The Wandering Disciple

St. Petersburg, Florida: Located in downtown St. Petersburg is one of the country’s premier children’s museums. Great Exploration is a place where children of all ages come to interact and learn about the world around them. The interactive exhibits found here give them a hands-on feel of how everyday life functions. The 24,000 square foot museum opened to the public in 1987 and is located in downtown St. Petersburg. The museums permanent collection features exhibits on arts and sciences and allows the children to learn through role playing and interaction. The permanent exhibits and their subject include: Animation Station: using a digital camera and computer enhancement, children are able to create their own animation skit. Bernoulli Station: learn about air pressure and movement of air using floating balls. Engine Company 15: a replica firehouse equipped with a fire engine bunker gear and more teaches the importance of fire safety. Fit 4 All Kids Ville: teaches about how goo...

Tampa, Florida: Deep in the tropical rainforest at Busch Gardens Tampa lies the Myombe Reserve, home to a family of chimpanzees and gorillas. Inside the lush landscape of tropical foliage and waterfalls, guests can visit the research outpost and witness the primates in action in a habitat that closely resembles their native homes. Opening in 1992, the three acre preserve is home to nine chimpanzees and six gorillas. The family of gorillas expanded in 2005 with the birth of male baby gorilla. This was the first gorilla to reproduce at Busch Gardens. For more photos, click on the photo above or visit my Busch Gardens photo page.

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: A trip down Sunset Boulevard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is like taking a step back in time to the glamorous days of Hollywood. Designed to resemble Hollywood during the 1940’s, Sunset Boulevards is home to two of the parks major attractions. Sunset Boulevard opened in 1994 as an expansion to the park. The new expansion added a new avenue for shops, rides and attractions. The expansion was anchored by a new thrill ride, the Tower of Terror and a new theater, Theater of the Stars. Tower of Terror opened in 1994 and was the tallest attraction in Walt Disney World until Expedition Everest opened in 2006. The ride is based on the popular sci-fi TV show “The Twilight Zone.” Guests enter the eerie Hollywood Tower Hotel and quickly begin to notice that things aren’t quite right. As you continue further into the hotel, you see indications at how vibrant the hotel once was and then all of a sudden everyone just disappeared. Soon you are ushered into an elevator car...

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: Today marked our final day of this trip. The theme park of the day today was Disney Hollywood Studios. We grabbed breakfast this morning at the McDonald’s by the hotel then hopped aboard the WDW bus to the park. We arrived at the park before opening and found ourselves close to the front of the line for entry into the park. Once the gates opened we began our tour through the studios. The first stop was The Great Movie Ride. It has been several years since I rode this ride and since most of the time it has a large line, we took advantage of being near the front of the crowd to hop aboard with no wait. The focus of the visit to the studios was to try and hit some of the shows and attractions we normally skip in an effort to get to our favorites. Since we have an annual pass, we rarely do everything in the park, rather mingle new attraction in each time we go in an attempt to experience everything that Disney has to offer. With this in mind, today we ...

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: Nestle among the thrills of the theme parks and the luxury of the resort hotels is a place where guests can pitch a tent and take a break from the hustle and bustle of a Disney vacation. The campsites and cabins of Fort Wilderness brings the joys of camping to the magical world of Walt Disney World Resort. Opened in 1971, the Fort Wilderness Resort features 800 campsites and over 400 fully equipped cabins spread out over 700 acres. The campsites vary from tent only sites to sites large enough for an RV. The cabins sleep up to six guests and feature a kitchen, double bed, bunk bed, Murphy bed and more. The resort features a wide variety of activities for everyone in the family to enjoy. There are two swimming pools, marina with boat rentals, fishing, petting zoo, stable with pony and horse riding, arcades and much more. In the evening, there is a campfire program in which guests can watch a movie under the stars and roast marshmallows on the campfire....

