The Wandering Disciple

Since 1926 the bright lights of the Edwards Theater, now Sarasota Opera House, have shown over talented artists in Sarasota. From its early days as a theater hosting famous artists like Will Rogers and Elvis to its modern day home to the Sarasota Opera, the historic venue has been in the forefront of Sarasota's performance art scene. (Photo: October 12, 2013)

Once the crown jewel of Henry Plant's rail empire, the moorish revival style Tampa Bay Hotel was the premier travel destination on the west coast of Florida. In a day when the rail was king, both rail magnates Plant and Henry Flagler wanted to build luxury hotels along their rail lines in Florida. The Tampa Bay Hotel featured the first elevator in Florida and its 511 guest rooms were some of the first to have electric and phone lines. The hotel remained in operation from 1891-1930. Today it serves as the administration building for the University of Tampa as well as home to the Henry Plant Museum. (Photo: July 27, 2013)

No matter where you go along coastal Florida, views of tropical paradise surround you at every vista. Like this one from Sapphire Shores Park in North Sarasota. A quiet afternoon spent on a park bench at this neighborhood park can provide you with views of dolphins playing in the bayou or just a much needed rest and relaxation by the water. (Photo: December 10, 2013)

As the Hillsborough River meanders through Tampa, it heads towards downtown and creates the iconic Tampa Riverfront which symbolizes the city. From the iconic round Rivergate Tower which is the sixth largest building in the city and the largest limestone building in the world to 100 North Tampa or the Regions Bank Building which is the tallest building in the city and was home to mafia boss Howard Saint in the 2004 film The Punisher. (Photo: July 27, 2013)

Despite having one of the newest teams in baseball, the Tampa Bay area has a deep history of baseball dating back to 1913 when the Cubs moved their spring training operations to Tampa. Over the years, the region has hosted almost twenty teams and have welcomed ton of hall of famers to play ball in the Sunshine State. In addition to professional baseball, the year-round good weather of Tampa makes the region a great spot to host amateur baseball tournaments throughout the year. (Photo: July 11, 2013)

There is no better way to hit the water than by going kayaking. One part exercise, one part leisure and all adventure, kayaking is a great way to explore the coast and shallows. A great place to go is Emerson Point Reserve. Start your journey through a mangrove tunnel which leads you into the bay were you can kayak along with schools of fish, a few dolphins and maybe even take a swim. (Photo of the Day: July 10, 2013)

During World War II when the nation was out helping stop the Nazis from taking over Europe, Orlando was busy training the brave soldiers who would defend our country. Orlando was home to the Orlando Army Air Base and Pinecastle Army Air Field. As the armed services evolved over the years and the Air Force was created, they would merge and become McCoy Air Force Base located at the home of present day Orlando International Airport. McCoy would remain in service until 1976. After closure, the runways were transferred over to Orlando International Airport. But the McCoy roots are still visible with the airports code MCO. The military history of Orange County is on display at the Orange County Regional History Center in downtown Orlando. (Photo: July 9, 2013)

St Petersburg, Florida: The final stop of the Tampa/St Pete day was a Major League Baseball game between the Tampa Bay Rays vs the Los Angeles Angels. I have always wanted to see the Angels play. One of the hottest lineups in the MLB with Trout, Pujols and Ohtani. And in typical Trop fashion, there would be a lot to talk about. First off it was good to see more than a handful of people in the stands. The Rays offered up $5 tickets for the week and attracted a decent ground. Then we saw history with Ohtani hitting for the cyle. Finally a nice black-out and delay due to a power outage which caused the Trop to go dark for the second time this season. All and all, I love baseball and I love being out at the park. Click on the photo above to see the entire Rays/Angels photo gallery for photo from the game.

Tampa, Florida: The task of getting caught up with pictures continues and this time we are at the Florida Aquarium. It was stop 2 of 4 on the Tampa/St Pete day trip which saw stops at the zoo and aquarium, some planespotting at Tampa International Airport and a Rays game at the Trop. The aquarium provided a great break from the summer heat and an opportunity to see some of the bright colorful residents of our seas. With out ZooTampa membership, we get reciprocal benefits at the aquarium, getting us in at half-off. The aquarium was quite crowded, but we managed to get a few good photos. The first 33 photos in this gallery are from today's visit. Check out the new photos and all the aquarium photos by clicking on the photo above to visit the Florida Aquarium photos.

Tampa, Florida: On 6/13/19 we headed over to ZooTampa to photograph the animals.  Being a zoo member, we tend to be at the zoo quite a bit.  It is a little over an hour away, there is tons of cool animals to see and best of all it is paid for.   It is pretty cool to watch these animals grow and they grow fast, the Pygmy hippo Holly Berry is almost as big as a full grown hippo.  Head over to the galleries and see all the photos from the visit.  The first 68 in the gallery are new.  And also keep an eye out for a lot more content in the coming days as I am way behind in processing and have a lot stacked up.  Click on the photo above to visit the ZooTampa photo gallery .

