I’ve always wanted to go to St. Augustine. Friends tell me that I HAVE to plan a long weekend there at a bed and breakfast, and that I’d just love the shops and the historical sites, the old homes, and the great restaurants. Looks like November is a great time to go too - not only will it not be as hot out, but I just found out about some special St. Augustine events taking place next month! Uptown Saturday Night takes place from 5pm until 9pm on the last Saturday of the month in October and November. I just missed the October 27th event, but there’s another one on November 24th. And hey, that’s Jim’s birthday - wonder what he’d think of a surprise weekend away for his birthday?

At any rate, the event is right up my alley - street music, and dealers lining the sidewalks with the wares…it’s a regular street party with style! Book stores have readings, authors do signings, and there are workshops to attend on how to shop for antiques. You’ll find free parking at the Mission of Nombre de Dios and shops participating in Uptown Saturday Night offer free wine and refreshments as well.

Doesn’t it sound like a great night out?

I came across this great photo of two manatees kissing today. Well, the caption says that they’re kissing, but I don’t even know that manatees have lips. The photo was taken at Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park, which is just north of Tampa Bay, in Citrus County. We’ve not been there since July of last year, when it was hotter than blazes outside. Now that the weather is cooling down, it’s a great time to go to the park. It’s an even better time to get into the water and swim with the manatees, if you can stand the cold water of the springs! (I think I’d need a wet suit!) You can rent pontoon boats all around the area, and gently navigate your boat toward the springs. The manatees are slow moving and extremely gentle, so if you see any, be respectful and kind. It’s a once in a lifetime experience!

When we travel out of state, we usually make it a point to visit state parks. Smoky Mountain National Park, located between Cherokee, NC, and Gatlinburg, TN, is a favorite of ours. I’d also like to someday visit the Grand Canyon (possibly in November, when we go to Las Vegas!) and Yellowstone.

Somehow, I tend to forget about all of the great state parks located right here in Florida. The Florida Online Park Guide is a great website that can provide you with information on every state park in Florida, from the Alafia River State Park (located in Lithia, Florida) to the Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins Historic State Park (located in Crystal River, Florida.) You’ll find information on what there is to see and do at each park, as well as directions and any operating hours that apply.

We’ve actually been to the Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins Historic State Park. We had passed by the location previously while driving to dinner in Homosassa, and decided to stop there last year on my birthday. The park is extremely small, no more than a few ruins, but it’s amazing to see. Here’s a picture of my kids standing in front of the mill ruins:

We spent our Memorial Day at the beach. After going to a less than stellar local beach last year for 4th of July, we decided to go all out for Memorial Day, which prompted a trip to St. Petersburg, Fl to visit Fort Desoto. After all, if you’re going to go to the beach, wouldn’t you want to go to one of North America’s BEST beaches? (Yup, Dr. Beach, aka Dr. Steven Leatherman, named Fort Desoto one of the best in 2005.)

It had been YEARS since I had been to Fort Desoto, so I was excited to take my kids for their first trip. The first thing you need to know is that it’s not just a beach, it’s part of the Pinellas County Parks System, and it is the largest park in the system. It’s over 1100 acres and 5 interconnected barried islands, and the park has been open since the 1960’s. The fort had it’s heyday long ago though, when it was actually used as a fort.

Prior to the Civil War, Robert E. Lee recommended that the area that would become Fort Desoto (it’s technically a “key”, not an island) be fortified. Union troops were stationed at the fort during the war, and later on, the fort became a quarantine station. Later on, Pinellas County purchased the key and built a toll road to allow visitors to get there via car. The batteries of the fort are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Not only is it a historic site, and a beach, but you can picnic, fish, canoe, hike, and camp, or launch your boat from the 800 foot long boat launch with its 11 floating docks. There’s even a pet playground! All of this with 7 miles of beach, shelling, and beautiful surf and sand. You can enjoy the Gulf of Mexico and views outward from the North Beach, or enjoy the St. Petersburg skyline from the East Beach. It’s worth the trip!

