Play

Naples Depot Museum

Posted on May 11, 2013 by kleeyaro

Naples Depot Museum

TEDDY’s RATING: 

The history of Naples and the railway industry in Florida is in full display at the Naples Depot Museum in downtown Naples, Florida. Train enthusiasts and history buffs alike will enjoy the interactive exhibits and artifacts at this small, but entertaining museum.

Interior          Interior

The museum is set inside the restored Seaboard Air Line Railway passenger station which originally opened in 1927. But more than just trains are showcased here. The museum tells the story of Naples and Southwest Florida and “how trade and travel transformed Naples from a small village of 300 into the Gulf Coast resort city it is now.”

Interior          Interior

The museum is free, but donations are welcomed. On Saturdays, kids can ride the miniature train around the property.

Kid's train          Interior train car

The Naples Depot Museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of a group of five museums in Southwest Florida. The others are the Collier County Museum in Naples, the Marco Island Historical Museum on Marco Island, the Museum of the Everglades in Everglades City and the Immokalee Pioneer Museum in Immokalee.

Dates of Visit:  January 2013

http://www.colliermuseums.com/locations/naples_depot.php

If you enjoyed this post, you might like my other blog:  http://ilovebritishtv.com

Categories: Play | Tags: , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

North To Alaska Part 4

Posted on May 4, 2013 by kleeyaro

Denali Express

This day we boarded the Denali Express train taking us from Denali National Park down to the cruise ship port in Whittier.

You would think that a 10 hour train ride would be boring and uncomfortable. But this one wasn’t. The seats were very plush. Everyone had a great view of everything with the glass-domed observation railcars. And there was a Princess Cruise Line “guide” of sorts who told us a lot about the area. His name was Paul. And as it turned out, he was celebrating his 48th wedding anniversary that day. His wife, Doris, was a cruise line employee as well.

Train Interior          Teddy on train

I saw probably the most moose I’ve ever seen in my life while riding on the train. Besides the moose, there was quite a lot of beautiful scenery traveling the almost 300 miles from Denali to Whittier.

Train around bend          Train-scenery

The train had a nice dining car where I tried another unusual meal: macaroni and cheese with reindeer kielbasa. It was quite yummy.

There are two different itineraries for cruise-tours on Princess (and I’m sure other cruise lines do the same thing) where you can either cruise before or after your land portion. We choose after so that we could relax on the latter half of our vacation. The land portion did tend to be hectic, changing hotels every night. So we were glad to be able to have the last seven days be onboard the Island Princess.

Island Princess

TEDDY’s RATING: 

 http://www.princess.com/

At this point, I have to say that I wasn’t all that happy or impressed with Princess Cruise Lines. I had been on a Princess ship way back in the early 1990s on a cruise of the Mediterranean. But since I’ve sailed on Royal Caribbean, I much prefer that line. But Princess had more offerings in Alaska, so we went with them. There were just a lot of little things about Princess that annoyed me, things that I wouldn’t have encountered on a Royal Caribbean ship.

Ship-Atrium          Ship-Pool

The first was that embarkation was unbelievably slow. We got on the ship much later than expected, which meant we got to dinner much later and in turn missed the first stage show that night. Then when they had the mandatory muster (drill in case of emergency, wearing your life jackets, etc.), the audio didn’t work where we were so we had to wait until it got fixed and then listen to the entire presentation again, all while standing cluttered with about 100 other passengers in a hallway.

Teddy-desk          Teddy-balcony

But anyway, we were onboard the ship looking forward to seven days of cruising to Glacier Bay and the three ports: Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan.

Dates of Visit:  June 2011

If you enjoyed this post, you might like my other blog:  http://ilovebritishtv.com

Categories: Eat, Play, Sleep | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Paradise at Naples Botanical Garden

Posted on April 13, 2013 by kleeyaro

Naples Botanical Garden

TEDDY’s RATING: 

There’s nothing more relaxing on a beautiful day than strolling through a lovely, peaceful garden. And one of the most lovely that I’ve been to so far is the Naples Botanical Garden in Naples, Florida.

This 170-acre site is located between the 26th latitude north and the 26 latitude south allowing it to showcase some of most diverse plants from around the globe, including those from Asia, Brazil, the Caribbean and, of course, Florida. And throughout the gardens, there are some amazing sculptures done by a native from Zimbabwe.

Naples Botanical Garden          Naples Botanical Garden

The garden is comprised of 7 areas.

In the Children’s Garden, kids can interact with the environment, water plants, play, and explore the incredible Butterfly Garden.

