tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55504479309741135972024-03-05T01:23:53.598-05:00Museum TrekkerA traveling artist's useful information about Museums, Exhibits, Traveling, and Traveling Exhibits all over the WorldKimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.comBlogger155125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-15914485605249878252021-10-04T10:40:00.001-04:002021-10-04T10:43:39.611-04:00Happy Trails<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i16F5kpQJuE/YVdVcEeDtFI/AAAAAAAAITA/lQazeFwlxKQsCBVR4sSff9pmpLIC1eCGwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2559/Happy%2BTrails%2B%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="2559" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i16F5kpQJuE/YVdVcEeDtFI/AAAAAAAAITA/lQazeFwlxKQsCBVR4sSff9pmpLIC1eCGwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h213/Happy%2BTrails%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">After 14 years of Museum Trekking, I've decided that this is the right time for my final post. Like most of you, I've refrained from traveling to remain healthy and slow the spread of COVID-19. During this time, many museums have had to shut their doors permanently which has made writing about museums and traveling very difficult.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Once fully vaccinated, I booked a trip requiring air travel for the first time in two years. I decided to do something different and special for my final post and so I put together a little video to say farewell. </span><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="362" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/46iqzFJN1lg" width="484" youtube-src-id="46iqzFJN1lg"></iframe></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We flew to Las Vegas, Nevada where we rented a funky campervan called "The Flat Foot" from <a href="https://www.escapecampervans.com/https://www.escapecampervans.com/" target="_blank">Escape Campervans</a>. Then we drove to Utah and camped at <a href="https://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm" target="_blank">Zion National Park</a> for a couple of days before heading over to <a href="https://www.nps.gov/brca/index.htm" target="_blank">Bryce Canyon National Park</a>. After camping in Zion, we drove down to Arizona and camped at <a href="https://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm">Grand Canyon National Park</a>. Most museums were closed except for a few that we went to at the Grand Canyon. However, the National Parks and campsites were busy as most people, including me, are preferring to stay outdoors where it is safer for the time being. It was so nice to get some fresh air and a change of scenery after being hunkered down at home for so long.</span><p></p></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Thank you to everyone who has followed me around this wonderful world for the past 14 years. It has been an amazing journey. While this may be my final blog post, I still plan to carry on Museum Trekking and I hope you will too! If you'd like to continue following along on my adventures please find me on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kimwnolan/" target="_blank">@kimwnolan</a>. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Happy Trails!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Kim</span></div>Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-24874573742132374152021-01-05T12:15:00.001-05:002021-01-05T13:12:39.433-05:00Genius & Generosity-The Elliott Story<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wvCza8BhEvk/X_Sr9VZE1GI/AAAAAAAAINM/316pbE29Ko8kETP3fBv0ucDydzZ7kDrsQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2559/A%2BTribute%2BTo%2BGenius%2B%2526%2BGenerosity%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="2559" height="214" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wvCza8BhEvk/X_Sr9VZE1GI/AAAAAAAAINM/316pbE29Ko8kETP3fBv0ucDydzZ7kDrsQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h214/A%2BTribute%2BTo%2BGenius%2B%2526%2BGenerosity%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A new exhibit for a new year! During the summer and fall of 2020, I was hired to design, Genius & Generosity-The Elliott Story, a new permanent exhibit for the <a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">Elliott Museum</a> located in Stuart, Florida. </span></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OpdlP6Kgty0/X_SCqZ7DIoI/AAAAAAAAIM4/W9xgNQDRJXYtx7RcgQxIbLm2-mDd2LeMQCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/The-Elliott-Story-Exibition-Elliott-Museum-20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Elliott Story Museum exhibition at the Elliott Museum" border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OpdlP6Kgty0/X_SCqZ7DIoI/AAAAAAAAIM4/W9xgNQDRJXYtx7RcgQxIbLm2-mDd2LeMQCPcBGAYYCw/w400-h266/The-Elliott-Story-Exibition-Elliott-Museum-20.jpg" title="The Elliott Story" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rk2TsMx3tmA/X_SCv8O7I0I/AAAAAAAAIL4/mLdOUGVCNrMwLwz7f3YcXmmb0kb3edbOQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The-Elliott-Story-Exibition-Elliott-Museum-23.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I partnered with <a href="orselli.net">Paul Orselli Workshop (POW!)</a> and we worked with the museum's Curator, Linda Geary, to design and develop the content for this exhibition.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Elliott Story Museum exhibition at the Elliott Museum" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rk2TsMx3tmA/X_SCv8O7I0I/AAAAAAAAIL4/mLdOUGVCNrMwLwz7f3YcXmmb0kb3edbOQCLcBGAsYHQ/w266-h400/The-Elliott-Story-Exibition-Elliott-Museum-23.jpg" width="266" /></span></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This exhibit about the museum's namesake, Sterling Elliott, is a tribute to his life as an inventor, social reformer, and the successful business empire which he built with his son, Harmon Elliott. </span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e6emIXS6sG0/X_SC5S_7svI/AAAAAAAAIMs/9akXWteEuHUU3UqGBAp9U7wF-CEur80jQCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/The-Elliott-Story-Exibition-Elliott-Museum-4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A Tribute To Genius and Generosity-The Elliott Story exhibition at the Elliott Museum" border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e6emIXS6sG0/X_SC5S_7svI/AAAAAAAAIMs/9akXWteEuHUU3UqGBAp9U7wF-CEur80jQCPcBGAYYCw/w400-h266/The-Elliott-Story-Exibition-Elliott-Museum-4.jpg" title="A Tribute To Genius and Generosity-The Elliott Story exhibition at the Elliott Museum" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The exhibit follows Sterling's inventing life from the 1800s to the early 20th century. His invention of the steering knuckle for his quadricycle revolutionized the automobile industry and made him extremely wealthy. </span></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yv8btKydt8E/X_SCp9w1zYI/AAAAAAAAIM4/8h4XybXq2awF4nC8gOsRhw-MGkAwwSLqgCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/The-Elliott-Story-Exibition-Elliott-Museum-19.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A Tribute To Genius and Generosity-The Elliott Story exhibition at the Elliott Museum" border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yv8btKydt8E/X_SCp9w1zYI/AAAAAAAAIM4/8h4XybXq2awF4nC8gOsRhw-MGkAwwSLqgCPcBGAYYCw/w400-h266/The-Elliott-Story-Exibition-Elliott-Museum-19.jpg" title="A Tribute To Genius and Generosity-The Elliott Story exhibition at the Elliott Museum" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">His improvements to the design of the harness racing sulky resulted in the champion driver, Budd Doble, racing the Elliott sulky to a new world record in 1892. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YhGuMzLDbys/X_SC1iv1cFI/AAAAAAAAIMs/MjJG64gcpAEmzfGQ4qeqIvZUZ1az2l5gQCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/The-Elliott-Story-Exibition-Elliott-Museum-25.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A Tribute To Genius and Generosity-The Elliott Story exhibition at the Elliott Museum" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YhGuMzLDbys/X_SC1iv1cFI/AAAAAAAAIMs/MjJG64gcpAEmzfGQ4qeqIvZUZ1az2l5gQCPcBGAYYCw/w266-h400/The-Elliott-Story-Exibition-Elliott-Museum-25.jpg" title="A Tribute To Genius and Generosity-The Elliott Story exhibition at the Elliott Museum" width="266" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Not only did his bicycle inventions make cycling safer, but they improved the lives of women and African Americans. The Sterling Bicycle Company made bicycles designed specifically for women when other bicycle manufacturers believed women should not be allowed to ride bicycles. Elliott used his role as President of the League of American Wheelmen to fight and gain the right for African Americans to compete in cycling races. This lead Marshall Taylor to become the first African American World champion cyclist in 1899.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2dw3lGZZAAU/X_SCZnj_-GI/AAAAAAAAILs/26gzUG6Gk2EJkG6yHr0b1vDq7QsDNu7HgCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/The-Elliott-Story-Exibition-Elliott-Museum-12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A Tribute To Genius and Generosity-The Elliott Story exhibition at the Elliott Museum" border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2dw3lGZZAAU/X_SCZnj_-GI/AAAAAAAAILs/26gzUG6Gk2EJkG6yHr0b1vDq7QsDNu7HgCPcBGAYYCw/w400-h266/The-Elliott-Story-Exibition-Elliott-Museum-12.jpg" title="A Tribute To Genius and Generosity-The Elliott Story exhibition at the Elliott Museum" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The Elliott Addressing Machine Company came about when Sterling purchased <i>The</i> <i>Bicycling World</i> magazine and became editor of <i>LAW Good Roads</i> magazine. Sterling's invention of the addressing machine was a brilliant solution to the time-consuming problem of addressing the magazines to each subscriber by hand.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ql6J2Xgewnc/X_SC0FyfgLI/AAAAAAAAIM4/a0n4-_tj_tQlxIYzCrXPiO-bXsqb5mKIACPcBGAYYCw/s2048/The-Elliott-Story-Exibition-Elliott-Museum-24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A Tribute To Genius and Generosity-The Elliott Story exhibition at the Elliott Museum" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ql6J2Xgewnc/X_SC0FyfgLI/AAAAAAAAIM4/a0n4-_tj_tQlxIYzCrXPiO-bXsqb5mKIACPcBGAYYCw/w266-h400/The-Elliott-Story-Exibition-Elliott-Museum-24.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Together, Sterling and Harmon Elliott filed over 200 patents for their inventions. The Elliott Museum was built by Harmon Elliott in 1961 in memory of his father. Harmon donated the museum and its collections to the non-profit Historical Society of Martin County which operates both the <a href="https://hsmc-fl.com/elliott-museum/">Elliott Museum</a> and the <a href="https://hsmc-fl.com/house-of-refuge/">House of Refuge</a>.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4jITaF0mtug/X_SCfGQK1iI/AAAAAAAAIM0/kVrEaF9HZ54UgVyGxf9hlDxQTIX65YZFQCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/The-Elliott-Story-Exibition-Elliott-Museum-15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A Tribute To Genius and Generosity-The Elliott Story exhibition at the Elliott Museum" border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4jITaF0mtug/X_SCfGQK1iI/AAAAAAAAIM0/kVrEaF9HZ54UgVyGxf9hlDxQTIX65YZFQCPcBGAYYCw/w400-h266/The-Elliott-Story-Exibition-Elliott-Museum-15.jpg" title="A Tribute To Genius and Generosity-The Elliott Story exhibition at the Elliott Museum" width="400" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The pandemic posed some unique challenges for us with materials being in short supply as well as personnel. The indefatigable staff at the Elliott Museum rolled up their sleeves to help finish the exhibit. Even the museum's Financial Manager, Vikki Tobiasz, and Special Events Coordinator, Deb Banta, pitched in to help with the installation. I'm very proud of what we all managed to accomplish despite some of the obstacles we faced. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;">The Elliott Museum is located at 825 NE Ocean Blvd in Stuart, Florida. It's open to the public 7 days a week from 10 am until 5 pm. The 50,000 sq. ft. building offers plenty of space to safely social distance while enjoying the exhibits. We hope you will visit soon and let us know what you think of our new exhibit.</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><p><br /></p></div>Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com0825 NE Ocean Blvd, Stuart, FL 34996, USA27.2143933 -80.175021399999991-1.0958405361788444 -115.33127139999999 55.52462713617885 -45.018771399999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-9780679992159663642020-12-28T13:41:00.003-05:002020-12-28T13:41:58.398-05:00Portfolios-Eclectic Artists and Art at the Elliott<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m4Q4JjexWyY/X-ojkFMXLbI/AAAAAAAAIJ4/Gu5sCSprusEV62JMQzOAkZuR64ZMO5uvACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_9337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m4Q4JjexWyY/X-ojkFMXLbI/AAAAAAAAIJ4/Gu5sCSprusEV62JMQzOAkZuR64ZMO5uvACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_9337.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is the last week to check out the art exhibit at the <a href="https://hsmc-fl.com/">Elliott Museum</a>.</span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVoarRfIssvDYaRGXBrFpWoR7O95HPdM7qMdg45L0ng9TrkVUPMoCivajyBTorRZhrLTyIgqhJvc0JXxogydoX2yd6Av5XqsT8hHZwMbhSyI_-tebpGhoNWXYt4nkK9wkg0TB359hqysUe/s2048/IMG_9343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVoarRfIssvDYaRGXBrFpWoR7O95HPdM7qMdg45L0ng9TrkVUPMoCivajyBTorRZhrLTyIgqhJvc0JXxogydoX2yd6Av5XqsT8hHZwMbhSyI_-tebpGhoNWXYt4nkK9wkg0TB359hqysUe/s320/IMG_9343.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Portfolios-Eclectic Artists and Art at the Elliott </b>features art in a variety of mediums and styles. <br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eHrwppD42SI/X-ojmnKrBPI/AAAAAAAAIKE/f7reeBjmu5AW8EQK-wyDjvon6iejTTP0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_9348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eHrwppD42SI/X-ojmnKrBPI/AAAAAAAAIKE/f7reeBjmu5AW8EQK-wyDjvon6iejTTP0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_9348.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">This invitational exhibit showcases the paintings, photography, jewelry, and sculpture of myself and 13 other local artists.<br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_z-MV955y4g/X-ojnf98_sI/AAAAAAAAIKM/xfkCgKQtkJkCiwgo6eo4ssFqfh6gBGpkwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_9349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_z-MV955y4g/X-ojnf98_sI/AAAAAAAAIKM/xfkCgKQtkJkCiwgo6eo4ssFqfh6gBGpkwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_9349.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Located at 825 N.E. Ocean Blvd on Hutchinson Island in Stuart, Florida, the<a href="https://hsmc-fl.com/"> Elliott Museum</a> offers 50,000 sq. feet of socially distanced exhibit enjoyment!</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qK5jCPu5k1I/X-ojoaHSOwI/AAAAAAAAIKQ/CnVLfmerm-YXSHa7e4XJN5HSU9YGemXQACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_9356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qK5jCPu5k1I/X-ojoaHSOwI/AAAAAAAAIKQ/CnVLfmerm-YXSHa7e4XJN5HSU9YGemXQACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_9356.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">This fabulous exhibit ends on January 3rd, 2021.</span><p></p><p> </p>Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com0825 NE Ocean Blvd, Stuart, FL 34996, USA27.2143933 -80.175021399999991-1.0958405361788444 -115.33127139999999 55.52462713617885 -45.018771399999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-73145805919869096332020-11-30T11:17:00.001-05:002020-12-02T10:00:01.445-05:00Covid-safe activities for the whole family<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HpKlcrnV1Ys/X8aqauujcUI/AAAAAAAAIJA/HAt9DOCJJcshAUFxndOG_16enzrcUyR6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2559/Covid-safe%2Bactivities%2Bfor%2Bthe%2Bwhole%2Bfamily%2B%25283%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Covid-safe activities for the whole family" border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="2559" height="226" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HpKlcrnV1Ys/X8aqauujcUI/AAAAAAAAIJA/HAt9DOCJJcshAUFxndOG_16enzrcUyR6wCLcBGAsYHQ/w681-h226/Covid-safe%2Bactivities%2Bfor%2Bthe%2Bwhole%2Bfamily%2B%25283%2529.jpg" title="Covid-safe activities for the whole family" width="681" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Like many people these days, I've been avoiding unnecessary travel for fear of contracting or unwittingly spreading Covid. Many museums have shut down temporarily and some permanently so I've had to find creative ways to feed my travel and museum addiction. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HsxOofnfC5g/Xs_auxF0BxI/AAAAAAAAH9c/ACUdRgbHoos48zJ6k95N9ujsj914aczeACPcBGAYYCw/s4032/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-21.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Oxbow Eco Center" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HsxOofnfC5g/Xs_auxF0BxI/AAAAAAAAH9c/ACUdRgbHoos48zJ6k95N9ujsj914aczeACPcBGAYYCw/w400-h300/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-21.jpg" title="Oxbow Eco Center" width="400" /></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I don't want to travel by plane so I've been keeping my trips within driving distance and I've been limiting my activities to outdoor venues like the <a href="http://kimwagnerdesigns.blogspot.com/2020/05/oxbow-eco-center.html" target="_blank">Oxbox-Eco Center</a> (I wrote a separate post about the Oxbow Eco-Center which you can read <a href="http://kimwagnerdesigns.blogspot.com/2020/05/oxbow-eco-center.html">here</a>)</div><div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zIpIgp14SHg/X7PrYkB03pI/AAAAAAAAIHc/fopZezXqe04mlfKkspoAM4J6ICc26MB3wCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/Port-Saint-Lucie-Botanical-Gardens-KWN-7.