
Pin itRejuvenate and connect with your inner tree-hugger on New Year’s Day by participating in a First Day Hike in a state park near you. Here in the Sunshine State, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Florida Park Service is sponsoring free, guided hikes in nine state parks on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012, as…
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Pin itAs I gather my thoughts from last month’s visit to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Florida’s East Coast, enjoy these photos from the incredible day. Visiting is so inspiring and one day is not enough! Don’t forget, now through the end of October, sit in Capt. Kirk’s chair (yes, the Star Trek…
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Pin itGuts of muscadine grapes oozed between my toes as a I did my part to squish 2,000 pounds of grapes during Henscratch Farm’s 11th Annual Grape Stomp on Aug. 13, 2011. Yes, I admit to channeling a little bit of Lucy with each step I took in the metal bin. Stomping grapes would bring…
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Pin itWhen Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman was 4-years-old, his parents brought in a dump truck full of sand to transform most of his Charlotte, N.C., backyard into a sandbox. They thought this would prevent the youngster from playing in red clay notorious for ruining his clothing. When he was six, Leatherman found himself on Myrtle…
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Pin itI’m proof billboard advertising works. On a recent trip through Florida’s Panhandle, I spotted one advertising the Ray Charles Childhood Home in Greenville, Fla. Huh? First, I’m embarrassed to admit I didn’t know there was a town called Greenville and second, I didn’t know Ray Charles had Sunshine State connections.
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Pin itWith all the pomp and circumstance befitting a surrealist artist, including attendance by Princess Cristina of Spain, the new Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Fla., held its grand opening on January 11, 2011, at 11:11 a.m. and opened to the public Jan. 12. I wasn’t there for the wonderful new beginning but visited the…
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Pin itHey, there! Don’t worry, I’m still here. I’ve been trying to post about five times a week on this blog however my “day job” has been consuming me for about the past week including working through the weekend by hosting a media familiarization trip. (Basically it’s hosting members of the media in my destination…
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Pin itI saw “La Cenerentola” (Cinderella) at the Sarasota Opera Wednesday night. There was no fairy godmother, no singing mice, no pumpkin-to-carriage-to-pumpkin vehicle, and no glass slipper. Yes, my cultural exposure of Cinderella prior to that evening has been the Disney version. Thankfully, the core of the animated version is much like the opera version:…
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Pin itLiving in an apartment and spending much of my time traveling, I don’t have the ideal situation for a garden. I’ve tried growing herbs and tomatoes but they usually wilt away due to lack of watering. That’s why I was soooo excited to learn about Hydro-Taste U-Pick Hydroponics Farm in Myakka City, Fla., near…
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Pin itA refreshing breeze wafted over the Southwest Florida barrier island of Boca Grande this morning as I toured condo properties managed by Grande Island Vacations. The sky was slightly overcast and coupled with the breeze, kept this August day comfortable.
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