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: The newest and smallest land in the Magic Kingdom is one of the biggest hits to the parks smaller guests. At Mickey’s Toontown Fair you can meet and mingle with many of the parks characters, tour Mickey and Minnie’s house or hop a ride on a roller coaster, it is all here for your enjoyment. The land began its life as Mickey’s Birthdayland in 1988, as part of Mickey Mouse’s 60th birthday celebration. The popularity of the attraction led to it becoming a permanent land. Once the celebration was over, the land was renamed Mickey’s Starland. In 1996, the land was renovated to take on a county fair theme and then was renamed Mickey’s Toontown Fair. The main attraction of the land is the character meets. This is one place within the park where characters are always available to meet with guests. Here you can meet Mickey Mouse himself as a judge in the fair. The Toontown Hall of Fame is one of the largest collection of characters available in the park. Her...

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: We woke up early and hit the cafeteria in the hotel for breakfast. It was early enough that it was not crowded yet. The food was average, nothing spectacular but it hit the spot. Afterwards we hopped on the bus to the Magic Kingdom. Once the park opened, we headed straight for Fantasyland. Fantasyland has the largest collection of rides that our son could ride. We hit every ride in Fantasyland before heading to Mickey’s Toontown Fair to ride Barnstormer. We continued our tour of the park through Tomorrowland where we rode the Tomorrowland Speedway, Tomorrowland Transit Authority and Carousel of Progress. We tried to stick to the rides that were appropriate for a two year old so the whole family can enjoy, however it was tough passing by Space Mountain and not going for a ride. As we crossed across the central hub to hit attractions on the other side of the park, we stopped for lunch at the Columbia Harbour House. The Columbia Harbour House in Liberty ...

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: Rocky slopes and waterfalls of the Canadian Rockies to the tall totem poles of the Pacific Northwest, the only thing missing is the snowfall. No detail is spared as Walt Disney World Imagineers try to make the Canada Pavilion at Epcot’s World Showcase as realistic as possible. One of the original counties of World Showcase, the Canada Pavilion opened to the public in 1982 with the grand opening of Epcot. The pavilion is one of the two gateway countries of the World Showcase, it is the first or last country you will visit in your journey around the world. The pavilion is built to resemble many of the prominent features of Canada. There is a miniature re-creation of the Canadian Rockies, three totem poles similar to those found along the Pacific Northwest, a garden built to resemble Victoria Gardens in British Columbia and a large, elegant hotel modeled after the Chateau Laurier of Ottawa. The one and only attraction of the Canada pavilion is a Circle-Visio...

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: The first of Disney’s value resorts is still one of the resorts most popular choices amongst families and youth groups. Adorned with larger then life sports relics, the All-Star Sports Resort has been a hit for over 15 years. Opened in 1994, the All-Star Sports Resort features 1,920 rooms among 10 buildings. The building are decorated with a sports theme and pay tribute to surfing, basket ball, tennis, football and baseball. The rooms are 260 square feet and feature two double beds or one king bed and the basic amenities to get you through your trip. The resort features plenty of stuff to do onsite while your taking a break from the theme parks. There are two pools, Surfboard Bay and Grand Slam. There is also the Game Point Arcade and several outdoor play areas throughout the resort. And if your hungry, stop by the End Zone Food Court for a meal or just a snack. Plus there is a gift shop called Sporty Goofy Gift and Sundries where you can pick up a so...

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: Our annual passes for Walt Disney World were about to expire, so we decided to take extended weekend trip to the house of the Mouse. In our quest to stay at each of the Disney resort properties at least once, we chose the All-Star Sports Resort. The value resort was offered a great rate and since it was one we had not stayed at yet, I jumped on the deal. As we arrived at Walt Disney World, our first duty was to drop out dog off at the Disney kennel at Fort Wilderness. When we visit Disney, we always leave our dog at one of their kennels. The one at Fort Wilderness is our preferred choice because of its property. You are away from the hustle and bustle of the parks and there is so much to do at Fort Wilderness after you walk your pet. Then we headed over to the All-Star Sports and checked into our room. Although it was early and our room was not ready yet, we checked in early to avoid the crowds of traditional check-in time. Then it was off to the park...

