The Wandering Disciple

Arrr Matey, grab your bucaneers and set a course to take Fisherman’s Wharf during the annual Pirate Invasion. Each year a flotilla of pirated invade Punta Gorda during the Fisherman’s Village Pirate Fest. (Photo: August 27, 2011)

Down by the bay, there swims some dolphins. On a clear day you can see dolphins jumping, fish swimming and tourists playing in the clear waters of Sarasota Bay. The bay is the main body of water that seperates downtown Sarasota from the barrier islands of Lido Key and Longboat Key. (Photo: July 19, 2011)

Forget about Winter Wonderland, the coastal wonderland is where its at. Miles of white sand, not snow lines the coast of the Sunshine State making it the go to place to escape the winter weather. (Photo: July 16, 2011)

During World War I, inventor Thomas Edison partnered with his winter neighbor Henry Ford and friend Harvey Firestone to create the Edison Botanic Research Corporation. This partnership provided testing to determine a plant to make domestic rubber that could aid the US during the war.  They determined Goldenrod to be a successful plant to produce rubber and a patent was applied for to manufacture rubber.  (Photo: June 26, 2011)

Nestled in downtown Bradenton is a historic baseball gem. The oldest spring training stadium, McKechnie Field has been hosting baseball since 1923. It is the oldest stadium in the league to host spring training and the third oldest stadium to host a major league team trailing behind Fenway Park and Wrigley Field. McKechnie Field, now known as LECOM Park is home to the Pittsburgh Pirates during spring training and they Florida State League Bradenton Marauders during the minor league season. (Photo: June 22, 2011)

North Port, Florida: The SWFL Yard Dawgs saw their late rally fall short as they dropped an exciting contest against the Hitmen 7-5 in the opening round of Sunday’s SWFL Champions Cup tournament at Atwater Park in North Port. The Dawgs trailed by seven before throwing five runs on the board in the fifth before having their bases loaded rally ended on a questionable call by the field umpire on a play at third. The Hitmen controlled the tempo early jumping out to an early lead in the first inning. Evan Hermanson drove home a run with an RBI single and then a two run double by Braden Reites gave them a 3-0 lead. The Hitmen added four more to their tally in the bottom of the third. Dawgs starter Michael Paolillo struggled with control, hitting two batters and giving up a single before hitting his third batter with the bases loaded to push across a run. Three more runs came on a double by Joseph Adames to put the Hitmen ahead 7-0. The Yard Dawgs game to life in the bottom of th...

A clown entertains the crowd during a performance of Circus Hollywood. Clowns have been a long standing tradition with the circus used to entertain the crowds during changes in props between acts. The origin of the modern circus clown dates back to the 19th century and European circuses. Today the clowns are a favorite or a fear to many people worldwide. Some love them for they side stitching comedy routines, others fear them for their creepy looks or because of cult classics like the movie IT. (Photo: May 29, 2011)

North Port, Florida: After notching out a win in the first game of Saturday’s pool play, the SWFL Yard Dawgs were back in action against rival PBA Outlaws in the second game of pool play. Despite battling toe to toe through the first few frames, it was a big fourth inning by the Outlaws that would doom the Yard Dawgs in the 13-8 loss. The Yard Dawgs opened the game up by scoring in the first inning. Brayden Spain led off the game with a single. He would later score on an RBI single by Donte Taylor to give the Yard Dawgs a 1-0 lead. The Outlaws answered by posting four runs to the scoreboard in the bottom of the first. A bases loaded walk to Anthony Poriello tied the game. Then a sac fly by Dannyel Polanco and a two run double by Wyatt Stafford gave the Outlaws a 4-1 lead. The Outlaws added to their lead by scoring again in the bottom of the second. Angel Rodriguez scored on a single by Prescott to increase the lead to 5-1. The Yard Dawgs battled back to take the lead of...

North Port, Florida: The SWFL Yard Dawgs kicked off the 2019 SWFL Champions Cup with an early morning pool game against the Hitmen. The Yard Dawgs jumped out to a big lead early and held off a late game comeback to squeeze out a 7-6 win. The first inning rally for the Yard Dawgs began on a two out single by Donte Taylor. Taylor then stole second and later third and then scored on a passed ball before clean-up hitter MJ Patrick drew a six pitch walk. The Yard Dawgs then loaded the bases following back to back singles by Michael Palilllo and Hunter Force to load the bases. They then went station to station with back to back to back RBI singles by Jake Trottier, Michael Sprague and Bobby Timmons to increase the lead to 5-0. The Hitmen got on the board in the top of the third inning. A ground ball by Kessler scored Ian Kozolowsky. Peyton Hale followed with an RBI single to score Ethan Tsai to make t 5-2. The Yard Dawgs got a run back in the bottom of the fourth. In similar ...

