Tampa Area - Feb 22-25

We are not actually staying in Tampa, but a bit northwest at a mega campground associated with Lazy Days, reported to be the largest RV dealership in the world. There were indeed, lots and lots of RVs and trailers on display. We didn’t go lookie looing, didn’t really have the time. The people who stay here are either travelers like Russ and I, or people who are trading in their rig for a new one. I was a little worried that we would be getting visits from sales folks during our stay, but no one bothered us. The campground had the cutest restaurant; on the outside, it looked like a giant Class A motorhome embedded in the conference building (they host a lot of RV rallies), on the inside, it was a 50’s style coffee shop.  The food was pretty good too.

Lots of people bring their pets on their travels.  More and more we are seeing folks with 2, 3 and 4 dogs walking around the campgrounds. And, often, these dogs are not the small sized variety. I don’t know how they could coexist with two and more humans in some of those RVs.  But at this campground, we actually saw a woman walking a pig! This critter was about the size of a Labrador and the bulk of a Saint Bernard.  Now, how does one travel with that??

One day, we drove into St. Petersburg and visited a Chihuly glass art gallery and hotshop.  I have seen glass being blown before and I find it very interesting.  Experienced teams are quite organized and it can look like an elaborate choreographed dance. It was a beautiful day and we walked around the marina a bit. We found a nice bookstore that has been around for over 50 years and lost ourselves for an hour or so. This part of St. Pete is very peaceful with beautiful high story condos, small restaurants and nice boutiques; not cheap to live here I am sure.

Another day, we saw large groups of manatees at the Big Bend Power Plant. The manatees are attracted to the discharge canal, where saltwater from Tampa Bay used to cool the equipment flows back to the bay. The water is cleaned and warm (around 72 degrees) and the manatees flock there when the water in Tampa Bay gets lower than 68 degrees. The canal and surrounding land is now a state and federally designated manatee sanctuary. A very nice viewing platform with educational displays is free, and, of course, there is the opportunity to purchase a souvenir.

We came back a second day to walk along a nature trail through the sanctuary out to a viewing platform of the bay. It was very interesting to compare and contrast the two days. The first day was warm and sunny and there were dozens of manatees in the discharge canal. The second day was cool and foggy and very few manatees were swimming around the viewing platform. My theory is that the lack of manatees wasn’t due to the weather, rather,  the discharge had shifted from a unit that was close to the viewing platform to one that was further away (the discharge canal is quite long and it seems like there are four units available for operation.) Thus the manatees had moved further down the canal and were not so visible. I felt lucky that we got to visit on the first day.

Now it is down the road to Walt Disney World. Also planning on visiting Hogswart. Can’t wait!

 

This is part of a permanent collection of artware from Dale Chihuly. He is known for his huge glass sculptures filled with winding glass tendrils and undulating flowers. This is a closeup of a large chandelier that was privately commissioned for a woman's custom home.  When she sold the home, her new place didn't have a place to showcase the art, so she donated it to the Morean Arts Center and it is now permanently displayed in the collection.



This looks like an incredibly colorful underseas garden. The art is easily 6 feet high in areas and it fills a whole room. I was overwhelmed by the colors, it is interesting how intense color applied the right way can affect emotions.





A few blocks from the collection, the Art Center runs a hotshop where art students learn Chihuly techniques and other glass blowing methods. We saw a demonstration by two very competent glass blowers.





I found it fascinating how the blob of glass could evolve into this colorful flower.



Lunch was by the marina.  It's fun to look at all the different boats and conjecture on the owners and what they do with their toys.

Russ is always finding a new friend to hang with.



Several of the manatees are regulars at the Power Plant. They have been given names and are identified by the scars on their body caused by encounters with boat propellers.



Manatees are herbivores with huge snouts which resemble an elephant trunk, to whom they are distantly related.  This one needs a shave!

These fellows seemed quite content as they floated on their backs, enjoying the warm sun.



At first, I thought these brown humps were rocks and indicators of a low tide in the channel. Then I realized they were manatees and I understood just how many manatees were in the channel (maybe in the hundred range.)  Wow!




Lots of small crabs along the nature trail. They sensed the vibrations of the walkers and scurried back into their little holes, but it didn't take long for them to come back out.  One claw was huge compared to the other, I guess this can be typical.



Another of the critters along the nature trail. I have really enjoyed seeing all the unusual birds in Florida.

Russ actually caught a shot of this guy just as he snagged a snack.



The nature trail was mostly an elevated bridge built to protect the land. The viewing tower would have given a beautiful view if it hadn't been so foggy.



A view of the sanctuary and discharge channel as it empties into Tampa Bay.