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Port Saint Lucie Botanical Gardens" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zIpIgp14SHg/X7PrYkB03pI/AAAAAAAAIHc/fopZezXqe04mlfKkspoAM4J6ICc26MB3wCPcBGAYYCw/w400-h300/Port-Saint-Lucie-Botanical-Gardens-KWN-7.jpg" title="Port Saint Lucie Botanical Gardens" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>and the <a href="https://www.pslbg.org/" style="text-align: center;">Port Saint Lucie Botanical Gardens</a><span style="text-align: center;">,</span><span style="text-align: center;"> which is free and open to the public 7 days a week.</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VFCSvwtndBo/X7PrJ12XG6I/AAAAAAAAIHA/To3cK2hIo4QLqoFcGNuN03Eo_wm_5s7lwCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/Port-Saint-Lucie-Botanical-Gardens-KWN-10.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Port Saint Lucie Riverwalk Boardwalk" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VFCSvwtndBo/X7PrJ12XG6I/AAAAAAAAIHA/To3cK2hIo4QLqoFcGNuN03Eo_wm_5s7lwCPcBGAYYCw/w400-h300/Port-Saint-Lucie-Botanical-Gardens-KWN-10.jpg" title="Port Saint Lucie Riverwalk Boardwalk" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The city has recently finished the 1,300-ft Riverwalk Boardwalk extension from Bridge Plaza to the Botanical Gardens. Residents can use the Riverwalk to walk, jog, or fish on the St. Lucie River and there is a floating dock with a kayak/canoe launch as well. The good news for pedestrians is that plans are in place to connect the existing Riverwalk at Veterans Park to the new 1,300-ft section so you'll be able to walk from the Botanical Gardens and under the bridge to Veterans Park without having to walk through the busy intersection on Port Saint Lucie Boulevard.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3kCQAV5FNXg/X2oShkwfqlI/AAAAAAAAIFs/D4_jZh2B_r85g1fGCrMjywB64cFhal0ywCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/famous-tiny-houseboat-sanford-florida-kwn-2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Famous Tiny Houseboat" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3kCQAV5FNXg/X2oShkwfqlI/AAAAAAAAIFs/D4_jZh2B_r85g1fGCrMjywB64cFhal0ywCPcBGAYYCw/w400-h400/famous-tiny-houseboat-sanford-florida-kwn-2.jpg" title="The Famous Tiny Houseboat" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A couple months ago, my husband and I went on a short road trip up to Sanford, Florida for our anniversary and had a staycation on <a href="http://kimwagnerdesigns.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-famous-tiny-houseboat.html">The Famous Tiny Houseboat</a>. The houseboat was fun and relaxing and the perfect place to social distance. You can read more about The Famous Tiny Houseboat <a href="http://kimwagnerdesigns.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-famous-tiny-houseboat.html">here</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4DRXGV3ffI0/X8ZtL2SHC9I/AAAAAAAAIIQ/LiVPYhycGFIDfwoTMqQaGWwXwMbTTPiKwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hillsborough River" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4DRXGV3ffI0/X8ZtL2SHC9I/AAAAAAAAIIQ/LiVPYhycGFIDfwoTMqQaGWwXwMbTTPiKwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-5.jpg" title="Hillsborough River" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="text-align: center;">This past weekend we took another road trip to the west coast of Florida and rented a cute little cottage on Airbnb again. </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kc_LB-Oacwo/X8Zs4BsNSoI/AAAAAAAAIHw/Vzxqnl5yPmAG37ysJNSVw9uwjb47fssLgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="View of Hillsborough River" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kc_LB-Oacwo/X8Zs4BsNSoI/AAAAAAAAIHw/Vzxqnl5yPmAG37ysJNSVw9uwjb47fssLgCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-1.jpg" title="View of Hillsborough River" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Porch View of the Hillsborough River.<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was located in the quiet and peaceful neighborhood of Old Seminole Heights with our back porch right on the Hillsborough River. With just a 5-minute drive to downtown Tampa, we had the best of both the city and country. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduenWbABFKLgWe5YIbpnwNRIPTLW2kUh0DxTh-WUgtxq73nEPadlPqhRyGtoc1FWBhJii7oOxGNtcLcm5UlWk62q9g4FO58OJlkqCS3eBfsftuU7fCN-ImA_O_PJnJj2tRXtx8HJf7LP1/s2048/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-13.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Canoeing on the Hillsborough River" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduenWbABFKLgWe5YIbpnwNRIPTLW2kUh0DxTh-WUgtxq73nEPadlPqhRyGtoc1FWBhJii7oOxGNtcLcm5UlWk62q9g4FO58OJlkqCS3eBfsftuU7fCN-ImA_O_PJnJj2tRXtx8HJf7LP1/w400-h300/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-13.jpg" title="Canoeing on the Hillsborough River" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our kind hosts generously allowed us to monopolize their canoe every day. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O2ZNLjgpwsk/X8ZtAgUCbUI/AAAAAAAAIIA/N2cgCaY08TIQpN5QlCJ6mbPM2amP97hWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-14.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Canoeing on the Hillsborough River" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O2ZNLjgpwsk/X8ZtAgUCbUI/AAAAAAAAIIA/N2cgCaY08TIQpN5QlCJ6mbPM2amP97hWgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-14.jpg" title="Canoeing on the Hillsborough River" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We paddled up and down all day and couldn't get enough of this gorgeous river.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CLoPf1JVQ2o/X8ZtHxIE-SI/AAAAAAAAIIM/s4fNkYzoEV4UGmUOPrXFWBHK79G191FUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-4.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sparkman Wharf Tampa Florida" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CLoPf1JVQ2o/X8ZtHxIE-SI/AAAAAAAAIIM/s4fNkYzoEV4UGmUOPrXFWBHK79G191FUwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-4.jpg" title="Sparkman Wharf Tampa Florida" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://sparkmanwharf.com/" target="_blank">Sparkman Wharf</a> is an outdoor entertainment destination on the waterfront with a dining garden, Biergarten, recreational lawn, and live music.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQw5LoLr8OuJWQBNhvLhnQ9pafsFMRG4cXO2jwmS4K2ahwOV9-vYs87Wx1obmOwp3DHJ62OAjKM2LKQK-7si7Ey2tieSjuSE2jjJQ8HIzfEERw5wpKmFKNKItGF-LeBw_P7DvdLphf9CQR/s2048/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sparkman Wharf Tampa Florida" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQw5LoLr8OuJWQBNhvLhnQ9pafsFMRG4cXO2jwmS4K2ahwOV9-vYs87Wx1obmOwp3DHJ62OAjKM2LKQK-7si7Ey2tieSjuSE2jjJQ8HIzfEERw5wpKmFKNKItGF-LeBw_P7DvdLphf9CQR/w400-h300/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-2.jpg" title="Sparkman Wharf Tampa Florida" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Foodtruck-style restaurants built out of shipping containers offer a variety of take-away cuisines. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I0E2KTvfJVA/X8ZtFoeDE6I/AAAAAAAAIIE/NAxzTvRQXxMJZJqTuJRxTMumHAWGwKXagCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img alt="Sparkman Wharf Tampa Florida" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I0E2KTvfJVA/X8ZtFoeDE6I/AAAAAAAAIIE/NAxzTvRQXxMJZJqTuJRxTMumHAWGwKXagCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-3.jpg" title="Sparkman Wharf Tampa Florida" width="400" /></a></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tables, sofas, and swings are spaced a minimum of 6-feet apart for safe yet intimate dining.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I8RfVIj-yb4/X8ZtQuUMaRI/AAAAAAAAIIc/xEFCUUlQAVA0evq7Pbs71fryVbtDFG2vACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-8.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Armature Works Tampa Florida" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I8RfVIj-yb4/X8ZtQuUMaRI/AAAAAAAAIIc/xEFCUUlQAVA0evq7Pbs71fryVbtDFG2vACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-8.jpg" title="Armature Works Tampa Florida" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">Armature Works</a> is a mixed-use event space with restaurants, an upscale food court, bar, rooftop lounge, and indoor/outdoor seating located in the historic Tampa Heights neighborhood.<br /><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-doIIWniTd_k/X8ZtRaYmJ8I/AAAAAAAAIIg/piIjJDBkzQgvzDHO5-ceP6C8gAWtAv1HQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-9.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Inside Armature Works Tampa Florida" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-doIIWniTd_k/X8ZtRaYmJ8I/AAAAAAAAIIg/piIjJDBkzQgvzDHO5-ceP6C8gAWtAv1HQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-9.jpg" title="Inside Armature Works Tampa Florida" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Open-air seating inside Armature Works.</span></blockquote></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrlRdGVkOjGC6_5HuZZT9XE6yZzoyQY6c5pkdE8-_PgJSNi5Mqlheoov1kkEM0R11I9L4SQbcB8qDYB7UwqJao2R6NA_hlpp5oPoi_T9hvkRZIBfpoxG2E3_4ficawMd-qt6njJqBdfA2/s2048/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-6.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Giant checkers at Armature Works" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrlRdGVkOjGC6_5HuZZT9XE6yZzoyQY6c5pkdE8-_PgJSNi5Mqlheoov1kkEM0R11I9L4SQbcB8qDYB7UwqJao2R6NA_hlpp5oPoi_T9hvkRZIBfpoxG2E3_4ficawMd-qt6njJqBdfA2/w400-h300/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-6.jpg" title="Giant checkers at Armature Works" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The area is family and pet-friendly with ample seating, tables, astroturf, and games.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XvynrxYw85I/X8Zs1ZI46oI/AAAAAAAAIHo/NLWB35yAFNsu6ZywGgsP31IcUC9Zz8QrwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-10.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hillsborough Riverwalk Tampa Florida" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XvynrxYw85I/X8Zs1ZI46oI/AAAAAAAAIHo/NLWB35yAFNsu6ZywGgsP31IcUC9Zz8QrwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-10.jpg" title="Hillsborough Riverwalk Tampa Florida" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You can grab a water taxi, rent a stand-up paddleboard, or go for a bike or stroll along the Hillsborough River. The Tampa Riverwalk includes Waterworks Park which has a playground and splash pad for the kiddos and a dog park for our furry friends. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3aS5DEpZhjU/X8Zs2DvAeqI/AAAAAAAAIHs/M25wE7CVRRwTlO1B9ZNPIDQsg03xZnueQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-11.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Waterfront at Tampa Armature Works" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3aS5DEpZhjU/X8Zs2DvAeqI/AAAAAAAAIHs/M25wE7CVRRwTlO1B9ZNPIDQsg03xZnueQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-11.jpg" title="Waterfront at Tampa Armature Works" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The weather was perfect for sitting outdoors along the waterfront and enjoying the live music performance. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YTXzm4eMOYI/X8Zs4oun9KI/AAAAAAAAIH0/qlVZF5lPVDE9AU6Ytnzh7XDYUjSJvxFYwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-12.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Drive-in movie theater at Tampa Armature Works" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YTXzm4eMOYI/X8Zs4oun9KI/AAAAAAAAIH0/qlVZF5lPVDE9AU6Ytnzh7XDYUjSJvxFYwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/Seminole-Heights-Tampa-Florida-%25C2%25A9KWN-12.jpg" title="Drive-in movie theater at Tampa Armature Works" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Armature Works also offers drive-in movies at 7:30 and 10:00 pm every night for $22 per car. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oif3s0O9o6Q" width="320" youtube-src-id="oif3s0O9o6Q"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is a short video I shot of one of our canoeing adventures on the Hillsborough River. With the weather cooling down to more comfortable temperatures here in Florida, now is a great time to explore all the fun and healthy outdoor activities Florida has to offer!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p></div></div>Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com0Tampa, FL, USA27.950575 -82.4571776-0.35965883617884487 -117.6134276 56.260808836178846 -47.300927599999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-65665011667033891842020-10-05T10:04:00.003-04:002020-10-05T10:04:49.284-04:00Elliott's Portfolio of Eclectic Art<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">I was honored to be asked to participate in an invitation-only art exhibit at the Elliott Museum. Four of my paintings have been selected for the upcoming show, <i>Elliott's Portfolio of Eclectic Art. </i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The opening reception is October 15th from 5:30-7:30 and the exhibition will be up through January 3rd, 2021.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">I was also pleasantly surprised to open my email this morning and discover that my artwork had been featured in the Historical Society of Martin County newsletter. Thank you HSMC!</span></p><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="main-width" style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed; width: 630px;"><tbody style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><tr><td align="center" class="layout" style="padding: 15px 5px;" valign="top"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" bgcolor="#869198" class="layout-container-border" style="background-color: #869198; padding: 10px;" valign="top"><table align="center" bgcolor="#869198" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" class="layout-container" style="background-color: white; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><div class=""><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="galileo-ap-layout-editor" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" bgcolor="FFFFFF" class="editor-logo editor-col OneColumnMobile" valign="top" width="100%"><div class="gl-contains-image"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="editor-image logo-container editor-image-vspace-on" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="padding-bottom: 10px; padding-top: 10px;" valign="top"><div class="publish-container"><img alt="" border="0" class="" hspace="0" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/2e78d53c201/feff5316-4a5a-4094-87b0-f22a7d93f300.jpg" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="597" /></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="galileo-ap-layout-editor" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" bgcolor="569BFF" class="section-headline editor-col OneColumnMobile" style="background-color: #569bff;" valign="top" width="100%"><div class="gl-contains-text"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="editor-text section-headline-text" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: white; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.2; padding: 10px 20px; text-align: center; word-wrap: break-word;" valign="top"><div></div><div class="text-container galileo-ap-content-editor"><span style="font-size: 20px;">An Update from the President & CEO</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="galileo-ap-layout-editor" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="" class=" editor-col OneColumnMobile" valign="top" width="100%"><div class="gl-contains-text"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="editor-text editor-text " style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: #403f42; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" valign="top"><div><table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="editor-image OneColumnMobile" style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="mobile-hidden" height="1" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="15"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="15" /></td><td align="center" class="image-cell " style="padding: 0px;" valign="top"><div class="publish-container"><img alt="" border="0" class="" hspace="0" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/2e78d53c201/e5b995dc-5744-4ed9-8eed-fd27517ccde8.jpg" style="display: block; height: auto !important; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="164" /></div></td></tr><tr><td align="center" class="mobile-hidden" height="5" style="height: 1px; line-height: 1px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="5"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="5" /></td><td align="center" class="mobile-hidden" height="5" style="height: 5px; line-height: 1px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><img alt="" border="0" height="5" hspace="0" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="1" /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="text-container galileo-ap-content-editor"><div><span style="color: black;">Good Day everyone,</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;">“Without art, the crudeness of the world would make life unbearable.”</span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;">- George Bernard Shaw</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: black;">We could all do with a steady stream of art in our lives about now…eh? Enjoying art up close and in person can be a wildly uplifting experience to anyone with a mind that is open even a crack. Throughout most of 2020, we have all been bombarded with challenges and messaging that effectively take away our ability to live in a world of beauty and wonder. We would like to invite you to plan a visit to the Elliott Museum soon to escape the drudgery and despair to a much happier space.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: black;">The Bulldog Breed British Bikes exhibit just loaded out of our Flex Gallery, and after some repairs and a coat of fresh paint on the walls, we will be loading in an exciting new Art Exhibit. I won’t spoil the surprise today, but I will assure you that the exhibit will be memorable and something few people have had the chance to enjoy. As ever, keep your eye on our website (<a href="http://hsmc-fl.com/">hsmc-fl.com</a>) for details about the opening. You absolutely never know what is next at the Elliott Museum!