Day Tripping Around Florida.............Sunken Gardens

The sign that has been welcoming visitors to Sunken Gardens for years!

In theory it's supposed to be cooling off in Florida now.  The first official day of fall was a week ago.  As we all know, sometimes theories don't work out.  So far the theory of it cooling off hasn't proven to be much of a reality around these parts.  Yesterday it was in the lower 90's with plenty of humidity to go along with the heat.
To celebrate the arrival of fall Beth and I have put together a list of around 15 or so local attractions/places of interest that will be easy day trips.  Our goal is to do one a week while we are here.  Undeterred by the somewhat oppressive heat we started checking them off yesterday.
First up, was a visit to Sunken Gardens, one of the oldest of Florida's "roadside attractions".  In case you're wondering, a "roadside attraction" is defined by Wikipedia as a feature along the side of the road that is meant to attract tourists.  Sunken Gardens has been doing that since 1935, long before the biggies such as Disney, Universal Studios, Sea World and Busch Gardens existed.

The entrance to Sunken Gardens in the 60's

The history of the gardens and how it came to be actually goes back to 1903.  A gentleman named George Turner, Sr.  purchased four acres of property in what at the time was on the outskirts of downtown St. Petersburg.  Mr. Turner was a plumber by trade, but also an avid gardener.  He figured the best soil for creating a nice garden was at the bottom of a small lake.  He drained the lake and developed his garden in the area which sat 15 feet below street level.  Without the aid of a marketing/public relations firm he came up with the very creative and accurate name of Turner's Sunken Gardens.
As word of the lush gardens spread, locals and tourists began to stop by wanting to walk through the gardens.  In true entrepreneurial spirit, he started charging 25 cents (about $4.50 in todays terms) for visitors to enjoy his creation.
As St. Petersburg grew, so did the popularity of Sunken Gardens.  In the 50's the gardens added wildlife such as monkeys, alligators, flamingos and other birds to the collection of tropical plants and flowers.  In 1967 it expanded even more, opening what was then billed as the world's largest gift shop.
As larger tourist attractions began to make their way into the state, interest in the gardens started to decline.  Thankfully Sunken Gardens didn't suffer the same fate as many of these attractions.  In 1998 it was designated as a historic landmark and in 1999 was purchased by the city of St. Petersburg.
While there are a few animals remaining (flamingos, parrots, koi and the biggest alligator snapping turtle that I've ever seen), Sunken Gardens is once again mainly a lush garden oasis in what has now become a busy section of St. Petersburg.

Koi Pond

Spiral Ginger Plant

In her day NaNa was an expert at growing crotons...….she said these were some of the largest she had ever seen!

Birds of a feather...…...

We purchased a one year family membership using a groupon.  Not only does this give us unlimited admission for the year, we also get admission to over 200 Botanical Gardens around the US.  With the groupon and reciprocal agreement we feel we got as good of a deal as those folks who paid a quarter back in 1935!   We already have plans to visit several gardens around Florida with NaNa, and Beth and I will use it as we travel around the United States.

Reciprocal Gardens Directory

Children's Area.  You can tell you're in Florida.  Check out the lizard on the arm of the largest minion.

As for our visit to Sunken Gardens, it was great!  We spent about an hour and a half (which is all the time you need to devote for a visit) roaming through the gardens enjoying the shaded paths on a sunny, hot Sunday afternoon.
Sunken Gardens is easy to reach, the parking is free, there are a number of restaurants in the area (the gardens shares their parking lot with a Carrabba's that gives a 20% discount if you show your ticket) and is a real blast from the past!

The paths are somewhat narrow but it is wheelchair accessible throughout most of the gardens

There are numerous restaurants along 4th street.  We enjoyed an inexpensive and very good lunch at Fourth Street Shrimp Company.

There are no thrill rides or technological wonders to behold at Sunken Gardens.  It's just a simple garden with benches, picnic tables, and nice shaded walking paths........just the way George Turner Sr. intended.  I'm sure it's a place we will enjoy "day tripping" to again.