Myakka River State Park is known for its diverse wildlife. From gators to deer to many species of birds, they can all be seen within the 37,000 acres of the state park. One place to get close to the birds is at the Bird Walk, a wooden boardwalk extending into the wetlands. On select days, rangers or park volunteers are staffed at the Bird Walk to help visitors find and identify some of the park residents. (Photo: May 29, 2011)

The Ram Bowl, home of the Riverview Rams of Sarasota, Florida. Several professional athletes have started their path to the pros right here in the Ram Bowl including safety Todd Johnson who played seven seasons in the NFL before returning to Riverview to coach the Rams. (Photo: June 14, 2011)

I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog too.  One of the famous lines from the iconic film The Wizard of Oz comes to life during the Great Movies Ride.  The Great Movie Ride took riders through the scenes of Hollywood's biggest films.  While it was one of the popular attractions at Disney's Hollywood Studios, they management decided to close the ride in 2017 to make room for Mickey and Minnie's Runway Railway which is set to open in Fall 2019 and marks the first Mickey themed ride at a Disney theme park.  (Photo: May 11, 2011)

Mickey!!!! Mickey Mouse!!!! Mickey welcomes you to the house of the mouse, Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom.  This magical place in Central Florida has been making wishes and dreams come true for almost 50 years.  With classic rides, entertaining shows and a few iconic characters nestled around the park, the Magic Kingdom is really is the Happiest Place on Earth.  (Photo: May 10, 2011)

From the moment you walk in and head to check-in, you have entered the bright colorful world of Nickelodeon cartoons. The Nickelodeon Suites Hotel in Orlando brings the cartoon characters to life and lets you immerse yourself in their world. Here you could meet all of you favorite Nick Toons friends and have the time of your life on your Central Florida vacation. But the Nickelodeon Suites Hotel closed its doors in 2016 and was re branded as the new Holiday Inn Orlando Suites. While the Nick feel may be gone, the water park remains and it is still a great choice for your Central Florida trip. (Photo: May 9, 2011)

Like a sentinel watching out for intruders, a Mockingbird sits atop a tree keep the echo of Mockingbirds safe from predators. The official state bird of Florida, the Northern Mockingbird can be found throughout Florida and are known for their highly vocal skills and their ability to mock other animals sounds. Mockingbirds live in social colonies called echos. This mockingbird was found along the hiking trail at Robinson Preserve, a nature park along the Manatee River in Bradenton. (Photo: April 14, 2011)

In this day in age, there is a push towards recycling and renewable resources. But this doesn't just have to mean cans and bottles, boxes and paper. There has also been a push to re purpose land and one of them is the many rails to trails programs. In Florida there are miles of abandoned rail lines that are being transformed into bike trails. Or here in El Jobean, the old bridge trestle has been converted into a fishing pier. Its projects like these that will keep the rail in service long after the train stops. (Photo: March 27, 2011)

Fort Myers, Florida: Years ago, when developers built Colonial Boulevard to enhance growth in Southwest Florida, there was a need to preserve natural wetlands to balance the effect of growth. With this partnership, the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve benefited by replacing non-native trees with native cypress created a more natural filter in the slough habitat. This is one of the many facts you will learn during a guided tour at the slough. Led by a volunteer naturalist, a guided tour is a great way to explore the park and learn more about the park and its inhabitants. Along the way, your guide will tell you the story about the slough, its benefits to nature and help you find some of the amazing animals that call the slough their home. It was unseasonable warm during today’s tour so the wildlife was pretty quiet. On our tour today we saw: American Alligator  Anhinga  Cottonmouth  Tricolored Heron  Guided tours are offered a minimum of once daily but...

