"We are all wanderers on this earth...our hearts are full of wonder, and our souls are deep with dreams." ~ Gypsy proverb

Monday, June 27, 2011

Weekend detours

I am use to plans changing at the last minute. Though I still prefer when things go the way we would expect, getting use to the unexpected seems to give the greater satisfaction sometimes.

We originally were suppose to be in Vermont right about now. Rustic camping at its finest with lean-to's, no internet or phone, and showers that cost a quarter. When we decided to not go, mostly due to weather concerns, I admit I felt a little gloomy and deflated.  The mountains for me are a meditation, not just a destination, and not being there has left a little longing hole in my heart.  But, Hubs came up with a wonderful idea, and my spirits have lifted bit by bit since then. On Friday we packed up the car and headed to one of our favorite places in FL, Lido Key Sarasota.

This is the current view from our balcony, the Gulf of Mexico, and it is absolutely beautiful.  The children have been filled with happiness and excitement since the day we arrived.  We have seen an aquarium and a marine laboratory where we met jellyfish, strange, vapid-looking fish, dolphins and loggerhead sea turtles.



Nearby was a bird rescue sanctuary, where I was able to see some of my favorite birds.

We've played on the beach, walked, ate seafood and had delectable waffle cone ice cream on St. Armand's Circle.  Then we took the kids to one of our favorite art museums--Ringling Art museum.  It sits on 20 acres of lush landscaping and is home also to an arts theatre, circus museum, and the tourable (invented word) home of John and Mable Ringling.



What it may be most famous for though is the greatest and most accurate handmade model of Ringling's circus ever made. My pictures don't do the mini replica justice. It covers 3,800 sq. feet of space, and took master model builder Howard Tibbels 50 years to build.




So, what exactly was I complaining about again?

Linking with Amanda's Weekending...

Hope you had a wonderful weekend, too...

xx oo

21 comments:

  1. i do understand that elated feeling of knowing your off somewhere soon so can imagine th deflation of it falling through.
    i'm so glad you got to go somewhere, and it ended up being lovely.

    those owls are majestic.

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  2. Looks like an awesome weekend ;)
    What a cool sunset swim (and shot).

    xo

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  3. This was lovely! I remember seeing something like that replica at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago as a girl. It was spectacular!

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  4. what a fabulous weekend! water, sun, sand...nothing to do but enjoy each other. and that miniature circus looks amazing!

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  5. I do love a road trip. You are staying in the area where my daugher and son in-law planning on moving. Have a great time.

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  6. The miniature circus, and the labor of love the artist put into it, was stunning.

    The beach is definitely no camping trip, but it looks and sounds like a great time was enjoyed by all.

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  7. Looks like a grand trip you had! Sorry you missed out on a Vermont trip! My heart lives in that state! Where were you planning on camping? We just brought the kids over for camp, it was a too quick trip for sure, looking forward to getting back soon!

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  8. Loving that last photo!
    Glad your weekend was so fun.
    XO

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  9. Cool! What a great adventure. That fish looks reminds me of Calista Flockhart, haha! That Ringling museum seems really neat and oh, those owls were so pretty. Thanks for sharing some great pics!

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  10. The last shot is just gorgeous. And the pictures of the marine life are really cool. I know what you mean about the mountains - we live in New Hampshire and I LOVE it here! Although I wouldn't mind a visit or two down your way during the winter months :)

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  11. What a gorgeous sunset photo! Sorry about Vermont, though :-( I can't quite wrap my mind around the Ringlings' home and museums...this is the Ringling Bros. circus guy? Whoa! Not exactly the carni life I'd imagined for him at all!! Enjoy your beautiful ocean view!!

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  12. MJ, what a magic holiday you're having! A lovely replacement, I think. And the funny thing is, now you've got me pining (PINING) to come to Florida and see all that beauty for myself. Swimming at sunset: YUM.

    I love the 'vapid' fish pictures. Great description!! They have that pouty, glazed-over, many-surgeried celebrity look about them… spooky!

    And I just looked up where you are on Google maps and John Ringling shows up on the map, and there's a John Ringling Causeway. Wow! Guess he's just a little bit famous there. That museum building is incredible, as is the mini-circus.

    Now, I'm not sure I'd want a road named after me. Maybe I'd have a tree, or a flower, or perhaps the beautiful sunset in your last photo. Yeah. One single sunset. Remembered in my name. That would be perfect :) )

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  13. I absolutely adore that last photo. I love mountains and beach too. I know exactly what you mean about places being meditation not juts destination. I am glad your weekend turned out so well!

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  14. What an enchanting weekend! Your photos are beautiful as always.

    I can definitely relate to the feeling of disappointment when things don't go as expected, but it's funny how often the end result is better than the original plan!

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  15. Sounds like a wonderful weekend. Sometimes the unplanned ones are the best.

    Here's our
    http://lifesbestdays.blogspot.com/2011/06/weekending-good-bad-and-ugly.html

    Happy Monday!

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  16. wow! the picture of your son looking at the artwork is stunningly perfect. perfect!!

    So glad you ended up with a fantastic weekend!

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  17. oh how wonderful! that last picture is amazing! looks like a dreamy place.

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  18. I loved the photo taken of your son in front of the painting too! And that replica...good grief that's big! A beautiful spot to relax and hoot! around. : ) I love owls!

    Your header is gorgeous by the way. : )

    ~Andrea

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  19. I would love to describe myself as flexible, but a last minute shift in gears always sends me in a twitch. I, too, live at the sea and really look forward to our mountain plans. I long for different trees, sweet smelling air.
    Thanks for your story, and, really, it looks as if you couldn't have asked for a more perfect place to be *second in line.* Wow. I need to go there.

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  20. that is the coolest pic in the water!

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  21. I have to say that all looks so wonderful!
    And if it makes you feel any better the weather in Vermont has been a bit iffy this summer, the bugs intense and the nights down right "down worthy"!

    Living in the mountains, I long for the beach!
    Cheers, Zoe

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“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
~ George Bernard Shaw