Florida Botanical Gardens

Sunday night we headed to the Florida Botanical Gardens because we heard their lights were the best around!  The parking lot was packed, and we ended up in overflow parking- so lots of people agree!

It was upper 70s, and people made comments about how it was so much colder last year - we were lucky enough to enjoy the lights in shorts and t-shirts.

Sadly, this is the first alligator we've seen in Florida.

We had to get a picture of this sign- for the real alligators...

St. Pete Holiday Boat Parade

Last Saturday night, we went to the Holiday Boat Parade in St. Petersburg.  We were supposed to go with friends, but their plans changed at the last minute- so we were on our own.  There are so many people in the area, we weren't sure what we were in for!  We ended up parking too far away, but we didn't mind the walk.

We found a spot right on the sea wall and ate our picnic dinner while enjoying the sunset.

There were people lining the sea wall on all sides.

The boat parade started with a police boat, and then many different boats covered in lights playing Christmas music.  The parade lasted about a half hour, and was a fun experience!  

Largo Holiday in Lights

Last weekend, we went to the Largo Central Park to see the Holiday in Lights display.  The Central Park was covered in lights, and there were people everywhere!  

While walking, we saw a campfire where you could make s'mores, different food and craft vendors, and a stage where various groups were singing and dancing. 

This Saturday they had a chalk drawing contest too.  So, throughout the park there were many impressive chalk drawings on the pavement.  The details in these drawings were impressive, and we couldn't believe they were made of chalk.

Central Park will be lit up through the holiday season.  It was nice to be able to walk around and see the lights in the warmer weather, instead of being all bundled up (and still cold) in Minnesota!

Anna Maria Island

One Sunday in November, we drove to Anna Maria Island to spend the day.   The weather was perfect, and our day reminded us of the many days we spent in Puerto Rico beaching it. :)  

Anna Maria Island was a lot less crowded than the Clearwater area, and we'll be sure to go back!

Clearwater Beach

Clearwater Beach is about a 15 minute drive from us, so we've been enjoying having a beach close (not as close as Puerto Rico), but still close.

On the weekends the beach is usually PACKED, and we're not even in tourist season yet.  It takes a while to find parking (you might even end up in a 30 minute parking spot and feed it a few quarters thinking it'll give you more time- it doesn't- rookie mistake!).

Once you find a place to park, it's worth it!  There a neat places to eat (Pearly's Beach Eats reminded us of Puerto Rico, and Crabby Bill's is always fun), shops in the area, and of course the beach! :)

Pier 60

On evenings the beach is a lot less crowded.  We went Friday night after work to walk the beach, catch the sunset, and then grab dinner.

Tampa Bay Water Ski Show

In Minnesota, we enjoyed watching the River Rats perform their waterski show on the Mississippi River.  So, we decided to check out the Tampa Bay Water Ski Show in Oldsmar.   

There were a lot of people gathered, and we found a spot and sat down to eat our picnic dinner.  The show started, and we saw water-skiers of different ages and abilities.  Their show was about aliens and protecting the planet (they have a few different shows they run during their season). 

We were most impressed by the children who were part of the show- they were able to pull off a lot of stunts!  

This operation was a little smaller, and less impressive than the River Rats- but made for a fun free evening activity- with a great sunset!

Channelside

In Tampa, we spent a few hours at Channelside.  This area is a lot busier during tourist season, when cruise ships are docked.  There are lots of unique shops to visit, the Florida Aquarium, and the Amalie Stadium is right next door.

We spent some time in the shops, and toured the area.  We'll have to go back to see the Aquarium and try a few of the other restaurants.  One of the girls working in a store gave us a list of things to check out in the area- so we'll have to do those soon!

We ate dinner at a Mexican restaurant, and it was delicious!  It has started "cooling off" in Florida (80s, but without the humidity), so sitting on the patio and eating was perfect.

So appropriate after our stint in PR! ;)

After dinner we stopped at Wet Willie's.  KC was fascinated by this place!  It's like a yogurt store, but for adults- they have all different types of frozen drinks on tap.  You get to sample, and choose your favorite. :)

We shared our drink, and walked around the complex for a while.  The Amalie Arena's owner just bought this property, and we think it'll be a really cool place when it's hopping again!

The Ringling

The Ringling was something we heard about from Grandma Pauline, and checked out on Trip Advisor.  It looked interesting so we headed to Sarasota to visit.

The complex was large, and there were multiple buildings to see.  We started in the circus museum.  There were many artifacts and items from the circus, and we learned a lot of facts and information we didn't know.

When you walked into one area of the museum, you were greeted with this!  A replica of what the circus had looked like.  It included all the trains, tents, and people involved.  This sight was so amazing, and unexpected.  A huge room was filled with this miniature replica.  The detail, thought, and attention that went into this can only truly be appreciated in person.

Upstairs there were pictures, and a timeline of circus history.  There were also many videos you could watch, and helpful staff around to tell you a story about the Ringlings.

We're both not a fan of clowns!

Next, we went to an area filled with circus memorabilia and experiments.  You could try out tight rope walking, shooting items out of a cannon, and more.  

Mad skills ;)

Near the tightrope exhibit, there was information about the Wallenda family, and one of their performing outfits.  KC got to relive her short brush with fame- when the Wallenda family came to the Anoka County Fair, and she got to spend time in their trailer, and got a tiger whisker from them.  Thanks Dad!

After that, we went to the older circus museum.  Here were were able to see old cages and boxcars.  The intricacies and time dedicated to these boxcars were amazing.  The Ringling family train is also in this museum along with a replica of what circus camps used to be like.

Then we toured the Ca d'Zan Mansion.  John and Mabel Ringling built this house in Sarasota in the 20s because they thought Sarasota was going to become the next big vacation destination.   It's quite the place!

When you have enough money, the Prohibition doesn't apply to you!

Lastly, we toured the gigantic art museum.  John Ringling amassed many pieces of art, and they are housed in this building.