TDudette

You can park your boat down here in god's country, santa. I'll sell you a little cottage to go with it.

OO

I have LOVED reading your report santamonica!! You've had a great time, and I smile all through your updates. I'd love DH to come to yoga with me. I can see him in downward dog. . You are a good sport!

I don't know what you enjoy doing? Do you shop? You might consider Hyde Park...a little shopping then drive around the restored arts and crafts type homes in the Hyde Park area, then move on to the BIG money, ogling homes along Bayshore Blvd.

Or...you could drive over to the hotel Starr's and I were discussing earlier, Grand Hyatt Tampa. Their freestanding restaurant at the edge of Tampa Bay, Oystercatchers, is terrific (although better looking prior to their renovation, as I said). It is minutes from the airport. Disclaimer...it was DH's hotel. He is now retired so I really truly don't care if you do or don't go. It's convenient, and you can eat out back on their deck overlooking the bay.

DH suggested Ybor City too: the historic cigar manufacturing section of Tampa. Personally, I'm not a big fan of Ybor, although the original Columbia restaurant is there.

I've enjoyed your week right along with you, Santamonica! Thanks for the fun trip reports. You at leaving just in the nick of time as bad weather moves in for a few days. Safe trip! Glad you enjoyed your time here.

santamonica

We're back. Very cold. Some snow.

Our last full day in Paradise was wonderful. It was supposed to rain but was beautiful so we spent most of the day on the beach at Bean Point at the Gladiolus Street beach access. We went to an exhibit by Anne Abgott at the gallery at gulf and pine and bought a bunch of cards because the paintings were too expensive. Dinner at the starfish, sitting on the pier at night, watching the distant lights. Grouper and slaw.

Saturday morning packed, returned keys, bikes, drove DS#2 to airport, got him to the gate, sorta sad. Then drove to Ybor City, went to the city museum and a tour of the cigar-makers houses, had lunch at the original Colombia Restaurant, then drove out to Hillsborough River State Park where we read about the seminole wars and walked along the river. Then back to the airport to home. And snow.

Thanks again everybody for suggestions. It really makes trips more fun.


http://www.anneabgott.com/

jubilada

It has been fun to be along on your trip in that special place, santamonica.

OO

Yes, it really has been fun! You found a lot to do in a very laid back place...I might have had trouble keeping up with you! You got out just in the nick of time! It's 38° in Sarasota this morning and there is a freeze watch in effect from late tonight until Monday morning!! Did you carry all the warm weather back home with you?

I can so relate to the sadness of returning one of ones' chicks to an airport to fly off to their "real" and separate life again. It's such fun to recapture family vacations, but on a different plane...more as friends than parent/child.

OO

Here's a you tube video for you to watch at sunset tonight if you are feeling a little post vacation letdown.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-GtACN-D2I

santamonica

oo, thanks for the video. However, after extensive review, I am forced to conclude that the birds we saw were the double-crested cormorant. Skimmers are more attractive than cormorants. I don't believe cormorants are featured in many music videos.

However, on our last day I asked a real person on the beach who told us somebody else had told her that they were cormorants, which I doubted because I thought cormorants were bigger than my mystery florida birds.

The mystery birds didn't land in the water close enough to see that they were cormorants, who swim low in the water, but wikepedia says the double-crested cormorant is smaller and "flies low over the water, with its bill tilted slightly upward, sometimes leaving the colony in long, single-file lines."

I wonder if Fodors will find our discussion useful for their upcoming field guide to florida birds and trees?

Hope you have a good trip Jubilada!

sassy_cat

Welcome home! It's nice to read about 80 degree weather when the barometer reads 12F.
The tree and bird conversation was interesting but don't hold your breath waiting to be quoted in a Fodor's guide.

jubilada

When we were in Sanibel we learned that cormorants can go 100 feet down in the water for fish.

OO

Shucks. Can't find any videos of cormorants in FL for you. You know, I wouldn't recognize them in flight I don't think. Do they fly like ducks? Actually, I can't keep them straight from anhingas so use the name interchangeably. They look alike, dive alike, stay underwater for ages, and both stand around with their wings stretched out drying. Cormorhingas. . You don't think we'll make into a Fodors guide, Sassy_cat? LOL

jubilada

Interesting comparison of anhingas and cormorants:
http://www.differencebetween.com/dif...nd-vs-anhinga/

OO

I knew about the beaks, but forget which is which, plus you often aren't close enough to be able to see the little hook. I DIDN'T know about fresh and salt water difference! We have both fresh water ponds here as well as saltwater shoreline of course, and the two bodies of water are so close to each other with "Cormorhingas" in both the ponds and bays, I hadn't realized that fresh vs salt water was a major distinguishing factor. Interesting! But then they qualify it by saying "mostly" one type of water or the other. One was in our marina on a boat near us the other day with wings spread, drying. Because it was so near, the white spots on its outspread wings were remarkable, even pretty..had never noticed that before, but that would make it a anhinga, not cormorant, despite the fact that it was salt water!!

jubilada

Well, OO they like to make it interesting for us mere humans.

twina49

Great trip report! I have a two-day business trip to Orlando next month, then I'll enjoy a long weekend on Anna Maria Island. My sister and I will be staying at the Queens Gate Resort near Cortez Beach. I can hardly wait - I've never been to Florida before, let alone anywhere that looks as beautiful as AMI!

santamonica

twina, I hope you have a nice trip. Try the Starfish in Cortez, just across the bridge from where you are, I think. Tell us if you see any skimmers, cormorants, jacarandas, or poincianas.

jubilada

We are leaving tomorrow for AMI and are intent on seeing manatees.

twina, you are in for a treat.

santamonica

jubilada, say hey to AMI for us!

jubilada

ok, santamonica, we will.
Did you by any chance come across the Village Cafe in the new " green " set of buildings on Pine St? Sounds kind of cool.

OO

It's been a very warm winter so you would think the manatees would still be around, but I haven't seen any since November. That doesnt mean they arent here of course, but probably not in the mumbers they are in warmer months. If you want a guaranteed sighting, go on up to Homosassa Springs or, over to the TECO plant. http://www.tampaelectric.com/manatee/ It's more fun to spot them in the wild, I know, and you might be lucky, but TECO does a terrific job with their viewing area, and you'd be amazed at the numbers of them enjoying the warm water from the plant.

You wouldn't believe how much attention I've been paying the anhingas and cormorants since our discussion. Ok...here's another observation: although I have seen anhingas in salt water, I have yet to see a cormorant in fresh. Swimming, the anhinga's body is mostly submerged so you see only the head and neck, while more of the cormorant's body is exposed. Fascinating, eh? . See what you started santamonica?

Have a great trip everyone!

OO

Oh yes, to further complicate things, we have 3 loons that hang out in front of our condo. They dive and fish just like "Cormorhingas", swim with their heads at that odd angle, but have shorter necks and whitish under-sides. At first I thought they were cormorants in some different stage of maturity. Their non-breeding plumage is entirely different from the distinctive markings we are familiar with.