</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;">“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”</span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;">- Thomas Merton</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: black;">I was recently introduced to the term “disaster fatigue.” It is fair to say that it is a genuine phenomenon, and most of us are probably suffering from some level of it. There is no vaccine for it, and the traditional treatments involving pharmaceuticals and alcohol are ultimately not always the most effective way to treat it. Separating ourselves from the unending pressures of this tumultuous year and taking a moment to remember to be grateful for all the great things in our life is a miracle cure. As Thomas Merton reminds us, spending some quality time immersed in art can be incredibly therapeutic. The trick is to quiet your mind as you are standing in front of a piece of art that speaks to you, and allow your thoughts to stay within the boundaries of the canvas.</span></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="galileo-ap-layout-editor" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="two-column editor-col OneColumnMobile" valign="top" width="50%"><div><div class="column-resize-bar"><span class="line"></span><span class="grabber"></span></div></div><div class="gl-contains-image"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="editor-image content-image editor-image-vspace-on" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="padding-bottom: 10px; padding-top: 10px;" valign="top"><div class="publish-container"><img alt="" border="0" class="" hspace="0" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/2e78d53c201/c35ef078-fc8e-4bac-ab65-d433a98a4090.jpg" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="241" /></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td><td align="left" class="two-column editor-col OneColumnMobile" valign="top" width="50%"><div class="gl-contains-image"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="editor-image content-image editor-image-vspace-on editor-image-hspace-on" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="right" style="padding: 10px 20px 10px 10px;" valign="top"><div class="publish-container"><img alt="" border="0" class="" hspace="0" src="https://files.constantcontact.com/2e78d53c201/d56ee99f-ff42-4886-a065-f72d310bc7a5.jpg" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="270" /></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="galileo-ap-layout-editor" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="" class=" editor-col OneColumnMobile" valign="top" width="100%"><div class="gl-contains-text"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="editor-text editor-text " style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: #403f42; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" valign="top"><div></div><div class="text-container galileo-ap-content-editor"><span style="font-size: 12px; font-style: italic;">The artwork of Kim Nolan, who is one of the featured artists in the Elliott Museum's next exhibit.</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="galileo-ap-layout-editor" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="" class=" editor-col OneColumnMobile" valign="top" width="100%"><div class="gl-contains-text"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="editor-text editor-text " style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: #403f42; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" valign="top"><div></div><div class="text-container galileo-ap-content-editor"><div><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;">“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist when we grow up.” - Pablo Picasso</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: black;">Art is for the ages and for all ages. All of us at the Historical Society of Martin County offer a heartfelt invitation to the young and old alike to pay a visit to our museum and tune into what we hope will become a lifelong habit for you. Teaching your children or grandchildren to appreciate art is a gift that lasts a lifetime. Art simply cannot be contained. No matter your location, vocation, or station in life, art remains accessible to you. Please feel welcome to immerse yourself in one of our gallery spaces and stay as long as you like. Bask in the creative talent that seems limitless…in a sea of limitations.</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">Enjoy art every day of your life!</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;">“The highest form of art is making people happy.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="color: black;">(My daily affirmation!)</span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold;">- P.T. Barnum</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: black;">Be unbridled and playful,</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">Rob Steele</span></div><div><span style="color: #141414;">President & CEO</span></div><div><span style="color: #141414;">Historical Society of Martin County</span></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="galileo-ap-layout-editor" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" bgcolor="569BFF" class="section-headline editor-col OneColumnMobile" style="background-color: #569bff;" valign="top" width="100%"><div class="gl-contains-text"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="editor-text section-headline-text" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: white; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.2; padding: 10px 20px; text-align: center; word-wrap: break-word;" valign="top"><div></div><div class="text-container galileo-ap-content-editor"><div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-32421746894207855132020-09-22T14:39:00.000-04:002020-09-22T14:39:12.506-04:00The Famous Tiny Houseboat<p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3kCQAV5FNXg/X2oShkwfqlI/AAAAAAAAIFs/D4_jZh2B_r85g1fGCrMjywB64cFhal0ywCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/famous-tiny-houseboat-sanford-florida-kwn-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3kCQAV5FNXg/X2oShkwfqlI/AAAAAAAAIFs/D4_jZh2B_r85g1fGCrMjywB64cFhal0ywCPcBGAYYCw/w640-h640/famous-tiny-houseboat-sanford-florida-kwn-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">My husband and I were celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary and were looking for a relaxing getaway. We also wanted to avoid air travel during the pandemic so I was thrilled to discover the Famous Tiny Houseboat on Airbnb just a two-hour drive away. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It earned the name, "Famous Tiny Houseboat" when it was featured on the HGTV television show, </span><i style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Tiny House Hunters. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FSTSrujVFXQ/X2oSXFf5rPI/AAAAAAAAIFo/bEoBAOfzqHwjMxpZz64YYeDeOcfkJNVgACPcBGAYYCw/s2048/famous-tiny-houseboat-front-sanford-florida-kwn.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FSTSrujVFXQ/X2oSXFf5rPI/AAAAAAAAIFo/bEoBAOfzqHwjMxpZz64YYeDeOcfkJNVgACPcBGAYYCw/w480-h640/famous-tiny-houseboat-front-sanford-florida-kwn.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">We've stayed in a lot of weird and interesting places all over the world but this was our first time staying on a houseboat. I was extremely excited about this trip especially since we've gone so long without being able to travel due to the pandemic.</span></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DibtYXG_w9g/X2oSiaJS23I/AAAAAAAAIFo/Z3hka13NhOIeC8fdE6EJ9oTX6mqvEmKdACPcBGAYYCw/w400-h300/famous-tiny-houseboat-monroe-harbour-marina-sanford-florida-kwn.jpg" width="400" /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">This adorable floating house is in the perfect location. Located in the Monroe Harbour Marina in Sanford, Florida, it's just a short two-block walk to Historic Downtown Sanford. I liked that it was in the center of everything but also in a very quiet location.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RS-_hx9rPEc/X2odArhDHxI/AAAAAAAAIGA/Hji_CvPeaN8uS3LXN5osyJ-aLPz2yzytgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/old-jailhouse-sanford-florida-kwn.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RS-_hx9rPEc/X2odArhDHxI/AAAAAAAAIGA/Hji_CvPeaN8uS3LXN5osyJ-aLPz2yzytgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/old-jailhouse-sanford-florida-kwn.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;">Historic Downtown Sanford is a quaint and charming little town packed with bars, restaurants, art galleries, vintage shops, and performing arts theaters. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">A free trolley will shuttle you up and down the cobblestone streets or you can rent a golf cart, bicycle, or scooter. </div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lVc-DhDeSPU/X2oceVUF5qI/AAAAAAAAIF4/yNEsbsi3W3gIRREsMainBM99jK8RlnWsQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/riverwalk-trail-lake-monroe-kwn.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lVc-DhDeSPU/X2oceVUF5qI/AAAAAAAAIF4/yNEsbsi3W3gIRREsMainBM99jK8RlnWsQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/riverwalk-trail-lake-monroe-kwn.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">If you're a sporty person like me, you can go for a run or a bike ride along the pedestrian-friendly Riverwalk Trail. If you feel like relaxing, you can take in the view of Lake Monroe while sitting on one of the Riverwalk's fun bench swings. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-923aaWlfG8k/X2oSmO2wmrI/AAAAAAAAIFw/Mey9fN4xIicpNCmXqHUhJBQvf5AcUgSdgCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/monroe-harbour-marina-barbara-lee-kwn.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-923aaWlfG8k/X2oSmO2wmrI/AAAAAAAAIFw/Mey9fN4xIicpNCmXqHUhJBQvf5AcUgSdgCPcBGAYYCw/w400-h300/monroe-harbour-marina-barbara-lee-kwn.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">We took advantage of our prime location and brought our stand-up paddleboards with us and explored about 3 miles of the 15-square mile Lake Monroe. If you want a day out on the lake that requires less physical activity, boat rentals are also available.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IrRdIU96TwE/X2oSc7Kq-9I/AAAAAAAAIFw/Cl6QeCGF5Hc6tOD9vwaMkx8bs0TmqUgxQCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/famous-tiny-houseboat-kitchen-sanford-florida-kwn.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IrRdIU96TwE/X2oSc7Kq-9I/AAAAAAAAIFw/Cl6QeCGF5Hc6tOD9vwaMkx8bs0TmqUgxQCPcBGAYYCw/w300-h400/famous-tiny-houseboat-kitchen-sanford-florida-kwn.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The houseboat exceeded my expectations. It was clean, spacious, and had everything we needed, including a kitchen with a full-sized refrigerator and a dishwasher.</span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-align: left;">Measuring 500-square feet, i</span>t was twice the size of the average hotel room. <span style="text-align: left;">We lived in a cottage in Hawaii for two years that was the same size as the houseboat so it didn't feel tiny to us at all. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-92-btqGzPbk/X2oSdSGydKI/AAAAAAAAIFk/HdEUH8_7D5U9P6EGzM6wIOw7mT2PMnVFQCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/famous-tiny-houseboat-living-room-sanford-florida-kwn.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-92-btqGzPbk/X2oSdSGydKI/AAAAAAAAIFk/HdEUH8_7D5U9P6EGzM6wIOw7mT2PMnVFQCPcBGAYYCw/s320/famous-tiny-houseboat-living-room-sanford-florida-kwn.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"> It was nicely decorated and the living room even had a record player and a fireplace. </span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ja67eREw0rQ/X2oSbuPyOhI/AAAAAAAAIFg/dUVk5DryKjsheUaw0TBkuPQ3rbJ15N-jACPcBGAYYCw/s2048/famous-tiny-houseboat-interior-sanford-florida-kwn.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ja67eREw0rQ/X2oSbuPyOhI/AAAAAAAAIFg/dUVk5DryKjsheUaw0TBkuPQ3rbJ15N-jACPcBGAYYCw/s320/famous-tiny-houseboat-interior-sanford-florida-kwn.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The house also had Wifi and a small workspace. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VxuNJyPSnas/X2oSW0W7SII/AAAAAAAAIFw/Jqb-Os8yRJAMBCOlzxH1V3HpW9GpwcMQwCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/famous-tiny-houseboat--porch-sanford-florida-kwn.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VxuNJyPSnas/X2oSW0W7SII/AAAAAAAAIFw/Jqb-Os8yRJAMBCOlzxH1V3HpW9GpwcMQwCPcBGAYYCw/w400-h300/famous-tiny-houseboat--porch-sanford-florida-kwn.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;">Though I can't say I'd be too motivated to do much work with this gorgeous view.</div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nDE6OPPjp6U/X2oSWwiH7MI/AAAAAAAAIFg/aRVMVFysfL0qGJoDpxX5I7Nj7pNE7h8WgCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/famous-tiny-houseboat-bedroom-sanford-florida-kwn.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nDE6OPPjp6U/X2oSWwiH7MI/AAAAAAAAIFg/aRVMVFysfL0qGJoDpxX5I7Nj7pNE7h8WgCPcBGAYYCw/s320/famous-tiny-houseboat-bedroom-sanford-florida-kwn.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Unlike most tiny houses, you could easily stand up in the upstairs sleeping loft.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VN_3JdLdWA8/X2oSignnx6I/AAAAAAAAIFo/7--J0lSKFnkBOiLaaskBC0yybOqdZRA_ACPcBGAYYCw/s2048/famous-tiny-houseboat-sanford-florida-kwn.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VN_3JdLdWA8/X2oSignnx6I/AAAAAAAAIFo/7--J0lSKFnkBOiLaaskBC0yybOqdZRA_ACPcBGAYYCw/s320/famous-tiny-houseboat-sanford-florida-kwn.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">It even had a walk-in closet that was large enough to fit seating so you could relax and read a book or watch the boats passing by outside the tiny window. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"> This houseboat experience was unique, relaxing, and really fun. I fell in love with the Famous Tiny Houseboat and the city of Sanford. I would definitely do it again and my only wish is that we could've stayed longer. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-89666185729948062882020-05-29T13:51:00.000-04:002020-05-29T13:51:39.332-04:00Oxbow Eco-Center<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="2559" height="214" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B0qAlvsq0mc/Xs_a02aERnI/AAAAAAAAH9M/jdugxN1aJZ0fIweswQ-Q6LF8qvC_hnnqgCK4BGAsYHg/w640-h214/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4">The <a href="www.oxboweco.com" target="_blank">Oxbow Eco-Center</a> is an environmental learning center located in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. Situated on a 225-acre preserve on the North Fork of the St. Lucie River, the Eco-Center has a series of trails totaling about 3.5 miles. </font></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><br /></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><img alt="mosaic art" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cxdboz8bMmA/Xs_aqaOQW9I/AAAAAAAAH7s/7scl2GLY09cpBDhf0uvsB515ok92FbbYACK4BGAsYHg/w400-h300/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-8.jpg" title="mosaic art" width="400" /></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4">The center houses an Exhibit Hall and Discovery Room which are currently closed due to COVID-19. However, the hiking trails, butterfly gardens, and picnic areas are free and open to the public, offering a safe and healthy activity for the whole family.</font></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><br /></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DyI7NOtsUiw/Xs_a0WQnJCI/AAAAAAAAH9A/aFfBxBy4pZ0wrNwKsrLgd4qKJ89HI3xhgCK4BGAsYHg/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-32.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><img alt="frog sculpture made from tires" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DyI7NOtsUiw/Xs_a0WQnJCI/AAAAAAAAH9A/aFfBxBy4pZ0wrNwKsrLgd4qKJ89HI3xhgCK4BGAsYHg/w400-h300/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-32.jpg" title="Tire frog" width="400" /></font></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><span style="text-align: center;">It was nice to be out in the fresh air surrounded by nature and art. The grounds are peppered with an eclectic mix of art installations </span>and kid-friendly sculptures like this funky frog made from upcycled tires.</font></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><br /></font></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-23Sxg1hyMKs/Xs_aqhhdD2I/AAAAAAAAH7w/jmFOYNC088EoKE_g_GYeLUVQuLIWI53zwCK4BGAsYHg/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><img alt="theater at the Oxbow Eco-Center" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-23Sxg1hyMKs/Xs_aqhhdD2I/AAAAAAAAH7w/jmFOYNC088EoKE_g_GYeLUVQuLIWI53zwCK4BGAsYHg/w400-h300/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-9.jpg" title="theater at the Oxbow Eco-Center" width="400" /></font></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4">They also have a little outdoor theater for special events. My ukulele club was supposed to play in their Earth Day concert but unfortunately, it was canceled due to the stay at home order. On a positive note, there was a banner on the front of the building announcing that they will be open for summer camp.</font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ox6Z7TGkIog/Xs_aropVq_I/AAAAAAAAH74/wDODH2Lvpi85Uqv7igSWtAH_pFiJ57hhACK4BGAsYHg/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><img alt="hiking trail at the Oxbow Eco-Center" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ox6Z7TGkIog/Xs_aropVq_I/AAAAAAAAH74/wDODH2Lvpi85Uqv7igSWtAH_pFiJ57hhACK4BGAsYHg/w400-h300/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-11.jpg" title="hiking trail at the Oxbow Eco-Center" width="400" /></font></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4">The South Florida Water Management District and St. Lucie County purchased the lands to preserve and sustain its native wildlife.