Florida 2005
We flew to Tampa for Easter weekend to visit and celebrate with Rick & Laura Raley, who tied the knot that Saturday. We couldn't touch a flight out of Detroit for under $600, so we flew out of Dayton on Airtran Airways (highly recommended). We drove three hours to fly two! Our primary reason for going was that Derek was one of Rick's best men, but we also had time to explore the city, visit his Mom, and of course go to the beach!
Friday, March 25:
The rehearsal wasn't until 4:00, so we pulled out the map and started driving. We landed on a very quiet beach near Ruskin. I think it was a state park.
Sunday, March 27:
Easter Sunday, the day after the wedding. We headed toward Bradenton, where we'd been many times to visit Derek's Mom. We knew we'd find beaches there. We also found traffic. We thought maybe it would be quiet, since it was Easter Sunday. Boy, were we ever wrong!
"Jesus is risen" sand castle
Monday, March 28:
On Monday we drove to Sarasota to meet up with Derek's Mom for the afternoon. We had a delicious lunch at Barnacle Bill's Seafood, then absorbed as much as we could of the Ansel Adams / Clyde Butcher exhibit at the Ringling Museum. No disrespect to Mr. Adams, but Butcher's photography was more impressive--probably because of the size of his prints. I guess it stands to reason; he has about 50 years of advanced technology on his side.
We stopped briefly at the Circus Museum (amazing facts!):
...then enjoyed a guided tour of the Ringling Mansion, Ca d'Zan, which was fascinating. It was so big I had to take four pictures and make a composite with Photoshop:
Next time we visit, we're going to take the "extended" guided tour, which includes the third floor, where Mr. Ringling's Billiard Room was. Apparently the original billiard table is still there. For fire safety reasons, they can only allow 6 people on the tour, so you have to pay more and book in advance.
Bonus picture from the parking lot on our way out:
We then drove to St. Armand's Circle so I could visit my favorite store, where you can buy a "slice" of handmade soap, cut from a loaf. This is not unique, but the fragrances and colors they used in their soap have always interested me. I have bought some every time we've gone to Florida. It turned out to be a wild goose chase, though, because the store has apparently closed.
We finished off the night with a quick dinner at Panera Bread before heading back to Tampa for a good night's sleep. We returned on Tuesday, but not before seeing a movie (Robots) and having lunch at PF Chang's with the newlyweds, Rick and Laura:
Go to our Trips & Adventures page