Tampa, Florida: In 1965, Busch Gardens Tampa added the Serengeti Plain. Guided by Anheuser Busch President and wildlife lover August Busch Jr., the 29 acre Serengeti Plain was a place for the African wildlife to roam free for the guests of Busch Gardens to enjoy. The Serengeti Plain is home to many African wildlife, including; • Giraffes • Zebras • Bongo • Rhinos • Water Buffalo • Impala • Gazelle • Ostrich Great views of the plain can be seen from Nairobi, Edge of Africa and from the Crown Colony House. But there are a few ways to get a closer look at the animals, they are: •Serengeti Express; take the train ride through the Serengeti and get a close look as the animals as you ride unobstructed through their habitat. •The Skyride; view the plain from the sky, look down at their home from 30 feet in the air. •Serengeti Safari; ride into the Serengeti on the back of a Busch Garden truck, listen to the stories of the animals from a zookeeper and take the opportunity to feed and pet g...

Sarasota, Florida: As the brisk breeze drops the temperatures and it begins to feel like autumn, its time to hit the annual Pumpkin Festival at Fruitville Groves. From hay rides to pony rides and many other attractions in between, the festival has been a hit for over 18 years. The grove is open all year round as a fresh produce stand but it is the fall festival that attracts the most visitors. There are rides for the children, live entertainment, great food and yes plenty of pumpkins to choose from. The event runs each weekend through October and admission is free.

Sarasota, Florida: The Gulfcoast Wonder and Imagination Zone or G-Wiz for short, has been thrilling visitors of all ages with hands-on attractions on science and attraction. What started as just a few exhibits, quickly expanded to a world-class facility on the banks of Sarasota Bay. The Gulf Coast World of Science opened in October 1991 as a 1,000 square foot museum containing only ten hands-on exhibits. Since then the museum had grown to over 33,000 square feet and was renamed the Gulfcoast Wonder and Imagination Zone in reflection to the museums hands on exhibits geared towards science and imagination. Today the two story museum features several zones that consist of different exhibits. The zones are: Body Zone: featuring exhibits that focus on the physical performance of the human body. Explora Zone: featuring exhibits that focus on electricity, magnetism, light and sound. Habitat: an exhibit that features a few Florida native species. Tech Zone: feature exhibits that allow the vis...

Tampa, Florida: Egypt is one of Busch Garden’s newest land and home to one of its wildest rides, the Montu. Themed to look like an Egyptian marketplace, the region is one of the smallest in the park, second to Crown Colony. Opened in 1996, Egypt contains only one ride attraction, Montu. The 150 foot high inverted roller coaster takes riders through seven inversions at more than 60 miles per hour. Montu features more inversion than any other inverted coaster and was ranked as high as third for the Best Steel Coaster. Montu is named after the Egyptian God of War. Egypt is also home to King Tut’s Tomb. Here you will find a re-creation Howard Clark’s excavation of the tomb. Travel through several rooms of the tomb and see replicas of the riches that were uncovered in the tomb. Sifting Sands is located across the way and provides a great place to take the younger kids not old enough for Montu. Here kids can dig through the Egyptian desert sands in an attempt to uncover missing tre...

Sarasota, Florida: With the best of three divisional series tied 1-1, all eyes were focused on the Ed Smith Stadium when the Sarasota Reds faced off with the Clearwater Threshers. Despite a hard fought contest, the Reds faltered in the late innings and lost 4-3. The Threshers jumped out to an early lead in the third inning, posting two runs on the scoreboard. The Reds bounced back in the bottom half of the third, tying the game 2-2. The Threshers offense mounted a rally in the sixth inning. A bases loaded jam results in two runs and Clearwater taking a 4-2 lead. The Reds pushed across another run in the ninth inning but it wasn’t enough as they fell 4-3, putting an end to a great season by the Sarasota Reds. Clearwater advanced to the Florida State League Championship Series to face the Brevard County Manatees. Click on the photo above to visit my Game Three Reds/Threshers photo gallery.

