By
Gypsy Rhapsody
(I am a Vintage Airstream (1977) writing about my journey with my owners, Vannie and Dave. We have been about a month in Florida on this present adventure.)
Florida...what a beautiful place...
Vannie and Dave are hitting the road as soon as the sun comes up
for a three day adventure across the state.
Heading to Lakeland, St. Pete's Beach, Clearwater, and Sarasota...
I, of course, will be hanging around the RV park...RELAXING.
Near Lakeland, Dave spotted these poinsettia.
Hey, Guys, Christmas is over.
Tom and Lin Davies with V and D
Tom and Lin were friends from The Bayou Church back in Lafayette.
They moved to Florida several years ago.
Tom and Lin treated V and D to a delicious meal at the Golf Club Restaurant.
This is Todd Hoffpauir. Vannie taught him in second grade at
Broadmoor Elementary in Lafayette waaayyy back in the day.
She had not seen him since elementary school. He discovered she was
in Florida on FB...so he contacted her and asked if she would like to
do a little pet sitting for a couple of days while he and his girlfriend
went on a little trip. Perfect for V and D
Todd and Kim live in St. Pete Beach, FL which is just south of
the Tampa area.
They even had to reenact the second grade classroom scene.
Too funny.
"Minou"
"Boudreaux"
"Kitty"
After feeding these 3, V and D headed to Clearwater.
This is Carole Arceneaux.
Carole was also a former The Bayou Church member.
She now lives and works in Clearwater.
V and D love hooking up with old friends.
Carole was a wonderful tour guide.
Their first stop was the library.
It seems like the libraries are always the places to go.
This one had a fabulous view that Carole just had to show them.
Next was the ferry ride over to Clearwater Beach.
Lots of people on spring break.
Vannie and Carole...Just hangin' with this big yellow sea turtle
This is where Carole works...Ron Jon's.
They are all over the place in Florida.
Great clothes and beach stuff.
Dave bought a great Hawaii shirt.
I am sure it will pop up in a future post.
Frenchy's Restaurant...Delicious
Pecan Encrusted Grouper Salad...YUM
V and D enjoyed seeing Carole so much.
V said that when she can see a familiar face once in a while,
she doesn't feel so far from home.
Next day...Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg.
This is the large glass entryway. It is made of 1.5 inch thick glass.
The walls of the museum are 18 inch concrete...hopefully, built to withstand a hurricane.
It is called "Enigma".
Vannie said that word could also be used to describe some of Dali's paintings.
"The Persistence of Memory" Series
Dali described these paintings as "hand-painted dream photographs."
So Dave...getting into the "dream" mode?
Quote..."Every morning when I wake up, I experience joy...the joy of being Salvador Dali...
and I ask myself in rapture what wonderful things is this Salvador Dali going to accomplish today?"
Dave posing with "the mustache"...dreaming about what he is going to accomplish that day.
Inside the museum
Largest free-standing staircase in the world (according to the docent)
V and D's docent to the museum
They like her so well, they had lunch with her.
...Judith...
V walking the wonderful and meditative labyrinth.
It was on the grounds of the museum.
Dave said it was a nice quiet end to the museum experience.
After going back to Todd's house and feeding the animals,
V and D headed to the old Tampa Theater.
Another stop on Dave's bucket list...
His dad, Caldwell, was stationed at MacDill Field near Tampa, FL. 1943.
Pearl (D's mom) had come to meet him although he was only there a month.
Dave had heard the story all of his life about his mom and dad
going to the Tampa Theater...sitting in the balcony, seeing stars on the ceiling,
listening to the lady play the organ before the movie, watching the stage floor
open up and "swallow" the lady when she was finished...
Sooooo...
Here's the stars on the ceiling...
and here's the lady playing the organ before the movie...
Vannie said the floor really did "swallow" the lady up...
...and they sat in the balcony...
all in honor of Caldwell and Pearl.
Magical Evening
...The Ringling Brothers Circus Museum, Home, Art Galleries...Sarasota, FL.
V and D said goodbye to Todd, Kim, Broudreaux, Minou, and Kitty
and drove down the coast highway to Sarasota, FL.
Vannie's Cousin Janet had painted wonderful pictures
with her stories of the John and Mabel Ringling's home and grounds...
so they couldn't leave this part of Florida without seeing it.
The home is a Venetian style mansion called Ca' d'Zan,
which means House of John.
Look, you can see Dave heading down the sidewalk
to make his grand entrance.
...A work on art in it's self...
John Ringling had pretty much lost all his fortune before he died,
but (thankfully) he had left everything to the State of Florida in his will....
...so his creditors could not take it all.
He had $311 in the bank at his death.
I wonder if V and D have left me to the State of Louisiana
upon their death. I think we better discuss this situation.
...the ceiling in the room that was just for dancing...
Vannie said that each of those octagons had paintings of
dancers from different countries.
V and D (who are dancer's wantabe's) dream of dancing
in this beautiful dance hall.
I'm sure they do...but it's not going to happen, folks.
...the chandelier bought when the old Waldorf Hotel bit the dust in NYC...
There was just so much more...
Vannie said to please google it...it would be worth your time.
Vannie loved this walk through the banyan trees.
Now...for the art museums.
The Ringling's had an extensive art collection.
There's Dave taking out his map to establish their whereabouts.
... the Center of Asian Arts was one of their faves...
It is not officially opened yet, but they did have a sneak preview.
These are the jade green terra cotta panels adorning the exterior walls.
There are 3000 of the glazed handcrafted tiles.
Ha Ha Ha...this is Dave trying to look like the man and his daughter.
I don't think Vannie did as good a job as reenacting as Dave.
Come on, Girl, get with the program.
On leaving that part of the museum, V and D experienced the coy ponds.
I think this photo looks like a painting.
In the late 1920's, John and Mabel went ga-ga over Rubens.
They purchased several of his paintings and tapestries.
Vannie said that she actually gasped when she entered this room.
Now, it looks like it's time to have some real fun...
the Circus Museums.
These guys actually still hand crave circus animals.
They had photographs they were going by to get it just right.
Dave said that the lady showed him a photograph of the foot of the camel.
They were trying to depict the width of the hairs...good grief.
OK, Girl, don't come home and complain about your sciatica.
I am not going to be sympathetic after seeing this pic.
Funny...I especially like that Dave left on his "Saints" hat.
"Let the Show Begin."
Well, it is about time.
They finally decided it was time to come home.
I think they were very glad to see me.
They didn't say much. They just hit the sack
and barely spoke until the next day.
