The Wandering Disciple

A Witch made of Lego blocks sits along the Brick or Treat trail at Legoland Florida. (Photo: October 27, 2012)

Air Force 2 carrying Vice President Joe Biden arrives at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. Biden is in Sarasota for a campaign speech at the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium on Wednesday. (Photo: October 30, 2012)

The US Capitol is recreated in the Miniland Washington DC at Legoland Florida. Lego builders went through great detail in creating a realistic replica of the nation’s capitol including the White House, Smithsonian museums, national monuments and much more. The replica of Washington DC joins Florida, California, New York City, Las Vegas and Pirate Shores to round out Miniland. (Photo: October 27, 2012)

Buddy, the ambassador of Legoland Florida, welcomes visitors to Legoland. Opened in 2011, Legoland Florida brings to life those colorful building blocks that have been entertaining children for over 50 years. You can marvel at the Lego creations or enjoy some of the fifty rides and attractions the park has to offer. (Photo: October 27, 2012)

Not a detail was spared in Lego’s latest creation, a Lego Ford Explorer on display at Legoland Florida. What looks like a street version of the Explorer is actually a realistic replica designed by Lego builders. It took over 2,500 hours and 382,858 parts to create their replica which now sits outside the Ford Driving School at Legoland Florida. (Photo: October 27, 2012)

5, 4, 3, 2, 1...slime! Lots of the gooey green slime to go around during the daily mass sliming at the Nickelodeon Hotel in Orlando. The hotel themed around the popular Nickelodeon cartoons features two water parks, miniature golf, entertaining shows, 3-D movies and much more. (Photo: May 9, 2011)

The elevated boardwalk of Robinson Preserve leads hikers through the tidal marshes and on to Terra Ciea Bay. Located on the south side of the bay, the 487 acre Robinson Preserve is home to several miles of hiking trails. (Photo: April 14, 2011)

A sell-out crowd packs Ed Smith Stadium for opening day of spring training in 2011 as the Baltimore Orioles hosted the Tampa Bay Rays. Opening Day 2011 was an extra special day since it was the first game at the newly renovated stadium. Following the conclusion of the 2010 season, a $31 million dollar renovation begun resulting in a modern ballpark that is one of the best in the Grapefruit League. Among the addition was an expanded concourse, a gift shop, restaurant, deluxe boxes, VIP suites, outfield seating and barbecue, a video scoreboard and much more. (Photo: March 1, 2011)

A mother and baby American Alligator enjoy the cool waters at Highland Hammocks State Park. The alligators aren't the only ones to call the park home, the park is also home to many other animals such as bobcats, Florida Panther, black bears, owls, hawks, Florida Scrub Jay and many more. The 9,000 acre park opened in 1931 was one of the state’s first parks. (Photo: February 27, 2011)

The morning fog lies low within the campground of Lake Manatee State Park. The 556 acre State Park in eastern Manatee County features 60 campsites as well as great hiking, fishing and swimming in Lake Manatee. (Photo: February 20, 2011)

The mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex guards over the T-Rex Café at Downtown Disney. Step pack in time and dine with numerous prehistoric dinosaurs but beware of the impending meteor shower. (Photo: January 30, 2011)

Hop aboard the train of Expedition Everest and enjoy a journey through the snow capped mountains of Everest. But it doesn't take long for the ride to turn wild as you come face to face with the Yeti who protects these peaks. As you try to avoid a face to face encounter, the Yeti tears the tracks up and forces you into a backwards escape through the dark tunnels of the mountain. Opened in 2006, Expedition Everest reaches speeds of up to 50 mile per hour during the journey. (Photo: January 30, 2011)

The iconic Walt Disney World Monorail passes through the Epcot theme park. There are over 14 miles of track on three separate loops that service the Magic Kingdom, Epcot and select resort hotels. The monorail system provides transportation of over 250,000 riders a day, connecting them with the magic of the Walt Disney World resort. (Photo: January 29, 2011)

The majestic beauty of the Pacific Northwest comes to life in Central Florida at the Wilderness Lodge at Walt Disney World. The resort designed to resemble a rustic lodge spares no details from the rocky waterfall to a gushing geyser. (Photo: January 29, 2011)

The bright white exterior of the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa glistens against the blue waters of Bay Lake. The crown jewel of Disney resorts sits directly across the lake from the Magic Kingdom park, giving guest a picture perfect view of Cinderella Castle and the famous Magic Kingdom fireworks show. (Photo: January 29, 2011)

Technical innovation is showcased at Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. Originally built for the 1964 New York Word’s Fair, the attraction is the longest running stage show. The audience rotates around a central stage depicting technical innovations of the 1900’s, 1920’s, 1940’s and a modern day scene. The final scene was originally designed to represent the 1960’s but it has taken on modern upgrades throughout the years. (Photo: January 28, 2011)

This commemorative monument inside the De Soto National Monument park marks the trailhead for the De Soto Trail. The trail closely resembles the Florida campaign of Spanish Conquistador Hernando de Soto during his 1539 exploration of Florida. The trail features 34 spots of interest and extends from Bradenton to the Florida Panhandle. (Photo: January 19, 2011)

A steam locomotive named Old Cabbage Head welcomes guests to the Manatee Village Historical Park. Once used in the turpentine industry of the Northern Florida, the locomotive eventually came to Manatee to help shuttle crates from Manatee to Nocatee. Today the locomotive is one of many historic items that can be experienced at the historical park. (Photo: January 8, 2010)

