Fort DeSoto Beach and Tierra Verde Restaurants

It's Day 2 of our Tampa Bay family beach vacation. We went to Billy's Stonecrab & Lobster in Tierra Verde for lunch.


Shoot, we are on vacation. Nobody's in a hurry. We enjoyed the view of the canal, and looked at the collection of trophy fish on the walls.


Later at Fort DeSoto Park we hung out on the beach. We like to go to this beach on the weekends, because you can find parking and there's plenty of room on the beach. I can't remember everything we did, but it took all afternoon. Floating in the water, walking on the beach, floating in the water some more, etc. It's my favorite beach for a quiet natural setting.

After sunset we went to the German Crepes House in Tierra Verde (1120 Pinellas Bayway, Saint Petersburg, FL 33715). They have the best beer in the world! Carlton and Jacqueline came from Berlin to settle in Florida around the same time we did. They are great hosts. The German potato salad was good, and the Black Forest Cherry Cake is as authentic as it gets.

Day 1 of Tampa Bay Beach Vacation

We picked up my sisters from Tampa International Airport and went to Whiskey Joe's for lunch. It's a great place to land to get that Florida feeling right after getting off the plane. They have good food, good prices, and an awesome view of Tampa Bay from the Courtney Campbell Causeway.

After lunch we went to our house, unloaded luggage, changed into beach clothes, and hit the road for the Gulf Coast. We spent the rest of the afternoon at Saint Pete Beach. It's my favorite beach for times when you want a short walk from parking to the beach. Restaurants and shopping areas are also nearby if you park near the Pass-A-Grille facilities. Look for The Hurricane restaurant. It's a big gray building with pointed gables. The water was warm and the waves were fun to bounce around in. We even got Dee to ride waves on a boogie board.


We stayed for sunset. Alfonze and Jason are figuring out camera settings for sunset shots. Dee is discovering cochinas. Those are tiny, colorful clams that come out of the sand around sunset. The surf uncovers them, and they quickly dig themselves back into the sand.

Afterwards we went across the street to the Brass Monkey for a late dinner. We sat on the balcony outside where we had a view of the beach. The sunset colors continued to develop after the sun went down. After dark we saw a starry sky and lights from ships in the Gulf of Mexico.

Florida National Cemetery on Memorial Day Weekend

Florida National Cemetery is in a beautiful setting in the Withlacoochee State Forest. We came to pay our respects and visit Paul's grave. He's buried in an area with his WWII buddies.

American flags lined the roads of the cemetery for Memorial Day Weekend. Dark storm clouds loomed in the background of the sunlit park. The American flags appeared to glow in the sunlight against the dramatic sky. We made it back to the car just in time to avoid getting soaked by torrential rain.

More photos of our visit to Florida National Cemetery.

Launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis for Last Mission to Hubble

We went to Kennedy Space Center to see the launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis for mission STS-125. It will be the last servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope and the last flight of Space Shuttle Atlantis. It is a dangerous mission. The Hubble's maximum orbit is 350 miles above the Earth. Atlantis will have used up about half of its fuel just to reach orbit. This altitude is where most other satellites are located, and there is a lot of space junk to contend with that could potentially damage the space shuttle. The International Space Station is at a lower orbit and would be out of reach as a safe haven in case of an emergency. Space Shuttle Endeavour is staged on the second launch pad as a rescue mission if necessary.


Space Shuttle Endeavor is on the left and Space Shuttle Atlantis is on the right.


A model showing Shuttle Atlantis servicing the Hubble Space Telescope.


The Hubble will be captured by Shuttle Atlantis and serviced on a platform in the space shuttle's payload area. This servicing mission will bring repairs and new instruments to the telescope to allow the Hubble to function through the year 2014.

The launch of mission STS-125 has been rescheduled several times since last fall. Part of the Hubble's 18 year-old communications equipment failed shortly before the mission launch in October 2008. Rather than service an instrument that might fail to communicate with scientists on Earth, the mission was changed to include upgrades and back-ups for communications.

The tickets for the launch were sold out months ago and security was only allowing ticket holders' cars to pass through to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. We arrived around 10am and there were long lines of people waiting to get in. Once inside we immediately encountered another long line of people waiting to board the buses to the launch viewing area. At past launch viewing events people took time to look around KSC. This group was ready to get right to it.


This is the special viewing area on the NASA Causeway. It is about 6 miles from the space shuttle launch pads.


Our view of Atlantis on the launchpad across the Banana River.


We waited for hours, but the time seemed to pass quickly. Merritt Island is also a nature preserve. We saw all kinds of interesting birds, jumping fish and occasionally dolphins. People had all kinds of viewing equipment and we took turns looking through one another's lenses. We met an astronomer who has worked with images from the Hubble for years. The rocket launch area is nearby and we saw a rocket inside one of the towers. The next rocket launch in June will send a lunar orbiter to scout for landing sites on the moon, and a probe to look for possible ice formations at lunar locations that are in constant darkness.

