2013-0106 FL

While still at NACO Peace River Resort in Wauchula, FL, we visited Solomon’s Castle in Ona, FL on 01/06/2013. The home and galleries of internationally known artist and sculptor, Howard Solomon. Join us for a guided tour through the castle galleries and enjoy Howard’s tongue-in-cheek sense of humor and puns! You will see over three hundred pieces of art by Howard, who creates with discarded materials. You will find oil drums, broken appliances, car parts and the old steel style drink cans and things you wouldn’t imagine! While you are here, you can have lunch on the ‘Boat in the Moat’ restaurant, walk the gardens, enjoy the nature walk along the banks of picturesque Horse Creek, visit Howard Solomon in his workshop or you may find him having coffee on the Boat in the Moat! The picture is of Castle Art Galleries.

We move to Encore Terra Ceia villege in Palmetto, FL on 01/09/2013. On 01/13/2013, we visited Madira Bickel Mound State Archaeological Site and Portavant Temple Mound both in Palmetto, FL. This ancient Native American site was the first in Florida to be designated a State Archaeological Site. Karl and Madira Bickel donated the mound and surrounding property to the state in 1948. The flat-topped ceremonial mound-composed of sand, shell, and village debris-measures 100 by 170 feet at the base and is 20 feet in height. Archaeological excavations have disclosed at least three periods of Native American cultures, the earliest dating back 2,000 years. Picnic tables are available. Plans for the future include a nature trail and a kiosk with historical information. No additional amenities are available at this time. The picture is of stairs to the top of the mound.

The Portevant Temple Mound is the largest Native American mound in the Tampa Bay Area and overlooks the Manatee River. Emerson Point Park has witnessed extensive human use for over 4,500 years with the most striking evidence being the 1,200-year-old temple mound and surrounding village middens. Outdoor exhibits explain the site’s archaeological features and the area’s past. The picture is of Temple Mount from the river side.

We drove to Apollo Beach, FL to visit Manatee Viewing Center on 01/16/2013 and 01/18/2013. Big Bend Power Station in Apollo Beach delivered reliable electricity to the community for 16 years before the commercial operation of Big Bend Unit 4 in 1986. That year, people started seeing manatees in large numbers in the power station’s discharge canal, where saltwater – taken from Tampa Bay to cool Unit 4 – flowed, clean and warm, back to the bay. When Tampa Bay reached 68 degrees or colder, the mammals would seek out this new refuge. The Manatee Viewing Center was soon born. Today, Big Bend’s discharge canal is a state and federally designated manatee sanctuary that provides critical protection from the cold for these unique, gentle animals. Inside the MVC’s environmental education building, colorful displays immerse you in the world of the manatee and its habitat. Others show how Big Bend Power Station generates electricity for the community in an environmentally responsible way. See some of the power station’s beneficially reusable byproducts. Inspect actual manatee bones and piece together puzzles. And before feeling the blast of a hurricane in the center’s simulator, find out more about hurricanes and how Tampa Electric prepares for and responds to major storms. Outside, stroll among award-winning butterfly gardens and Florida-friendly landscaping and see solar panels – the largest installation among Tampa Electric’s photovoltaic arrays in the community. Track real-time output from the array inside the education building. You also can see a variety of native and coastal plant life as you stroll along the center’s tidal walk. Catch a glimpse of animals in the wild that make the center’s habitat their home. The picture is of a Manatee.

We travel back to NACO Peace River Resort on 01/23/2013 for three weeks. Then on 02/13/2013 we arrived at Mid-Atlantic Three flags Resort for one week.

Safe Travels