The Wandering Disciple

Located adjacent to Channelside in downtown Tampa, the Tampa Bay History Center gives a look into Tampa’s past. From early days in agriculture and cigars to modern day sports, it can all be seen in the exhibits of one of the regions newest museums. (Photo: May 9, 2010)

Shells, craft, clothing and more can be found at the Cococay Straw Market. The market is located by the docks of Royal Caribbean’s private island resort, Cococay. (Photo: April 22, 2013)

Boats dock along the marina at Atlantis Paradise Island. Located in the Bahamas, Atlantis is a lush resort surrounded by aquatic adventures. (Photo: April 21, 2010)

Southwest Airlines “California One” arrives at Tampa International Airport. Entered into service in 1995, “California One” is one of a series of several specially painted Boeing 737's that are painted to pay tribute to states or causes. (Photo: July 27, 2013)

The downtown Tampa skyline rises over the Hillsborough River as seen from the University Tampa campus. (Photo: July 27, 2013)

A beacon of light guiding ships into Nassau, the Paradise Island Lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse in the Bahamas. The lighthouse was built in 1817 and is not only the oldest in the Bahamas, it is also the oldest surviving lighthouse in the West Indies. (Photo: April 21, 2010)

A popular attraction in Key West, the Conch Train takes riders on a two hour tour of the Southernmost City. (Photo: April 20, 2010)

The calm before the storm, the Casino Royale sits quietly while the Majesty of the Seas sits in port in Miami. But once the ship hits international waters, the sounds of slots and excitement will fill the room as the ships passengers try their luck against the house. (Photo: April 19, 2010)

The busy terminal at Miami International Airport as viewed from the Dolphin Expressway. Miami International Airport is known as the Gateway to Latin America and is ranked second in the country for international airport with over 38,000,000 passengers passing through MIA. (Photo: April 23, 2010)

A white tail deer looks up from grazing in eastern Sarasota County. The white tail deer are the most plentiful of the three species of deer found in Florida and can be found throughout the state. The other two Floridian species are the Sambar deer which can be found in the panhandle and the Key deer which can be found in South Florida. (Photo: March 31, 2010)

A sailboat makes its way through the Boca Grande Pass on its journey to the Gulf of Mexico. The pass connects Charlotte Harbor with the Gulf of Mexico and is home to the Tarpon fishing tournaments each year. (Photo: March 27, 2010)

The Bishop Planetarium at the South Florida Museum is a state-of-the-art planetarium dedicated to educated visitors about our skies.  The original planetarium was opened in 1966 but was severely damaged in a 2001 fire.  The new planetarium opened in 2005 and features a digital dome, stadium seating and a powerful sound system to host star/constellation talks, films and lectures.  (Photo: February 14, 2010)

The colorful flowers in the yard are in full summer bloom. The daily rains have really helped the flowers of our newly planted butterfly garden take off. (Photo: July 13, 2013)

The Four Winds sculpture by Bruce White sits in the courtyard of the New College campus. The sculpture depicting the four winds of knowledge was dedicated to Senator Bob Johnson in April 2011. (Photo: July 15, 2013)

The Immigrant Statue in Ybor City pays tribute the thousands of immigrants who came to the city to start a new life. Dedicated in 1992, the statue reads “To those courageous men and women who came to this country in search of personal freedom and economic opportunity and a future of hope for their families.” (Photo: July 11, 2013)

The sister cities of Orlando, Florida are displayed at Lake Eola in downtown Orlando. Orlando currently has nine sister cities worldwide. They are Curitiba in Brazil, Guilin in China, Seine-et-Marne in France, Reykjanesbaer in Iceland, Urayasu in Japan, Monterrey in Mexico, Orenburg in Russia, Valladolid in Spain and Tainan in Taiwan. (Photo: July 9, 2013)