While known as the Sunshine State, Florida should also be known for its water as well. In addition to being surrounded by water on all three sides, the middle of the state features tons of freshwater lakes as well. Here in Central Florida is Lake June in Winter just outside Lake Placid. This 3,700 acre lake can be accessed through Lake June in Winter State Park as well as other places. It is a popular place for fishing, boating and picnicking along the shores. The park not only protects the lake but also some of the sand scrub habitat which is Florida's equivalent to a desert. It is home to many threatened animals such as gopher tortoise, Florida Scrub Jays and the Indigo Snake. (Photo: February 27, 2011)

Sarasota, Florida: Just east of I-75 there is a little gem known as the Celery Fields. Back in the 1920’s An experimental farm was developed to grow celery. These farm produces celery until 1995 when the property was sold to Sarasota County to create a storm water collection point for flood mitigation. But in addition, the county also restored the wetlands which in turn created a great park to watch wildlife. In conjunction with the Sarasota Audubon Society, the Celery Fields has become on the of the state’s more popular birding locations, featuring over 300 acres to view wildlife up close. On a recent visit to the Celery Fields, I managed to observe the following: Blue-winged Teal  Boat-tailed Grackle  Brown-headed Cow Bird  Cattle Egret  Common Gallinule  Glossy Ibis  Limpkin  Marsh Rabbit  Nanday Parakeet  Northern Mockingbird Palm Warbler  Purple Martin  Red-winged Blackbird  White Ibis  Yello...

A mama gator gives her bay a piggy-back ride through the swamp at Highlands Hammock State Park outside of Sebring. The care provided by a momma gator is pretty intensive for the animal world, especially when it comes to reptiles. Mom's care begins from in the egg up until a year after being born. The young gators can be heard vocalizing for mom right before they hatch and then they form pods and stick with mom until they are large enough to fend for themselves at around a year old. (Photo: February 27, 2011)

An American Alligator lurks in the lake at Lake Manatee State Park. If there is fresh water in the sunshine state, you can pretty much bet there is a gator close by. The key to living in harmony with these fearsome looking reptiles is to respect they home by keeping your distance from them and not harass them and never feed them. Gators are naturally afraid of people but when they start being fed, they lose that fear and begin to become aggressive. (Photo: February 19, 2011)

Stepping inside the World of Disney isn't just about shopping, its about immersing yourself into all things Disney.  World of Disney at Disney Springs is the world's largest store dedicated to Disney merchandise.  From shirts to stuffed animals to toys to collectibles it is all here for your shopping enjoyment. Re-imagined in 2018, the store received a major year long refurbishment by Disney Imagineers to help the store help bring magic to Disney vacations for the years to come.   (Photo: January 30, 2011)

Hope aboard Simba One and get ready for an off-road adventures through the wilds of Africa.  Well not really Africa but how about the Kilimanjaro Safari, a 100 plus acre safari experience at Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World.  The one of a kind ride vehicle brings its guests up close to giraffe, hippos, crocodiles, elephants, lions and much more.  This 22-minute safari adventure is one not to miss.  (Photo: January 30, 2011)

When people look at Spaceship Earth at Epcot, some people see a giant ball, a dome or others may even call it a golf ball. But did you know that it isn't either one of them, its actually a a bunch of isosceles triangles. 11,520 of them to be exact. They are assembled to make a 180 foot tall geodesic sphere that that houses a moving ride. The design of Spaceship Earth was inspired by the US Pavilion at the 1967 Worlds Fair in Montreal but unlike the pavilion, Spaceship Earth is a complete sphere. (Photo: January 29, 2011)

Towering over the lobby of the Fort Wilderness Resort is the 80 foot fireplace built as a replica to the Grand Canyon. The fireplace replicates the layers of rock as formed of millions of years in the Grand Canyon. And in typical Disney fashion, the fireplace tells a story as well. As you climb through the building and move through the years, the details in the fireplace resemble what was found during that period in the creation of the Grand Canyon.  (Photo: January 29, 2011)

Venice, Florida: A little Florida scrub preserved on the edge of a housing development, Shamrock Park is a sliver of scrub habitat left preserved from the coastal development. This habitat is crucial in the survival of scrub species like the Florida Scrub Jay and the Gopher Tortoise. And this parks collection of resident gopher tortoises does not disappoint. There are several miles of hiking and biking trails that bring you deeper into the preserve and closer to nature. It was a little warm during my receent visit to Shamrock Park so the wildlife viewing was limited. But here is what I saw: Gopher Tortoise  Mourning Dove  Pileated Woodpecker  Red-shouldered Hawk  Shamrock Park is located at 3900 Shamrock Drive in Venice. It is open daily from sunrise to sunset and there is no admission fee.  Click on the photo above to view my Shamrock Park photo gallery .

