On my last trip up to St. Augustine over Thanksgiving, we decided to take a tour of the St. Augustine Lighthouse. After all the food we ate, it seemed like a good idea as there were 219 steps. EXTREME AEROBICS!!! Yep, there they were spiraling ever upward. Did I tell you that I have a fear of heights?  And the higher we went, the narrower the space. Oh, and did I tell you that I am claustrophobic? I know – lethal combination for what we endeavored to do. ( More about this later!) But we passed it all the time and there it stood high above the trees just beckoning. So it was after all a must see.

Just a little background on the historic lighthouse. It is actually the third one to be built in St. Augustine. If you would like to get more facts on the first two and to get more of the details of this lighthouse click here. Now this lighthouse, located at 81 Lighthouse Avenue off Anastasia Blvd (A1A), was built of bricks on a concrete base and construction lasted from 1871 to 1874. Initially, the keeper hauled a bucket of lamp fuel which was stored in the small room off to the right of the stairs near the entrance. The actual bucket was on display on one of the landings an it was really heavy – empty. I can hardly imaging toting it up those narrow, winding stairs with fuel. In 1909 lamp oil was replaced with kerosene and finally in 1936 it changed over to electric. The duties were eventually turned over to the US Coast Guard, replacing the keeper and it was fully automated in 1955.

In addition to the lighthouse itself there is also a lovely brick home that housed the keepers and their families. It is now set up as a museum with many artifacts of the time, photos, uniforms and general home decor typical of what would have been in use by the keeper and his family. Everyone had duties to perform- some related specifically to the lighthouse and some more of a housekeeping nature. The office of the keeper was actually at the entrance to the lighthouse, directly across from the fuel storage room. Here the keeper was required to keep careful records or logs, some of which are on display in the front hallway of the home/museum.  For those who like to visit lighthouses and collect related nicknacks, there is a large store set up in the house as well.

One of the main reasons that folks would climb 219 stairs would be the view. Fortunately, along the way up and facing in all directions were a good many windows. Lucky for me and all other faint- hearted climbers. Digressing to my particular visit, I imagine I was quite the site going up those stairs. First I had to have Roberto in front of me and Jenn right behind me. (Never mind that Jenn had some height issues of her own.) Then there I was clinging to the handrails with both hands, literally blocking off the two way stairs. Heart pounding and deep breathing all the way, I made it to within the last 5 or so steps that led to the outside landing at the top. Jenn, Roberto, Jenn’s dad and step mother insured me that is was quite a site and that on a “clear day you could see forever”. Yada yada yada. While I really do enjoy the idea of lighthouses, and think they are historic and lovely to look at from afar, , I am still glad for the experience as far as I got. I loved the museum and reading all about it and I even felt pretty good about going up as far as I did, just to prove to myself that I could. I wish I could have gone the last step and braved the outside at the top. Maybe next time………………..

How about a dish of gelato! Most times when I am in St. Augustine, that phrase is on the tip of my tongue and Jenn, Roberto and I make haste over the bridge to Casa del Hildalgo on Hypolita Street.

Gelato is one of those rare treats that keep me always craving more. There are not too many places nearby where I can actually get some, discounting the “gelato” in the freezer compartment at the supermarket. It is okay, but not like the fresh, creamy gelato that I enjoy from this little spot in St. Augustine.

First, it is a treat for the eyes where the experience really begins for me. When you walk into Hildalgo your eyes are met with this phenomenal sight of batch after batch of the most beautifully displayed containers of mounded gelato of all colors topped with generous garnishes of fruits and nuts announcing the flavors beneath – the darkest red cherries, peaches, lemons and on and on. At that point, I would just like to go behind the counter with a spoon and just dig in to sample each and every one.

I have to confess though, that even with all the best intentions to sample a different flavor every visit, I always end up with chocolate as one of the two picks I get every time. However, I do try to pair it with something that I think will complement it like cherry or coconut or even lemon. And I always get it in a dish so that not one drop will get away from me from a dripping cone. And lucky for me that Jenn is always willing to trade tastes which I think is just a dandy tradition!!

