These photos do not do justice to the scope of the collection and the cacophony of tooting horns, carnival music and much more that meet you at Bryant’s Stove and Music Museum in Thorndike. The stacks of piano rolls are nothing compared to the implements varying from tiny hand crank models to elaborate calliopes. We were lucky enough to have the master mind and mechanical genius, Joe Bryant, give us a tour and share his stories of this unique collection.
Visiting the greats – it’s been five months since our last visit and, especially the twins, they have grown considerably.
We visited Winter Park, FL specifically to see the Tiffany exhibits at The Morse Museum which houses the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848–1933), including the artist’s jewelry, pottery, paintings, art glass, leaded-glass lamps and windows. Especially magnificent is the chapel interior from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. After his Long Island estate, Laurelton Hall, burned many of the salvageable pieces and architectural objects were transported to Winter Park thanks to the initiative of his daughter who wrote to Jeannette Genius McKean, who had long appreciated Tiffany’s art. Her husband Hugh McKean, had been an art student at Tiffany’s Laurelton Hall estate in 1930.
East coast or west coast? I am fascinated by trying to determine how people figure out which they prefer. Both have pros and cons, of course.
So we drove from Fort Pierce to Port Charlotte by way of Rte 70 via Okeechobe and Arcadia. It is absolutely unnecessary to turn the steering wheel a degree, and one could possibly believe that you’d been transported to Texas or Oklahoma! It has a very strong western feel with lots of cattle and horses grazing in pastures, and cowboy hats, jeans and boots are the common attire.
I immediately fell in love with our Airbnb rented loft in Port Charlotte where we stayed for three nights.
We made a little trip up to Osprey to meet up with friends for lunch at Casey Key Fish House which was lovely – sitting outside on the deck at the water’s edge.
Viewing the sunset at Port Charlotte Beach Park.
A long walk on Punta Gorda’s Harbor Walk.
A couple of hours at the beach on the Gulf.
This morning was fresh and clear after yesterday evenings rains and the perfect day to get out on the trails. Before that, though, we made a stop at the Navy SEAL Museum which gives a very good insight into the successes and mission of the SEALS from World War II to present and how their equipment has evolved over the decades.
The coastal hammock trail in Fort Pierce Inlet State Park.
Lunch in the most beautiful of settings on such a gorgeous day – overlooking the marina – at Harbor Cove Bar & Grill.
Lucy was parked in the shade during lunch and wondered what we brought her!!
The day wrapped up with a long walk on a mostly empty beach – heavenly sand between the toes, washed away by lapping surf.
Lucy wants everyone to know how much fun she had yesterday. We call her a “beach loving surfer girl” and she lives up to the name every time she hits a beach! Running, running, running in the surf; barking with joy at little shorebirds, the water, and anything that gets in her way.
Today we spent some time at Heathcote Botanical Gardens in Fort Pierce. They have a particularly lovely display of bonsai, and otherwise it was enjoyable being in the gardens after last evening’s rainfall.
I love all the different textures…
Saturday morning was spent in Fort Pierce at the farmer’s market, which is really much more! In the lovely waterfront and downtown location it was busy, busy and Lucy did extremely well with the crowds of people and other canines.
On Sunday we took at drive down to Lake Worth to check out the Street Painting Festival which was even more spectacular than I’d imagined. 600 artists – professional and amateur – take part over the weekend creating masterpieces in a 10×10′ space on the downtown streets. This, a fundraiser, is in its 22nd year, has raised money for art scholarships.
Food vendors, crafters, and others were also there ..
We also enjoyed some of the local neighborhoods with the quaint little Florida cottages.
We are exploring this area from Sebastian to Stuart called the Treasure Coast, and were happy to find a little downtown area in Stuart with a lovely river boardwalk.
It was a quick drive down from Maine to Jacksonville in 21/2 days, and so it was especially sweet to take the time to conclude our journey to Fort Pierce with a meander through Daytona Beach. Enroute we came across the funky burger joint/lounge Daytona Brickyard. The place was non-stop with activity – people arriving, being greeted, attentive waitstaff and patron; bikers, black and white checkered floors and table covers; oh yes! And biker chicks with their braids and bandanas! The burgers were really good too!