Teddy at Botanical Garden          Naples Botanical Garden

The Brazilian Garden, with its bold colorful flora, pays tribute to Roberto Burle Marx, known internationally as the “father of modern landscape architecture.”

Naples Botanical Garden          Naples Botanical Garden

The Caribbean Garden features tropical forests, exotic plants and even cactus.

The Karen and Robert Scott Florida Garden displays sabal palms, bougainvillea and silver palmettos, as well as Florida’s grasses, wildflowers and citrus trees.

Naples Botanical Garden          Naples Botanical Garden

The Lea Asian Garden is divided into several different “rooms” depicting the cultural diversity of that area of the world. It’s not just rice paddies and coconut groves. You’ll find ferns, palms, hibiscus and bamboos throughout this area.

Naples Botanical Garden          Naples Botanical Garden

Cross the boardwalk over the Water Garden and see water lilies, lotuses and papyrus.

And The Preserve is a 90-acre nature sanctuary that is home to pines, oaks, marshes, mangroves and hundreds of animal species from eagles to otters, bobcats to tortoises.

Naples Botanical Garden          Naples Botanical Garden

There are also 2.5 miles of walking trails on the property where you can lose yourself in the peace and quiet beauty. It’s also a perfect place for weddings or other events.

The Naples Botanical Garden is open 9-5 daily, 8-5 on Tuesdays.

Dates of Visit:  January 2013

http://www.naplesgarden.org/

If you enjoyed this post, you might like my other blog:  http://ilovebritishtv.com

Categories: Florida, Play | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

North To Alaska Part 2

Posted on April 6, 2013 by kleeyaro

Mt. McKinley Princess Lodge sign
The second leg of our Alaska cruise-tour didn’t start off all that well, but it ended up being great. We were told that the bus would pick us up to take us to the Mount McKinley Princess Lodge at 10am. Well, were waiting in the room and got a call at 9am asking where we were! We were told the wrong time. Luckily, we were ready to go and ran down to get the bus.

It was a three hour drive from Anchorage to Mount McKinley. Of all the sites and experiences I had in Alaska, seeing Mount McKinley is one of the best. We were very fortunate to have had a crystal clear sky, no fog, no clouds obstructing the view of the very top of the highest peak in North America.

Teddy at Mt McKinley          Mt. McKinley

Here are some facts about Mount McKinley:

Mount McKinley is also called “Denali,” which means “The High One” in the native Koyukon Athabaskan tongue. It is the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve.

The summit is 20,320 feet above sea level.

The first recorded attempt to climb the mountain was by James Wickersham in 1903. He climbed the Peters Glacier and the North Face which is now known as Wickersham Wall.

The first ascent of the main summit was on June 7, 1913. And the first man to reach the summit was an Alaska native, Walter Harper.

In 1947, Barbara Washburn became the first woman to reach the summit. And her husband, Bradford, became the first to reach the summit twice.

The first solo ascent was by Naomi Uemura in 1970. Sadly, she died upon returning in 1984 to make the first winter solo ascent.

Mt. McKinley Princess Lodge

TEDDY’s RATING: 

http://www.princesslodges.com/mckinley-lodge.cfm

The Mt. McKinley Princess Lodge, though affiliated with Princess Cruise Lines, is not exclusive to the cruise line. You can stay there even if you’re not booked on one of their cruises. (But I’ve read that you get a better room with a better view if you are.) The rooms were nicely appointed and large, but the property is so big you have to take a shuttle from the main building to many of the outer buildings where the rooms are.

When we arrived we had a nice lunch at the Grizzly Bar which had a great view of the mountain. Then we walked around a nature trail on the property.

Teddy-McKinley window          McKinley Room

We had booked a horseback riding excursion at 5pm. We were picked up at the hotel and taken to the horseback riding place. Our guide was Laramie – what a character! We were the only two on the trail ride and he told us some colorful stories about his life as a rodeo performer. He was only 26 and already had an artificial hip. The trail ride lasted about an hour and we got even closer to Mt. McKinley. The view was like something from a John Wayne movie.

Horseback Riding          Horseback Riding

For dinner, we ate at the 20,320 Alaska Grill, named after the height of McKinley.

The next day we would be exploring Denali National Park.

Dates of Visit:  June 2011

If you enjoyed this post, you might like my other blog:  http://ilovebritishtv.com

Categories: Play, Sleep | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

North To Alaska Part 1

Posted on March 30, 2013 by kleeyaro

AnchorageThere are a lot of people who have said that a trip to Alaska will change your life. Now, I know they are referring to experiencing the majestic beauty of our 50th state, snow-capped Mt. McKinley, Denali’s population of amazing animals, glaciers, whales and more. I did greatly enjoy all those things, but not to such an extent that I’d rush right back there anytime soon. The major life changing experience I had was how much the trip depleted my bank account. But don’t get me wrong. I am very glad I went. It’s a trip I had always wanted to take and one that I did enjoy very much.