Gelato is the smoothest, creamiest, most flavorful frozen treat that I can imagine. It is one of life’s little pleasures and just writing and thinking about it makes my mouth water for the next visit!

Santa Maria Restaurant is in the heart of St. Augustine. Every time I have visited the downtown area, there it is perched right out over the water. For some reason I really wanted to eat there so after many hints,  Jenn and Roberto returned there for my benefit and I am so glad they did. We had such a good time. It was a friendly place, full of fun and ambiance. I figured being right on the water, we should get some seafood – that it was bound to be fresh.

Was it ever! Don’t know why but with all the varieties of seafood I sure do have a penchant for catfish. Especially that day! We were lucky enough to get a table by a big window. Not only did this give us a bird’s eye view of the bridge and boats passing by, but looking down we also could see the water lapping up against the pilings holding us up.

Right on the ledge of the window were these cute little trap doors. The mystery of these was solved when our server brought this big basket of odds and ends bread. I thought I’ve never seen bread served like this before, until we were told it wasn’t for us; it was for the FISH. So here we are tossing bread out the trap doors by our table and when we looked down we saw hundreds of  hungry open-mouthed catfish staring back up at us, eating the bread faster than we could drop it. I could hardly believe how abundant they were.

Right then and there, I knew it would be catfish for me – again! I got this enormous amount of fish with really good fries, hush puppies and coleslaw, enough to eat my fill and with leftovers for lunch the next day.  (What else could I get as sides right? ) I washed it all down with a never empty glass of raspberry iced tea. Even though our family is really health food conscious 99.9% of the time, there are times when you just have to go for it. I went into a fried food and carb coma for a short time, but it was so worth it.

I stepped into the rainforest. Eager, anticipating what lie ahead. A shaft of sunlight found its way through the dense foliage and my eyes followed it to where it lighted – playing and dancing on the undergrowth beneath the trees and I followed it. Standing in the midst of green, surrounded and engulfed by it on all sides, I felt as a speck amongst the massive trees and plants. Standing there, adjusting to the seeming stillness, my eyes scanned my surroundings – looking and listening. This place, outwardly calm and quiet, was alive, and so, I sensed that I was not alone, yet not frightened by it. I heard quiet murmurings, felt slight movements of things yet unseen and, without feeling it a choice, was pulled along the path of discovery.

A whirring overhead, I looked up to see tiny birds flashing past from tree to tree, singing their song in their flight. There were turtles, sunning and splashing in the small pool of water up ahead and as I got closer and stepped onto the bridge I saw that there were fish, plentiful and golden, swimming along with the water’s flow. The rushing water lured me on till I came upon a larger pool tracing its source to a majestic waterfall. There, nestled among the trees and flanking the waterfall were orchids and other tropical flowers, a rainbow of color among the green. It was enchanting.

Knowing this was not all, I continued further still and came upon a banquet laid ready on a broad banana leaf – pineapple, mango, papaya. Who put it there and for whom? Pondering this thought, I clearly heard another, more recognizable sound. Man. Too far as yet, but knowing the deep timber of a man’s voice, I moved toward it and in the distance saw him – gesturing in conversation with someone. He was standing in front of what seemed to be a mesh box, the contents of which was causing some excitement. Just as I approached, his hand went to the latch and he lifted it to an explosion of color and movement as hundreds and hundreds of butterflies of every size and color were released. They flew with abandon in every direction – swirling, flitting, coming to rest all around me and gorging on the set out fruits.

Okay, it does sound somewhat like a contrived, formula paperback doesn’t it? But hey, it is after all my flight of fancy.

What is this place, this place that excites my imagination and feels my senses with nature’s delights!!

I wish I could tell you that it was in some remote, tropical mountain rainforest in the South Pacific. In reality I was a visitor at the Butterfly Rainforest in the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville’s University of Florida.

If you ever thought you would like to commune with nature and walk on the “wild side” in a Rainforest, and can’t quite yet trek to the real thing, why not do as I did and head up to the Butterfly Rainforest. It was actually very lovely. Yep, somewhat like I described above. But being a part of UF there is also an awesome educational component with the multiple labs in full view through large plate glass windows. These could be viewed as I meandered down the long hallway papered with pictures and mounted butterflies of every size an hue.

