The Wandering Disciple

Sarasota, Florida: The dry weather forced officials to cancel the post game fireworks show but that didn’t stop the Sarasota Reds from producing a few on field fireworks as they shut-out the Jupiter Hammerheads 7-0 at Ed Smith Stadium. The Reds jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. They then added four more runs to their total in the third inning to lead them to the 7-0 victory. Richie Gardner picked up the win for the Reds, combining with Ruben Medina and Josh Roenicke for the shut-out. Click on the photo above to see the Reds/Hammerheads game gallery.

Sarasota, Florida: The Sarasota Reds were the Florida State League affiliate for the Cincinnati Reds from 2005 through 2009. A few notable Sarasota Reds have made their way to the big league roster including Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, Drew Stubbs and Adam Rosales. In 2005, the Reds purchased the minor league club in Sarasota from the Boston Red Sox and moved their Advanced-A minor league franchise into Sarasota. The club plays their 70 home schedule from April to September inside Ed Smith Stadium, the spring training home to their parent club. The Reds made their only playoff appearance in 2007 when Joe Ayrault skippered the club to the postseason. They lost to Clearwater in the final game of the Divisional Series to cut short their playoff run. After the negotiations between the organization and local government failed to reach a new agreement, the Reds played their last game in the Florida State League at the end of the 2009 season. The Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates made a deal to swa...

Sarasota, Florida: For over twenty years, Ed Smith Stadium has played host to every level of baseball from high school to professional as well as hosted concerts, circuses and even political rallies. The tradition of baseball nearly came to an end, but a last minute vote by local government saved the tradition and brought with it a multi-million dollar renovation to the ballpark. Today the facility is the spring training home of the Baltimore Orioles. Built in 1989, Ed Smith Stadium features seating for 7,500 people. The stadium has been the spring training home to the Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds and most recently the Baltimore Orioles. During the summer and fall, the stadium has hosted a minor league baseball team as well as high school and amateur tournaments. When baseball is not in season, the stadium offers its grounds for the Sarasota Blue Festival, Circus Sarasota and during the 2009 elections was the site of Barack Obama’s Sarasota rally. 1989-1997: Chicago White Sox (m...

Sarasota, Florida: For more then 50 years, Mote Marine has been one of the premier research labs in the world in the field of marine biology. The facility on City Island in Sarasota is part laboratory, part marine hospital, part aquarium and part classroom, all geared to the conservation of marine ecosystems and their inhabitants. To help educate the public in species conversation, the laboratory opened the Mote Aquarium in 1980. Today the aquarium and the Marine Mammal Center welcomes over 400,000 visitors a year. As you enter the main aquarium building, you will begin your journey from the Rivers to the Seas. Here you will see what animal live in freshwater Florida. Here you will see crawfish, snails and even stingrays. Next you will follow the trail into the bay. This mix of salt and fresh water is home to many fish native to the coastal areas. In this exhibit, you will see cowfish, puffers, snook, crabs and more. As the water gets deeper, we next encounter our reef inhabitan...

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: When people envision the Magic Kingdom, they see Cinderella’s Castle, Dumbo flying high in the air and even hear the repetitive voices of It’s A Small World. All of these attractions and more can be found in Fantasyland, one of the most popular portions of the Magic Kingdom. As you pass through Cinderella’s Castle, you are whisked away to a land where dreams come true. Children’s eyes light up as they enter Fantasyland, an area of the park designed with them in mind. The icon of the land and the park is Cinderella Castle. The 189 foot castle can be seen throughout the park and serves as the central hub of the park. While there is no rides or attractions inside the castle, it is home to a restaurant, store and a private guest suite. Straight ahead once you pass the castle is the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel. The carrousel features hand painted scenes from the movie Cinderella. Here riders can ride one of 90 horses and take a two minute ride while listening...

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: As you pass through the gates of Disney Hollywood Studios and begin your journey, Hollywood Boulevard is your gateway to the fun and excitement that awaits you within the park. Lined with shops and a giant sorcerer’s hat at the end, Hollywood Boulevard is the studios version of Main Street. The only ride attraction found here is the Great Movie Ride. Located inside a replica of the Chinese Theater, the ride was opened in 1989. It is a 22 minute moving theater ride that combines animatronics with live actors and special effects to create a special look at the history of motion pictures. The ride travels through scenes from Singing in the Rain, Mary Poppins, Public Enemy, Alien, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Tarzan, Casablanca and the Wizard of Oz. Hollywood Boulevard is home to many of the shops. The following stores and merchandise can be found here: Celebrity 5 & 10: Hollywood Studios items. Crossroads of the World: souvenirs from the park. The Darkroo...

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: Have ever dreamed about traveling around the world? For most of us, this dream will never become a reality. High prices for travel arrangements, fear of flight, lack of time are all many factors that make a trip of this magnitude impossible for the majority of people. But Walt Disney World has the answer, World Showcase. Here guests can travel the world and experience authentic cultures from eleven different countries without ever leaving Epcot. And you can do it in just a few hours for just the price of admission. The countries of World Showcase are situated around the World Showcase Lagoon. The 1.2 mile walk around the lagoon will take you through eleven countries that include: Canada United Kingdom France Morocco Japan American Adventure Italy Germany China Norway Mexico Each of the pavilions contain shops, restraraunts and rides/movies from the countries they represent. Even the Disney cast members are authentic as they come to the pavilion from their na...