I’ll be posting about my trip to Alaska in several parts over the coming weeks. Part 1 is about the first leg of this 10-day cruise-tour which started in the city of Anchorage.

Though Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska, it’s not the capital. (The capital is Juneau.) Over 40% of the population of the whole state lives in Anchorage. More than 60 glaciers, 6 mountain ranges, 300 miles of wilderness trails, and the nation’s 3rd largest state park are all around Anchorage. There’s even a salmon stream downtown!

TEDDY’s RATING: 

http://captaincook.com/

Hotel Captain Cook          Teddy-robe

We arrived around 11pm and it was still light outside. For this first night, we stayed at the Hotel Captain Cook, a very nice, nautical-themed upscale hotel. Unfortunately, arriving that late meant that no restaurants were open. So, room service was the only option for any food. Chicken pot pie for a midnight snack?

The next morning we wandered around town, stopped at the Anchorage Farmer’s Market and then visited the Anchorage Museum.

TEDDY’s RATING: 

http://www.anchoragemuseum.org/

Anchorage Museum          Anchorage Museum

Opened in 1968, the Anchorage Museum has a great collection of artifacts and exhibits about the unique history and culture of Alaska and its people. We spent several hours in there and didn’t even see all the museum had to offer.

Anchorage Museum          Teddy at Anchorage Museum

TEDDY’s RATING: 

http://www.flyrusts.com/

Rust's          Rust's

After a quick early dinner, it was time for our flight-seeing ”safari” over the city. A bus came to the hotel to pick us up and take us to Rust’s Flying Service. I was a little apprehensive about flying in such a small aircraft, but it was a fantastic experience.

Rusts Flightseeing          Mountains

The half hour tour took us over Anchorage, the Chugach Mountain range and Cook Inlet. Unfortunately, there weren’t any sheep, bears or moose in sight during our flight. But it was very picturesque and the pilot, Andy, very entertaining and knowledgeable. And you wouldn’t believe how smooth a floatplane’s takeoff and landing are. I highly recommend this type of sightseeing tour, in Alaska or anywhere.

Early to bed that night for the next day we were to begin our cruise-tour, starting at Mt. McKinley.

Dates of Visit:  June 2011

If you enjoyed this post, you might like my other blog:  http://ilovebritishtv.com

Categories: Play, Sleep | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Historic Tower of London

Posted on February 23, 2013 by kleeyaro

Tower of London

TEDDY’s RATING: 

There are over 900 years of history surrounding the Tower of London. That’s much too much to write about here. So, I’m not going to go into every detail. But I wanted to write about The Tower of London because it is a must-see if you ever get a chance to visit England’s capital city.

Over those hundreds of years, the Tower served as a royal palace, prison, armory, treasury, the home to the Royal Mint and the Crown Jewels, and even a zoo. Today it’s one of London’s most popular tourist attractions.

Tower of London         Tower of London

Construction started on The White Tower, the huge building in the middle of the site, in 1066 by William the Conqueror. Throughout the years, the fortress was expanded. Other towers, barracks and halls were built by the reigning kings.

One of the best ways to tour the site is guided by one of the famous Yeoman Warders, or Beefeaters. They’re not just tour guides, they’re Tower of London historians and can answer pretty much any question you have about the site. Yeoman Warders have been a part of the Tower since around 1509 and were originally royal bodyguards.

Yeoman Warder          Tower of London

The Crown Jewels of the UK are housed in the Waterloo Barracks building. Though photographs are prohibited, the crown jewels are definitely worth seeing in person.

Waterloo Barracks          Model

Fans of military history will enjoy seeing the various suits of armor worn by kings throughout the centuries. And you can see what life was like living at the Tower in the Medieval Palace, residence for many of the kings and queens of England.

Armor          Armor

In addition to being the famous site of various executions, including those of Henry the VIII’s wives Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, the Tower of London is also home to a small flock of ravens. Legend has it that Charles II said that if the ravens ever left the Tower, the monarchy would fall. The ravens are still there and so is the UK.

Raven          Tower of London

Even if you aren’t a history buff, The Tower of London is one of the iconic landmarks in the city and worth taking a look at.