Clearwater, Florida: The Clearwater Threshers are the Class A-Advanced affiliates of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Threshers play in the North Division of the Florida State League. The Clearwater franchise was established in 1985 as the Clearwater Phillies. The club was rebranded as the Threshers in 2004 in conjunction with their move to a new ballpark. Many major league stars have passed through Clearwater on their way to the big leagues. This list of stars includes Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and more. They were even managed by a Phillies great and hall of famer, Mike Schmidt during the 2004 season. The franchise has just one league title in their possession. In 2007, the Threshers defeated the Brevard County Manatees to win their lone title. The Threshers play their 70 game home schedule at Brighthouse Networks Field. The 7,000 seat stadium is one of the best in the Florida State League. Click on the photo above to visit my Clearwater Threshers photo gallery. He...

Tampa, Florida: The Crown Colony region of Busch Gardens is the smallest portion of the park. Nestled between Nairobi and Egypt, the Crown Colony is home to the only table service restaurant in the park. It is also home to the world famous Budweiser Clydesdales. Opened in 1966, Crown Colony opened with the introduction of the monorail. The monorail provided a half mile ride through the Serengeti Plain. Due to mechanical problems, the monorail was closed for good in The Skyride was added to the park in 1974. Here guests ride in a gondola thirty feet over the safari, giving riders a birds eye view of the Serengeti. The Skyride is a one way trip from Crown Colony to Stanleyville or vice versa. During the thirtieth anniversary of the park, Busch Gardens opened the Clydesdale Hamlet. Here you can get an up close look at the signature Budweiser Clydesdales. The Hamlet also includes a museum of pictures looking back on the history of the Clydesdale. Most recently added to the Hamle...

Sarasota, Florida: The Sarasota Reds regular season came to an end in nail biting fashion as they fell to the Tampa Yankees 5-4. The Sunday afternoon season finale was a great warm up for postseason play. Despite the loss, the Reds head to the Florida State League playoffs, facing Clearwater in round one. Click on the photo to view the Reds/Yankees game gallery.

Tampa, Florida: The Tampa Yankees are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the New York Yankees. The T-Yanks are five time league champions and have sent many notable players to the big show including Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Joba Chamberlain to name a few. The Yankees began play in the Florida State League in 1994. Since then the club has been a breeding place for young talent as well as a rehabilitation stop for major leaguers that are on the disabled list. George M. Steinbrenner Field is the home of the Tampa Yankees as well as the spring training home of the parent New York Yankees. The T-Yanks play their 70 game home schedule in this iconic stadium that resembles the footprint of Yankee Stadium. The Yankees are five time Florida State League Champions and have one the past two titles back to back. They won the title in 1994, 2001, 2004, 2009 and 2010. Click on the photo above to visit my Tampa Yankees photo gallery. Here you can see game pictures as well as player pict...

Tampa, Florida: Tucked away in the heart of downtown Tampa is a bustling city. No its not Y’bor City, but rather its Kid City, a miniature city replica for the kids to recreate city life. From City Hall to McDonald’s, it is all here for exploration. Originally opened in the 1960’s as a place to teach safe bike riding, the facility has grown to a working city. Today there are several interactive exhibits in which the children can pretend to run the city. Kid City has a fire station, police station, post office, art museum, McDonald’s, Publix grocery store, doctor’s office, city hall, bank and more. Each of these building are equipped with dress up outfits and equipment to make the experience more realistic. In 2008, the City of Tampa decided to close the aging facility. Construction of a new children’s museum in downtown Tampa had begun and there are plans to incorporate and enhance some of the exhibits found at the original Kid City. The much anticipated Glazer Children’s Museum...

