Our good friend from Chicago lives the winter months in
Gulfport just next to St. Petersburg, Florida.
That leaves his condo vacant and he was so generous to let us use it for
the July 4th holiday. Florida
in July? You bet! Tennessee is always hotter and more humid. Most likely will be cooler in Gulfport with beautiful breezes off the Gulf of Mexico. The only drawback in Florida is this is the
rainy season and it will rain at the drop of a hat. And talk about electrical storms….they can
pop up in a heartbeat and become brutal.
Our days were filled with pool time and the most important
thing to worry about is what was where to go for supper, since the only thing I had planned is a reservation.
We never had a problem with that since the restaurant choices are
overwhelming. I did choose some of my favorites and ventured into
some new favorites. Looking forward the
next trip to return. I do have a few reviews on my "
On the Town Dining" blog.
Wednesday afternoon took us to the new
Dali Art Museum in downtown
St. Pete. This was my second visit and I
must say, I learned even more on this trip.
I would highly recommend a visit if you are in the area.
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| Dali Art Museum from The Pier in St. Pete |
Thursday took us to Busch Gardens in Tampa. I had
not visited
Busch Gardens since 1987 and everything changed over the
years. We purchased our tickets at their
website which was very convenient. Also,
we chose the Valet Parking they offer.
That was great since at the end of the day…we had another monsoon
downpour!
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| At The Entrance |
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| Kangaroo Topiary |
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| Lovely Water throughout the Gardens |
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| Gardens Galore |
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| Pink Flamingos |
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| Butterfly Topiary were beautiful |
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| Up Close Bird Sanctuary...but be careful....THEY BITE! |
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| Friendly Parrot |
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| Lovely Pastoral Scene from the Train |
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| Breathtaking Views |
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| Water Features abound |
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| Then the Rains came! |
We enjoyed a very nice day.....and it was a full day to enjoy. But as usual, about five every afternoon the rains start and today was no exception....it was a downpour that lasted at least 45 minutes.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures..as much as I enjoy capturing them!
Saturday brought our great vacation to a close and it was time to get on the road back to Tennessee. We can make it in 12 hours to home but that makes for such a long day. Loved our trip and glad to be back at home!
Bon Appétit
and
Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!
2 comments:
I loved your tour Bill and I don't think there's anything wrong with Florida in July.
I'm ashamed to say we lived in St. Pete for a year and never visited Busch Gardens. What a lovely place. My husband did take my sister to the Dali Museum and, like you, he would like to go back. He said there was so much to see in his paintings that it was almost too much for just one visit. Next time I'll be sure to be with him.
Thanks for taking us along. You are an excellent tour guide and if it hadn't been for you, I still wouldn't have seen Busch Gardens.
Sam
Wow---what a great trip you all had.. A free condo in FL just waiting for you.. That is awesome. Thanks for your friends!!!!!
Busch Gardens certainly has changed since the 70's --which is the last time I was there.... Gorgeous!!!!
Wish we could get some rain up here this week. It is DANG HOT..... Yuk!!!!
Betsy
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