There is an admission fee which varies for children adults, and seniors but not more than to just go to the movies. I really recommend taking a look. As a matter of fact, the complex that houses this exhibit also boasts other natural history exhibits which are actually free and that I will definitely return to see. For more information, hours and directions click here to take a closer look.

Okay. Maybe when I tell you that I had a most yummy lunch at a place called the SWAMP, you might think that doesn’t sound like the nicest place that YOU might want to eat.

My friend Margaret and I wanted to leave Ocala for just a little while to see some new scenery so we trekked up about an hour to Gator country. Yes, I know that Florida is gator country but I’m talkin’ about THE Gator country. Anyone in the area who is a football fan will know immediately that I am talking about Gainesville, home of the famous UF Gators. The town itself is centered around the university and college life. It was a beautiful, sunny day and we had fun just driving around looking at the campus while we searched for a place to have lunch.

We finally spotted a pretty restaurant on a corner right on University Boulevard that looked like “the place”. It had an enclosed outdoor garden with umbrella-ed tables bordered by hibiscus and trees. We could watch the people going by or watch football on the giant outdoor screen right outside the door leading to the inside. There was also this very large gator on the sidelines that I kept my wary eye on!!

Inside it reminded one of a sports bar and while this was jumping, we opted for the restful ambiance of the outdoor garden and settled for a casual dining experience. While the menu offered some nice salad options and some fresh fish dishes that we considered (both of which we should have gone for as we both claim to be on a diet) we both gravitated to the turkey panini with spinach, tomatoes and a gooey cheese along with a side of sweet potato fries. The serving was so plentiful that I brought half home to have for lunch the next day. All I can say, keeping in the vernacular of the Swamp, is CHOMP, CHOMP- good.

After my little introduction to Ocala last post, I decided to take you around town and spotlight some of the fun and diverse places of interest.

When I first moved here about three years ago, I found a lovely park not very far from my new home. One of my nieces was getting ready for marriage and was looking at some options for an outdoor wedding in a park or garden setting. She invited me to join her to take a look at Sholom Park where we are going to visit today.

This is a place unlike any parks I have visited because it is devoted and designed to be a place of peace. Winding through the maze of paths, there is nothing to disturb you but the trickle of fountains or the running water under foot bridges and the trill of birds. Even the people who frequent the park do so with a respect for the place and for other visitors. On my walk there this afternoon, I encountered a couple resting on a sunny spot of grass, a woman taking her leisure on one of the many benches under a tree reading a book, and a family with two small children tossing a ball. Sound idyllic? Well, it is. Ever time I visit there, no matter how harried I am on the way in, I always leave calmer than when I entered.

Among the pathways, you will see an abundance of flowers, trees and plants which seem to change color and shape from season to season and look as though they just grew there.

Come on, walk with me and as we take a pictorial stroll though the park.

This is a lovely, classically inspired shelter that serves as our starting point. Here we can have a cool drink of water or pick up a map of the grounds and gardens. When my niece thought of using Sholom Park as a wedding venue, we thought this might have been a great place to welcome guests with a prenuptial beverage.

If you want to feed the koi, step into this pavilion where you can look over the rail down into the pond and not only see the koi, but turtles! The fountain lends a lovely ambiance which is so calming.

Everything is natural and the planners certainly made use of plant materials in interesting ways. Look at the imprints of palm fronds and leaves on the trails.

Now, this is the place where the bride and groom could vow their undying love. It looks like a chapel, has lots of benches inside and has a tree and flower bordered “aisle” any bride would love to walk down.

After we pass an outdoor stage where I could just imagine music being played under the stars, we next pass through gates to a part of the park that I think is my favorite. The meditation garden, or The Labyrinth as it is called, is just ahead through this vine covered trellis. In the summer it is covered with roses. Here we can wind through the maze-like path, stopping at each of the 26 plackets that lead us through mindful meditations. Linger here awhile and see what you can learn about your inner self.