Courtroom B at the historic Orange County Courthouse sits frozen in time from the 1920’s. The historic courthouse was dedicated in 1927 and was the main criminal courthouse for Orange County. After the new, modern courthouse was completed, this courthouse was turned over to the Orange County Historical Society and became the Orange County Regional History Center. During the conversion from courthouse to museum, a fire from a torch damaged a portion of the courthouse. But the restored courtroom B is now on display in the musuem. (Photo: July 9, 2013)

A reproduction of the Glen Martin Bi-Plane hangs from the ceiling of the Orlando Science Center.  The plane's design followed the footsteps of the original Wright Flyer and later became a military bomber.  (Photo: July 9, 2013)

Two colorful birds cuddle at the Bird Posing Area of Sarasota Jungle Gardens.  Here guests can pose with the colorful birds and have they pictures taken.  (Photo: July 8, 2013)

The Geico CAVEMAN Cigarette Pace Boat is seen here in the parking lot of Van Wezel following the Suncoast Superboat Grand Prix. The boat is part of the Geico fleet which is highlighted by the famous Miss Geico. (Photo: July 8, 2013)

Englewood, Florida: Today we concluded our week long Staycation in uneventful style.  I still am not feeling 100% and the weather isn't looking too great.  We were planning on going to the beach for a little but today, but on the way home from breakfast, there were strong storms building and we decided it wasn't worth going.  It would suck to get everything packed for the beach, get out there only to have to pack it all up and head back home due to bad weather. We started the morning by having breakfast some place new.  We decided to go to Cafe Serenity.  They have been rated as having one the best omelets in Englewood, so we figured we would give it a try.  The cafe in a small French Bistro and is very cozy.  I ordered a bagel, side of bacon and orange juice while my wife and son each had an omelet.  I was shocked when I got my orange juice as it was very small portion, almost shot glass small.  But the food was very good.  I am not...

Tampa, Florida:  Today's traveling adventure takes us to about an hour and a half north to Tampa and look inside some of the lesser know attractions in the city.  We decided to pay a visit to the Ybor City Museum State Park and the Henry Plant Museum during our trip. As we got ready to leave, the effects of the Staycation is starting to take a toll on the body.  The constant travelling is really starting to wear us down, evident by the snooze button being hit on the alarm clock and the fact we left about an hour later then we had planned. No matter how many times we drive to Tampa, I still refuse to take the direct route.  But rather take I-275 over the Sunshine Skyway with panoramic view around Tampa Bay.  Today was an unusual day across the Skyway as the haze was diminished enough that you could see both the St Petersburg and Tampa skylines from the bridge.  Usually Tampa's skyline is lost in the haze. We arrived our first attraction, the Ybor C...

A traditional Casita like the one here at Ybor City Museum State Park were the housing for Cuban immigrants who worked in the cigar factories that filled the area.  (Photo: July 11, 2013)

Palmetto, Florida:  We made it, our first experience with kayaking was a major success.  It has been a long time coming but today was the day we decided to try kayaking for the first time and it was a favorite for everyone on the family. We have been considering to go kayaking for a while but we kept holding off for a number of reasons.  At $55 per person, I always thought it was a big gamble for the unknown.  Would we like it, would it be too strenuous, are we going to flip over and drown or get bit by a shark or other sea life. But the topic of kayaking during our Staycation came up earlier this week and we revisited the idea of going but once again, we were hesitant over the cost.  Since we were on a small budget,  $165 was a big risk and would drain a big chunk of what we had planned for our excursions. Then over the weekend, we received a sign that really pushed us towards giving it a try.  While searching Groupon for deals on attractions,...