While in Orlando last weekend, we saw all sorts of commercials on TV advertising a big corn festival in Zellwood. Now, I love me some fresh corn, and grew up vacationing in New Jersey, which has some of the BEST corn in the nation…but I also love to support my home state. I did some investigating, because I had never heard of Zellwood, FL. Turns out it’s a little town north of Orlando, FL. I think we may need to check this corn festival thing out!

The movie Pirates of The Caribbean is a huge hit in this house. My kids are anxiously awaiting the release of the 3rd movie. We love the movie, we love the ride at Disney - we love pirates! We’ve stayed in hotels so close to the Pirates dinner show in Orlando that we could hear the cheering crowds, but we’ve never ever gone. Mostly, because of the price. I’ve gone to the website and just thought it was a bit too pricy for a dinner for our family of five. That was before I discovered that I could buy discount tickets for the Pirates dinner show online! In fact, my family of 5 can save almost $50 by buying cheap tickets for the pirates dinner show online! Adults will save over $10 per person, and kids save over $8 each, and all taxes are included in the price.

The show stars with an appetizer buffet, and then you enter the main dining hall, which features a huge pirate ship! And…complimentary beer, wine, and soda are available during the main show. Where else can you get dinner and a show and free beer and wine for $37 per adult?

This is a sponsored review.

I first went to Medieval Times in Orlando when I was high school. My AP English classmates and I convinced our teacher that it would be educational. And it was, but it was also a lot of fun. So much fun that when my husband and I honeymooned in Orlando in 1996, we went back. There’s nothing like eating food with your hands and watching jousting to celebrate marriage! We haven’t taken the kids yet, but I’d bet they’d love it. Did you know you can buy tickets to the Medieval Times dinner show in Kissimmee online, for a discount? It’s true! When you buy them online, you’ll save over $15 per adult and $2.39 per kid - not too shabby! The prices include all taxes too, which not all discount ticket brokers will do! You’ll enjoy a great meal (eating with fingers is fun!) and you’ll see knights joust. It’s a really neat show that makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time.

This is a sponsored review.

When you say the name Ringing to someone outside of Florida, they no doubt think of the circus. Say it to someone who considers himself to a Floridian, and he’ll probably tell you about the Ringling Museum of Art. Jon was part of the Ringling family and their circus legacy, but he also developed a taste for fine art, and when he joined the Florida land boom, and developed parts of Sarasota, he made a home for himself in the area.

The Ringing estate a 66-acre estate on Sarasota Bay, and is easily accessible of I-75. You’ll find the Museum of Art featuring European & American paintings, Asian area, and contemporary art. Inside the Circus Museum are costumes, equipment, and other items on display to show circus history. It’s a great place for a day trip, and they offer educational programs and special events monthly.

I came across an amazing website this morning talking about Florida’s Springs. When most of us think of the water in Florida, we think of either the gulf, or the ocean. We forget about the crystal clear springs located all over the state in between those 2 big bodies of water. The water rises up from the aquifer, and it’s always cold, clear, and refreshing. If you ever get the chance to snorkel or swim in a spring, you’ll be able to see down all the way to the bottom - even if the bottom is 50 feet down! Some of the parks along the springs, like Silver Springs, offer you the chance to tour the springs in a glass bottomed boat, and it’s an amazing view into the depths.

I love a good spa experience. I’ve been to a spa in the Clearwater area with girlfriends, for a day of scrubbing and pampering, I’ve been to a spa nestled in the mountains of Utah, and I’ve been to spas on cruise ships. There’s just something about being massaged and rubbed and scrubbed and pampered that appeals to me! I’m close enough to this Orlando spa that I may just have to drive over to O-town and check things out. They carry Bumble & Bumble products (yum!) and offer the hot stone massages. I had one of those on our cruise - oh my. Fabulous. I’d love to have another one! It’s really hard to find a spa that offers the hot stone massage, so stumbling onto this place, and having it local - what a treat for me!

I grew up in the small town of Tarpon Springs, FL. For that reason, I picked it to be the first city highlighted in a new feature here, called City Spotlight. I’m going to write a bit on as many of the cities in Florida that I can, as often as I can.