Sunken Gardens

   

Anna Maria City Pier........slowly but surely making a comeback

One of the oldest and most iconic landmarks on Anna Maria Island for over 100 years was the Anna Maria City Pier.  I've mentioned it and posted pictures of the pier in a number of blogs over the years.  It's a place, we along with generations of locals and visitors, have enjoyed tremendously..
The construction of the 776 foot long pier in 1911 was championed by Will Bean, whose father had homesteaded a large parcel of land on the island, and Charles Roser.  The pier opened up the island for tourism and development by giving larger paddle wheel steamships from Tampa and St. Petersburg places to dock. It wasn't until 1922 that the Cortez Bridge was built, which connected the mainland to the island.  Beth's mom (NaNa for anyone who may be new to this blog) who was born in 1928 recalls, as a child, crossing over the one lane wooden bridge with her parents.
Both the Bean and Roser families are remembered on the island for their early contributions.  The north end of the island is known as Bean Point and the Roser Memorial Chapel, which was funded by Roser opened it's doors as a community church in 1913.  There is an interesting side note on Charles Roser.  A significant portion of his wealth came as a result of him inventing, and then selling, the recipe and process for making the fig newton to the National Biscuit Company (NABISCO).  Both the cookie and the community church are still going strong.

Roser Memorial Chapel in the early days

Roser Memorial Chapel today.  

The chapel is still used today, but a larger sanctuary has been built.

Through the decades since the pier was built, it underwent numerous renovations and upgrades.  Some of them were due to natural wear and tear.  It also took a beating from numerous storms and hurricanes.  Strong hurricanes in 1918, 1935, 1974 and 1988 caused significant damage, but the basic structure survived.  It looked a little bruised, battered and beaten but was a really cool place for a casual walk or to enjoy a meal.  There was constant entertainment provided by the pelicans, who were frequently joined by dolphins and an occasional manatee.  There was also plenty of entertainment provided by the numerous fisherman who could be divided into two groups.  Those that knew what they were doing and those who didn't have a clue.  The "those that didn't have a clue" group was usually the larger group.  They posed more of a threat to the fellow human beings they were sharing the pier with than to the fish they were trying to catch.

NaNa giving Sweet Baby James a ride on the pier.  Sept 7, 2016...….one year and three days before the hurricane.

Family photo on the pier.

Sept. 7, 2016

There was a small restaurant on the right side and a "bait and beer" (two things that naturally go together) store on the left

Unfortunately the knockout punch for the pier was delivered in early September, 2017 by Hurricane Irma.  This hurricane brushed up the west coast of Florida as a category 3 storm.  After the hurricane passed, and the damage was accessed, it was determined that it wasn't practical to repair the pier.  It was a sad day for residents and visitors alike to see it closed and eventually torn down.

A picture I took the day after the hurricane

A photograph from the Islander Newspaper taken shortly after Hurricane Irma

Plans to build a new pier started almost immediately.  However, with numerous issues such as funding, design, contractor selection and permitting it wasn't exactly an overnight process.  When we are on the island we spend quite a bit of time at the Bayfront Park so we've watched the process play out.  First with the demolition of the old pier, and then the new pier slowly taking shape out into the water of Tampa Bay.  I was happy to see that renderings of the new pier showed that it will look very similar to the one that was loved by so many.  There will be a restaurant along with a bait and beer store.  Of course, it  will take a hundred years or so for the new one to develop the character that the old one had.

Pilings for the new pier being driven.  April 4, 2019

Repairing the damage done by the barge.  Trusses are on the end of the pier waiting to be assembled.  

Sept. 28, 2019

We're looking forward to the gate and no trespassing signs coming down!

According to Anna Maria Mayor, Dan Murphy, in a recent update he gave to the city council the pier is on track to be completed in December.  However, shortly after his update,  as construction of the restaurant and bait shop were about to begin a barge accidently rammed and damaged a couple of pilings. The pilings are being repaired now and hopefully there won't be any further delays.
As we've sat under the shade of the Australian Pines between Bay Street and the water this week, we've enjoyed watching the construction and looking forward to once again strolling the pier.
NaNa is predicting it reopening on her birthday, September 24, 2020.  Beth and I are hoping she's wrong and that it's much sooner!

No blog about Anna Maria Island is complete without a sunset picture.

Sept. 26, 2019

Fort Bragg fun with the Martin Family!

We spent three nights in Fort Bragg.  Sarah, Joey and James drove up from Novato Thursday evening and it's been a nonstop party every since.  As you can probably imagine, James has been the life of the party.  He's kept us all laughing and entertained from early morning until after the sun goes down.  In addition to James, we've been entertained by a family of five deer that live in the field beside the house.  They can often be found grazing in the front yard or hanging out in the shade of some cedar trees.

