I’m smiling and it is not even time for lunch. But I know lunch will be at Mama Maria’s, a family run Greek restaurant with marvelous food. Oh yes. First I find my way to Dodecanese Boulevard, home of the…
Pensacola – Dig Into the Past or Soar with Angels
In the faded photograph, my dad leans his long frame against the airplane, one arm resting on the open cockpit. A long white silk scarf is wound once around his neck with the ends hanging down all the way to…
Gainesville is Good to Go for All Seasons
Depending on the season Gainesville rearranges its face. The face during football season is painted orange and blue of course. GO GATORS. Every semester Gainesville changes its feel and look as the city ebbs and surges with the academic calendar…
Living History Reenactors are Time Travelers
Shadows pinched the sunlight into slim shapes on the trail. A breeze lifted tree branches. The birds were silent. Suddenly a war cry and the sound of thundering hoofs split the air. My back tingled with fear. I did not…
Sea Turtles lay eggs in summer months
As she labored, stars sparkled like diamonds embedded in the midnight sky. The sea breeze carried exotic aromas – seaweed, fish and ocean salt overlaid with faint suggestions of faraway places. A female loggerhead turtle dropped white, golf ball-sized eggs…
Florida State Parks – Visit all of them!
When visiting faraway places ask yourself – what will I be unhappy about if I don’t get to see/experience it while I’m here? The same question works for being in Florida, even if you live here. What would I miss…
Garden Festivals in Florida – Rejoice!
Smell the air – fresh, invigorating with a hint of spring flowers and a touch of rain. Ah, in Florida it is the magic time of year, when new growth springs out of plants that looked dead over the winter.…
Watch the Sunset in Cedar Key with your Canine
“Is he friendly?” That is the question, even if the gender is she instead of he. We’re talking dogs, out for a stroll in a new place. Along comes another dog. Naturally both are leashed. Before contact is made one…
Dog’s Day Out : Things to do with your dog in February
Saturday, Feb. 18 10 a.m. The Annual Mardi Gras on Mainstreet, pups and their two-legged friends parade through downtown DeLand dressed in costume. Saturday, Feb. 18 from 9-noon, Pups at the Point – dogs welcome on the third Saturday of…
Walk Leaf-strewn Trails in a Florida Forest
My dogs like walking the Sand Hill Trail at Silver Springs State Park in Ocala. Often we’re the first ones walking the leaf-strewn path and that means our chances of seeing wildlife are pretty good. A fact of life –…
Florida birding festivals take flight
Somewhere in a drawer or under a pile of file folders you can, with a little luck, locate your wish list of adventures in Florida you haven’t done yet. Oh, I know you have one. Yep, I’ve got one of…
Food Festivals & Schools – Let’s Do Lunch
Let’s do lunch – this phrase forks up to a whole new level of food at The Bistro tucked inside Marion Technical Institute, 1614 SE Ft. King Street, Ocala. The Bistro, a hands on experience in cooking and serving to…
Farmers markets on a Saturday morning
What are you doing Saturday morning? Here’s an idea – let’s go to the Fernandina Farmers Market, held every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. I like those hours. You don’t have to get up early to get the…
Turtle Walk with Grandchildren & More
When I go to book presentations and signings for “50 Great Walks in Florida” the most asked question is: “What is your favorite walk?” Each one is different. I love them all. As proof, I’d do them all again in…
Rainbow Springs State Park has Azaleas
Yes, all the azaleas are blooming! That’s the good news from Rainbow Springs State Park in Dunnellon. Rejoice. Do not hesitate. Pack up the kids, the family dog and its leash. Alert your neighbors, get together and carpool or caravan.…
Empty Bowls Filled with Love and Soup
I walked up the wide stairway then down a long hallway looking for the right room number. I heard my destination before arriving. Laughter spilled out of an open doorway of the ceramics studio at Central Florida Community College in…