Today I’m sharing photos taken on 3 separate days here in central Florida. The first is the foggy gray morning that can happen in winter. Warm moist winds off the Gulf blow in on cooler moist ground and fog appears. I no longer worry about driving in it since I’m retired. I’ve always enjoyed watching fog and think of Carl Sandberg’s poem. It’s one of my favorites.
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Celebrating The Restored Hacienda Hotel
The HACIENDA
5621 Main St, New Port Richey, FL 34652
On March 4, 1926, James E. Meighan, brother to Thomas Meighan, leading man of the silver screen throughout the 20s and 30s, donated land for the construction of a new Spanish Colonial Revival-style hotel befitting New Port Richey’s growing popularity with arts, society, and sports luminaries. 96 years ago on February 5, 1927, Ed Wynn acted as the master of ceremonies for the grand opening and ribbon cutting of The Hacienda Hotel in New Port Richey. The Hacienda and New Port Richey became known as “Hollywood East” due to the celebrities that enjoyed the town and hotel, including reported sightings of Thomas Meighan, Gloria Swanson, Lupe Velez, Charlie Chaplin, and Ann Harding, among other notables. The Hacienda was a popular gathering spot for sports and entertainment figures for many years.
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Beverly’s January of Orchids & Sky
Today’s photos were taken by my friend, Beverly, who lives in tropical Plantation, Florida in South Florida. She’s shared her beautiful orchids before. I love orchids, but I can’t grow them!
I’ve shared Beverly’s orchids several times before. She has plants hanging around the outside of her home in Broward County which is a tropical growing zone. (Ft. Lauderdale, FL is in Broward.) This last month has been a wonderful time for orchid blooms. The light purple with a dark center started blooming at the end of December and has continued right up to this week.
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Visit to Glacier National Park, Montana
Today’s photos are shared by my nephew and his wife, James and Heather. They celebrated their 10th Anniversary with a trip out west to Glacier National Park in Montana’s Rocky Mountains. Glacier National Park is a 1,583-sq.-mi. wilderness area with glacier-carved peaks and valleys running to the Canadian border. It’s crossed by the mountainous Going-to-the-Sun Road. Among more than 700 miles of hiking trails, it has a route to photogenic Hidden Lake. Other activities include backpacking, cycling and camping. Diverse wildlife ranges from mountain goats to grizzly bears
Another Great Trip to Northern Michigan
Back in 2020 I shared my nephew’s camping trip to his favorite place up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, also known as The U.P. He and his wife love camping on Lake Michigan close to Historic Fayette, Michigan. Today I thank James for his beautiful photographs of the lake and woods in another great stay last week.
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Summer Fun at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park
This post was originally shared on July 27, 2017. It’s one of my favorite posts, and I’m resharing it.
I’ve been going through old photos and pulled a couple from Cumberland Falls. It is the largest fall south of Niagara and is often called, Niagara of the South. Kentucky has nice state parks often with lovely lodges. The historic Dupont Lodge is perched high above the Cumberland River, a lovely lodge from “way back when.” You can also rent cabins, cottages, and camp sites. As with most places, the price is most reasonable off-season.
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Spring at Bok Tower Gardens, An Island of Tranquility
In June 2015, one of my earliest posts as a blogger was a visit to Bok Gardens. In 2018 I updated that post with new photos and information. Today I am re-sharing the beautiful spring flowers at Bok Tower Gardens. If you love gardens and nature, be sure to visit Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Florida when you visit central Florida. To continue the tours see Pinewood Estates Mansion and Gardens.
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Sunshine Bridge’s Colors For The Ukraine
The Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge is known to locals as the Sunshine Skyway Bridge or more casually the Skyway. (Daniel Robert Graham is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 38th governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States senator from Florida from 1987 to 2005.) The bridge spans Tampa Bay, Florida with a total length of 21,877ft. It is part of Interstate 275 (I-275) and U.S. Route 19 (US 19), connecting St. Petersburg in Pinellas County and Terra Ceia in Manatee County, Florida, passing over the waters of Pinellas County, Hillsborough County and Manatee County, Florida.
When I saw this photo on Facebook, I knew I had to share it.
The Sunshine Skyway Bridge is lit up in yellow and blue in support of Ukraine. 
Photo by: Rob Palo Photography
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