Sarasota And The House Of John

No trip to Sarasota Florida would be complete without visiting the Ringling Museum and Mansion.

John and Mable Ringling wintered in Sarasota beginning in 1909 and in 1927 moved his circus to the Sarasota area during the off season. The Ringling Museum looms large in the city. As usual click each photo for a better view.

The grounds are divided into exhibits that highlight the Ringling Brothers Circus, John and Mable's mansion, and the Ringling Art Museum which houses the couple's art collection. There is so much to see that I decided to divide the photos into to two parts: the Circus followed by the Ca'D'Zan mansion and grounds.

The exhibits of the circus cover such items as costumes, colorful trailers,



and the mobile cannon(the one the man was shot out of under the "big top.")

There is a special section for one of my childhood favorite clowns, Emmet Kelly. I never liked clowns but Kelly was different. "Weary Willie" based on the hobos of the depression was somehow lovable and sad at the same time.

His popularity spanned generations and that lovable sadness is evident in the picture shown here.

The circus could almost be considered a traveling city because there were so many people involved in producing "The Greatest Show on Earth."

Ringling developed train travel into almost an art form in terms of the organization that was required to pack up and arrive at the next city. So much so that during WWII the army came to study how they organized the transport!

On a personal level, John Ringling was able to bring sheer opulence to his own travel by train as he followed the circus. His personal car measured 79 ft long, 14 ft high, and 10 ft wide, which allowed him to include all the amenities of a traveling millionaire.

The pictures of his bathroom (with a full size tub)...

and lounge car illustrate that he wanted for nothing and had all the comforts of home, just on rails!

John Ringling was a man who lived large! And, we will see just how large when we view the mansion Ca'D'Zan...

Even the Best Laid Plans...

We just returned from a wonderful trip to Sarasota, Florida and I have to admit in my haste to get out the door for the three hour drive, I forgot my camera. Not to worry, Alex had a small spare camera that he carries to take quick shots and I was able to use it to get highlights of the area.

But, even the best laid plans can sometimes have a flaw... the adapter to download them is at another location. So you wonderful travel fans will have to wait a day to allow me to download and add them to the blog.

Adding to the level of anticipation, I have posted an aerial shot of the city above and stuck in this "under construction" sign!

And who says I don't have a sense of humor?!

A Day in the Life...

Today is Thanksgiving, a national day when Americans are supposed to stop and give thanks. It is usually a day when families gather from all over the country for a large meal of turkey and sometimes tense togetherness. I started my cooking last night so while waiting as the turkey bakes, I decided to give you a glimpse of the lead up to the big day. As usual click each photo for a better view.

Alex has taken the week off and we are enjoying the unhurried feel of each day. Over the weekend we spent some time trying to decide what to do. But, Sunny-Girl who has now become an important part of the family, was a consideration. While she slept we pondered where to go and what to do.

We decided on St Augustine but then Sunny-Girl woke up, gave Alex the "puppy look", and we decided to change our focus and enjoy why you live in Florida... and planned to go to the beach!

Sunny-Girl is a miniature Dachshund and it was a little cold but we wanted her to enjoy her first outing near the water, so packaging was a concern. First we tried a carry bag. She fit but had a look that said "You have got to be kidding!"

Next came our final solution. It was perfect! She could see, sit or stand with a little warmth, while we still had some control. We laughed and laughed at the look of that little head peaking out of the bag.

And so, we were ready to go. But, we were pleasantly surprised that it was warmer than we had anticipated and all our preparation was unnecessary as we watched Sunny-Girl run off down the beach. We spent our time taking pictures of the sail boats off in the distance...

and following Sunny-Girl down the beach. She might be a dog but every now and then she knows how to direct her owners to enjoy a good thing when it presents itself!

An Almost Black and White Night

Alex and I realized we had been working much too hard of late and decided to take out the cameras and just have fun at one of our old haunts: the downtown landing. It may not have been a good time for people watching because there was a good deal of construction going on nearby, so we pretty much had the place to ourselves for some nightlight shots.

This is the time of year you love to be in Florida (ask me again in July and you might get a different answer) because it is November, there is not a hint of snow anywhere, you can still wear shorts, and Fall seems like a forgotten cousin you are happy to welcome. As always, click on each photo for a better view. The bridge above is a well known downtown landmark and I love this shot because there is something about the angle that makes the bridge kind of curve out at you.

This is well traveled territory for us as we visit here often. And, despite the fact we had taken some of the shots before, I decided to do something a little different and show things in black and white... well almost.

These lights caught my eye and the sense for the eye is very different from a color shot. Somehow there is a feeling of loneliness that is hard to explain.

I have taken shots of this sculpture before, but this time really focused on it's features and was surprised at the result.

I like the black and white appearance and also the way the street lights add perspective.

I found it really interesting how something I was used to seeing in color takes on new meaning in black and white. Here is a front view. The lack of color allows you to really "see" the texture designs in the piece.

And finally, this shot came by accident. The glare of the lights behind the piece gives the impression that it is actually moving! What do you think?

Follow the Yellow Brick Road...

I find it more than amazing that you can start out, like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, in one direction and end up in a totally different place. For the Labor Day Holiday we decided to visit a State Park that offered canoeing only to have our plans derailed when we found out it was pretty much closed.

Alex did some quick thinking and we decided to drive a little further down the highway to Daytona Beach. I had been there ages ago coming in for a visit from Denver, so it seemed like a great way to take some pictures and end the Summer. As usual, click each photo for a better view.

To reach the beach, or "Beach walk" as they call it, you have to go over one of several bridges. The one we took offered an interesting view of some of the others.

Daytona Beach is a tourist area, sort of like Disney World, only the beach is the main attraction. The City has built in other things to do while you enjoy some of the nicest beaches around but you get the feel that the beach is why you visit the area.

Several massive hotels dominate the beach front. And, I liked how this shot came out because it highlights just how much these hotels dominate the skyline.

There is also a strange combination of the faux old and the modern. Like this fake old castle, which is really an amphitheater, with a modern style mall and movie theater right next to another big hotel.

But the fixture that got our attention was this ferris wheel on the beach walk. It was just beginning to get dark and we hung around to take pictures against the night sky.

I really like the way this one came out! You can almost feel the motion as you view the wheel.

And this one has an eerie look to it. It almost appears to be some strange machine like a Transfomer ready to change shape.

And what would a visit to the beach be without taffy? We didn't buy any but took shot after shot of the machine as it twisted the sugary concoction round and round.

Not a bad end of the summer trip... and we didn't have to fight even one wicked witch!