Sarasota, Florida: Excitement filled the air for Saturday night’s doubleheader between the Sarasota Reds and the St. Lucie Mets. The first game saw the Reds walking off with an extra innings 2-1 victory. Then the excitement in the air was replaced by heavy rains, flooding the fields and forcing the postponement of game two of the doubleheader. Sarasota pitcher Sean Watson and St. Lucie pitcher Blake Eager dueled in shut-out innings for most of the game. It wasn’t until the bottom of the sixth inning when Chris Valaika crossed the plate to end the scoreless tie. The Mets fought back to put a run on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh to force extra innings. But the Reds did not take long, pushing across a run in the bottom of the eighth to earn the 2-1 walk-off victory. During the intermission between games one and two, the skies opened up and heavy rains fell over Ed Smith Stadium. The flooding of the fields forced the postponement of the second game. Click on the photo ab...

St. Lucie Mets: The St. Lucie Mets are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the New York Mets. The Mets represent the Southern Division of the Florida State League. The Mets began play in the Florida State League in 1998. Since then, they have earned five league championships (1988, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2006). They also served their role in filling the organization with major league talent as well as providing a rehab facility for the entire organization. The Mets play there home games in the 7,347 seat Digital Domain Park. The ballpark opened in 1988 and is also the spring training home of the New York Mets. Click on the photo above to view my St. Lucie Mets photo gallery which includes game photos and player photos. Updated November 27, 2010

Sarasota, Florida: The Sarasota and Dunedin Blue Jays combined for 18 runs and 22 hits during Saturday nights game at Ed Smith Stadium. In the end, the Reds held off a late inning surge from the visiting Blue Jays to win the game 10-8. The Blue Jays took an early lead in the first inning, striking for two runs out of the box. But the Reds battled back in the home half of the first, picking up three of their own to take the lead. The Reds then added an insurance run to their total in the third inning. But then the Blue Jays struck again, adding two runs in the top of the fourth to tie the game. The Reds grabbed the lead back in the bottom of the fourth but did not last long as the Blue Jays tied the game again in the top of the fifth. It was the bottom of the fifth when the Reds got some separation from their opponent. The Reds pushed across two runs in the bottom of the fifth and three more in the bottom of the sixth to hold a 10-5 lead. The Blue Jays rallied in the eighth innin...

Dunedin, Florida: The Dunedin Blue Jays are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays are currently in the Northern Division of the Florida State League. Organized in 1985, the Blue Jays are the second oldest team in the Florida State League. Many major league stars have gotten their start with Dunedin, the list of players includes Roy Halladay, Adam Lind, Travis Snider, Vernon Wells and many more. Dunedin Stadium, formerly known as Knology Field, is the home of the Dunedin Blue Jays. This 5,000 plus seat stadium hosts the Blue Jays for their 70 game home schedule. The Blue Jays have yet to record a League Championship, but they have two Division Titles in their possession. They were the division champs during the 2006 and 2008 seasons. Click on the photo above to view my Dunedin Blue Jays photo gallery. The page contains game photos, player photos and photos of Dunedin Stadium. Updated November 26, 2010

Orlando, Florida: Since opening day in 1973, Sea World Orlando has been dedicated to the conservation and education of marine life. This effort is evident through the many animal exhibits that are carefully designed to resemble the animals original habitats. The 200 acres of park is home to hundreds of different species of marine life. The icon of the park is the family of Orcas known commonly as Shamu. The park is home to seven of the famous killer whales. Katina, Tilikum, Kayla, Trua, Nalani, Malia and the newest edition born in October 2010. The breeding program at Sea World Orlando has resulted in sixteen births in its history. When this collection of whales are not performing in front of thousands in Shamu Stadium, they can be viewed from the observation window in the rear of the stadium. One of the most plentiful mammals that live here are the dolphins. Sea World in home to over 40 various breeds of dolphins. The dolphins can be found performing in the shows at the Whale...

Sarasota, Florida: The Sarasota Reds wrapped up the four game series against the Brevard County Manatees with an 8-6 win on Saturday night at Ed Smith Stadium. Both clubs exchanged runs but when the dust settled, the Reds squeezed out a victory. The Manatees jumped out to an early lead in the top of the second. But the Reds answered with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning to lead 2-1. Brevard County battled back to tie the game 2-2 an inning later. The Reds pushed across three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to retake the lead. The big inning gave them a 5-2 lead. The Manatees strung together a big inning of their own in the top of the fifth. They struck for 4 runs to take a 6-5 lead. But the Reds offense pushed another offensive charge in the bottom of the sixth. The Reds pushed across three more runs to take the lead once and for all, 8-6. The bullpens combined to keep further runs off the scoreboard and the Reds walked away with a 8-6 victory to t...

