Florida Ramblings

The views from the airplane certainly evoked silent, awe-filled praises to my Creator Savior!

After earth and cloud gazing.

While Wayne was working, we wandered through the Tampa International Plaza, certainly a city's worth of classy shops and eateries. A unique store of soaps and fizzes drew us in with this enticing display of their fragrant, creative concoctions. The colors, shapes, textures, and scents were a feast for the senses!

After the Plaza we were able to visit the Henry B. Plant Museum, which was the exquisite Tampa Bay Hotel that had opened in 1891. Though now a part of Tampa University, its architectural details, domes, and Byzantine minarets, along with the sprawling marble-like porch, proudly announce its declaration, and open invitation, to live eternally in its own time period. Inside it showcases the Victorian lifestyle era and explains how Plant successfully provided a palace experience for his patrons, among whom included Teddy Roosevelt, Sarah Bernhardt, Stephen Crane, Clara Barton, the Prince of Wales, and Queen of the United Kingdom.

This red carpeting is original and is rumored to have been acquired when the notable Christie's auction house was patronized to provide carpet for the Queen of England. It's said to have been rejected because the featured lion design was regarded as a symbol of England which, of course, could not be trampled upon. As a result, the 17 miles of carpet was not welcome anywhere in England, leaving it easily obtained elsewhere.

"Remember that all slang is vulgar and detestable." Scattered throughout the museum were these reminders of a lost sense of propriety. However, I'm glad this one didn't carry on in vogue....

This stately bedroom was one of my favorite rooms. The tall keyhole archways were a signature feature both inside and outside the hotel.

During another of Wayne's working days, we hopped on the trolley with an all-day pass and an adventuresome spirit and headed south to see where we'd end up. St. Pete's Beach! It was certainly the prettiest I've ever been to.

After drinking in as much of its beauty as we could with the heat (and no bathing suits along!), we refreshed ourselves with ice cream and roamed past the nearby shops. This dear and aptly named "Little" Room of Art featured all kinds of artwork from local artists and led you back to what else but a dear little yard of garden art decor.

Frenchy's Rockaway Seafood Grill further north in Clearwater was highly recommended, but we confirmed by experience that an atmosphere which requires shouting mouth-to-ear dinner conversation was not a match for us. Fortunately, upon exiting, a few steps across the sand brought us to the sweet quiet beach sunset. We kicked off our shoes to let that coolness soothe and lap at our legs!

This was the first we've ever witnessed a beach sunset since we've always been on the eastern shoreline. It was different for us to see the beach crowd growing instead of thinning as night came on; like us, they were all just wanting to be in the company of the sunset.

(courtesy of Jake)

Another day had us all at John's Pass, host to a collection of unique village shops and restaurants. The Friendly Fisherman, furnished inside as a ship's wooden cabin with various fish mounts, overlooked the marina on the other side and served up excellent seafood.

One of my favorite stops!
Stepping in, the aromas smacked but invigorated the olfactories!
Every jar could be opened and smell-tested. I was finally put on a time limit.

Our last day was spent mostly at St. Pete's Beach. The water was very salty but so pretty and comfortably refreshing in the sweltering temperatures. Two large groupers, (which is a popular menu item and is tasty grilled), milled around the shallows among the bathers. Also, I had made it my job to be sure we remembered to be in awe that we were actually swimming in the Gulf of Mexico!

Habakkuk 2:14
For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.