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><br /></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bITDRTJKMpU/Xs_arIM4XDI/AAAAAAAAH70/SQ1dFnRIWb0_2kc3D3XqgoLGaKN5xSvBgCK4BGAsYHg/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><img alt="Trail head at the Oxbow-Eco Center" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bITDRTJKMpU/Xs_arIM4XDI/AAAAAAAAH70/SQ1dFnRIWb0_2kc3D3XqgoLGaKN5xSvBgCK4BGAsYHg/w300-h400/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-10.jpg" title="Trail head at the Oxbow-Eco Center" width="300" /></font></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4">Boardwalks, bridges, trails, and observation towers have been built from either recycled or recyclable materials to allow visitors to fully experience nature without disrupting it.</font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><br /></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ogLjW5nU_jo/Xs_at4NpQVI/AAAAAAAAH8I/owg-dUcOpeANUFHeETMg_xIPqrb7xghYwCK4BGAsYHg/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-18.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><img alt="Canoe Launch" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ogLjW5nU_jo/Xs_at4NpQVI/AAAAAAAAH8I/owg-dUcOpeANUFHeETMg_xIPqrb7xghYwCK4BGAsYHg/w400-h300/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-18.jpg" title="Canoe Launch" width="400" /></font></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4">You can launch your canoe, kayak, or stand-up paddleboard from the canoe launch and paddle down the St. Lucie River.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><br /></font></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v-v8fVYH8CE/Xs_atR2aYbI/AAAAAAAAH8E/wc7RBPRxdYY6abwLEMnSiLvFIuDgWatawCK4BGAsYHg/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><img alt="Saint Lucie River" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v-v8fVYH8CE/Xs_atR2aYbI/AAAAAAAAH8E/wc7RBPRxdYY6abwLEMnSiLvFIuDgWatawCK4BGAsYHg/w400-h300/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-16.jpg" title="Saint Lucie River" width="400" /></font></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4">It has more species of fish than any other river in the state!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><br /></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HsxOofnfC5g/Xs_auxF0BxI/AAAAAAAAH8Q/eYWOAHeLmowOK2kv767dxp2L7tuoJ965QCK4BGAsYHg/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><img alt="Oxbow Eco-Center Florida Heritage Trail" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HsxOofnfC5g/Xs_auxF0BxI/AAAAAAAAH8Q/eYWOAHeLmowOK2kv767dxp2L7tuoJ965QCK4BGAsYHg/w400-h300/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-21.jpg" title="Oxbow Eco-Center Florida Heritage Trail" width="400" /></font></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4">Along the Florida Heritage Trail, you will discover many delightful art installations.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><br /></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FTuRgkUWaZk/Xs_avSflt7I/AAAAAAAAH8U/0MQYRkrXG_YMxp_biBocmHS062FoKlaYwCK4BGAsYHg/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-22.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><img alt="Oxbow Eco-Center Florida Heritage Trail" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FTuRgkUWaZk/Xs_avSflt7I/AAAAAAAAH8U/0MQYRkrXG_YMxp_biBocmHS062FoKlaYwCK4BGAsYHg/w300-h400/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-22.jpg" title="Oxbow Eco-Center Florida Heritage Trail" width="300" /></font></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4">These folksy animal sculptures are made from wood.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><br /></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_g_G2SO6lXTnGOyi8Z3VueldJbLn9IOOVuzqvkYvOMt1XyaVdNMR95m1u_ZhGUnGzPY5XocZeLGITcquTYZaEb26VdftbqWAj1HzxtczKyj3QLHzY9G7E8gevCoQIi94hQaKnVd5MrWre/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><img alt="Oxbow Eco-Center Florida Heritage Trail" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_g_G2SO6lXTnGOyi8Z3VueldJbLn9IOOVuzqvkYvOMt1XyaVdNMR95m1u_ZhGUnGzPY5XocZeLGITcquTYZaEb26VdftbqWAj1HzxtczKyj3QLHzY9G7E8gevCoQIi94hQaKnVd5MrWre/w400-h300/Oxbow+Eco+Center-23.jpg" title="Oxbow Eco-Center Florida Heritage Trail" width="400" /></font></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4">These endearing scenes made me feel like I was in an enchanted forest.</font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4">I couldn't get enough of them so I actually hiked this trail twice. </font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><br /></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RG9vyAofTNs/Xs_awFNFv4I/AAAAAAAAH8c/7cQCIutF-uIeqNeph7sbzpNjEX4NKXofwCK4BGAsYHg/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><img alt="Oxbow Eco-Center Florida Heritage Trail" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RG9vyAofTNs/Xs_awFNFv4I/AAAAAAAAH8c/7cQCIutF-uIeqNeph7sbzpNjEX4NKXofwCK4BGAsYHg/w400-h300/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-24.jpg" title="Oxbow Eco-Center Florida Heritage Trail" width="400" /></font></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4">The scenes are numbered but there was no interpretive signage and I couldn't find any information about them on the trail map.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><br /></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eI3SwG3sIUc/Xs_awh89_uI/AAAAAAAAH8g/YBMujMQOCNcBmOBxoSdafcArlpzFY8GlACK4BGAsYHg/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-25.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><img alt="Oxbow Eco-Center Florida Heritage Trail" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eI3SwG3sIUc/Xs_awh89_uI/AAAAAAAAH8g/YBMujMQOCNcBmOBxoSdafcArlpzFY8GlACK4BGAsYHg/w400-h300/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-25.jpg" title="Oxbow Eco-Center Florida Heritage Trail" width="400" /></font></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4">I can only assume that this trail normally offers a guided experience when the Eco-Center is open. The mystery of it all has made me even more intrigued.</font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><br /></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xaX2KjTwsr0/Xs_axv1LxOI/AAAAAAAAH8o/nosmGvr3U1kEmsYNbGDMUJLwNrkURoPIACK4BGAsYHg/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-27.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><img alt="Oxbow Eco-Center Florida Heritage Trail" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xaX2KjTwsr0/Xs_axv1LxOI/AAAAAAAAH8o/nosmGvr3U1kEmsYNbGDMUJLwNrkURoPIACK4BGAsYHg/w300-h400/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-27.jpg" title="Oxbow Eco-Center Florida Heritage Trail" width="300" /></font></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4">I can't wait to go back to the Oxbow Eco-Center when it is fully operational again. I am curious to know more about this special place. I will add a Part 2 to this post with photos and information about the Exhibit Hall and Discovery Room when they re-open.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><br /></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_JSNMx1c3bE/Xs_ayhM61rI/AAAAAAAAH84/YZ0n7GFS-5czWRS8rtSO6lSzh7yr2qNxgCK4BGAsYHg/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-30.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><img alt="Oxbow Eco-Center Florida Heritage Trail" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_JSNMx1c3bE/Xs_ayhM61rI/AAAAAAAAH84/YZ0n7GFS-5czWRS8rtSO6lSzh7yr2qNxgCK4BGAsYHg/w300-h400/Oxbow%2BEco%2BCenter-30.jpg" title="Oxbow Eco-Center Florida Heritage Trail" width="300" /></font></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><br /></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4">In the meantime, I hope you visit the Oxbow Eco-Center and enjoy it as much as I did!</font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><br /></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4">"The Oxbow Eco-Center cultivates knowledge, nurtures a sense of wonder, and inspires stewardship for the natural world through education, artistic expression, collaboration, volunteerism, and celebration."</font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><br /></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><a href="www.oxboweco.com" target="_blank">www.oxboweco.com</a></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">5400 NE St. James Drive</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Port St. Lucie, FL 34983</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Admission is free</div><div style="text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><br /></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font face="trebuchet" size="4"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com0Oxbow Eco-Center, 5400 NE St James Dr, Port St. Lucie, FL 34983, USA27.3540477 -80.3546356-0.95618613617884662 -115.5108856 55.664281536178848 -45.198385599999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-87002824132677043742020-04-15T10:34:00.001-04:002020-04-15T10:34:58.336-04:00Fishing exhibit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Today is April 15th, 2020 and you don't need me to tell you that the world is in the midst of a global pandemic. Museums are closed and all non-essential travel has come to a stand-still which makes writing a blog about museums and travel a bit tricky. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I can't travel or visit new museums right now but I can give you a sneak peek at the new fishing exhibit I've been working on for the <a href="https://www.childrensmuseumtc.org/" target="_blank">Children's Museum of the Treasure Coast</a> in Jensen Beach, Florida. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-njLdJXpBTws/XpcSZFL1paI/AAAAAAAAH2k/uHLLU0rm7YMW4sCOKiGocEl4uqocegn9QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Fishing_Exhibit_Concept_Rendering_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1600" height="412" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-njLdJXpBTws/XpcSZFL1paI/AAAAAAAAH2k/uHLLU0rm7YMW4sCOKiGocEl4uqocegn9QCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Fishing_Exhibit_Concept_Rendering_2.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This is a concept rendering I made for the new exhibit. Children will have the opportunity to explore inshore and offshore fishing while learning about fishing and boating regulations, boater safety, invasive species and much more.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I'm very excited to be working on this project and will keep sharing updates as things progress. In the meantime, stay home and stay safe! </span><br />
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com01707 NE Indian River Dr, Jensen Beach, FL 34957, USA27.2255125 -80.212442099999991.7034780000000005 -121.52103609999999 52.747547 -38.90384809999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-13402976895894076432020-02-10T14:53:00.000-05:002020-02-10T14:53:46.980-05:00Mobile Museum!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9P4HzWnxoQc/XkGdV_Gjc1I/AAAAAAAAH1c/y9PiWGTwEIYC2IFHagRywjlb8ERD_QwbwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Mobile%2BMuseum.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9P4HzWnxoQc/XkGdV_Gjc1I/AAAAAAAAH1c/y9PiWGTwEIYC2IFHagRywjlb8ERD_QwbwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Mobile%2BMuseum.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mUdTVGKEtxk/XkGdVl68Y7I/AAAAAAAAH1Y/2zCrRhzeHlkR5DpgGyka5nIwOCNVwDROQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Corning_Museum_of_Glass_KWN.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mUdTVGKEtxk/XkGdVl68Y7I/AAAAAAAAH1Y/2zCrRhzeHlkR5DpgGyka5nIwOCNVwDROQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Corning_Museum_of_Glass_KWN.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VKfd7PHsfFU/XkGdUf8LAvI/AAAAAAAAH1M/3z5mZTx440A4LpFO-yo-qUGHKz9XQ3T4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Corning_Museum_of_Glass_KWN-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VKfd7PHsfFU/XkGdUf8LAvI/AAAAAAAAH1M/3z5mZTx440A4LpFO-yo-qUGHKz9XQ3T4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Corning_Museum_of_Glass_KWN-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This past weekend was the 33rd annual ArtsFest in Stuart, Florida. ArtsFest has been named one of the Top 20 Events in the Southeast by the <a href="https://www.southeasttourism.org/top-20-events" target="_blank">Southeast Tourism Society</a> for 5 years in a row. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"Chopped" Cooking competition</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Located in Memorial Park in downtown Stuart, ArtsFest brings artists from all over the country representing the visual, culinary, and performing arts. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This year was especially exciting because the <a href="https://www.cmog.org/" target="_blank">Corning Museum of Glass</a><span id="goog_1968211022"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_1968211023"></span> brought a 46-foot-long, 50,000-pound Mobile Hot Shop to the festival for a glass blowing demonstration. This brilliant museum on wheels contains a fully-equipped glass studio! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ef5GJuHwmuY/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ef5GJuHwmuY?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In one 30-minute presentation, we watched Team Leader, George Kennard create a unique piece of glass art from start to finish.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The studio is equipped with video cameras and two large television screens that allowed us to experience the process from all angles including a view from inside the furnace! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Here George is working together with Glassblower, Katie Hubbs to sculpt the vessel while Helen Tegeler narrated each step of their process and answered questions from the audience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> I held my breath during this final moment when they separated the vessel from the blowpipe. As someone notorious for breaking any and all glass objects that I come into contact with, I was utterly mystified by their skill. This stunning piece and all of the others they created throughout the day, were raffled off to some very lucky festival-goers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This was an incredible and unique experience that was the highlight of this year's Arts Fest. The <a href="https://www.cmog.org/glassmaking/demos/hot-glass-demos/mobile-hot-shop" target="_blank">Mobile Hot Shop</a> travels around the country to events and conferences so I truly hope you'll check it out if they come to your town.</span></div>
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com0Memorial Park, 300 SE Ocean Blvd, Stuart, FL 34994, USA27.1968838 -80.2487459000000171.6748492999999982 -121.55733990000002 52.7189183 -38.940151900000018tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-58285924884461253932019-12-15T13:50:00.000-05:002019-12-18T14:25:53.222-05:00Gilbert's Bar House of Refuge Museum<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Last weekend was the annual holiday open house at the <a href="https://houseofrefugefl.org/" target="_blank">Gilbert's Bar House of Refuge Museum</a>. This event took place on December 8th. Admission and tours were free between the hours of 1-3pm. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;">The museum was festively decorated for the holiday and a pianist was playing holiday music on the porch. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">They also offered free refreshments which included cookies and warm cider. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">We had a really nice afternoon touring the museum and meeting the wonderful volunteers that work there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Gilbert's bar is a shoal of Anastasia rock, which is a formation of shell and limestone compressed by the sea over thousands of years. The shoal runs along the coastline and has caused many wrecks for unsuspecting sailors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Gilbert's Bar is named after the legendary pirate <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Gilbert" target="_blank">Don Pedro Gilbert</a>. The son of a Spanish nobleman, Gilbert reportedly sailed his ship in the Hutchinson Island vicinity during the 1820s and 30s. He and his crew would start a fire to deceive ships passing in the night forcing them to run aground on the rocky shoal. They would then kill the men, steal their cargo, and burn the ship.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">In 1874, The United States Congress authorized the construction of five houses of refuge. They were</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> placed at 26-mile intervals along</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> on the unpopulated east coast of Florida where shipwrecks often occurred close to shore. Shipwreck victims were usually able to reach the beach safely but would eventually perish without food, shelter, or water. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br />Houses of refuge were part of the United States Life-Saving Service (USLSS) and were manned by a Keeper and his family. Keepers were required to walk the beach following storms in search of shipwreck survivors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">By 1885, there were ten houses of refuge with room and supplies to accommodate 20 shipwreck victims for two weeks.<br /><br />Gilbert's Bar House of Refuge, completed on March 10th, 1876, is the only house of refuge remaining of the original ten houses. It is the oldest structure in Martin County and is listed on the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/index.htm" target="_blank">National Register of Historic Places</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The museum tour begins in the basement with a timeline of the human occupation of Southeast Florida.