Viera, Florida: The Brevard County Manatees are currently the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They play in the Northern Division of the Florida State League of professional baseball. The Manatees began play in the Florida State League in 1994 as an affiliate of the Florida Marlins. The remained with the Marlins until 2001 when their affiliation switched to the Montreal Expos. The player development contract with the Expos only lasted two years. Then in 2005, the Brewers took over the franchise and has a contract with the Manatees through the 2012 season. The Manatees have one league championship and three division championships in their collection. They shared the league championship in 2001 when the finals were cancelled due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The won the division title in 1994, 2001 and 2007. In 2009, the Manatees picked up the 1,000 franchise win over the Dunedin Blue Jays on August 12. The Manatees play their home schedule at the 8,100 seat...

Sarasota, Florida: The Sarasota Reds dominated Saturday’s doubleheader against the Palm Beach Cardinals. After the rainout on Friday, both clubs met under sunny skies for the twilight doubleheader. The Florida heat wasn’t the only thing hot in the first game, the Reds offense was on fire as they walked away with a huge 17-5 win. Game two was just the opposite as the Reds held off to win a 1-0 pitcher duel in the conclusion of the doubleheaders. Click on the photo above for the Reds/Cardinals photo gallery.

Jupiter, Florida: The Palm Beach Cardinals are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals are in the South Division of the Florida State League. They have been a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinal since 2003. During this time, many players have passed through Palm Beach on the path to the pros. Chris Duncan, Jaime Garcia, Jason Motte, Anthony Reyes and Brendan Ryan are a few of the former Palm Beach Cardinals that have made the big leagues. The Cardinals play their home games at Roger Dean Stadium. This world class stadium is shared between the Cardinals and the Jupiter Hammerheads for the minor league regular season. The Cardinals have one league championship in their trophy case. This came in 2005 when the Cardinals defeated the Lakeland Tigers in the best of five championship series to win their first and only FSL trophy. Click on the photo above to view my Palm Beach Cardinals photo gallery. Here you can see game and player phot...

Tampa, Florida: Nairobi is one of the largest themed lands of Busch Gardens Tampa and is home to more wild life than thrill rides. With Rhino Rally being the only ride here, much of the focus is on the animals. Rhino Rally, Nairobi’s only ride attraction, opened in 2001. Here guests board Land Rovers and head out on the Serengeti Plain for an off-road race. It isn’t long before the ride gets lost and the ride vehicle is swept down a flooded river. Rhino Rally combines a ride attraction with an animal attraction as zebras, elephants, flamingos and crocodiles call the ride home. Many animals call Nairobi home. Here is where you can find the elephant, camel, rhino, crocodile and tortoise exhibits. This is also the access point to a few of the animal attractions; Myombe Reserve (gorillas/chimps), Curiosity Caverns (reptiles) and Nairobi Field Station (babies). Nairobi is also one of the stops on the Serengeti Express train system. The Nairobi Station is the stop on the system right...

Vero Beach, Florida: For over 25 years, Vero Beach has been represented in the Florida State League. Their most recent club to call the city home is the Vero Beach Devil Rays, the Class A-Advanced Affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. A few famous alumni to make the major leagues from the Vero Beach D-Rays include Rocco Baldelli and David Price. The franchise entered the Florida State League in 1980 as an affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Vero Beach Dodgers remained a part of the league until the end of the 2006 season when the Los Angeles Dodgers moved their franchise to the California League. After the Dodgers moved, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays stepped in and moved their minor league team from California to replace the departing Dodgers. The Vero Beach Devil Rays play their 70 game home schedule at historic Holman Stadium. The Vero Beach Devil Rays will play just two seasons in Vero Beach before being sold and relocated across the state to Port Charlotte, the spring training ho...