Tarpon Springs is a unique town located on the gulf coast of Florida, west of Tampa. Incorporated as a city in 1887, the city is named for a fish called a Tarpon that’s found in the waters of the gulf. Greek immigrants came to the town in the early 1900’s for sponge diving, and the town still has a huge Greek population today. Downtown you’ll find a mix of historic homes and antique shops, while to the north of the downtown area you’ll find the Sponge Docks. This sometimes tacky part of town is a must see for visitors, but once you’ve been there a million times like I have, you’ll probably avoid it. I only visit the docks for the bakeries and food.

One of the most unique things about Tarpon Springs are the bayous winding their way through the town. Water, water, everywhere! At the head of Spring Bayou is where the cross is thrown during the Epiphany celebration every year. Historic old Victorian homes line the bayou, and in the winter months, you’ll see manatees swimming in the warm waters. A few miles out, and you’ll find 2 beaches. Fred Howard Park is the larger of the two, and not only features a park, but a long causeway out to a beach. Sunset Park is a bit smaller, and not as nice, but can be quieter as well.

When I was a girl, there wasn’t much in Tarpon to do or see. Slowly but surely, that changed. Merchants came back to Main Street (or in this case, Tarpon Avenue) and bars and restaurants opened. Bigger chains came to town - we were thrilled when a Chili’s finally opened out on U.S. 19 - it was so nice to have a big place to eat in town. I remember when the only hotel was the Howard Johnsons on the corner of US 19 and Klosterman Road. Now it’s a Holiday Inn, and there are several more hotels in the area, as well as smaller inns.

One of the biggest events in Tarpon Springs occurs each April, and it’s the Fine Arts Festival. This year will be the 33rd annual festival, so it started 2 years before I was born. Held at Craig Park on Spring Bayou, you’ll find food, entertainment, and over 200 artists selling their wares.

Yes, Tarpon is an eclectic mix of people and personalities…and it will always be my hometown. You can take the girl out of Tarpon Springs, but you can’t take the Tarpon out of the girl.

The Florida State Fair opens Thursday, February 8th 2007 at the fairgrounds in Tampa, and will run through February 19th.

Headliners for 2007 include:

Thursday 2/8 - Reel Big Fish - 8pm in the Entertainment Hall, $5
Sunday 2/11 - 1964…The Tribute, 2pm, 6pm in the Entertainment Hall, $5
Tuesday 2/13 - Bennie Anderson & The Drifters, 2pm, 6pm in the Entertainment Hall, $5
Wednesday 2/14 - Cornell Gunter’s Coasters, 2 pm, 6 pm in the Entertainment Hall, $5
Thursday 2/15 - Country Gold Tour 2007, 2 pm, 6pm in the Entertainment Hall, $10
Friday 2/16 - Mickey Gilley, 6 pm in the Entertainment Hall, $5
Saturday 2/17 - Davy Jones, 6pm in the Entertainment Hall, $5
Sunday 2/18 - Ronnie Milsap, 6 pm in the Entertainment Hall, $5

(Davy Jones? For $5! A bargain…I saw him in the Monkees Reunion Tour at Ruth Eckerd Hall when I was 12)

The fairgrounds are located at I-4 and US 301 in Tampa. Gates open at 9pm daily, and the midway opens at 10am. Adults 12 and older are $10, ages 6-11 are $5, and under 6 are free. Keep in mind that rides are extra. On Friday 2/9 and 2/19 students 12 and older get in for $6. On February 13, 14, and 15, those 55 and older get in for $6.

Armband days: Unlimited rides with $15 armband today after 3 p.m. and with $25 armband Friday, Sunday and Feb. 16, 18 and 19. $5 discount on armbands Friday and Feb. 19 for students redeeming a Pepsi product or a Hungry Howie’s proof-of-purchase at the gate.