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The <a href="https://www.nbbd.com/godo/history/centennial/1a.html" target="_blank">Ais or Ays</a> were a Native American tribe of Florida. They inhabited coastal regions of eastern Florida from Cape Canaveral to the Indian River.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The basement has an exhibit that includes several small displays of Ais Indian artifacts and historical lifesaving equipment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Shown in the picture above, are life vests, blankets, and one of the cots that were supplied to shipwreck survivors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The Breeches Buoy was a piece of life-saving equipment used by the House of Refuge prior to the invention of the helicopter. It consisted of a cork ring-used to keep the person afloat-with canvas breeches attached to it. It hung from a pulley that could be pulled back and forth by hauling lines. A line was fired from the shore to the distressed ship and attached to a high point on the vessel. One by one, the crew and passengers were pulled safely to shore.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The floor plans of all the Houses of Refuge were identical. This was the Keeper's bedroom (shown in the picture above). On the east and west sides of the house, all the doors and windows line up with each other to take advantage of the cross breeze. This was not only to keep the house cool but to keep the bugs out as well. The windows on the west side of the house have a view of the Indian River and the windows on the east side of the house are facing the ocean. If I had the misfortune of being shipwrecked, I wouldn't mind winding up at this House of Refuge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">This artwork, known as hair art, was a popular art form in the Victorian Era. It is woven out of human hair.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The parlor was used for entertaining. The Keepers were provided with trunks that contained books for entertainment. A few of them also had a Victrola or Edison, an early version of the record player. They often owned music boxes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The brass lanterns above the settee were recovered from the <i><a href="https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?153354" target="_blank">Cosme Colzada</a></i> which came ashore during a storm October 17, 1904. The surviving crew was housed at the House of Refuge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br />The paintings were donated by local pioneer, <a href="https://whiticar.com/about-us/history/" target="_blank">Curt Whiticar</a>, in 2016 when he was 105 years old.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">This clock is an Admiral Dewey shelf clock, made of oak, circa 1889.</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The dining room (shown above) displays china and a lace tablecloth that belonged to Mrs. Bessey, a Keeper's wife. The glass pitcher belonged to the Craigs, a pioneer family in Stuart. The portable oil heater is the only heat source in the house other than the fireplace in the kitchen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The shotgun hanging over the door in the kitchen was always loaded and ready as bears were a real threat. During turtle nesting season bears swam to the island to raid the turtle nest and eat the hatchlings. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The fireplaces on all the Houses of Refuge were not very functional. The smoke came back down the chimney into the house. Due to this and also the heat it would have created in the house, a lot of the cooking was probably done outside. In later years the Keepers had stoves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br />Ironing was done with cast irons which were heated in the fire. The ironing board is on exhibit in the basement as it is an artifact from the<i><a href="http://museumsinthesea.com/georges/index.htm" target="_blank"> Georges Valentine</a></i>. It never had legs but was balanced between two flat back chairs.<br /><br />Museum visitors were not permitted on the second story but according to the sign, the second story is one big room the length of the building. It was equipped with cots and provisions for the shipwreck survivors. If the Keeper had any children they may have slept up there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br />The Keeper was paid a salary and had to provide for himself and his family. The closest place to buy supplies was Titusville. He had to travel by small sailboat up the Indian River lagoon and it could take up to two weeks. The longest supply run recorded was two months when one keeper was stranded in Titusville by two hurricanes.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fW_h1gVz7p0/XfetQqi_vpI/AAAAAAAAHzY/uHOu5-mDYSsY_5jPeFci7E4Ve6kEh1KQwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/House_of_Refuge_Museum_KWN-16.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fW_h1gVz7p0/XfetQqi_vpI/AAAAAAAAHzY/uHOu5-mDYSsY_5jPeFci7E4Ve6kEh1KQwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/House_of_Refuge_Museum_KWN-16.jpg" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fW_h1gVz7p0/XfetQqi_vpI/AAAAAAAAHzY/uHOu5-mDYSsY_5jPeFci7E4Ve6kEh1KQwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/House_of_Refuge_Museum_KWN-16.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fW_h1gVz7p0/XfetQqi_vpI/AAAAAAAAHzY/uHOu5-mDYSsY_5jPeFci7E4Ve6kEh1KQwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/House_of_Refuge_Museum_KWN-16.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">This ship's wheel is from <i>The Adonis. </i>It was built in Bridgetown, Nova Scotia in 1903. She was abandoned at sea on October 19, 1920, 20 miles northeast of Jupiter while bound from Jacksonville to Sagua. She drifted ashore and was a total loss.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">In 1915 the U.S. Coast Guard was formed when the U.S. Life Saving Service merged with the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service. The House of Refuge became the U.S. Coast Guard Station #207. A lookout tower and additional buildings were added to the property after German U-Boats torpedoed freighters along the Treasure Coast in 1942.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The House of Refuge closed its doors from April 1945 until 1955 when the Historical Society of Martin County opened it in 1956 as a museum.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The House of Refuge is located at:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">301 Southeast MacArthur Boulevard,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Stuart, Florida 34996</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The museum is open Monday-Saturday from 10am-4pm and Sundays from 1 pm-4pm.</span></div>
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<a href="https://houseofrefugefl.org/">https://houseofrefugefl.org/</a></div>
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com0301 SE MacArthur Blvd, Stuart, FL 34996, USA27.199772 -80.16568781.6777374999999992 -121.4742818 52.7218065 -38.8570938tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-77377426384175907692019-12-02T12:36:00.000-05:002019-12-11T14:05:53.086-05:00Palm Beach Balloon Festival<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Palm Beach Balloon Festival took place over the Thanksgiving weekend at the International Polo Club in Wellington, Florida.</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d3566.6523509219123!2d-80.23965598496115!3d26.627587983251182!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x88d925749ccb59db%3A0xb56ef87a4d17859b!2sInternational%20Polo%20Club%20Palm%20Beach!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1576083775145!5m2!1sen!2sus" style="border: 0;" width="600"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It was organized by the Midflo Balloon Glow Tour. While they've held other balloon festivals throughout Florida, this was the first time the event was held in Palm Beach.</span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aerial view of the Polo Club from inside the hot air balloon</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I was slightly apprehensive about going because some of the online reviews for the event were not very complimentary. Some people who attended other events complained that they purchased tickets for balloon rides that were canceled and then they were not refunded. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I've always wanted to ride in a hot air balloon so I decided not to let the reviews deter me and I pre-purchased tickets. The tickets did state that they were non-refundable in the event that the balloons could not fly due to unfavorable weather conditions so I set my expectations low and told myself to be prepared for disappointment. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Some other poor reviews were about how disorganized the other balloon festivals were, which I will agree with. Aside from the parking, which was extremely organized and well-staffed with friendly employees, there was seemingly no order once you entered the venue. We could not locate a single staff member to direct us to where we needed to check-in for our balloon ride. There was no signage indicating where we needed to go either. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There was someone making announcements but because the International Polo Club is a massive arena, if you were on the other side of the field, you couldn't hear what was being said. Despite it being disorganized and understaffed, it didn't take us too long to find the line to check-in for the balloon rides because all of the other patrons started directing each other where to go. At one point, an announcement was made asking for people to volunteer to help inflate one of the balloons. Because of the lack of staff, the balloon festival turned into a very hands-on event and guests truly got a behind-the-scenes experience!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm so glad I didn't let the poor reviews deter me from attending the event because I had so much fun. It far exceeded my expectations and my only complaint was that the balloon ride was too short. I loved it so much that I wanted to do it again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The balloons were tethered and very safe but there were plenty of other things to keep people entertained. They had music, games, and carnival rides for the kids and people who didn't want to go up in the balloons. Several bars were set-up for serving adult beverages and there were many food trucks to choose from where I had the best food truck meal I've ever had. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There were 18 balloons at the festival and once the sun had set and it was completely dark all 18 balloons went "full burn" and lit up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I had such a fantastic time at the Palm Beach Balloon Festival and I can't wait to go again next year.</span></div>
Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com03667 120th Ave S, Wellington, FL 33414, USA26.627588 -80.2374672999999921.1055534999999992 -121.54606129999999 52.1496225 -38.928873299999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-77150915135831119552019-11-27T11:07:00.000-05:002019-11-27T11:07:12.377-05:00Shop Small<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #1c1e21;">November 30th is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Business_Saturday" target="_blank">Small Business Saturday</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #365899;"><b><a href="https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/shop-small/about?linknav=us-loy-nav-aboutshopsmall" target="_blank">Shop Small</a></b></span><span style="color: #1c1e21;"> and support small businesses. </span><br /><span style="color: #1c1e21;"></span><br /><span style="color: #1c1e21;">I’m running sales this week in all of my stores ranging from 10%-60% off & free shipping.</span></div>
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com0Port St. Lucie, FL, USA27.2730492 -80.35822610000002427.047268199999998 -80.680949600000019 27.4988302 -80.035502600000029tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-84218957953264359722019-11-01T16:28:00.000-04:002019-12-02T15:38:12.424-05:00Travel Sketchbook<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I've been to <a href="http://kimwagnerdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/11/lovely-ireland.html" target="_blank">Lovely Ireland</a> six times and I've written quite a lot about my trips. So I thought I'd do something different this time and I'd share my travel sketchbook from my most recent trip this past summer. I made the sketch above while on the plane. It is a fairly accurate map of Ireland. Well, at least it is according to me!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvzUD3pItl9II1j4sE-cA4403G-y_4QguOwGJhrnONEtrxlPush4Z_bmJI5pZDnK3IC1vUrk6bh_EDVOGepzSUjFOHzvtkFaxTTFbwqrYUQoIvflbb9t-VbSWGykqQ5PJmYJpU8sd3E94/s1600/IMG_6727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvzUD3pItl9II1j4sE-cA4403G-y_4QguOwGJhrnONEtrxlPush4Z_bmJI5pZDnK3IC1vUrk6bh_EDVOGepzSUjFOHzvtkFaxTTFbwqrYUQoIvflbb9t-VbSWGykqQ5PJmYJpU8sd3E94/s400/IMG_6727.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">This sketch is of Hook Head, the oldest operational lighthouse in the world. You can learn more about the Hook Lighthouse in my post, <a href="http://kimwagnerdesigns.blogspot.com/2011/10/wexford-ireland.html" target="_blank">Wexford, Ireland</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oiXFs8KtOWU/Xd7aMeZiygI/AAAAAAAAHxo/nmwd69sqZRQn2wKKuDQvCl8Z7L7UOYShgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/C56E2CDC-745A-4589-937C-BA45D45BC2F1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oiXFs8KtOWU/Xd7aMeZiygI/AAAAAAAAHxo/nmwd69sqZRQn2wKKuDQvCl8Z7L7UOYShgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/C56E2CDC-745A-4589-937C-BA45D45BC2F1.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I ran out of black paint while trying to sketch the Doolin Cave so I had to improvise with some colored pencils. The drawing on the left is of my husband standing in the tunnel to the cave wearing his hardhat. The drawing on the right is illustrating my little self pointing at the Great Stalactite. To read more about the Doolin Cave click here: <a href="http://kimwagnerdesigns.blogspot.com/2019/08/doolin-cave.html" target="_blank">Doolin Cave</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">This is a quick little sketch of the Cliffs of Moher but no painting, photos, or videos could ever do it justice. It really needs to be seen in person to be fully appreciated. Click here to find out more: <a href="http://kimwagnerdesigns.blogspot.com/2019/09/cliffs-of-moher.html" target="_blank">Cliffs of Moher</a>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uGvHOb5Fl7s/Xd7aLuLi8FI/AAAAAAAAHxg/u16qZXOTp_UFjQiUKU84a4xKKIf-glrOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/9134F40D-B948-47C5-A42C-D1754320D0D1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uGvHOb5Fl7s/Xd7aLuLi8FI/AAAAAAAAHxg/u16qZXOTp_UFjQiUKU84a4xKKIf-glrOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/9134F40D-B948-47C5-A42C-D1754320D0D1.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">And last but not least, an experience I will never forget. This is my depiction of the very turbulent and nauseating boat ride to the Aran Islands. You can read all about it here: <a href="http://kimwagnerdesigns.blogspot.com/2019/10/aran-islands.html" target="_blank">Aran Islands</a>.</span></div>
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com0Ireland53.1423672 -7.692053600000008448.292207700000006 -18.019202100000008 57.9925267 2.6350948999999915tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-20155479056968623602019-10-01T15:57:00.000-04:002019-11-15T15:59:09.528-05:00Aran Islands<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The <a href="https://www.aranislands.ie/" target="_blank">Aran Islands</a> are a group of islands with a population of just 1,200 people located off the west coast of Ireland. There are 3 islands named Inishmore (Inis Mór), Inishmaan (Inis Meáin), and Inisheer (Inis Oírr).<br />
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My husband grew up in Ireland but had never been to the Aran Islands. It was a place that he talked about visiting for a long time. He spoke about it as being authentically Irish because of its culture and because it's part of the <a href="http://www.udaras.ie/en/an-ghaeilge-an-ghaeltacht/an-ghaeltacht/" target="_blank">Gaeltacht</a>. The Gaeltacht refers to the regions in Ireland where the Irish language is the primary language spoken.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UQf8ZO6-7CM/XcmsvDyhSzI/AAAAAAAAHvg/gwQDlYqSBLcgfw3pFWNN1gT2WHgSSUZ-ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Aran_Islands_Ireland_%25C2%25A9KWN-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UQf8ZO6-7CM/XcmsvDyhSzI/AAAAAAAAHvg/gwQDlYqSBLcgfw3pFWNN1gT2WHgSSUZ-ACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Aran_Islands_Ireland_%25C2%25A9KWN-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Cliffs of Moher from the Doolin ferry port</td></tr>
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To get to the Aran Islands you have to book a ferry from Doolin or Galway. We watched the weather reports daily and booked our ferry for the only day that week when rain was not expected. We paid a little bit extra for the combo trip which would take us to Inishmore and then around the <a href="http://kimwagnerdesigns.blogspot.com/2019/09/cliffs-of-moher.html" target="_blank">Cliffs of Moher</a> on the return trip. We couldn't have asked for better weather as we had nothing but rain, wind, and fog all week. There was a beautiful clear view of the Cliffs of Moher from the ferry port. It was a great day for a boat trip. I love boat trips and I was excited.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4UwTtTlh0zM/Xcmsw_IcnkI/AAAAAAAAHvo/ilh6w7Wzq3g6hW_7CTob7u6e7IQLBVrbQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Aran_Islands_Ireland_%25C2%25A9KWN-3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4UwTtTlh0zM/Xcmsw_IcnkI/AAAAAAAAHvo/ilh6w7Wzq3g6hW_7CTob7u6e7IQLBVrbQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Aran_Islands_Ireland_%25C2%25A9KWN-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doolin Ferry</td></tr>