The Swinging Martin Men

MacKerricher State Marine Conservation Area

Fort Bragg is a coastal city of just over 7,000 located in Mendocino County.  The Airbnb we stayed at had great views of the Pacific Ocean and Noyo Bay.  Because of Fort Bragg's proximity to the water it is a popular tourist destination.  Two of it's most popular attractions are Glass Beach and the Skunk Train.
Glass Beach is exactly as the name implies.  It's a small beach that is covered with small pieces of glass.  How they got there is a true "trash to treasures" story.  From the late 40's to the mid-60's the site served as the town trash dump.  In a stroke of brilliance someone realized it probably wasn't a good idea to dump trash along what otherwise was a beautiful coast line.  Not only did they stop dumping but a massive cleanup effort was undertaken and much of the trash was removed.  What was left behind was literally millions of small pieces of glass that had been broken up and smoothed by the crashing waves and rocks.  Today there are small pieces of smooth glass of all colors, much like a typical beach with seashells.  There is a local ordinance prohibiting visitors from removing the glass, although we understand it's frequently taken and used in jewelry and household decorations.

Glass Beach!

James and MiMi hanging out along the shore of Glass Beach

So much glass...….

Fun, Fun Fun!

King James and his assistant at the top of the hill

Dirty Hands=Happy Faces

The skunk train takes visitors on a one hour ride through the surrounding redwoods.  It got it's name back in the early 1900's when the railroad first starting single unit self propelled motorcars. The cars had pot bellied stoves that burned crude oil.  According to legend, the residents named them skunk trains because you could smell them before you could see them.

James giving the engineer of the Skunk Train some last minute instructions

Three stinkers in front of the Skunk Train

Noyo Headlands Coastal Trail

Joey had to leave us on Saturday afternoon to prepare for church on Sunday.  Before he left we had a nice lunch at the Noyo Fish Company, a small casual restaurant with outdoor seating right on the harbor.

The rest of us enjoyed one more night in Fort Bragg before making the three hour drive to the Martin house in Novato.  We're looking forward to refinishing a cedar chest for Emma Joy's room.  It was given to Beth and I by my parents when we got married.  It's got some miles and years on it and it's exciting to see it getting repurposed and ready for Emma Joy's arrival!

Crusing Highway 101 and the Pacific Coast Highway........Trinidad, Ca to Fort Bragg, Ca

Another similar looking selfie, this time from a stop somewhere along the Pacific Coast Highway

Like the previous day's drive, google maps showed this drive to be a little over three hours.  Also, like the previous day's drive, because of the numerous stops to enjoy the scenery it took us over six hours to make the 156 mile drive.
At times we were hugging the Pacific coast line.  At other times we were surrounded by massive redwood trees on both sides of the two lane road.  While at other times, we had redwoods on the left side of the car and the ocean on the right hand side.
The U.S. 101 portion of the drive was for the first 113 miles.  We did a slight diversion off the highway to take the "Avenue of the Giants" scenic byway.  This byway is actually part of the original U.S. 101, running parallel to it, but on a narrow road cut through the redwoods.  There are numerous entrances and exits from U.S. 101.  If you stay on it the whole way it's a little over 30 miles.

Gives new meaning to the word "tree house"

You could get a neck ache looking up to the tops of the trees

The area where we were standing when we took this picture was once the town of Dyerville.  The entire town was swept away during a flood in 1955.

The top of the sign shows the high water mark for the 1964 flood.  The river is about 50 feet down a slope on the left hand side of the road.

A little bit after 12:00 noon we decided to stop for lunch in the town of Garberville.  As we drove in we both quickly picked up on the fact that we didn't look like the rest of the folks walking along main street.  Young or old it didn't matter, tie dye and sandals were the clothing of choice and everyone seemed to be happily mellow.  The restaurant that we picked was good, but while sitting at the table we saw a poster that confirmed our suspicions.  Unfortunately, we were a few days early for the Feast of Flowers Cannabis Cup!  A quick google search and we learned that the economic driver of Garberville is marijuana cultivation (legal) and that it even has a Cannabis College!  According to the BBC, the town is the marijuana heartland of the US.  Even though it's only around 500 feet above sea level, Garberville is quite possibly the highest place in California!

I'll bet this would have been very entertaining!

The final 43 miles were on California State Route 1, which is also known as the Pacific Coast Highway.  As amazing as the scenery, was the number of curves along the way.  We've driven a bunch of curvy roads in our time.  Some of them may have been as winding as this one, but neither of us could recall one with more twists and turns.

Along the winding Pacific Coast Highway

Two days on the road, some nice pictures and even more great memories!

The welcoming committee at our Airbnb in Fort Bragg.