The Wandering Disciple

Sarasota, Florida: Nothing rings in Independence Day on the Suncoast like the sound of power boats filling the air.   An annual tradition in Sarasota for the past 34 years, the Sarasota Power Boat Grand Prix is much more than just a boat race, it’s a week long holiday celebration that benefits a good cause, the Suncoast Charities for Children. The event kicked off last Saturday with the Bob Rizi Memorial Golf Classic at the Meadows Country Club followed by a Classic Car Show at Robarts Arena the next day as well as a boat and personal watercraft fun run on Sarasota Bay on the same day.   During the week, the focus shifted to the kids on Wednesday with a Friendliest Catch Fishing Tornament for children with special needs.   There was a chance to get your laughs in with a comedy night at McCurdy’s before the focus shifted to racing with the Kick-off party on Thursday followed by a full day of festivities on Friday including a Meet and Greet, Boats by the Bay Pit Par...

Gatlinburg, Tennessee:   Good morning from our final full day of the 2018 Summer Road Trip to the Great Smoky Mountains.  Unlike yesterday's busy day, today is much more laid back with nothing scheduled.  So I kicked around the idea of going to Dollywood but the mountains are calling my name and after our luck of finding bear the other day, I figured I try to find more bear and maybe the other popular park resident, the elk.  So instead of hitting the commercial attractions, we elected to head back into the natural ones instead. But before we hit the trails, it was time to refuel the energy tanks.  Today for breakfast, we headed about 20 minutes out of town to a little local restaurant called Trish's Mountain Diner.  It was well worth the drive.  This restaurant located in a rustic cabin had the most hospitable staff since we arrived in town and the food was amazing.  I really hate it that we found it on the last day of the trip because I ce...

Gatlinburg, Tennessee:  Good morning from the Great Smoky Mountains.  Its time for another day of adventures in the mountains of East Tennessee.  Today was we take a turn from exploring the mountains to exploring some of the attractions that the region has to offer.  Today we are scheduled to visit Anakeesta in the heart of downtown Gatlinburg and then head outside the city for some tubing on the Little Pigeon River.  After dinner and once the sun set over the mountains and the streets became clouded in darkness, it was time to explore the haunted side of Gatlinburg. The morning kicked off with breakfast at Crockett's Breakfast Camp.  This was a favorite we found during our 2016 trip to Gatlinburg.  The restaurant is themed to look like a pioneer camp, even the menu comes in a pioneer newspaper.   The have a bunch of delicious choices on the menu and it was really hard to narrow it down to one choice.  So I ordered the postmaster s...

Gatlinburg, Tennessee:  A new day brings new adventures in the mountains of East Tennessee and today's adventures was to go find bears.  Three trips to the mountains and three times I have come back empty handed at seeing bears.  It's always such a let down to see pictures and hear stories from friends who have seen the bears but yet to have see them yourself.  It was a priority of this trip to see bears. We skipped breakfast this morning to hit the trails early.  Today's bear hunting adventure took us to the popular Cades Cove area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  This popular valley in a remote section of the park is one of the best places to see bears.  The drive to Cades Cove is rather long but very enjoyable as you pass through the mountains and some water features that take your mind off the road an onto nature. Once we reached Cades Cove the wildlife viewing had begun immediately.  We were greeted by a few wild turkeys a...

Gatlinburg, Tennessee: A beautiful mountain sunrise gave way to the first full day in the mountains as we prepared for a Sunday fun day of exploration of the mountains.  My second home is in the mountains while my first home was back in the Sunshine State.  Today's adventures called for an exciting day of exploring the Newfound Gap Road, the main road through the park and a great place to start an auto tour of the Great Smoky Mountains. The road is filled with sweeping vistas of the Smokies and is a great way to get a glimpse into the park and all it has to offer.  The road is the main gateway to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and is filled with trails and panoramic views.  We have passed through it several times but never took the time to truly explore it. But before hitting the road, I took a walk around the hotel while the family woke up and got ready.  I took a walk around the hotel grounds and then to the nearby creek that flows in front of t...

Gatlinburg, Tennessee: School is out for summer and you know what that means, summer road trip.  This years trip was a toss up between a return trip to Gatlinburg/Smoky Mountains or a visit to a city I never been to Pensacola.   But at the last minute, the decision was made to head back to the mountains. Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond my control, we got a later start on the road.  Instead for leaving at 3am, we didn't get on the road until after 5am which really pushed back my timeline.  I mean I had a 12 hour drive and a 7pm baseball game to make,  not a good combination when facing Atlanta traffic. But speaking of Atlanta traffic, I've got a new tip to share.  I probably shouldn't but here goes.  The express lane....use it!  What a great thing! As we got closer to Atlanta, we started hitting gridlock.  I saw the express lane and saw that you needed the Georgia Peach Pass to use it because they do not do toll by plate ...

T I double 'guh' errrrr, that spells Tigger.  The energetic bouncing friend of Winnie the Pooh comes to life in a topiary at the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival.  The annual event at Epcot brings the animated characters of famous Disney movies to topiary masterpieces throughout the park.  (Photo: March 27, 2007)