Sarasota, Florida: The Sarasota Reds rallied late but only managed to cut the deficit in half as they fell to the Vero Beach Devil Rays 8-4 at Ed Smith Stadium on Saturday night. The game went on as scheduled despite squall lines from Tropical Storm Barry raced through the region. Vero Beach posted four runs to the scoreboard to jump out front. Just as the offense was producing at the plate so was Vero’s starting pitcher Mike Wlodarczyk, throwing four shut-out innings before the Reds hit the scoreboard with a solo run in the bottom of the fifth. Down 6-1, the Reds strung together three consecutive one run innings in the final three frames of the game but it wasn’t enough as the Reds fell 8-4. Logan Ondrusek suffered the loss for the Reds. Click on the photo above to view the Reds/Devil Rays photo gallery.

Sarasota, Florida: The dry weather forced officials to cancel the post game fireworks show but that didn’t stop the Sarasota Reds from producing a few on field fireworks as they shut-out the Jupiter Hammerheads 7-0 at Ed Smith Stadium. The Reds jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. They then added four more runs to their total in the third inning to lead them to the 7-0 victory. Richie Gardner picked up the win for the Reds, combining with Ruben Medina and Josh Roenicke for the shut-out. Click on the photo above to see the Reds/Hammerheads game gallery.

Sarasota, Florida: The Sarasota Reds were the Florida State League affiliate for the Cincinnati Reds from 2005 through 2009. A few notable Sarasota Reds have made their way to the big league roster including Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, Drew Stubbs and Adam Rosales. In 2005, the Reds purchased the minor league club in Sarasota from the Boston Red Sox and moved their Advanced-A minor league franchise into Sarasota. The club plays their 70 home schedule from April to September inside Ed Smith Stadium, the spring training home to their parent club. The Reds made their only playoff appearance in 2007 when Joe Ayrault skippered the club to the postseason. They lost to Clearwater in the final game of the Divisional Series to cut short their playoff run. After the negotiations between the organization and local government failed to reach a new agreement, the Reds played their last game in the Florida State League at the end of the 2009 season. The Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates made a deal to swa...

Sarasota, Florida: For over twenty years, Ed Smith Stadium has played host to every level of baseball from high school to professional as well as hosted concerts, circuses and even political rallies. The tradition of baseball nearly came to an end, but a last minute vote by local government saved the tradition and brought with it a multi-million dollar renovation to the ballpark. Today the facility is the spring training home of the Baltimore Orioles. Built in 1989, Ed Smith Stadium features seating for 7,500 people. The stadium has been the spring training home to the Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds and most recently the Baltimore Orioles. During the summer and fall, the stadium has hosted a minor league baseball team as well as high school and amateur tournaments. When baseball is not in season, the stadium offers its grounds for the Sarasota Blue Festival, Circus Sarasota and during the 2009 elections was the site of Barack Obama’s Sarasota rally. 1989-1997: Chicago White Sox (m...

Sarasota, Florida: For more then 50 years, Mote Marine has been one of the premier research labs in the world in the field of marine biology. The facility on City Island in Sarasota is part laboratory, part marine hospital, part aquarium and part classroom, all geared to the conservation of marine ecosystems and their inhabitants. To help educate the public in species conversation, the laboratory opened the Mote Aquarium in 1980. Today the aquarium and the Marine Mammal Center welcomes over 400,000 visitors a year. As you enter the main aquarium building, you will begin your journey from the Rivers to the Seas. Here you will see what animal live in freshwater Florida. Here you will see crawfish, snails and even stingrays. Next you will follow the trail into the bay. This mix of salt and fresh water is home to many fish native to the coastal areas. In this exhibit, you will see cowfish, puffers, snook, crabs and more. As the water gets deeper, we next encounter our reef inhabitan...