So, here we are, back where we started. I hope you enjoyed our walk. Whether you stay for a brief stroll through part of the 44 acres, stay for a picnic, come for a quiet place to read a book or do the meditation, I hope if you are nearby you will come again. Meanwhile, Sholom.

South Beach is a place I have always wanted to visit. I don’t know the name inspired images of glitz, beautiful people and well, the beautiful life. Always on TV, always depicting outrageous parties and clubbing. It seemed bigger than life. I anticipated wide broad expanses of tropical splendor, wide, wide avenues, and BIG clubs scattered with the WHO’s WHO. I wanted to see it for myself.

Well, the mind, at least mine, always paints things grander and bigger than reality. It’s like that when I read books and then see the movie. I surely always enjoy the movie, but then I always enjoy the one played in my mind just a little bit better.

To be fair I only spent a short time there and quite possibly didn’t really experience it fully. But first impressions as they say do count. On the other hand, continuing on with trite expressions, one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

Versace’s House and part of gate

All that said, I want to tell you about my look at South Beach. It was truly glitzy with the art deco hotels and eateries, there were fast cars a plenty, but Ocean Drive was so crowded, the drivers could only creep along. Maybe that was okay in the end because it gave more opportunity to be seen. I had to laugh looking at the young, bare chested men wearing layers of gold chains sitting atop the back seats of convertibles with these “here I am “ looks on their faces. This is definitely a place where you come in your trendiest outfits – or hardly none at all – to see and be seen. I saw a lot of skin. Along the sidewalks were hordes of bikini or thong clad young men and women, cell phones in hand, dancing, on skates or skateboards or standing so deep it was hard to move.

Between cars passing pumping music so loud you could feel the thumping and the various clubs each vying to have their signature music heard, it was deafeningly loud.

Yet, the draw to be there was obvious. Maybe it is just the scene for the young who like the fast pace of this district. I did appreciate the colorful, pastel Art Deco buildings and I did see some notable places and was able to take a few shots to give the flavor of South Beach to pass along. Gloria Estefan’s club, Casablanca complete with an old car in front with none other than Humphrey Bogart in the driver’s seat, Versace’s home and, of course, the famous Fontainebleau Hotel.

It wasn’t what I thought I would see, but it was a fascinating study of human nature and in the end worth the look. Now I can say that I have been there!

My friend Margaret has for some time been telling me about this museum in Miami that used to be someone’s home that was a must see. So we finally decided to take a weekend and head to South Florida to check it out. Stopping on the way in Aventura, we met up with Margaret’s daughter Cindy who volunteered to take us the rest of the way and was our unofficial guide for the day. The three of us had a great time poking around the vast gardens. Good thing we all had cell phones as we often saw things of interest that pulled us off in different directions!! We had a great time and saw and learned an awful lot that day.

 It is called VIZCAYA. Vizcaya has a rich and interesting history. We took the guided tour through the main house. Our guide said Vizcaya is a Spanish word that means “an elevated place”.

 Back in the early 1900’s there was a group of very wealthy industrialists from the north who discovered the wonders of building lavish winter homes in Florida. James Deering was one among this group. He made his fortune as an agricultural industrialist. He had done extensive traveling in Europe and was enthralled by the oppulence of style and design of many of the European estates. Liking the subtropical climate of South Florida, John decided to recreate his own estate in Florida, modifying it with local materials found mostly in the ocean. We were given a tour of most of the estates rooms some of which included the living room, the banquet room, the tea room, the music chamber which housed a pipe organ and library on the first floor and on the second floor were numerous bedrooms, sitting rooms, bathrooms, a breakfast room with a view overlooking the gardens and a huge kitchen – all lavishly decorated with 16th-19^th century collections of furnishings, sconces, fireplaces, and art.  The attention he paid to detail was beyond anything I have seen.  And still with all of this he even included a plethera of modern conveniences.  There was refrigeration, central heating, a telephone booth with an electric switchboard, dumb waiters connecting the upstairs kitchen to the large downstairs butlers pantry complete with a push button communication system so he or his guests could talk to the kitchen, elevators, a system for fire control and a central vacuuming system.