After much anticipation the countdown began. Everyone stood up to cheer and count down. 5...4...3...2...1...


Lift off!


The space shuttle is moving so fast that the sound from lift-off isn't heard until it's in the air. It starts out as a crackling sound.


Then it builds up to a roar that you can feel.


Everyone watches as the space shuttle climbs higher into the sky. It's an amazing sight!


More photos of our trip to see the launch of STS-125 Space Shuttle Atlantis


Video of the launch of STS-125 Space Shuttle Atlantis

Turn up your speakers.


Travel Recommendations

It is great to have a Sunpass for this trip in particular, because you can drive through the tolls and pay electronically instead of having to stop to pay cash. The Sunpass is a fantastic time saver when all the toll booths are backed up after shuttle launches. I highly recommend avoiding the Bee Line Expressway (FL-528) after a shuttle launch. The toll booths back up for miles and there are no rest areas between Titusville and Orlando.

Road Directions to Gulf Coast After Shuttle Launch

To drive home to Tampa after a shuttle launch we go north of Titusville taking either U.S. Route 1 or I-95 north to SR-46 to drive east towards Sanford. Near Geneva take Oviedo Road (SR- 426) south to FL-417 south. FL-417 is a toll road that takes you around Orlando and ends directly at I-4 near Disney. I-4 continous west to I-75 and the Gulf Coast.

Visiting Kennedy Space Center

The best time to visit Kennedy Space Center is on a non-shuttle-launch-day. Traffic is usually no problem in and out of Titusville. If you want to Mapquest the Kennedy Space Center, look up Orsino, Florida.

Easter Bunny Sighting at Clearwater Beach

Octopus at Honeymoon Island

(Click on photo to see a larger version.)

We went for a walk along the beach at Honeymoon Island and found a small octopus in the surf.

Weedon Island Preserve Observation Tower

(Click on the photos for larger images.)

We walked across boardwalks over a mangrove marsh to get to the Observation Tower at Weedon Island Preserve.


Here's a view of the boardwalk from the top of the Observation Tower. You can see the roof of the Natural History Center and the Progress Energy Plant at the horizon.


The fishing pier seen from the Observation Tower.


Take the time to stop, look, and listen as you walk along the boardwalks. You're bound to discover some wildlife, like this crab.


Ibises in the salt water marsh. They are funny looking birds with long, curved beaks.


These fruits are actually miniature mangrove plants in the making called propagules. They will continue to grow longer to look like giant string beans. Eventually the propagules fall into the water and are carried away by the tide. Those that land in a place to take hold and root become trees. The roots capture more silt and debris to form islands.


Fortunately for me, there are signs along the trails to explain such details. Now I know what those big string beans are that we find at the beach in the summer.

There is always something new to discover here.

More photos of Weeden Island Preserve.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Directions from Tampa
Drive across the Gandy Bridge and turn left at San Martin Blvd. Keep a close eye out for it as soon as you're on the St. Petersburg side of the bridge.

Preserve Hours: Daily, 7am - Sunset
Natural History Center Hours: Wednesday - Sunday 10am-4pm (closed Monday, Tuesday, and holidays)

Night Launch of Space Shuttle Discovery STS-119

(Click on photos for larger images.)

Here's a view of Space Shuttle Discovery on the launch pad shortly before lift-off. Alfonse took photos from across the Banana River on the NASA Causeway about 6 miles away.



The space shuttle launch lights up the evening sky. Nothing can prepare you for how bright the light gets. Night turns into day.



Here you see the space shuttle doing the roll maneuver that inserts it into low Earth orbit. The contrail reflected the colors of the sunset. The colored area of the cloud looked like a rainbow.



The white dots are the solid rocket boosters dropping.

The glowing sunset colors in the contrail was very unusual. It was one of the most visually spectacular launches ever. The launch was visible hundreds of miles away in Jacksonville, Tampa, and Miami.

More photos of the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery STS-119.

Launch of Space Shuttle Discovery Seen in Tampa

(Click on photos for larger images.)

It was a very quiet Sunday evening in our neighborhood, except for me, hooping and hollering in the backyard with my camera. The space shuttle first appeared as a glowing red point of light going straight up. The contrail behind it glowed with bands of sunset colors. It looked amazing, even from 130 miles away!


The wind started tearing the contrail apart right away.


The white cloud is what was left from the space shuttle roll maneuver that puts it into orbit.

The Ringling Estate and Art Museum in Sarasota

(Click on photos for larger images.)

The John and Mable Ringling Estate is a large campus that includes the Art Museum, Circus Museums, Ca d'Zan mansion and the historic Asolo Theatre. The Ringlings are famous for their part in the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus.


