Manatee Lake SRA, Bradenton, FL: Decided to kick back today. Washed out some tops and hung them out to dry. Then relaxed outside reading for a while. Finished a book by James Patterson, “1st to Die”, which is part of the Women’s Murder Club series. Like his regular books better. Started the new Grisham book, “The Associate”. Walked the pretty little trail down to the lake while Mike putzed around on the computer. Steaks, mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob for dinner. I also ordered tickets for the Tony-award winning musical, “Contact”, for Saturday. Looking forward to it.

Venetian glass in all the windows

Ringling estate

Manatee Lake SRA, Bradenton,FL: Back to the Ringling Museums this morning after stopping at Waffle House for breakfast. We signed up for both the regular tour of the mansion and a private tour of their personal quarters. Besides the mansion, there are also two circus museums and the art museum which houses John and Mabel Ringling’s fantastic art collection. This collection is valued among the top 20 museum collections in the United States. And the historic Asolo Theater is one of the most important architectural works of art ever brought to America. Created in Asolo, Italy, in 1798, the palace playhouse was first remodeled in 1857. In the 1930s, the Ringling’s first director purchased the artifact for the Museum. We toured the circus museums first. One housed a huge model of a circus (occupies 3800 sq. ft.) which took more than 50 years to create. The other circus museum housed the private Pullman car used by John and Mabel Ringling. They sure traveled in style. We started our docent-led tour of the mansion at 1:15 and then took another docent-led tour of the more “private” places in their home. It was a great tour of this fantastic mansion. This beautiful “winter home” was designed after the Venetian palaces they saw in their many travels to Italy—and specifically to Venice. After the tour of the mansion we had lunch at the Banyon Café on the grounds and then toured the art museum which houses the Ringling’s huge art collection. A great day.

Pronounced cah-de-zahn, which is Venetian for "house of John"

(you know you've arrived when your house has a name)

Facade on the Bay side

Main entrance where visitors would be greeted after being driven from the railroad station by one of the Ringling's four Bentleys or four Rolls Royces.

One of the banyon trees--a gift from Thomas Edison

Roses from Mabel's rose garden of over 1000 plants

Bronze statue of David--cast from the original--what a butt!!

Ringling Art Museum

This marble boat dock is where they kept John's yachts and Mabel's Venetian gondola

Manatee Lake SRA, Bradenton, FL: Headed out this morning for Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key. Stopped at Cracker Barrel for breakfast and then continued on. Anna Maria Island was not what we thought it was going to be. We thought it would be a large nature preserve or something. But it was all residences and resorts. We stopped at a pier at the north end of the island and one of the beaches and then headed south to Long Boat Key. Long Boat Key is a community of very upscale residences and resorts. Beautiful though with lush vegetation, beautiful golf courses and homes. Stopped at some high-end shops on the south end of the island and walked around for a while. Then over the bridge to Sarasota. Stopped on the historic Main Street in Sarasota and walked around for a while. Pretty area. Headed north on Rt. 41 and stopped at the Ringling Museums but didn’t have enough time to see the whole complex, so we plan on going back tomorrow early. Our mouse, Bruno, ate all the peanut butter off the trap again. This time in broad daylight while we were out for a walk. He is getting bold.

One of the beaches on Anna Maria Island

On the Pier at the north end of Anna Maria Island.  We saw a cormorant with a fish lure and line stuck in his throat.  He seemed to be fishing and eating ok, but he kept trying to get rid of it.  Poor thing!

Main Street Old Town Sarasota

Pasco Winter Quarters, Land-O-Lakes, FL, to Manatee Lake SRA, Bradenton, FL: Left around noon and headed south on I75. Only a short drive. Exited on CR64 heading east just outside Bradenton. This park is 9 miles east of I75 and is such a beautiful place. The sites are large and heavily vegetated. We have a really private site beautifully tucked into the live oaks. Got set up, had some lunch, and sat outside reading for a while. Then walked the beautiful trail down to the lake. Manatee Lake is a pretty, man-made lake. The shore is lined with aquatic plants which somehow break loose and float around the lake in clumps. Sat by the lake for a while and then walked back to our site. An eagle flew by while we were sitting there. Ate some leftovers for dinner

Manatee Lake State Recreation Area

Our site

Pasco Winter Quarters, Land-O-Lakes, FL: Another beautiful morning. A little warmer each day. Slept in a little bit which felt good. No sign of our little rodent friend. Hopefully, he’s gone. Backed up the computer and took care of some other things. Had lunch and then left for Sandy & Dan’s. Played spades, watched football, and pigged out. Saw a couple of gators while on a walk. Tomorrow we leave for Sarasota. Oh, and the mouse cleaned the bait off the trap—unscathed. I give up!

Relaxing on the lanai

Nice view with all the cypress trees in back

Large gator in their neighbor's yard

Pasco Winter Quarters, Land-O-Lakes, FL: Another pretty morning. The RV repair guy was running late and showed up around 9:45. Turns out the problem was in the Fantastic Fan in the bedroom and he was able to fix it. Set two traps for our little rodent friend and then left for Sandy and Dan’s. The four of us drove over to the cute little town of Dunedin and had lunch at a wonderful restaurant called The Lucky Dill. Great food! We left there absolutely stuffed and then walked around this cute little town checking out some of the shops. Then back to Sandy and Dan’s and played spades. Was a great day—sunny and warm.

Pasco Winter Quarters, Land-O-Lakes, FL: A nice, sunny morning promising to be a beautiful day. We had some electrical problems in the fifth wheel and kept blowing fuses in the bedroom area. Was afraid it might be the mouse up to his shenanigans. But it may be a faulty switch. So Mike called an RV service and he’ll be here tomorrow. I had to go out and buy some more fuses and I also bought a plug-in electronic pest eliminator. Plugged those in before we left. Figure the mouse may commit suicide trying to get out of here. The have-a-heart trap is not working. We went over to Sandy and Dan’s and then the four of us went to Tarpon Springs and walked around. Went to a little museum there which was quite interesting. Tarpon Springs is the sponge capital of the world. They harvest sponges in the Gulf from Key West all the way up to the Panhandle. Had dinner at a cute little Mexican restaurant and then back to play spades.

Divers unloading their catch on the sponge docks

Tarpon Springs

Two of the divers