 The two story main house was build of a shell like material around a central open air courtyard which in time he covered with glass to form more of an atrium. Originally the front and rear loggias were open air and afforded cross breezes throughout. Later large glass doors were added to keep out the storms coming in off the water. Still, this courtyard was the center of the home and it was here that the many guests were wined and dined. The home was filled with wonderful art, furniture, statuary, and tapistries collected from estates, palaces and churches throughout Europe.

Photo: Courtesy of Margaret Chifari

Beyond the main house and scattered on 180 acres he created an area to look like a northern Italian village complete with machine, paint and carpentry shops, stables, a dairy, a greenhouse , and quarters for his staff.

The front of the house facing the ocean was often buffeted by winds and water. Finding a solution to this problem, Deering had a stone replica of a ship built to resemble the gondolas of Venice. It is vast in size and it was to this that visitors coming by sea could dock and enter the estate. Our guide told us that he had canopies set up on the “deck” where visitors could take refreshment and rest while waiting for the small boat rides that would take them across the moat like area between it and the residence. Note in the picture the poles like you would find in Venice on the canal and the decorative carvings on the stone ship of which you can see the right side of it.

Outside the mansion are acres of gardens, walkways, fountains, statuary and exotic foliage and flowers. There is even a large swimming pool at the side of the house which his guests could access off the side of one of the terraces or from steps coming from the lower level of the house.

Originally there were 180 acres which now have been greatly reduced and the village is gone. The guide said that a recreation of this area is in the works. It took three architects to design and supervise the building, the garden and artistic supervision and three years to build from 1914-1916. John Deering used this winter home until his death in 1925.

In 1926 a hurricane destroyed much of Miami and damaged the house and formal gardens. They have been restored as they were while Deering lived there.  Today, Vizcaya is a National Historic Landmark and Museum.  Besides being able to tour Vizcaya, groups can host special events and weddings on the grounds or terraces.  It also boasts visits from Pope John Paul II, Queen Elizabeth II, Presidents Reagan and Clinton and a summit of 34 leaders of the Western Hemisphere.  The beautiful home also has been the setting for photo shoots.

It took us four and a half hours to get there and it was worth every minute.

Photo by: johnleesandiego

Through the years , mostly through trial and error, my daughter Jenn and I came up with some useful and fun things to bring along on our various road trips whether across Delaware and then later Maryland where we lived to Pap and Nana’s house in the western part of Pennsylvania for holidays or visits or to one of our vacation destinations.  It was my good fortune that we had such similar temperaments and interests but even that withstanding we came up with some tried and true road travel tips that could be adapted for most families setting out on a road trip.  One of the first things we discovered was that there was never an“are we there yet” because we worked at making the drive more than just a necessary nuisance to rush through on our way from point A to point B, but for us it became an important part of the trip that made the time go quickly and became a lot of fun.

It would not be unusual, especially on a day trip, for us to start for one destination like a Celtic Faire, and then take an unexpected detour on the way to stop at a Garlic Festival or to pull over to pick some thistles – Jenn’s favorite! (yep, Jenn from an early age liked all things food. But I digress.

So here they are.

OUR TOP TEN THINGS TO BRING ON A FAMILY ROAD TRIP

10. A SENSE OF ADVENTURE. Being somewhat spontaneous can make road trips exciting.

9. MUSIC We liked to pick out some of our favorite CD’S often singing out loud and off key as we drove along. When it was classical you could often find us “conducting”.

8. MAPS Well, in our case, and I would recommend this for those traveling with small children, more like numbered steps of directions. If it is a family trip then it is important to let the child have a role in the getting there.  It adds interest for the child, is educational and it really helps a lot especially if there are just the two of you traveling. It is so much more pleasant to interact about the getting there than having to spend time trying to entertain a little one while you are supposed to be paying attention to the road.  Jenn always was my willing navigator even when she was an itty bit and for her it was much better to look at a sheet and tell me what comes next while she watched for road signs and followed along the direction sheet rather than having to deal with a cumbersome road map that was never folded in the right place and much too complicated for a little one.  Even as she grew older and we shared the driving and navigating, this became our travel MO.  She even got to the point where she would insert where the rest stops were or other neat points of interest for future trips over the same roads.