The circus overwintered in Sarasota, Florida in the early 20th century. The number of people, animals, and equipment that moved with the circus was enormous. It was like moving an entire town by railroad. When you think of a circus the first thing you picture is the performers and their animals, but there was so much more going on behind the scenes. There was a different set of tented stables for the performing horses and work horses. A large group of animals was part of a menagerie kept in its own tent as a traveling zoo. There were blacksmiths, carpenters, mechanics, cooks, set designers, and costume designers to name a few skilled workers that traveled with the circus.


The calliope is a steam powered organ. It is in the Circus Museum along with a lot of other colorful wagons and animal cages that were part of circus parades.


There were trams to take you around the park. This tram stop is in front of the Ca d'Zan mansion. Ca d'Zan means "House of John" in Venetian dialect. It was the winter residence of John and Mable Ringling and was constructed in the 1920's. It is an enormous Venetian style palace by the water.


The place is so ornate that it's gaudy, but when you think of circus people living here, it fits. This photo is of a room used as a dance hall.


The ceiling depicts couples dancing. Each segment has different characters in colorful costumes. If you look closely you'll find that one of the couples is John and Mable Ringling in costume. You can tell that the mansion wasn't just for John and Mable. The rooms on the lower floors were for entertaining a lot of people.


This facade faces the waters of Sarasota bay. The floor of the terrace is made of colored marble. There are so many details to marvel at. After we left Ca d'Zan we got on a tram headed for the famous Ringling Art Museum.

We were in awe when we stepped into the Art Museum's courtyard.


Here's a gilded room in the Art Museum. As amazing as it is, we didn't make it through the entire Art Museum. There is so much to see here.

You can get a map of the grounds at the ticket counter. I recommend picking out the things you want to see most and going there first. It's hard see it all in one day. You can also plan your visit using the web site http://www.ringling.org/.

As we were leaving I heard circus music playing in my head. I thought of a sign in one of the Circus Museum buildings that reads "May All Your Days be Circus Days."

Hours:
Open Daily 7 days a week 10am - 5:30pm
Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Days

Admission:
Adults $20
Children (ages 6-17) $7
Children under 6 Free of Charge
Discounts for Seniors, Teachers, and Active US Military personnel

Parking is free.

More photos of the Ringling Estate and Art Museum in Sarasota, Florida

Fort DeSoto

(Click on photos for larger images.)

Today we visited the old fort at Fort DeSoto Park. Construction of the fort began in 1898. The fort is built into the side of a hill, and is not visible to approaching ships. Grass, trees and other plants cover the artillery area. It was meant to defend Tampa Bay during the Spanish American War. No shots were fired here other than practice shots. Houses and administration buildings were once nearby. All that remains of them are the foundations.


Storage of artillery materials was in the lower level inside the hill. One of the chambers has historical photos, maps, and drawings.


The data booth is behind the cannons.


You can walk along the top of the fort and look down on the cannons.


The things that look like little green houses are for ventilation of the storage chambers below.


A view of the fishing pier from the top of the fort.


A view of the beach from the top of the fort.

We usually come to Fort DeSoto Park to go to the beach. Winter is a good time to walk around or ride bikes. There is a snack bar and gift shop near the fort. Bike and kayak rentals are also nearby.

More photos of Fort DeSoto historic site.

Admission
$0.35 per car
Parking is free

Clearwater Marine Aquarium

We picked up some visitors from the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, had lunch at Clearwater beach, and went to Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA). The animals here have been found injured, are rescued, and then rehabilitated to be released back to their natural habitat. CMA's specialty is with dolphins, sea turtles, and sea otters, to name a few species. Those that can't be released become permanent residents here. What makes this place different from other zoos or aquariums is that each of these animals has a name and a story.


We walked downstairs to look in the windows of the big dolphin tank. This dolphin is one of four permanent residents. His name is Nicholas. The white marks on his back are scars from sunburn. He was stranded as a calf with his mother Noelle on Christmas Eve 2002. His mother did not survive. Nicholas was too young to have learned how to hunt on his own, and has since been a resident here.

Nicholas and a trainer during the dolphin show.

Nicholas looking through the window at Winter. She was very chatty. They say that she is the most vocal dolphin here.

Winter is the most famous resident at CMA. She was found wrapped in a crab trap when she was 3 months old. She lost her tail as a result of her injuries. Winter learned how to swim side to side like sharks do. She has been an inspiration to handicapped people around the world.

A prosthetic tail was developed for her. The new technology developed for the tail has helped improve human prosthetics.

A sea turtle diving. A sign with the name and story for each animal was by their tank.

We enjoyed seeing the animals and seashell displays. Our guests from Ohio had never seen dolphins up close. It's fun introducing people to new experiences.

Admission Fees
Adults $11.00
Children (age 3-12) $7.50
Seniors (age 60+) $9.00

Parking is free.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium also offers boat tours, behind the scenes tours, and dolphin photo ops.