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The brochure showed luxurious looking boats that looked like miniature cruise ships. Most of the tourists going to the Aran Islands via the Doolin Ferry that morning got on those boats. For some reason, a small group of us were told to wait in line for a different boat. The wind picked up and the sea looked very rough. My husband and I started to get very nervous when the boat that showed up to transport us to the Aran Islands looked like an old fishing trawler. He kept saying that our boat did not look like the boat in the brochure but assured me that it would only be a 20-minute trip. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fqUrO40QDdc/Xcmsr4TdeoI/AAAAAAAAHvA/8FrC9s9hygsf6XtPIk5nknJy9X_gn-QHACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Aran_Islands_Ireland_%25C2%25A9KWN-12.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fqUrO40QDdc/Xcmsr4TdeoI/AAAAAAAAHvA/8FrC9s9hygsf6XtPIk5nknJy9X_gn-QHACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Aran_Islands_Ireland_%25C2%25A9KWN-12.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our ride to the Aran Islands</td></tr>
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Once we took off, the boat began violently rocking side to side and bobbing up and down. We were sitting inside and it soon got very hot. Within 15-minutes of leaving, a little girl got sick and we were all trapped inside with the heat and the smell and the violent rocking. All 75 passengers began to simultaneously get sick. Everyone ran for the sick bags and the outer deck. <br />
It was a nightmare. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A travel sketch that I made depicting our experience</td></tr>
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I kept telling myself that it would be over in 20 minutes. Except it wasn't. The trip lasted over an hour. We all crowded onto the bow of the boat for fresh air so by the time we arrived in Inishmore everyone was soaking wet, shivering, and nauseous. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horse and buggy</td></tr>
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There are a few transportation options for exploring the island. You can rent a bike which at that particular time was out of the question since we were still feeling very ill. You can also take a horse and buggy tour but sitting at the back-end of a horse was also not appealing after what we had just endured. There were also a few vans driving around that offered rides for a fare. </div>
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Before we decided on moving again, we found a café where we could sit, drink tea, and warm up on the solid ground. The family with the little girl that started the vomit-palooza on the boat were seated next to us at the café. They were all still feeling sick except, of course, for the little girl who was now in a happy mood. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p3MlQLHBzlw/XcsQvn2HD0I/AAAAAAAAHwo/dOQAFD7Uovccm-hAQu63it1a8xeTLhBGACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Aran_Islands_Ireland_%25C2%25A9KWN-22.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p3MlQLHBzlw/XcsQvn2HD0I/AAAAAAAAHwo/dOQAFD7Uovccm-hAQu63it1a8xeTLhBGACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Aran_Islands_Ireland_%25C2%25A9KWN-22.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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Before we could decide on what to do for the rest of the day, my husband had to call the office at the ferry port. While on the boat he realized that he forgot to buy a parking ticket for the car and that we'd return to Doolin to most likely find our rental car had been towed. The woman in the office spoke to the Harbor Master who located our car and paid for a parking ticket for us. We couldn't believe how nice they were. The day was starting to look better. </div>
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Most of the passengers from the fancy-looking cruise ships seemed to be completely fine and immediately took off on their rented bikes. We took our time recuperating and walked around visiting the local shops. Inishmore is the largest of the three islands but being that the island is only 12 square miles and home to about 800 people, there is only a need for a few shops. One of them includes <a href="https://www.aransweatermarket.com/?gclid=CjwKCAiA8K7uBRBBEiwACOm4dwnXfqG0wQECdAfpeVwb9SGOr9ta5H4bPwM3gknJ9nO6kFSt54dBvRoCogYQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Aran Sweater Market</a>, home of the world-famous Aran sweater. There is also only one grocery store on Inishmore. We went there in search of Dramamine or any kind of seasickness medication only to discover that there is nowhere on the island that sells it. The only things we could find to help with nausea were ginger beer and some candied ginger. We had only arrived and I was already dreading the trip home.</div>
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When we finally started to feel a little better we decided to rent bikes and ride around the island. The island is very hilly but the bikes were hybrids and very easy to ride. </div>
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We rode up and down rolling green hills. </div>
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We saw many stone walls, </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pgHBPCaT4NU/XcsQwfQY5sI/AAAAAAAAHw8/uORnn7FOFwQ3GxNPYE4MRp-wjZorzMrIACEwYBhgL/s1600/Aran_Islands_Ireland_%25C2%25A9KWN-21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pgHBPCaT4NU/XcsQwfQY5sI/AAAAAAAAHw8/uORnn7FOFwQ3GxNPYE4MRp-wjZorzMrIACEwYBhgL/s400/Aran_Islands_Ireland_%25C2%25A9KWN-21.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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the remains of old churches and houses,</div>
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gravestones, and ancient Celtic cemeteries.</div>
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We were surrounded by views of wild landscapes</div>
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and the ocean.</div>
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The island also had beaches</div>
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and many thatched cottages.</div>
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It's no wonder Inishmore is famous for its Irish culture.</div>
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From this vantage point, we could see the other islands.</div>
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When we finally made it to the other side of the island, we found out why the other passengers rushed off their boats to rent bikes. If we wanted to climb up to <a href="https://www.aranislands.ie/dun-aonghasa-world-heritage-site/" target="_blank">Dún Aonghasa</a>, we wouldn't make it back in time to catch the ferry back to Doolin. Dún Aonghasa is a prehistoric fort that archaeologists believe was built sometime around 1100 BC. The 14-acre site sits on a 300-foot cliff which has spectacular views, or so I'm told. The climb up to the fort was packed with people. It would've taken at least an hour to climb up, tour the site, and climb back down. We were so disappointed when we realized we had only one hour left to cycle back to the ferry.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the Cliffs of Moher from the ferry</td></tr>
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If you want to take a trip to the Aran Islands, my advice would be to spend a little extra money on the combo trip to see the Cliffs of Moher on the return trip to Doolin. The downside of this is that you have to go on the little fishing trawler packed with seasick passengers. However, if you take medication for seasickness beforehand and start cycling to the other side of the island as soon as you get off the boat then you should have plenty of time to make it up to Dún Aonghasa.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the Cliffs of Moher from the ferry</td></tr>
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We were put back on the dreaded fishing trawler for the trip home but we made a short stop at one of the other islands to switch to the more luxurious boat before heading to the cliffs. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the Cliffs of Moher from the ferry</td></tr>
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We had a much smoother and more comfortable ride on the new boat and not one person got sick! We had visited the Cliffs of Moher the day before (read my post: <a href="http://kimwagnerdesigns.blogspot.com/2019/09/cliffs-of-moher.html" target="_blank">Cliffs of Moher</a>) and while the views are sensational from both vantage points, we were able to see far more of the cliffs from the perspective of the ocean. I don't know if it was worth turning green on a boat for the first time in my life or having to miss experiencing Dún Aonghasa but if you take my advice and plan accordingly then the combo trip will definitely be worth the extra money.</div>
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com0Inishmore, Co. Galway, Ireland53.1288715 -9.719664100000045453.052636 -9.8810256000000454 53.205107000000005 -9.5583026000000455tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-5140330170609116692019-09-01T11:51:00.000-04:002019-11-07T11:52:17.352-05:00Cliffs of Moher<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This was my sixth trip to Ireland but my first time visiting County Clare. I've been all over the world and I can safely say that the west coast of Ireland is one of the most jaw-dropping parts of the planet that I've seen. It's rough and rugged while being stunningly beautiful at the same time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We stayed in the quaint little seaside town of Lahinch. While the town might be tiny, its reputation is huge. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The </span><a href="https://www.lahinchgolf.com/" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">Lahinch Golf Club</a><span style="font-size: large;"> is a links golf course. It was rated one of the finest golf courses in Ireland and is one of the top 100 courses in Britain and Ireland. I</span><span style="font-size: large;">t recently hosted the Dubai Irish Open 2019.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Lahinch is also known as the surfing capital of Ireland. <a href="https://www.ireland.com/en-us/what-is-available/water-sports/surfing/articles/the-perfect-wave/" target="_blank">Aileen's</a> is a wave located at the base of the Cliffs of Moher that draws world-class surfers.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Dozens of surfers try to catch the last waves of the day</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: left;">In certain conditions, the wave can reach 60 feet and has been compared to some of the biggest waves in the world such as Jaws in my former home of </span><a href="https://kimwagnerdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/07/hawaii-part-2-maui.html" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Maui</a><span style="text-align: left;">.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Aileen's has been featured in the movies Sea Fever and Wave Riders.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Lahinch and the Cliffs of Moher are located on <a href="https://www.wildatlanticway.com/home" target="_blank">The Wild Atlantic Way</a>, a tourism trail that spans the west coast of Ireland, and parts of the north and south coasts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The 1,700-mile (2,700-km) driving route is the largest coastal tourist route in the world, passing through 9 counties and 3 provinces.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It starts in County Donegal on the Inishowen peninsula and ends in Kinsale, County Cork.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">The <a href="https://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/" target="_blank">Cliffs of Moher</a> are</span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"> just a short 15-minute drive from Lahinch</span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">. This worked out very well for us because we had all-day rain and fog that resulted in zero visibility. Once the skies cleared, we were able to jump in the car and see the cliffs before it got dark. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The Cliffs are in the UNESCO Global Geopark; a special region with outstanding geology. They are also part of <a href="https://www.burrennationalpark.ie/" target="_blank">The Burren</a>, which I wrote about in a previous post on the <a href="https://kimwagnerdesigns.blogspot.com/2019/08/doolin-cave.html" target="_blank">Doolin Cave</a>. To recap, The Burren is a region of geological interest primarily located in Co. Clare. The landscape is dominated by limestone karsts with underground drainage systems that form caves. The word Burren or <i>Boireann</i> in Irish means, "great rock." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The Cliffs of Moher's highest point is 702 feet (214 meters) and they span 5 miles (8 kilometers).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">O'Brien's Tower was built in 1835 by Cornelius O'Brien as a viewing point for tourists. Visitors can climb to the top of the tower and on a clear day, enjoy views of 5 counties.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br />The Cliffs of Moher is also a Special Protected Area under the EU Birds Directive of 1979. It is home to Ireland's largest mainland seabird nesting colony including Puffins, Guillemots, Razorbills, Fulmars, Kittiwakes, Coughs, Peregrine Falcons and more. Other wildlife you may see are cows, wild goats, dolphins, seals, shark, and whales.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The eco-friendly visitor center, with its grass roof, is set into the hillside so as to not detract from the natural beauty of this scenic location. This cave-like structure reminded me of <a href="https://www.hobbitontours.com/en/our-tours/" target="_blank">Hobbiton</a> from the book, <i>The</i> <i>Hobbit</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The visitor center is 2 floors and houses 2 cafés, 2 gift shops, restrooms, a first aid room, baggage store, reception area & ticketing desks, an ATM, accommodation booking & information points, and a museum.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The Cliffs Exhibition is located on the ground floor of the visitor center and is fully wheelchair accessible. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It tells the story of the Cliffs of Moher through the themes of ocean, rock, nature, and man.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">There is a theater that plays a short movie called the "Ledge Experience" which through the use of 3 large angled screens, gives you a birds-eye view of the cliffs. I didn't feel like sitting down to watch a movie but my husband dragged me into the theater and I wound up loving it! <span style="text-align: center;">There is also another 10-minute movie called "The Clare Journey"</span><span style="text-align: center;"> located in the center of the main exhibition space.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Unfortunately, some of the high-tech interactives were not working. For example, in one area visitors can select a photo of the cliffs as a backdrop and then have their picture taken to create a digital postcard to email to a friend. None of the touch screens were working and the camera wasn't working either. Sometimes, high-tech means high maintenance and I always find it very disappointing when technology doesn't work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">There were also some cute interactives for children. Since the adult interactives weren't working, we played with the kids' exhibits instead and learned about the birdlife in the area.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">You can't go wrong with a good old-fashioned tangible museum display. It's always good to have a mix of high-tech and low-tech so that there's a back-up when something breaks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The exhibition is self-guided and takes between 25-45 minutes. The museum and entire visitor center are included with your admission fee to The Cliffs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">If you are planning a trip to the west of Ireland then the Cliffs of Moher should be #1 on your list. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It is a phenomenal experience that should not be missed.</span></div>