7. LAP BLANKET Little ones often like to take a little nap and Jenn was no exception.  Sometimes the purring of the engine and the movement of the car would have her snoozing in record time!

6. CREDIT CARD AND SMALL BILLS AND CHANGE Always good to have money on hand for gas, tolls and little extras.

5. GAMES Nothing too fancy or with too many pieces.  Jenn liked her etch a sketch and we had paper and pencil handy to play the license plate game where we would look at all the license plates on the cars and see who could get the most different states.

4. PLASTIC TRASH BAG Enough said!!

3. WET WIPES Ditto.

2. PLENTY OF DRINKS This would change with the season.  It might be hot chocolate in a thermos in the winter up north, or a box of juice (real juice and frozen from home to keep it really cold).  And on rare occasions, when we still actually had an occasional soda the drink of choice was ROOT BEER.  Wrap your cans in aluminum foil to keep them cold.

AND NUMBER ONE NO CONTEST was our BASKET OF GOODIES.  I had this huge basket that I lined with a really big red napkin that was just loaded with goodies that Jenn and I packed for our big trip.  We ate more and more often on these little excursions than was good for us but what the heck – this was a very important part of the trip.  We always loved our food!!  There were special sandwiches individually wrapped, fresh fruits like grapes and apples and bananas, and small bite sized veggies in little containers, trail mix of dried fruits and nuts, mini candy bars like Snickers, homemade seasonal cookies individually wrapped and tied, crunchies – Jenn always liked her corn curls and whatever else we could squeeze in there.  It was the best fun ever.  Most times these would be sweet indugences that were not regular staples in our home so that made these foodie splurges seem all the more special.

Well, that is it. I hope there are a few new ideas for you. Happy trails………………

 There seems to be a lot of talk lately about how we are not able to take vacations due to the economy. A lot of us are concerned with how to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table and have decided to forgo vacations at least for the foreseeable future. Yet, people are a resilient lot and have come up with some doable options to still feed the soul with adventure. While travel in general seems to be on a decline this year, there are still some ways to downsize and still have a little fun.

 All of the marketing gurus in the travel industry are finding ways to provide reasonable compromises. New terms like “stay-cations” or “day-cations” are on the radio and TV all the time to advertise special deals. Deep discounts on hotels, airfares, cruises abound if you can be somewhat flexible.

For those, like me, who work and have limited scheduled vacation time that lack flexibility, the idea of a day trip in my local area seems to be a good fit for me and one that, in the short term, will satisfy that craving to see and try new things. A day well planned can almost seem like a little, mini vacation.

 My daughter, Jenn (aka The Leftover Queen) and I for years took an annual vacation and one year, while living in the DC area decided we would spend our whole week just around town. We actually stayed in a little efficiency, but could have as easily traveled daily from home. The thing here is to not let yourself get mired in TV, phone calls and other distractions that would make it less like a vacation. One of the best things about a vacation is to just get away and escape the every day routine.

 Anyway, we had a blast. We went to different places everyday. Saw all of the Smithsonian Museums, all of the monuments, spent a whole day at the fabulous DC zoo and ate different ethnic cuisine every day. It was wonderful and we didn’t have to spend more than one round trip metro fare for travel! (Maybe one day, I will tell you more about the places to see and the special little seasonal things to do in our nation’s capital.) That is the beauty of traveling local. Up to that point, I knew more about faraway places than I did about the abundance of what there was to see in my own backyard. I will venture to guess that this is pretty typical.

 I have been in the Ocala, Florida area now for over two years and I have to admit there are lots of places for little mini day or overnight visits to be made and I have decided that this is the best time to do just that. In the upcoming weeks and over the summer, I will be planning a series of little day or weekend trips and as I circle around town. I hope that these will inspire some of you to do the same thing where you live. And, I would invite you to share with me what you find. Happy traveling.