The Sunshine Skyway is visible in the distance as the Mangroves Tunnels open to Terra Ceia Bay at Emerson Point Park.  This photo is taken from our kayak tour with Shan-T Native Kayaks.  (Photo: July 10, 2013)

Orlando, Florida: When people think of Central Florida, the first thing that comes to mind is the world famous theme parks. But the region has a much deeper history and the Orange County Regional History Center helps tell the story. From the Native American tribes through the Mouse, the entire history of Central can be viewed at the museum. The need for a history center was realized in the early 1940’s and the first museum was opened in 1942 in the red brick courthouse. The museum operated there until the courthouse was demolished. The growing collection went into storage from six years and resurfaced in the Courthouse Annex in 1963. The collection moved again in 1970 to the nearby Christ Building. After bouncing around a few times, the Orange County Historical Society began an initiative to find a permanent home for the museum. After five years of fundraising efforts, the museum found a new home at Loch Haven Park in 1976. In 2000, the History Center moved for the final...

Orlando, Florida: The mystery and wonder of the science world come to life at the Orlando Science. Here visitors can get a hands-on experience to help see how science effects the world around us and to help educate the public on the critical STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) pathways. The journey of the Orlando Science Center began in 1955 as the travelling Central Florida Museum and Planetarium. They educated through the public schools and traveling exhibits throughout the community. A couple years later, the city of Orlando gave the museum space for a permanent museum at Loch Haven Park and in 1960, permanent museum opened to the public. Throughout the years, the museum grew from a small traveling museum to a 207,000 square foot technologically advanced facility. Today the museum occupies a four story state of the art facility. It is more than six times larger than the original museum Here are the current permanent exhibits and science centers found on di...

Orlando, Florida: Considered one of the most popular travel destinations in the world, Orlando welcomes over 51 million visitors a year. Visitor’s flock to Orlando to enjoy theme parks, cultural attractions and of course the Florida sunshine. It's central location in the middle of the state also makes it a popular vacation option for Floridians as well. Like much of Florida, Orlando was originally inhabited by Native American Indians. The Timucua and Tocobago were the prevalent tribes found in Central Florida during these years. It wasn’t until the late 1830’s that a permanent settlement would come to the area. The first settlement was a fort built by the US Army. Fort Gatlin was built to help protect settlers from Indian attacks. With protection in place, a settlement would follow. Cattle rancher Aaron Jerrigan settled here and the community of Jerrigan was established. More settlers moved to Jerrigan and the first post office was opened in 1850. Jerrigan conti...

Orlando, Florida:  The second day of our staycation sent us on a road trip to Orlando for a museum day.  We have been to Central Florida on many occasions in the past, but we never ventured off the theme park path, until today. As we drove to Orlando, it felt weird driving past the theme park exits.  Its almost like our truck is on autopilot to Disney or Universal.  Today was one of just a handful of times I have ever ventured east of Universal on I-4 and the first time I have ever been into downtown Orlando. Our first stop of the day was the Orlando Science Center.  The four story museum is a hands-on science museum that helps educate while entertaining.  You enter the museum from the garage pedestrian bridge onto the second floor of the museum.  Quickly your focus goes to the four story rotunda which portrays a Central Florida Cypress Swamp. We began our tour on the second level.  Much of the second floor features exhibits that enter...

An oasis from the hustle and bustle of the big city, Lake Eola lies in the middle of downtown Orlando providing a place to just get away and enjoy the outdoors.  (Photo: July 9, 2013)

Sarasota, Florida: Tucked away in a residential neighborhood in northern Sarasota is a hidden gem of the Suncoast. Sarasota Jungle Gardens is a botanical garden where you can enjoy the tropical fauna and learn about exotic animals at the same time. Opened in 1936, Sarasota Jungle Gardens is one of the oldest tourist attractions in Florida. David Breed Lindsay transformed a swampy grove into a botanical garden and by the 1940’s the gardens flourished. The gardens began to add animal attractions in the 1970’s with the addition of an exotic bird show. Today Jungle Gardens is home to birds, reptiles, mammals and the famous pink flamingos. A paved trail takes you on a journey through the 10 acre park. The tour begins at the gift shop and winds its way through park, passing animal exhibits deep in the jungle. As you travel the path, there are markers along the way that correspond with the park map to help ensure you see all of the parks attractions. During the journey you will e...