Technorati Tags: fair, fairgrounds, state fair, Florida State Fair, Davy Jones, Tampa, Florida

Staying on a budget at Disney and other theme parks CAN be done. I know, because we’ve done it. When you go to Disney as often as we do, you try to save some money each time. One of the last times we went, we splurged on our hotel and stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I did get a great Florida resident rate so we didn’t pay the normal price, and we got a free room upgrade. The big money pit at Disney however isn’t your room - it’s the food. Snacks, meals, drinks - they all add up quickly at theme park prices. We typically bring some food to keep in the room, like doughnuts and cereal for breakfast each morning, soda, milk, (deluxe hotels have an in room fridge, at the value resorts you can add one for $10 a day) bread, PB&J fixins, lunch meat, mayo, and snacks. We also bring water bottles, and I carry a backpack in the park with snacks and water bottles.

My dining choice at Epcot is usually Sunshine Seasons in The Land, and it’s one of the best places for value - food wise. We can usually feed our family of 5 plus my mom for $60, which includes drinks for everyone and 2 beers for my husband. The kids meals are a steal - $4 each and the kids get a main dish (mac n cheese, chicken, or a mini sub) plus a side of fruit or veggies, and a bread and a drink. For $4! In addition to the hot stations with stir fry, chicken, fish, and soups, there are coolers filled with salads and sides.

The next day, we went to Disney/MGM Studios and the only food we bought in the park were some french fries as a snack. We went back to our hotel in the early afternoon and had a late lunch there with the things we brought from home. For dinner we went to Pizzeria Uno which is a chain, and there’s a location close to Downtown Disney. They have huge pizzas that are very filling - one pie was enough for the family.

Sunday was the day we went to Magic Kingdom - again, we left the park early and had lunch in our room, but we did spend some cash on dinner that night. Since we were celebrating a birthday, we decided to eat at Liberty Tree Tavern, which is a character meal. The kids were $13 each and the adults were $28 each. Disney says anyone over the age of 9 is an adult, so we had my oldest be a year younger for the purpose of paying half price for her. The food was fantastic - salad, pork, beef, turkey, veggies, mashed taters, stuffing…and apple cobbler with ice cream for dessert. Not to mention we got to meet tons of characters right at our table.

Monday was our last day of vacation, and we went to Animal Kingdom. We didn’t eat anything here but the snacks we brought on our own.

Food costs can quickly add up, but if you plan in advance, you can save a bit, which means more money to buy mouse ears and Disney t-shirts!

Technorati Tags: Disney, Disney vacation, Orlando, Lake Buena Vista, Pizzeria Uno, Magic Kingdom, MGM Studios, Epcot, budget vacation

If you’re looking for a day trip close to Tampa that will take you back to nature, look no further than Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park. The park is located in Citrus County, approximately 1 hour north of Tampa, and is easily accessible from U.S. 19 or the Suncoast/Veteran’s Expressway. You’ll enter the park through the welcome center located off the highway, and after paying your admission fee, you can catch the tram or a boat to the main entrance. For first time visitors, I recommend the boat - it takes a few minutes longer, but a slow ride down Pepper Creek is just the right thing to get you in the mood for this old Florida adventure. You’ll be able to see alligators, birds, and even turtles on your ride, and before you know it, you’ll be stepping off and entering the park.

The park is designed to be one big circle, so no matter where you start, you’ll see it all. There is a boardwalk to follow that will take you past all of the animals and birds at the park, including bobcats, bears, deer, alligators, manatees, and even a hippo! You can attend educational programs (offered several times through out the day) to learn more about Florida wildlife, alligators, and the hippo.

One of the parks best features is the ability to see manatees in their natural habitat. On the day we visited, we were a few feet away from a manatee at the river’s edge. You can also go underwater by entering The Fish Bowl, to get a unique perspective on fish and manatees swimming in the crystal clear spring water. If creepy crawlies are more your thing, visit the reptile house to see native snakes. (It also provides a good chance to show your children what poisonous snakes look like in a safe setting!) The park also hosts special events including arts and craft shows and gardening workshops. It’s a unique place to take your kids unlike most other parks - there are no thrill rides, no stands hawking t-shirts, and no people dressed up in costumes posing for pictures. Another reason this park is family friend - the entire park is a no smoking zone! For more information, visit the website for Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park or call:

Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park
4150 S. Suncoast Blvd.
Homosassa, Florida 34446
Phone: 352-628-5343
Fax: 352-628-4243

This is one park, that while a bit off the beaten path, is definitely worth the trip!