Englewood, Florida: Nestled away in the heart of Olde Englewood lies a hidden oasis on the Lemon Bay. The 210 acre Lemon Bay Park provides visitors a chance to enjoy nature in the heart of historic Olde Englewood. Nature is the main attraction of this park. The encompasses a variety of distinct ecosystems which provides home to many plants and animals. It is also home the the American Bald Eagle, which have a nest within the park along the eagle trail. The park is a stop along the Great Florida Birding Trail. There are over 2 miles of hiking trails that take visitors into the different ecosystems within the park. The trails are looped together as a north and south loop. The north loop extends into the backwoods portion of the park and the south trail stays along the coast. If it’s fishing or kayaking you are looking to do, Lemon Bay Park has that covered as well. The park encompasses 1.7 miles of shoreline along the Lemon Bay with a kayak launch and fishing pier. The p...

Englewood, Florida: A quiet Saturday morning gave way to the roar of piston engines as Englewood's Buchan Airport hosted the sixth annual fly-in breakfast. Over forty planes ranging from vintage World War II era through modern day experimental aircraft flew into the airport for a breakfast served by a team of volunteers.  The public had a chance to get a close up view of these magnificent aircraft. There were bi-planes from World War II era, experimental planes like the Vans RV-8, sport planes like the Piper Sport and leisure planes like the Cessna Skyhawk and Piper Cherokee. In addition to the planes on display, there were vendors from the Venice R/C Club, Civil Air Patrol and many more. Also in attendance was former Flying Boat pilot Bill Nash to share his aviation experiences. Hundreds of visitors attended Saturday's event. Click on the photo above to view photos from the 2012 Buchan-Dearborn Aviation Day .

The calm waters of Terra Ceia Bay as seen along the hiking trails of Emerson Point Preserve. The 365 acre park features miles of hiking and kayaking trails that provide stunning views along the way. (Photo: January 8, 2011)

Extending into the Gulf of Mexico, the Venice Pier is a popular fishing spot. Extending 700 feet into the Gulf, the pier is a great place to catch mackerel, flounder, pompano and even shark. In addition to great fishing, the pier is a popular spot to watch the evening sunset. (Photo: January 2, 2011)

Take a ride through the world of Hollywood special effects on Disaster at Universal Studios in Orlando. The highlight of the ride is a subway ride that gets interrupted by a major earthquake. Shaking ground, exploding gas tanker and a raging flood are all used to show you how special effects are used to make a production look more realistic. (Photo: October 25, 2010)

The pages of the Harry Potter series come to life in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando. A recent addition to the Islands of Adventure park, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter spare no detail in telling the story of the best selling book franchise. Dominating the skyline of the land is a life like Hogwarts Castle which is home to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. (Photo: October 25, 2010)

A 30 foot statue of the iconic NBA logoman greets you as you approach NBA City at Universal City Walk. Built to resemble a basketball area from the 50’s, NBA City is one of several restaurants that comprise the entertainment complex. (Photo: October 25, 2010)

The Mediterranean coast of Italy comes to life at the Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando. From the architecture to the food and entertainment, every detail transports you to Italy without ever leaving Central Florida. (Photo: October 25, 2010)

Sarasota, Florida: The Sarasota County Fire Department hosted their annual open house today at Station 5 in Sarasota. The event kicks off Fire Prevention Week and allows the men and women of the Sarasota County Fire Department to showcase their skills in front of the public in a fun-filled environment. The theme of this year’s event was “Have 2 Ways Out”. The event featured demos provided by the Sarasota County Fire Department as the demonstrated high-angle rescue, vehicle extrication, hazmat response and LP fire suppression. There were also displays from Nokomis Volunteer Fire Department, Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport Fire-Rescue, Sarasota County Emergency Management, Florida Division of Forestry, Bayflite, Sarasota Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol and many more organizations. New to the show this year was a side by side demonstration by Wayne Automatic Sprinklers that showed the importance of fire sprinklers in buildings. In the demo, two identical rooms...

A Bayflite medical helicopter lands at the helipad at Sarasota County Fire Department Station 5 during the annual fire prevention open house. (Photo: October 6, 2012)

A pair of Sandhill Cranes enjoy the newly renovated Celery Fields in Eastern Sarasota County. The Celery Fields are world renowned for attracting a diverse collection of birds. Visitors travel from all over to birdwatch at the Celery Fields. (Photo: October 22, 2010)

The waters of the Phillipi Creek create the perfect canvas to paint a picture of the trees that line it’s banks. Located in the an urban area, Pinecraft Park provides a place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It is also a great spot to catch many of Florida's migratory species of birds. (Photo: October 20, 2010)

A Red Shouldered Hawk sits quietly as it searches for prey at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Run by the Audubon Society, the Corkscrew Swamp is a vital ecosystem for many native plants and animals. Visitors can get up close and personal with the wildlife through a raised boardwalk trail that traverses the park’s many distinct ecosystems. (Photo: October 17, 2010)

The first fire truck for the Fort Myers Fire Department sits on display in the Fire & Military History gallery at the Southwest Florida Museum of History Museum. The 1926 American La France fire engine is preserved among other historical artifacts from the Fort Myers FD. (Photo: October 2, 2010)

The iconic Spaceship Earth has been the image of Epcot for the past thirty years. Today Epcot celebrates its thirtieth anniversary, opening to the public on October 1, 1982. (Photo: January 29, 2011)