Dates of Visit:  May 2005

http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/ 

If you enjoyed this post, you might like my other blog:  http://ilovebritishtv.com

Categories: Play | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ca’ d’Zan: An Italian Mansion in Sarasota

Posted on February 16, 2013 by kleeyaro

Ca' d'Zan exterior

TEDDY’s RATING: 

A few months ago, a TV station in Tampa aired a story about the Ca’ d’Zan mansion in Sarasota. I remembered that I had been there several years ago and found all the photos I had taken. So, I thought I’d write about this amazing home built for John and Mable Ringling of Ringling Bros. Circus fame.

The Ringlings loved the city of Venice, Italy and wanted their winter home to reflect the beauty and grandeur of the Venetian Gothic architecture they admired. They commissioned architect Dwight James Baum to design the house. It was completed at the end of 1925 at a cost of $1.5 million.

Interior Ca' d'Zan          Interior Ca' d'Zan

Interior Ca' d'Zan          Interior Ca' d'Zan

Ca’ d’Zan, which means “House of John” in Venetian, has 41 rooms filled with art and original furnishings, about 95% of them are original pieces purchased by Mable. There are 15 bathrooms in this five story, 36,000 square foot residence. The mansion overlooks Sarasota Bay, a location that the Ringlings chose because it reminded them of the Grand Canal of Venice.

Interior Ca' d'Zan          Interior Ca' d'Zan

After completing the Ca’ d’Zan mansion, Ringling commissioned the building of an art museum on the property to house his personal art collection. The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is the official state art museum of Florida. It opened in October of 1931.

Ext Museum          Museum

Museum          Museum

The 21 galleries contain more than 10,000 objects including sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, tapestries and paintings, some by world-renowned artists Rubens, El Greco, Titian, van Dyck and Tintoretto. The museum emulates the Uffizi Gallery of Florence, Italy.

Museum          Museum

Dates of Visit:  June 2003

http://www.ringling.org/

If you enjoyed this post, you might like my other blog:  http://ilovebritishtv.com

Categories: Florida, Play | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Architecture of EPCOT

Posted on February 9, 2013 by kleeyaro

Japanese Torii

TEDDY’s RATING: 

For those of you who have been following my blog for the past year, (Wow! A year already. Thank you to everyone!) you know that my favorite Walt Disney World theme park is EPCOT. And my favorite part of EPCOT is World Showcase. I’ve always loved to travel and around World Showcase you can visit 10 foreign countries all in one afternoon.

To pay tribute to those countries around the lagoon and to give you a taste of what those countries are really like, the Disney Imagineers did a beautiful job of recreating the architecture of each country when they designed the different pavilions. I’ve gathered some photos from both EPCOT and the countries to give you a comparison. EPCOT photos on the left, real places on the right.

Canada is patterned after a 19th century French chateau in Quebec City.

Canada Pavilion            Canada Quebec City

The toy store in the United Kingdom pavilion is designed to look like Hampton Court Castle.

UK Toy Store    Hampton Court Castle

And, of course, there’s Paris, France’s iconic Eiffel Tower.

France Pavilion  Eiffel Tower

Morocco features a replica of the Koutoubia Minaret in Marrakesh.

Morocco pavilion            Minaret in Marrakesh

Japan’s pagoda is representative of many pagodas of the Far East.

Japan Pavilion           Pagoda in Japan

The US pavilion’s colonial-style was inspired by Independence Hall, Boston’s Old State House, Jefferson’s Monticello and Colonial Williamsburg.

American Adventure      Independence Hall

Italy looks just like the Doges Palace in St. Mark’s Square in Venice.

Italy Pavilion     Italy Doges Palace

Germany’s architecture pays homage to the German town square, or Platz, from the 16th century.

Germany Pavilion   German village

The centerpiece of China is the Temple of Heaven. The original is in Beijing.

China pavilion            Temple of Heaven Beijing

Norway harkens back to the days of Vikings and includes a Stave Church.

Norway pavilion            Stave Church

And Mexico was designed to look like the Aztec Temple of Quetzalcoatl.

Mexico pavilion            Aztec temple

I’m sure a lot of people don’t really consider the architecture of the theme parks, but when these buildings were designed, as with all the buildings at Walt Disney World, a lot of thought was put into them to make them as realistic as possible, giving park guests a truly immersive experience.

Dates of Visit:  Various

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/epcot/

If you enjoyed this post, you might like my other blog:  http://ilovebritishtv.com

Categories: Disney, Play | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Come Sail Away – Captiva Cruises

Posted on January 26, 2013 by kleeyaro

Captiva cruise Cabbage Key

TEDDY’s RATING: 

One of the best ways to get to know some of the islands off the coast of Ft. Myers, Florida, is to board one of Captiva Cruises, north of Sanibel Island.

