My memory may be faulty but it seems to me there was a rickety ladder leading
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Gamble Plantation
Major Robert Gamble, Jr., a bachelor, homesteaded 160 acres along the southwest coast at Ellenton, Florida, just inland from the Little Manatee River. He used slave labor to build a two-story, ten-room mansion over a six-year period. Begun in 1843, the Gamble mansion took six years to complete. Although Gamble used the acreage to start
Lisa Browder 