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: When people envision the Magic Kingdom, they see Cinderella’s Castle, Dumbo flying high in the air and even hear the repetitive voices of It’s A Small World. All of these attractions and more can be found in Fantasyland, one of the most popular portions of the Magic Kingdom. As you pass through Cinderella’s Castle, you are whisked away to a land where dreams come true. Children’s eyes light up as they enter Fantasyland, an area of the park designed with them in mind. The icon of the land and the park is Cinderella Castle. The 189 foot castle can be seen throughout the park and serves as the central hub of the park. While there is no rides or attractions inside the castle, it is home to a restaurant, store and a private guest suite. Straight ahead once you pass the castle is the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel. The carrousel features hand painted scenes from the movie Cinderella. Here riders can ride one of 90 horses and take a two minute ride while listening...

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: As you pass through the gates of Disney Hollywood Studios and begin your journey, Hollywood Boulevard is your gateway to the fun and excitement that awaits you within the park. Lined with shops and a giant sorcerer’s hat at the end, Hollywood Boulevard is the studios version of Main Street. The only ride attraction found here is the Great Movie Ride. Located inside a replica of the Chinese Theater, the ride was opened in 1989. It is a 22 minute moving theater ride that combines animatronics with live actors and special effects to create a special look at the history of motion pictures. The ride travels through scenes from Singing in the Rain, Mary Poppins, Public Enemy, Alien, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Tarzan, Casablanca and the Wizard of Oz. Hollywood Boulevard is home to many of the shops. The following stores and merchandise can be found here: Celebrity 5 & 10: Hollywood Studios items. Crossroads of the World: souvenirs from the park. The Darkroo...

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: Have ever dreamed about traveling around the world? For most of us, this dream will never become a reality. High prices for travel arrangements, fear of flight, lack of time are all many factors that make a trip of this magnitude impossible for the majority of people. But Walt Disney World has the answer, World Showcase. Here guests can travel the world and experience authentic cultures from eleven different countries without ever leaving Epcot. And you can do it in just a few hours for just the price of admission. The countries of World Showcase are situated around the World Showcase Lagoon. The 1.2 mile walk around the lagoon will take you through eleven countries that include: Canada United Kingdom France Morocco Japan American Adventure Italy Germany China Norway Mexico Each of the pavilions contain shops, restraraunts and rides/movies from the countries they represent. Even the Disney cast members are authentic as they come to the pavilion from their na...

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: From the 50’s through the 90’s, our culture had seen some major changes in pop culture. The fads of these decades come back to life at Walt Disney World’s Pop Century Resort. In typical Disney style, they are brought back larger then life, in some cases more then 30 feet tall. The newest of the value class of Disney resorts, Pop Century opened in 2003. Like the other value class hotels, Pop Century is themed with oversized icons. The theme here is pop icons from 1950-1990. Each section of the hotel features color, phrases and items from the era on a very large scale. The hotel is divided into four periods: 1950’s: themed with large bowling pins, juke boxes, characters from Lady and the Tramp and a bowling pin pool. 1960’s: psychedelic colors with large yo-yo’s, play-doh container, characters from the Jungle Book and a flower shaped hippy pool. 1970’s: large eight track tapes, Mickey Mouse rotary phone, larger then life foosball game dominate this area of the...

Tampa, Florida: Timbuktu is an African Kingdom located in the middle of Busch Gardens Tampa. Behind the walls lies an open mall featuring rides, shops and games. Timbuktu is also home to several of the parks children’s rides and two of the theaters, Timbuktu Theater and Desert Grill. The center core of the park, Timbuktu was opened in 1980. Timbuktu consisted of a German dinner theater, dolphin theater, rides and midway games. Busch Gardens then introduced its second roller coaster, the Scorpion and added it to Timbuktu. The Scorpion is a single loop coaster that drops guests 45 feet in to a vertical loop at 50 miles per hour. In 1984, Timbuktu received another new attraction, the Phoenix. On the Phoenix, guests are on a Egyptian vessel that swings through a series of loops sixty feet in the air. Timbuktu saw a refurbishment in 2003. As part of the facelift, the dolphin theater was closed and transformed into the Timbuktu Theater. The Timbuktu Theater is a 4-D movie theater ...