A bearded dragon shows off on a log in an exhibit at the Orlando Science Center. Native to Australia, the bearded lizard gets its names from the underside of the throat which can turn black when stressed. They are a popular lizard to be kept as pets in the United States. (Photo: July 9, 2013)

Big city skyline meets the tranquility of Lake Eola creating a relaxing downtown waterfront in the heart of the hustle and bustle of Orlando. This big lake right in the middle of the city is a popular place to escape the busy city life, even if its just the lunch hour. Don't let the size of the skyline make the lake seem small, a walk around the perimeter of Lake Eola measures almost a mile. (Photo: July 9, 2013)

Open wide and smile, show us your pearly whites. That is just what this giant alligator at Sarasota Jungle Gardens did. The beastly gator left everyone in awe of the power his mouth filled with sharp teeth. (Photo: July 8, 2013)

An aerial artist performs on the tightrope during the 2013 performance of Cirque Italia. Amazing acts from around the world travel in this one of a kind water circus. The performers bring their art to cities across the country, performing daring acts like the one here. (Photo: March 17, 2013)

A brown pelican buzzes the shoreline low and slow at Brohard Beach in Venice. The beaches are a hot spot for pelicans and other shorebirds as they look for fish, crabs and whatever else they can catch for dinner. (Photo: April 14, 2013)

In the tortoise and the hare, it is the slow and steady pace of the tortoise that wins the race.  But in the Sunshine State, the tortoise is not in a race to get anywhere as he walks along the hiking path at Stump Pass Beach State Park.  The endangered gopher tortoise can be found in scrub habitats throughout the Florida.  (Photo: March 5, 2013)

Firefighters from the Largo Fire Department operated a master stream from the aerial during a large commercial fire.  When a fire scene becomes too dangerous for firefighters to operate from within the structure, the call for defensive attack is made by the incident commander.  At that point, master streams like this one become the only way of fighting the fire.  (Photo: June 15, 2019)

A little baby joey gives his mama a big hug at ZooTampa. Heathcliff and Ceduna welcomed their little baby into the world on May 22. It was the first koala born in captvity at ZooTampa. Baby joeys will cling to their mamas for about a year until they can climb trees on their own. (Photo: June 15, 2019)

An anhinga struggles to swallow a fish for lunch at Airport Lake Park near Orlando International Airport. This urban park sits on a large lake with a dock for fishing and plane watching right on the approach to the airport. (Photo: February 12, 2013)

Since early days, the world has always found new ways to communicate.  From the Roman tax collectors to the computer age, they way we have communicated has always found ways to improve and keep the world connected.  This journey through the history of communication can be see at Spaceship Earth at Epcot.  (Photo: February 12, 2013)

Welcome to Harambe, the gateway to Africa at Disney's Animal Kingdom. The mythical seaside village your entry to the world of Africa. Here you find some of the park's most popular attractions including Kilimanjaro Safari, Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, Festival of the Lion King and the train to Rafiki's Planet Watch. (Photo: February 11, 2013)

Tucked away in the shadows of Cinderella's Castle is a fountain dedicated to one of Disney's most popular princesses.  Sitting on a stump in the forest talking to her forest friends, the fountain of Cinderella pays tribute to her love of nature.  The fountain even has a hidden secret.  If you take a drink from the nearby water fountain and look at the statue, the crown in the background appears to sit right on her head.  (Photo: February 11, 2013)

I wouldn't exactly call camping at Walt Disney World roughing it. Combining camping in the great outdoors with the thrill of a Walt Disney World vacation, Fort Wilderness is your place to rough it Disney style. Enjoy the parks by day and then retire to the campground for a campfire before sleeping under the stars. You can't get that from any resort hotel room. (Photo: February 11, 2013)

I'm ready for my close-up, a sea gull poses for a photo at Service Club Park on the island of Venice. Service Club is one of the many beaches that comprise the beach complex on the south end of the island of Venice. In addition to the usual fun in the sun, the beach is also a great place to watch shorebirds in their natural habitat. (Photo: February 3, 2013)

The Airbus see his shadow means more smooth flights ahead. An American Airlines Airbus departs from Tampa International Airport casting a larger than life plane shaped shadow as it departs on a sunny afternoon. (Photo: May 27, 2019)

A little bit of monkey business entertains the crowd before the annual fundraiser at Big Cat Habitat. The non-profit wildlife sanctuary in eastern Sarasota uses their annual extravaganza to spread awareness of their mission and showcase the skills of their amazing animals while raising money to support their rescue. (Photo: February 2, 2013)

There is nothing more relaxing then the calm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Unless a storm is on the horizon, the Gulf Coast of Florida usually features a calm appearance like the one here at South Brohard Beach on the island of Venice. (Photo: January 17, 2013)

Mine, mine, mine, mine. A flock of seagulls lines the beach at Manasota Beach on a chilly January day. Much like the snowbird winter residents, these birds flock to the sunshine state in the winter to escape the cold of the north. (Photo: January 24, 2013)

A deputy from the Lee County Sheriff's Office helps direct traffic in the sky as helicopters land on the field at JetBlue Park for the American Heroes Air Show. Taking place around the country, the American Heroes Air Show pays tributes to law enforcement, emergency services and military. It is unique in that it is one of the few airshow events to feature just helicopters. (Photo: January 19, 2013)

Walter the Florida Panther proudly carries around his next meal at ZooTampa. Walter is an injured Florida Panther that resides at the zoo and can typically be found taking a cat nap in the shade. But today he was a little more active as he enjoyed his lunch. In the wild, panthers eat deer, rabbit, raccoons and other small mammals but in captivity it is important to try and keep their diets closely resembling their wild diet. (Photo: June 6, 2019)

Most people get a little nervous when they think of sharks at the beach.  But the sharks at Madeira Beach are a good thing when it comes to the brave men and woman of the Madeira Beach Fire Department.  The heard of the department logo is a shark which can be seen outside Station 25 at the City Centre complex.  (Photo: May 27, 2019)

Ghostbusters, Star Wars, Aliens, Mad Magazine.  All of the popular icons of the 80's are well represented in this colorful mural in downtown St Petersburg.  This is just one of the many bright murals that paint the buildings of downtown St Pete, bring to life the sides of buildings throughout the city.