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com0Moherské útesy, Lislorkan North, Co. Clare, Ireland52.972006099999987 -9.426704900000004327.449971599999987 -50.735298900000004 78.494040599999991 31.881889099999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-87195114360594274052019-08-22T12:38:00.000-04:002019-11-01T13:39:33.206-04:00Doolin Cave<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: orange;">Doolin Cave, Co. Clare, Ireland</span></h3>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was the perfect day to explore a cave. The weather was a typical Irish combination of rain, wind, and fog that made the outside world seem uninhabitable. Rather than sit inside all day waiting for the rain to stop, (it didn't) I decided to seek refuge underground.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Doolin Cave is located in <a href="http://www.burrengeopark.ie/learn-engage/geology-of-the-burren/">The Burren</a>, a region of geological interest primarily located in County Clare. The landscape is dominated by limestone karsts with underground drainage systems that form caves. The word Burren or <i lang="ga" style="background-color: white;">Boireann</i><i lang="ga" style="background-color: white; font-size: 17.5px;"> </i> in Irish means, "great rock." </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;">The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poulnabrone_dolmen">Poulnabrone dolmen</a> is also located in the Burren. <br />It is the oldest megalithic monument in Ireland.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Great Stalactite</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Closeup of the Great Stalactite</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="text-align: left;">The main attraction of the Doolin Cave </span><span style="text-align: left;">is the Great Stalactite. At 23 feet (7.3 meters) long it is the longest free-hanging stalactite in Europe. </span><span style="text-align: left;">It was discovered in 1952 by J.M. Dickenson and Brian Varley. Entry required a long and difficult crawl but now the cave entry has been widened to allow for tourists.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To get down into the entrance of the cave, visitors have to first go down 120 steps (and up 120 steps to get out again). While the tunnel has been widened, it is still very tight. This cave has everything you could ever want in a cave. It has stalactites, stalagmites, and an underground stream. It's also dark, cold, wet and slippery. Hardhats are provided because hitting your head is inevitable. Once your guide has brought you safely through the tunnel, you will have more steps to navigate to get to the Great Stalactite. If you can't manage steps, walk hunched over, or are afraid of dark tight spaces then this place is not for you.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">All the cave tours are guided. Our guide, Gary, was wonderful but I can imagine his knees must be screaming after climbing up and down those steps six times a day. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There is also a free nature trail on the grounds for visitors to explore. Unfortunately, I did not get to see the nature trail because of the weather. Tickets can be purchased online or at the Visitor Center which also houses a charming little cafe and gift shop. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Doolin Cave is also a member of the Burren Ecotourism Network which promotes sustainable tourism in the Burren. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://doolincave.ie/">doolincave.ie</a></span></div>
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com0Doolin, Co. Clare, Ireland53.016028899999988 -9.3774198999999552.99692439999999 -9.4177603999999491 53.035133399999985 -9.33707939999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-61015613736116903912019-07-24T10:51:00.000-04:002019-07-24T11:08:15.471-04:00Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; text-align: left;">The Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center is a marine life nature center located on Hutchinson Island in Stuart, Florida. It currently occupies 57 acres and is located between the Indian River and the Atlantic Ocean. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This is the current exhibit hall. A capital expansion project will be underway in August to build a new Eco Center with 30 new exhibits, new lagoon bridges, expand the gift shop, and add the Waterworks Exploration Zone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Oceanographic Center is run by the Florida Oceanographic Society, a non-profit organization with the mission to inspire environmental stewardship of Florida's coastal ecosystems through education, research, and advocacy.</span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4sHMsTDYWnE/XTXXi3VWUWI/AAAAAAAAHms/ZvrXypAeem4zrHNpvWUhENTe4WWg9mvNwCLcBGAs/s1600/OysterBed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4sHMsTDYWnE/XTXXi3VWUWI/AAAAAAAAHms/ZvrXypAeem4zrHNpvWUhENTe4WWg9mvNwCLcBGAs/s320/OysterBed.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-84zS-Ftwpf4/XTXXj38xvYI/AAAAAAAAHm0/jtxe4g3C5c0eZKSs-FwS26Xdoa4knhH7wCLcBGAs/s1600/OysterReefs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-84zS-Ftwpf4/XTXXj38xvYI/AAAAAAAAHm0/jtxe4g3C5c0eZKSs-FwS26Xdoa4knhH7wCLcBGAs/s320/OysterReefs.jpg" width="240" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">One of their conservation projects is FLOOR (Florida Oceanographic Oyster Restoration). The program actively engages the public in the restoration of the oyster reef habitat. Thousands of volunteers have been recycling shells, constructing reefs, and growing oysters. You can see evidence of these efforts along the banks of the Indian River as well as along the Riverwalk in downtown Stuart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Saint Lucie River has lost over 80% of its oyster reef habitat in the past 60 years due to poor water quality and low salinity levels. Oysters are the most important commercial bivalve in the world. We need them because they filter and clean the water, provide food and habitat for hundreds of species, they stabilize the shorelines, and reduce erosion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This Life Span of Garbage display was a very effective way to illustrate how our trash can pollute our environment for a shockingly long time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Outside is the Stingray Pavilion where you will learn all about stingrays and also get to touch them and feed them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Then there's the Children's Activity Pavillion which has some interactive exhibits for kids. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Next to the Children's Activity Pavillion is a pretty little butterfly garden.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There's also the Sea Turtle Pavillion where we listened to a 30-minute live presentation about sea turtles. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Oceanographic Center currently houses four sea turtles that cannot be released back into the ocean. Their shells have been too damaged by boat propellors and they would not be able to survive on their own.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">These nurse sharks live in the Gamefish Lagoon. You can watch the gamefish feeding Monday-Saturday at 11:30 am and 2:30 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There are also two nature trails you can explore. The Indian River Lagoon Trail is a 1-mile loop and the I-Spy Trail which is a 1/3-mile loop. The I-Spy trail is fun for little kids but regardless of which trail you choose to explore, I would recommend you bring along some insect repellent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">On the trail, you will discover this replica of an Ays Indian Encampment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">300 years ago Native Americans, such as the Ays Indians, inhabited the coastal hammocks between the ocean and rivers. Their living quarters, called "Chickees," were made from the trees and plants of the hammock.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; text-align: center;">We spent a few hours at the Oceanographic Center and since it was a typically hot and humid July day here in Florida, we decided to go across the street to Stuart beach afterward for a dip in the ocean. Our timing was amazing because we got to witness the hatching of these adorable baby sea turtles and put our fresh sea turtle knowledge to good use.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; text-align: center;">Don't worry! The FWC (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation) was called and all the hatchlings made it into the ocean. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If you are interested in becoming a volunteer or visiting the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center visit <a href="http://floridaocean.org/">FloridaOcean.org</a>.</span><br />
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com0890 NE Ocean Blvd, Stuart, FL 34996, USA27.2156047 -80.1781515000000131.6935702 -121.48674550000001 52.737639200000004 -38.869557500000013tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-2688843572907016442019-01-04T14:02:00.001-05:002019-11-01T13:54:18.872-04:00Get Outside<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQYro_Yrx74/XCT_W-6CI_I/AAAAAAAAHio/UbomYaM2k0Ae9ZJlH2Ey_-O3Dj8qh-u7ACLcBGAs/s1600/Get%2BOutside%2Bbanner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-weight: normal;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQYro_Yrx74/XCT_W-6CI_I/AAAAAAAAHio/UbomYaM2k0Ae9ZJlH2Ey_-O3Dj8qh-u7ACLcBGAs/s640/Get%2BOutside%2Bbanner.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">A few weeks ago my husband and I went on a trip up north to Old Town, Florida. We've stayed in all kinds of places all over the world and figured nothing could be worse than a $7.00 hostel in India so we decided to finally give Airbnb a try. We rented a cabin in the woods that was right on the Suwanee River and I'm happy to say that the experience exceeded our expectations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">We were on a mission for some peace and quiet. </span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qhf1wAKCGJI/XCUaytEJH8I/AAAAAAAAHjQ/rGTFHstAbZwJ21UopH6H-SAU3AHg_TE8QCLcBGAs/s1600/cabin.jpg" style="font-size: 23.4px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="1068" height="265" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qhf1wAKCGJI/XCUaytEJH8I/AAAAAAAAHjQ/rGTFHstAbZwJ21UopH6H-SAU3AHg_TE8QCLcBGAs/s400/cabin.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />The cabin was located 3 miles down a dirt road and had no cell phone service, cable or internet. Mission accomplished. It was exactly what we were looking for. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">The lack of distractions gave me more time to create these little travel sketches.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">On the second day of our trip, we went to Fanning Springs State Park. Entry is only $6 per car and it is one of the prettiest little State Parks I've ever visited with a canopy of enormous old live oak trees overhead and crystal clear freshwater springs for swimming or scuba diving.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">We decided that no matter how cold it was, we would jump into any and all springs we came across. It was definitely brisk!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br />Fanning Springs State Park is located in the town of Fanning Springs. There is a canoe launch but it's down a steep hill and despite what their website says, we discovered that they do not have canoe or kayak rentals. They do offer hiking, swimming, scuba diving, camping, a boardwalk, and a boat launch. We had a great time hiking, swimming and wandering this beautiful little park.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">We also spent a few days exploring Manatee Springs State Park. The entry fee was also only $6 per car which is an excellent price for a park that offers so many activities. The park is immaculately maintained by supervised state inmates and highly dedicated park rangers. Our first day there we brought our paddleboards which were a great way to spot manatees.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">The park is home to one of Florida's largest freshwater springs and is a winter refuge for West Indian manatees. The springs are also very popular among scuba divers as their underground aquatic cave system is one of the longest in North America. Even though it was cold outside, we had to jump into this spring as well. Make sure to bring snorkel gear or at least goggles to see underwater. You will not be disappointed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">There is also a boardwalk that you can use to view the manatees if water sports are not your thing. Whether in the water or on the boardwalk, everyone was pleased. The manatees were everywhere. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">It was raining and cold on our second day at the park and not ideal for being on the water so we went for a hike. Their trail system has 8.5 miles of trails for walking or bicycling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">This was the largest magnolia tree I've ever seen!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Our last day at the park was spent kayaking. Visitors can rent kayaks, canoes or paddleboards from Anderson's Outdoor Adventures which is located in the park. Our kayak rental was only $25. My sketch (above) shows some of the wildlife we encountered when we were kayaking. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br />If you own your own boat you can use the boat ramp to access the Suwanee River.</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j69a6EO3SvE/XCUayrpMlKI/AAAAAAAAHjU/H4BjL94T-QkSXp8h-BvgB2dZtuLBYRc1gCLcBGAs/s1600/canoeing.jpg" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="1068" height="265" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j69a6EO3SvE/XCUayrpMlKI/AAAAAAAAHjU/H4BjL94T-QkSXp8h-BvgB2dZtuLBYRc1gCLcBGAs/s400/canoeing.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />Manatee Springs is located in Chiefland, Florida and offers trails for bicycling and hiking, a boat launch, canoe launch, camping, snorkeling, swimming, scuba diving, wildlife viewing, and concessions. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Mostly everything was closed on Thanksgiving except for the Nature Coast Trail. The Nature Coast Trail is a 31.7-mile paved trail for walking, biking, skating, horseback riding, and bird watching that spans Dixie, Gilchrist, and Levy counties. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">We found a trailhead near the cabin and went for a stroll. There is no fee to enter and it's open 7 days a week, 365 days a year from sunrise to sunset. </span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">On our last day, we finally strategized a way to get our very large and very heavy paddleboards off the steep and rickety dock at the cabin and into the Suwanee River. As you can see from my sketch (above) we had to get a ladder involved. I also provided photographic evidence to prove that, yes, this ridiculous plan was in fact undertaken but also accomplished.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For more detailed information about visiting Florida's State Parks, you can go to <a href="http://floridastateparks.org/">floridastateparks.org</a></span></span></span></h3>
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com0Manatee Springs State Park, 11650 NW 115 St, Chiefland, FL 32626, USA29.4975004 -82.9757942999999613.9754658999999997 -124.28438829999996 55.0195349 -41.667200299999962tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-65293562391433874492018-12-20T13:11:00.001-05:002019-11-01T13:55:09.828-04:00Key West Lighthouse Museum<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The current Key West Lighthouse was built in 1847 after the original wooden tower, built in 1846 on Whitehead point, was destroyed by a hurricane. When it reopened in 1848, its first Keeper was a woman which was very uncommon for the 19th century.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In 1969, the lighthouse was decommissioned by the U.S. Coast Guard. It was not re-opened until 1989 after its restoration.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Today, the lighthouse functions as a museum dedicated to preserving Key West's maritime heritage. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Key West Lighthouse Museum consists of three buildings – the gift shop, the lighthouse and the Light Keeper's Quarters. To enter, you must go through the gift shop. This is where you will pay your admission to the only staff member on the premises. You will then proceed back outside to the lighthouse for your self-guided tour.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Visitors may climb the 88 steps of the lighthouse to the balcony where they will have a 360˚ view of the island. On this particular day, the heat index was 101˚ making the 88 steps feel like 800.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> There are 10 additional steps to see the actual light but this section was closed on our visit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The museum is housed in the old Light Keeper's Quarters which was built in 1887.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It's a small space consisting of just four rooms where you will find a collection of lighthouse artifacts and learn about the maritime history of the Keys.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Visitors are not allowed to walk through this room displaying the Keeper's home life (above) but may view it through a window on either side.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I thought these window shade graphics (above) were a very creative solution to the problem of limited wall space in this room.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xmQ99fj70IM/XBuy1tTuq0I/AAAAAAAAHgc/tPPdSVqHC78Glh3m1e9f8SzWCzPV1hT_ACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_5687.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xmQ99fj70IM/XBuy1tTuq0I/AAAAAAAAHgc/tPPdSVqHC78Glh3m1e9f8SzWCzPV1hT_ACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_5687.JPG" width="308" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; text-align: left;">To exit the grounds, you must go back through the gift shop whereupon you will receive this sticker.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and is located at 938 Whitehead Street.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Si1aml0nY7M/XBu2Y7rSSbI/AAAAAAAAHhE/WflsONLBppMs9VNnMAXAY2o0Ri1RmvTUACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0096.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Si1aml0nY7M/XBu2Y7rSSbI/AAAAAAAAHhE/WflsONLBppMs9VNnMAXAY2o0Ri1RmvTUACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_0096.jpg" width="212" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">After your visit to the museum, you can walk just a few blocks up to see the</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> southernmost</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> point of the United States.</span></div>