Captiva Cruises has been operating their tours since 1986. They have several great excursions to choose from. Their cruises include the following: dolphin watch and wildlife adventure, a sunset serenade, beach and shelling, sailing cruises and half day cruises to several of the out-islands including Useppa Island, Boca Grande, Cayo Costa, and the one we took to Cabbage Key.

Captiva cruises          Captiva cruise-Restaurant

We boarded our boat for the one hour ride out to Cabbage Key. Captain Yogi Schmidt was our tour guide. He filled us in on a lot of history about the area including a detailed story of the damage Sanibel Island suffered during Hurricane Charlie in 2004.

Cabbage Key is an isolated island in Pine Island Sound. It’s considered a true “old Florida island hideaway.” There’s a main house on the island which is an inn and restaurant. It was built in 1938 by playwright and novelist Mary Roberts Rinehart. There are also several small cottages on the property available to rent.

Cabbage Key cottage          Captiva cruises-water tower

It is rumored that Jimmy Buffet was inspired to write his song “Cheeseburger in Paradise” while on Cabbage Key. Although Captain Yogi said he’s heard that same rumor on various islands, even as far east as the Bahamas. Jimmy Buffet is not confirming or denying where he got the idea for the song.

Captiva cruises-tower view          Captiva cruises

But one thing is for certain, the restaurant at Cabbage Key is one that’s decorated like no other. The walls are covered with thousands and thousands of one dollar bills. The tradition of taping an autographed dollar to the ceiling or walls of the restaurant started with the fisherman who used to come into the area after their trips to sea. If they had a good catch that year, they’d sign their name on their money and tape it up inside the restaurant so that they could use it when they had a bad year.

Captiva cruises-money on ceiling          Captiva cruises-outside restaurant

Other than having lunch at the restaurant, there’s not much else to do on Cabbage Key. There is a short nature trail that meanders through the island. And you can climb the water tower to get a great view of the area.

Captiva cruises-Cabbage Key trail          Captiva cruises-Cabbage Key house

If you’re looking for a truly relaxing day on the water and a chance to explore the out-islands off Florida’s southern west coast, take a tour with Captiva Cruises.

Dates of Visit:  October 2012

http://www.captivacruises.com/

If you enjoyed this post, you might like my other blog:  http://ilovebritishtv.com

Categories: Florida, Play | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The New Fantasyland

Posted on January 12, 2013 by kleeyaro

Prince Eric's Castle

TEDDY’s RATING: 

I know that this is old news. So many people have already posted about the opening of the new Fantasyland at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. But I wanted to wait a while before heading over to check it out, wait for the crowds to die down a bit.

The Magic Kingdom has been open for 41 years (Wow!) and this is the largest expansion it has ever undergone. Fantasyland will now be twice its original size, now 21 acres. It was built on the site of the original 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction.

The new Fantasyland is opening in stages. This first stage includes the Enchanted Forest and Storybook Circus.

In the Enchanted Forest, you’ll be immersed in the worlds of the Disney films Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid. The centerpiece of the Enchanted Forest is the Beast’s Castle, high atop the mountain. Gaston’s Tavern, Bonjour Village Gifts and the Be Our Guest Restaurant are also in the Beauty and the Beast area.

Beast's Castle          Be Our Guest Restaurant

The Be Our Guest Restaurant has three unique dining rooms, all featuring themes from Beauty and the Beast. This restaurant serves French-inspired cuisine, like salad Nicoise, croque monsieur and French onion soup. It is also the first restaurant in the Magic Kingdom to serve alcohol.

Attractions within the Enchanted Forest are Under the Sea-Journey of the Little Mermaid, where you board giant clamshells and ride through Ariel’s world; Ariel’s Grotto, where you can meet all the characters from The Little Mermaid; and Enchanted Tales with Belle, a doorway into the story of Belle and the Beast.

Ariel's Grotto          Gaston's Tavern

Storybook Circus is now where you can find The Barnstormer roller coaster and the new and improved Dumbo ride. There are actually two Dumbo rides now, one that goes clockwise and the other counter-clockwise.

Mine train artwork

The next stage of the new Fantasyland, opening in 2013, will include Princess Fairytale Hall where you’ll be able to meet all the Disney princesses. And then, in 2014, you can experience the thrills of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, a roller coaster that swings side-to-side while the train is in motion.

Dates of Visit:  December 2012

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/magic-kingdom/new-fantasyland/

If you enjoyed this post, you might like my other blog:  http://ilovebritishtv.com

Categories: Disney, Eat, Florida, Play | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Blog at WordPress.com. Theme: Adventure Journal by Contexture International.