The Wandering Disciple

Tampa, Florida: From deep underwater caverns to the depths of the ocean, the marine habitats are home to some of the most diverse creatures in the world. At the Florida Aquarium, visitors can witness many of these fascinating creatures without ever leaving Channelside. Come follow the trail of water from the underwater spring to the deep blue ocean and encounter all of their residents along the way on this journey through the aquarium filled with over 20,000 plants and animals. The journey begins as you enter the world of the wetland. Enter the water world through a cave in an aquifer and follow waters journey through Florida springs, streams, marshes, rivers, hammocks, swamps, forest and more on the trip to the tidal basin. The eight habitats found here are home to bass, gars, ducks, alligators, otters and many more. As you make your way through these freshwater habitats, the water becomes saltier until you reach the tidal basin. Here you will encounter the next collection of a...

Orlando, Florida: AirTran Airways is a low-cost airline based in Orlando, Florida. Its fleet of 140 aircraft operate over 700 daily flights to 70 destinations in the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. The history of AirTran actually begins several years before the name AirTran. In 1992, the low-cost airline ValuJet was formed. ValuJet suffered scores of safety setbacks, culminating in the FAA to seek removal of their flight certification in ealy 1996. However the process was lost in the government bureaucracy and ValuJet suffered its largest accident in May 1996 when ValuJet Flight 592 crashed in the Florida Everglades, killing 110. The crash combined with the substandard safety records forced ValuJet into financial ruins and they were purchased by Airways Corporation in 1997. The airline was rebranded as AirTran Airways and the company headquarters was relocated to Orlando in November 1997. The original model for AirTran was to provide low cost flights to Orlando...

Tampa, Florida: Tucked away in the hustle and bustle of city life in downtown Tampa lies the home to over 2,000 exotic animals, Lowry Park Zoo. Rated the number one family friendly zoo in the US by Child Magazine and Parents Magazine, Lowry Park Zoo is also home to State of Florida’s Wildlife Conservation Center. Originally opened in 1957, Lowry Park Zoo shared property with Fairyland. The park combined animal attractions with a winding maze of fairy tales and children rides. By the 1980’s the property came in to such disrepair and the need to be repaired. The Lowry Park Zoo Association was formed in 1982 with a mission to raise awareness of the zoo and to raise the funds needed for renovation. The efforts were successful and in 1988, the renovated zoo was unveiled. Today’s Lowry Park Zoo is 56 acres of animal habitats that provides home to over 2,000 animals along with rides, shopping, dining, educational venues and an animal hospital. Lowery Park Zoo’s animal habitats are orga...