We’ve enjoyed a quiet time of being home and catching up on reading, doing taxes, and other fun things! (Like installing a long awaited stove vent hood!) Travel plans are completed (stay posted) and seed catalogues have been perused.
The weather has been mild, for the most part, and we’ve been able to enjoy walks, but today was the first time we’ve needed snowshoes! and that following Punxatawney Phil’s prediction of an early Spring!
A short trip to Waldoboro took me back down memory lane – more than 40 years! and my time spent in Germany. It’s always fun to visit Morse’s for a browse around their store stocked with european food items, and enjoy a hearty lunch in their little restaurant.
Vision is a wonderful thing! There is a vast expanse of desert that meets the Arabian Gulf, a small creek, and date palms. Temperatures top out in the 120’s during the summer months. Bedouins live in mud and coral built buildings with a type of air conditioning in the form of wind towers. They fish, dive for pearls, use their camels as a mode of transport, the hair to make tents, and for milk and meat and it is a place for trading.
In 1958 Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum had a vision and was responsible for transforming Dubai from a small cluster of settlements near the Dubai Creek to a modern port city and commercial hub. His famous line, “My grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel, I drive a Mercedes, my son drives a Land Rover, his son will drive a Land Rover, but his son will ride a camel” reflected his concern that the black liquid gold, discovered in 1966, was a limited commodity and would run out within a few generations. His vision and ideas helped to develop a Dubai that could survive after the end of oil production, and was the driving force behind major infrastructure projects to create the new Dubai that is a commercial hub and tourist destination today. He ruled for 32 years and now one of his sons, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has taken the reins (since 2006) and has launched Dubai into another phase of phenomenal growth. In the space of 50 years, from this desert landscape a glass and concrete metropolis has sprung.
Dubai is home to only 25% Arabs and the rest are a melting pot from all the remaining continents. Job opportunities abound and people live side by side in seeming harmony. From the most magnificent and tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, and the many other artistically designed skyscraper buildings to the Arab inspired sand colored structures and beautiful mosques, the place is inspiring. Construction continues at a rapid pace and the city is spreading along the waterfront and into the desert. Cranes that appear to reach to the sky dot the landscape. And then there are the man made islands – Palm Islands – built so that each frond provides waterfront real estate! “The World” islands, and another larger set of islands in the design of a palm tree are still a work in progress.
The ascent to the 124th floor of the kilometer high Burj Khalifa was an amazing experience. Once the elevator doors closed there was no sensation of movement -other than popping ears – until less than ONE minute later the doors opened.
Mass transport ranges from the shiny and spotless decade old metro/tram rail system that takes you from one end of the city to the other; a network of buses with their air conditioned bus stop shelters; and my favorite – the abras – small wooden vessels that criss-cross the creek for one dirham a ride!
Khor Dubai – the creek, where the original settlement was, is now being extended and will join the gulf near Jumairah and the Palm Islands, creating an island upon which central Dubai will sit. The fort, built in 1787, and the original home of the royal family, along with other historic buildings, are part of the Dubai Museum and Heritage Village. Dhows lining the quayside are are loaded up with boxes of all things imaginable to be transported into the Gulf and onto the seas.
I can’t leave out the shopping opportunities in “do-buy”!!! Malls like you’ve never seen before with themes, ski-slopes, designer shops galore, and on and on it goes! Souks that sell spices, gold, cheap knock-off Rolex watches, frankincense, fabric and fabric – beautiful lush silks and embroidered materials with tailors ready to create beautiful and elegant dresses and saris – and much, much more.
More sights around Dubai!
Khor: watercourse, ravine. Khor Fakkan, which means “Creek of Two Jaws”
Khor Fakkan, located along the Gulf of Oman, belongs to the emirate of Sharjah but is geographically surrounded by the emirate of Fujairah. It is the site of Khor Fakkan Container Terminal, the only natural deep-sea port in the region and one of the major container ports in the Emirates.
There was not very much to see, but we enjoyed a walk to town along the attractive corniche . Back on board, we took in a birds-eye view of the activity in the container port where containers were being shuffled around and placed on a couple of ships as though they were dominoes!