It's a great big beautiful tomorrow.  That catchy theme song written by the Sherman Brothers will have you singing along at the Carousel of Progress at Walt Disney World.  The song is part of the story line created by Disney for the 1964 World's Fair.  The revolving theater spotlights the enhancements in technology through the years. Carousel of Progress is the longest running stage show in the history of American theater.  (Photo: January 28, 2011)

A Gumbo Limbo Tree grows wildly from the ground at the De Soto National Monument. Bursera Simaruba, the formal name for the Gumbo Limbo Tree is a tropical tree that is found in tropical regions of the Americas. But it also boasts a funny nickname, the tourist tree. It gets that name from the bark which is usually red and peeling much like a tourist not familiar with the tropical sun. (Photo: January 19, 2011)

A sloth hangs from a tree branch in the aviary at ZooTampa.  Nature's slowest mammal, the sloth is a arboreal animal meaning they spend most of their time in the trees. But despite their appearance of always napping, they only sleep about ten hours a day in the wild.  Over 90% of their life is spent hanging upside down in trees and they can safely do this because their organs are attached to their rib cage allowing them to hang upside down without weighing down their lungs and giving them trouble breathing.  (Photo: February 6, 2019)

Long before Publix or Wal-Mart or Winn-Dixie, people relied on community general stores like Wiggins Store depicted here at the Manatee Village Historical Park. Built by King Wiggins in 1903, Wiggins Store was a one-stop shop for anything you needed for your home. But it served more than just a store, the second floor was a rooming house as well. It was also the center of the entertainment in the growing community of Bradenton, people would socialize on the porches, play checker or listen to music on the phonograph. The building would begin to deteriorate over the years and was condemned in 1983. It was later purchased by the Historical Society and was refurbished, re-opening as part of the Manatee Village Historical Park in 1990. (Photo: January 8, 2011)

The tranquil waters of Tampa Bay provide a relaxing vibe at Emerson Point Preserve. Over 4 million people live surrounding Tampa Bay making it one of the most used waterways in the nation. The sheer size of the bay and the fact there are two major metropolitan areas on the banks of the bay, make for plenty of places like Emerson Point to enjoy the bay and what it has to offer. (Photo: January 8, 2011)

A bad day fishing is better than a good day working, right.  Nah, there are no bad days fishing.  A popular spot to fish on the Gulf Coast is the Venice Fishing Pier.  Extending 700 feet into the Gulf, the pier is not only a great place to drop a line, it is also a great place to catch a sunset or grab a bite to eat at Sharky's on the Pier.  (Photo: January 2, 2011)

Lakeland, Florida:  The Circle B Bar Reserve has become one of my favorite places to view wildlife in their natural surroundings.  The easy to walk trails through this restored habitat boast some of the best wildlife viewing in Florida. Even on a slow day, there is still plenty to see and no two trips are alike.  On my most recent trip, I hiked the loop around to the lake and back which included the Heron Hideout, Alligator Alley and Shady Oak trails.  On this walk, I observed the following: American Alligator Bald Eagle Barred Owl Black-crowned Night Heron Blue-wing Teal Common Gallinule  Common Raccoon Eastern Gray Squirrel Great Blue Heron Great Egret Green Heron Mourning Dove Northern Cardinal Osprey Palm Warbler Red-bellied Woodpecker Red-winged Blackbird Sandhill Crane Snowy Egret Wild Boar Circle B Bar Reserve is located at 4399 Winter Lake Road in Lakeland Florida.  It is opened daily from sunrise to sunset and admission ...

For thirty years, the Simpsons have been entertaining viewers on FOX with exciting new episodes each and every week.  But you can step inside the action of televisions longest running comedic cartoon by hoping aboard the Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios Florida.  Join Bart, Homer, Lisa, Marge, Maggie and Krusty the Clown as they protect Springfield from the evil revenge plot of Sideshow Bob.  (Photo: October 25, 2010)

High in the sky on a Seuss Trolley Train Ride.  Get a birds eye view of the wild world of Dr Seuss and see the fun and excitement of his stories come to life at Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure.  (Photo: October 25, 2010)