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com0Key West, FL 33040, USA24.5550593 -81.77998709999997124.4972933 -81.86066809999997 24.6128253 -81.699306099999973tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-4124093967541212742018-11-15T11:40:00.001-05:002018-11-15T11:40:37.771-05:00HUGE SALE!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-byqkhPHX3tE/W-2fp8brdSI/AAAAAAAAHfE/wc7uxEIGT5syIk_9HVhOgRT-MfDnIRahQCLcBGAs/s1600/Ready_Made_Cover_Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="1600" height="234" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-byqkhPHX3tE/W-2fp8brdSI/AAAAAAAAHfE/wc7uxEIGT5syIk_9HVhOgRT-MfDnIRahQCLcBGAs/s640/Ready_Made_Cover_Photo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Everything in my Etsy store, <a href="http://studiokwn.etsy.com/" target="_blank">StudioKWN</a> will be marked down between 10%-50% off f</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">rom November 23rd through November 26th</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">PLUS receive FREE domestic shipping on all orders through December 10th. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!</span></div>
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-81530232525865606062018-11-07T11:03:00.001-05:002019-11-01T13:55:39.027-04:0028th Annual All Florida Juried Arts Show<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1Si7W9XEN4/W-HK79ArmwI/AAAAAAAAHdk/bsLA09VEibIG3FOZHH9jv-t8cuj_E_11ACLcBGAs/s1600/All%2BFL%2BJuried%2BArt%2BShow%2Bbanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1Si7W9XEN4/W-HK79ArmwI/AAAAAAAAHdk/bsLA09VEibIG3FOZHH9jv-t8cuj_E_11ACLcBGAs/s640/All%2BFL%2BJuried%2BArt%2BShow%2Bbanner.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There's only one week left to see the All Florida Juried Arts Show. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The show ends on November 15th and features works by artists from all over Florida. </span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GxoOBNIM9_0/W-G0SNyIjjI/AAAAAAAAHdA/X7D4CvQYMEsbgE-pwXdmsSWpbOsx2z_nQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_5450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GxoOBNIM9_0/W-G0SNyIjjI/AAAAAAAAHdA/X7D4CvQYMEsbgE-pwXdmsSWpbOsx2z_nQCPcBGAYYCw/s400/IMG_5450.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I did not enter a piece for this show but was still excited to see what works were selected. The exhibit takes up both rooms at the Court House Cultural Center.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wp7ArGnYDJ0/W-G0UU_QXTI/AAAAAAAAHdQ/zV6SQhbwEqAslK7fPGndNxV2dgSeKQBuACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_5462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wp7ArGnYDJ0/W-G0UU_QXTI/AAAAAAAAHdQ/zV6SQhbwEqAslK7fPGndNxV2dgSeKQBuACPcBGAYYCw/s400/IMG_5462.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There was a nice mix of work spanning traditional and experimental media. </span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N9LxOCD_ZoE/W-G0RzBdeAI/AAAAAAAAHdE/MnjVLXdBMtE74_U79JdkGDHExU9vl2A0QCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_5451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N9LxOCD_ZoE/W-G0RzBdeAI/AAAAAAAAHdE/MnjVLXdBMtE74_U79JdkGDHExU9vl2A0QCPcBGAYYCw/s400/IMG_5451.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">From my observation of the other patrons, they were most intrigued by the hand-embroidered textiles and sculptures made from materials like soap or palm pods.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Flame Pods </i>by Gary Gresko (shown above right) definitely caught everyone's eye.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u_H_iQnpkQA/W-G0Q1LL1JI/AAAAAAAAHdA/iTbuQqwC0cgdI_51hz9p9V-4G3Ay1zz2ACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_5449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u_H_iQnpkQA/W-G0Q1LL1JI/AAAAAAAAHdA/iTbuQqwC0cgdI_51hz9p9V-4G3Ay1zz2ACPcBGAYYCw/s400/IMG_5449.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Joachim Perez's, <i>Touchy, Smelly </i>had visitors resisting the urge to actually touch the sculptures made from soap and digital fabrication but we did try to smell them. </span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZjUEU3cotQc/W-MCEAwpXLI/AAAAAAAAHdw/G-nykuZNxI0F2C20GJ3wXw9hzx5E43OpwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZjUEU3cotQc/W-MCEAwpXLI/AAAAAAAAHdw/G-nykuZNxI0F2C20GJ3wXw9hzx5E43OpwCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_5453.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Robin Stabley's, <i>Florida - Land Ho! </i>had impressive gold leafing and painted faux marble. I had to stare at this painting a long time to take in all of the intricate little details.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IHNvy79WRo0/W-G0T96PipI/AAAAAAAAHdM/vmzPlyMTNe4tFPfVTPevy2rUb56pvNb1gCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_5457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IHNvy79WRo0/W-G0T96PipI/AAAAAAAAHdM/vmzPlyMTNe4tFPfVTPevy2rUb56pvNb1gCPcBGAYYCw/s400/IMG_5457.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I enjoyed this show very much and hope you get a chance to see it as well.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OFO4isPIeXw/W-G0S1VPDII/AAAAAAAAHdE/STJhuuDNA2IPb7DMvBKGxQbtBC-nsSVZQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_5456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OFO4isPIeXw/W-G0S1VPDII/AAAAAAAAHdE/STJhuuDNA2IPb7DMvBKGxQbtBC-nsSVZQCPcBGAYYCw/s400/IMG_5456.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Court House Cultural Center is located at 80 SE Ocean Blvd, Stuart, Florida.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Gallery hours are Tues-Fri 10 am - 4pm and Sat 11am - 2pm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Suggested donation of $5.00</span></div>
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com0Martin County, FL, USA27.0804935 -80.41039569999998126.175938 -81.701289199999977 27.985049 -79.119502199999985tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-77830998787841089922018-11-06T11:42:00.000-05:002019-11-01T13:56:32.485-04:00A very Sweet art show at the Elliott Museum<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8NnJcAFYUc/W-G5pdX1KFI/AAAAAAAAHdY/Gzs-KqHhOXYD5Dp7CVg1SFnRK1jOby1TgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Sweet%2521%2Bbanner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8NnJcAFYUc/W-G5pdX1KFI/AAAAAAAAHdY/Gzs-KqHhOXYD5Dp7CVg1SFnRK1jOby1TgCEwYBhgL/s640/Sweet%2521%2Bbanner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The last day of the Sweet! art exhibit was this past Sunday so if you missed it then you really missed out. </span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X-X7cAvSYTs/W-G0O3Oc9PI/AAAAAAAAHcM/1GoS4e_tPl4wTtCoUtB14bDzAFAP0cp1QCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X-X7cAvSYTs/W-G0O3Oc9PI/AAAAAAAAHcM/1GoS4e_tPl4wTtCoUtB14bDzAFAP0cp1QCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_5363.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Located at the Elliott Museum in the changing exhibitions gallery, Sweet! was a food and drink themed juried art exhibition featuring artists from all over the state of Florida.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pAOiGpeTNmk/W-G0Oibq8tI/AAAAAAAAHcI/dEwdMP4YNC4WU4gAtapjyrCXZWFxPewvwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pAOiGpeTNmk/W-G0Oibq8tI/AAAAAAAAHcI/dEwdMP4YNC4WU4gAtapjyrCXZWFxPewvwCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_5370.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We were asked not to take pictures of the artwork so I respectfully complied but here is a shot of the crowd viewing the exhibit on opening night. The turnout was fantastic and everyone really seemed to enjoy the food and the art!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Moo! by Kim W. Nolan</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was, however, allowed to take pictures of my own work. This is a sculpture of a cow I made from upcycled dairy containers...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">...and I used milk crates for the pedestal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">These are actual cakes made by a local baker, The Cake Lady, located in Fort Pierce. Free samples were generously given to patrons. There was also lots of other cakes and edible goodies donated by the sponsor of the show, Publix Super Markets.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Elliott Museum did a wonderful job of putting together this fabulous art show. This exhibit is now over but the permanent exhibits are absolutely worth exploring. They have a huge collection of vintage cars as well as several other galleries that have displays ranging from vintage baseball cards to old voting booths.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Visit </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://elliottmuseum.org/">elliottmuseum.org</a> for hours and directions.</span></span></div>
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com0825 NE Ocean Blvd, Stuart, FL 34996, USA27.2148063 -80.17634311.6927717999999992 -121.4849371 52.736840799999996 -38.8677491tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-32087089422502471452018-10-31T11:47:00.001-04:002019-11-01T14:01:14.956-04:00Free Shipping!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gVGFDNkwB5Q/W9nNICQWOsI/AAAAAAAAHVo/y6FqBlaqKQ0I6hnsGaOFu0BEqXhKl_jAACLcBGAs/s1600/Etsy%2Bbanner%2Bfree%2Bshipping%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Free shipping sale at StudioKWN" border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gVGFDNkwB5Q/W9nNICQWOsI/AAAAAAAAHVo/y6FqBlaqKQ0I6hnsGaOFu0BEqXhKl_jAACLcBGAs/s640/Etsy%2Bbanner%2Bfree%2Bshipping%2B2.jpg" title="Free shipping sale at StudioKWN" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Announcing </span>FREE<span style="font-weight: normal;"> domestic shipping on every single item in my Etsy store, </span><a href="http://studiokwn.etsy.com/" style="font-weight: normal;" target="_blank">StudioKWN</a><span style="font-weight: normal;"> from October 10th through December 10th. Don't miss out! Visit </span><a href="http://studiokwn.etsy.com/" style="font-weight: normal;" target="_blank">StudioKWN</a><span style="font-weight: normal;"> today.</span></span></h2>
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-56791933679584933592018-09-11T10:57:00.001-04:002019-11-01T13:56:49.534-04:00Sweet!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This weekend is the opening of Sweet! a food-themed juried art exhibition at the Elliott Museum in Stuart, Florida. See original artwork in all media by Florida artists and enjoy a cake decorating demonstration with samples to eat. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3lzYWRE8KqE/W5fUb17RcSI/AAAAAAAAHVc/mTqvBT6q2aMTaz6Y1douVoJCcrVSf9CCgCLcBGAs/s1600/Moo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Moo! - Cow sculpture made from recycled dairy containers by Kim W. Nolan" border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="864" height="265" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3lzYWRE8KqE/W5fUb17RcSI/AAAAAAAAHVc/mTqvBT6q2aMTaz6Y1douVoJCcrVSf9CCgCLcBGAs/s400/Moo.png" title="Moo!" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moo! - Cow sculpture made from recycled dairy containers by Kim W. Nolan</td></tr>
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Come see me and my sculpture at the opening reception this Saturday, September 15th from 2-5 pm. Admission is $5 per person. There will be a cash bar and an awards presentation. The exhibition runs from September 15th-November 4th 2018. All artwork is available for purchase.</div>
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For hours and directions visit <a href="http://elliottmuseum.org/">elliottmuseum.org</a>. I hope to see you on Saturday!</div>
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com0825 NE Ocean Blvd, Stuart, FL 34996, USA27.2148063 -80.17634311.6927717999999992 -121.4849371 52.736840799999996 -38.8677491tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550447930974113597.post-59635381840636515992018-06-30T14:00:00.000-04:002019-11-01T13:58:12.583-04:00Dry Tortugas National Park<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Do you know about the Dry Tortugas? That's ok. I didn't either until my husband surprised me with a trip for my birthday-- it was a big one with a zero on the end! It was such a unique and wonderful experience and I'm so excited to tell you about this amazing place.<br />
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<b>So what is Dry Tortugas?</b><br />
Dry Tortugas comprises 7 islands located in the Gulf of Mexico 71.8 miles from Key West. It is the most remote of all the national parks of the contiguous 48 states. It was discovered by Ponce de Leon in 1513. He named it "Las Tortugas" because of the large number of sea turtles (Tortugas means turtles in Spanish) that populated the waters around the island. The name was later changed to Dry Tortugas to indicate to mariners that the island lacked fresh water.<br />
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In 1846 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began construction of Fort Jefferson on Bush Key. All 16 million bricks and every single supply for the island needed to be brought there by boat. The Fort was used as a prison camp during the Civil War. The heat, loneliness, mosquitos, and lack of food and fresh water created a miserable existence for the prisoners and soldiers.<br />
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Today, there are only 10 staff members living there and every single thing still needs to be brought over by boat including food and drinking water. Visitors can camp on Bush Key with the proper permit and must bring all of their own supplies, food, and water.<br />
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<b>What is there to do at the Dry Tortugas?</b><br />
One thing you can do is take a guided or self-guided tour of Fort Jefferson. I believe the guided tour lasts about 45 minutes. The only place that is off-limits is the moat. You are free to roam everywhere else.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">You are allowed to climb up to the top of the Fort where you can check out the remaining canons and get a bird's eye view of the </span><span style="text-align: left;">breathtaking scenery.</span></div>
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Dry Tortugas is also a bird watcher's paradise. In 1832, America's most prominent bird artist, James Audubon, spent several days at the Dry Tortugas observing and painting some of the over 200 avian species that migrate there from Cuba and Central America to the United States.<br />
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Some of the species of birds you may see when visiting are terns, boobies, noodies, herons, and frigates. I am not a birder so I can't tell you exactly what birds I saw but there were thousands of birds flying all around the island. I've never seen so many birds all in one place before. It was truly incredible.<br />
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My favorite part of the trip was the snorkeling. All snorkeling gear was provided for us but you can also bring your own if you'd like. Dry Tortugas is home to one of the most vibrant coral reefs in the U.S. You are allowed to snorkel around the entire island (except for the moat) and you may even see some stingrays or sharks. Please be respectful and do not touch or stand on the coral. We saw some people doing this even after an announcement on the boat and a video about protecting the coral reef. You can kill the coral if you touch it and disrupt our entire ecosystem.<br />
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There was also one group of people on the trip who brought a radio and were blasting music. They obviously missed the entire purpose of spending the day on a remote island with no connection to the rest of the world. Luckily, they were easy to avoid by moving to a different location. Since only one boat full of people are allowed to visit each day, it wasn't crowded at all and wasn't hard to find our own little private stretch of beach. Overall it was a unique and peaceful experience from start to finish. There where thousands of birds flying above us and there was colorful coral everywhere we looked. There was also no cell phone service which provided us with uninterrupted serenity on our beautiful little oasis.<br />
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/642205709/photo-of-seaplane-on-tropical-island?ref=shop_home_active_4" target="_blank"><img alt="photo of Dry Tortugas National park and seaplane" border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--9beeaVSCBA/W4bQtwOwnlI/AAAAAAAAHUQ/yoooTdLnCZAVMDr7y6II9lbu0DF4TKa4wCLcBGAs/s400/seaplane_dry_tortugas.jpg" title="Dry Tortugas National Park" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>How do I get to Dry Tortugas?</b><br />
Unless you own a seaplane, the Yankee Freedom is the only ferry that goes to Dry Tortugas National park so booking well in advance is recommended. Tickets include the pass to get into the National Park. The boat ride was really fun and relaxing and being that we left bright and early in the morning we weren't traveling with a rowdy group of partiers. It was a very family-friendly excursion. You can sit inside or outside and the ferry has an upper and lower deck. The trip was about 2 1/2 hours each way with breakfast, lunch, snacks and fresh water included. There was a cash bar available in the afternoon on the trip back to the Keys. The boat had several bathrooms (since Dry Tortugas does not!) as well as a shower if you wanted to rinse off after a swim. This is not a paid endorsement so I don't get any money for saying that the staff was fantastic as well. Visit <a href="http://yankeefreedom.com/">yankeefreedom.com</a> or call (800) 634-0939 for tickets.<br />
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478144490135901179noreply@blogger.com0Dry Tortugas, FL, USA24.633333 -82.920000000000016-0.88870149999999981 -124.22859400000002 50.1553675 -41.611406000000017