Bok Tower with June

It was time for one last trip to Winter Haven to say goodbye to June Sherman before I headed north.
Since Lake Wales and Bok Botanical Gardens and Bell Tower were nearby we decided to spend the day seeing the gardens.


Bok Tower is a Carillon or bell tower that stands 205' high atop the highest hill in central Florida--298' above sea level.

The gardens and the tower were completed in 1929, a creation of Edward Bok who was editor of the Ladies Home Journal for some 30 years.

The gardens cover 250 acres and feature a bird sanctuary, endangered plant garden....

and lots of lovely sculpture.

Hours could be spent exploring the many paths and hidden glens.

I really liked this tree.....

A wandering pathway led to this little structure....

My little traveling buddy,  June.

Inside the structure we found this large window that presented a quiet view of the pond....

I could have sat here all day.

The tower was built to house an array of bells that play beautiful concerts at scheduled times during the day.  Surrounded by rolling lawns and a serenity pool it is a perfect place for a picnic and many people were doing just that.

  

The tower is of Georgian marble with a filigree of Florida birds carved from the stone.

We weren't able to climb the tower but the view was pretty good from the lawn.

 

 I must say, I have certainly enjoyed the gardens in Florida--both natural and those built by rich old guys.   

A phone conversation with Sharleen

It was lunch time and I had just pulled into this nice spot overlooking Tampa Bay.  I fixed a bowl of my world-famous chili, opened wide the side doors of the RV to get the lovely breeze from the bay, and settled down with my lunch when the phone rang.  It was my friend, Sharleen, at work as MOD of a hotel on Cannery Row overlooking Monterey Bay.  We were a continent apart looking at two very spectacular and somewhat similar views.


I was grousing about the Spring Break traffic and she was lamenting the fact that she hadn't had a decent day off in forever when she asked, "Where are you right now?"

"I tell you what--I will take pictures of this very spot so you will know what I am looking at..."

We said goodbye and before my lunch was over this guy came by.....

loaded with partygoers....

who were also loaded.

After a bit Sigh Me and I took a nap then checked out the fishermen on the dock....

Then back on the road again.
By the way, the Tampa Bay area is very interesting with lots of beaches, bridges, parks and activities suited for visitors.  But the traffic sucks!  I know I am going to be traveling into some very populated areas as I head north so I better adjust.  

MOFA--St. Petersburg, Fl

As in all gluttonous encounters, by the time you reach the last morsel you are asking yourself, "Why did I do this to myself?"


Like that last piece of chocolate covered macadamia nuts, I saved this museum until last expecting it to be the one I would most enjoy..  But after eating the whole box full--it wasn't all that tasty.

But they had a pretty remarkable tree in the front lawn--it's a Kapok Tree.

With absolutely beautiful  flowers.  Inside the museum I saw a Georgia O'keefe painting of a poppy--I liked the real flower better.

I was expecting a lot from the Egyptian exhibit but was disappointed again.  The displays were not well-lit or easy to decipher and felt sparse and 'thrown-together'.

And once more, I could not take pictures so these are from their publicity materials.

There  were however paintings by Cezanne, Monet, O'Keefe, Gauguin and Renoir and a fascinating display of tintypes from the 1840's--I had no idea that photography was that good before the civil war. But in the end I felt let down.   I am going on a museum diet for a while.

 

Onc last note--I chose the week of Spring Break to go to Tampa and St Petersburg.  UGH!  Traffic was fierce,  parking was impossible in most places, and there were car accidents everywhere--I saw three in one day.  So by the end of this day I was in a foul mood anyway--which may be why this museum was so unappealing to me.  So I am sorry if I have given it such a mean review.  But Damn It!  Let me take a few pictures and I might be able to spice it up a little.

Chihuly in St. Petersburg

My second art gallery of the day was to the Dale Chihuly Gallery.

I was already a fan so I knew what to expect but if anyone reading this believes that glass-blowing is simply creating cute little angels or frisky dogs or precious kittens or pretty pink glass elephants then you need to experience Chihuly's art.

Again, we are right on Tampa bay...

And you are already getting a  preview as you drive up.

There is not a pink elephant anywhere in this stunning display.

Two very nice and accommodating staff...

Once again I was told, "no pictures in the gallery" so all the pictures I got were in the entryway....

And  in the gift shop.

But if you are looking for a wedding gift for William and Kate....

The following bowl is only $30,000!

The work is stunning but these bowls do not come close to the works on display in the gallery.

The first time I saw his work was in the Bellagio in Las Vegas where there is an entire ceiling of his work in the lobby.  There are many displays around the country and all are worth the time to visit--I believe this man is a national treasure.

 

Visit his website for a better display of his talent.           www.chihuly.com 

St. Petersburg and Dali

I started early in the morning in St. Petersburg and, being a natural glutton,  I took in three museums in one day.  Stop number one......

I never expected to find a museum devoted solely to Salvador Dali's work outside of his home country of Spain...but here it is.  And it is quite extensive with over 100 original paintings and drawings.

This collection is due to the philanthropy of one couple who were friends of Dali and collected Dali's work from the days before he became well known.  Look around folks and see if you have any artist friends so you can start collecting before they become famous.   But who would have had the foresight to know that a quirky bizarre rebel who paints melting clocks would, someday, sell paintings in the millions of dollars.

It was very nice of the Moore's to donate their collection to the city of St. Petersburg.

The first thing you see when you walk in the front door is this Rolls Royce with water dripping down the inside of the windows....

A mermaid's tail flapping from the roof...

A mermaid mannequin sitting inside....

A chauffeur in a diver's helmut....

and snails! (Of course!)

All the museums say, "No pictures allowed."  But some have let me take pictures without a flash.  Not this museum though.  There was someone stationed at every turn to make sure I merely looked and nothing more.  So the above picture is of a poster in the gift shop.  But I saw the real thing in the gallery.  I did try to imagine this hanging over my sofa.  Now I know why the Morse's gave the collection to the city--This didn't fit over their sofa either.

 Did I like the art?  I have to say, I was fascinated.  I would have loved to have met the man too, though I suspect his bizarre mind would have been a little daunting.

Imagine, if you can, what the paintings looked like that had the titles....

"Telephone in a dish with three grilled sardines at the end of September."

or

"Average atmospherocephalic bureaucrat in the act of milking a cranial harp"

or my very favorite....

"Fountain of milk spreading itself uselessly on three shoes"

And if you get close at all to what the paintings actually looked like then--start painting!

The building was almost as different and amazing as the paintings....

Overlooking the bay....

with 900 panes of glass...

 

 Well, Hello Dali!