Most Christmas trees are cleared out by New Year’s Day, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that Sarasota’s Ca D’Zan, the mansion where America’s most famous circus family lived, was still decked out for the holidays this week. And why not? The 36,000-sq-foot Venetian palace, which sits on the Sarasota Bay as if it [...]
It’s hard enough to gather the family together during Thanksgiving week, but what if you have to coordinate with a few princesses too? Frequent Travelogged contributor Jill Martin Wrenn explains how during the holidays she scored one of the toughest dining reservations at Disney World: Cinderella’s Castle. (Check out more of Jill’s Disney tips.) Getting [...]
Where do the bravest travelers go during Thanksgiving week? Antarctica? The Amazon? Nope, they fight their way through the crowds of Disney World. My friend frequent Travelogged contributor Jill Martin Wrenn (whom you may remember from her posts on Milan and Lake Maggiore, Birmingham, England, and the Georgia Aquarium) went to Disney World this [...]
Florida is a very flat state. There aren’t a lot of scenic overlooks in Florida, but then The Sunshine State isn’t known for its dramatic scenery either. That’s OK — it’s got fantastic beaches, the world’s best theme parks and often the country’s best weather. Myakka River State Park bills itself as “Where the River [...]
The first thing I learned on my airboat ride in Florida’s Myakka River State Park was that alligators hate the cold. I guess that’s why most of them live in Florida. But Florida can get colder than their liking too, and on those chilly days they prefer to stay under water. And February 13th just [...]
Every day as we would drive up and down the Tamiami Trail in Sarasota, FL, we would pass a sign that said “Home of the TurDucKen: As seen on the Food Network.” It was the kind of sign that couldn’t help but make me curious. It hung proudly on the Alpine Steakhouse, which is a [...]
I love flowers. I love museums. So when I heard that Sarasota’s Ringling Museum of Art having a special four-day exhibit (“Ringling in Bloom”, Feb. 3—6) showcasing 24 floral arrangements inspired by the masterpieces, I was instantly intrigued. The results blew me away — the effect was amazing, as it felt like the art had [...]
The blizzard that hit NYC the day after Christmas may have been pretty to look at (see snowy city photos here), but it sure ruined a lot of vacation plans. Amanda Lobell and Neil Roach had planned to take a trip to Arizona, but their flight to Phoenix was canceled and couldn’t be rebooked until [...]
I took that photo of the beach at Siesta Key, FL, on Monday, May 31st. As you can see,the water is still clean, clear and gorgeous. (For the record, those are people's heads you see in the water — not tar balls or oil balls.) In fact, I wish I was still there right now… [...]
