Over the course of visiting farms around Florida, a common thread between all types of farming is the reliance on family. Passed through generations, the pride of caring for the land and the product created is undeniable. On a gloomy day, I visited the Dakin Dairy Farm. The sky may have been gray, but the [...]
Kayaking the cold refreshing spring waters of Weeki Wachee is the perfect escape from the crowded Florida beaches during the scorching months of summer. The crystal clear water made it easy to spot schools of fish and the occasional manatee as we paddled along the miles of winding river. Before setting out on an afternoon [...]
July Rose & Thorns – A monthly recap of the highs and lows experienced each month. Rose: Ooh, baby, baby, ba-baby, baby! After reading the title, I hope you have the Salt-N-Pepa song stuck in your head. Big news this month; I’m going to be an aunt! My littlest sister has moved into her second [...]
It’s 1913, a week before the New Year; the deep chill of the winter season has swept through the streets of New York City. Although the snow is beautiful when it’s untouched, heavy footprints and carriages will grind it into brown slush before the day is over. “Only one more day,” you think to yourself. [...]
If you spend any time in Tampa Bay during the summer, chances are you will get caught in an afternoon thunderstorm. On average, the Tampa Bay area has about 100 rainy days throughout the year. Storms typically last no longer than an hour, but the question of what to do while you wait out these [...]
The rich history of cigars and the City of Tampa reach back to the 1860s. Named after the founder who brought cigar manufacturing to the area, Vicente Martinez Ybor, Ybor City still bears the name of the cigar tycoon. Ybor City was once the world's cigar capital, producing over half a billion hand-rolled cigars yearly. [...]
Florida’s Highway 30A was a recent discovery. Planning a trip to this area started with a simple search of Florida State Parks and snowballed into a full-blown weekend beach vacation. Located in the panhandle of Florida, the charm of this 24-mile highway will leave you feeling transported into another world. The landscape along this breathtaking [...]
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be dropped off on a private island where all of your needs would be tended to? On my recent trip to the island, I was impressed by the number of facilities available. Caladesi Island State Park comes pretty close to providing all the beach essentials [...]
Honeymoon Island is one of Florida’s most popular State Parks. The white sand beaches softly blending into turquoise water are just like the advertisements for Visit Florida. The shore is sprinkled with sun-bleached shells ripe for the picking to take home as a souvenir. It’s easy to see why many people chose Honeymoon Island as [...]
Hunsader Farms is like an amusement park loaded with farm activities. The humble beginnings of the Hunsader Farm started with an eighty-acre crop of tomatoes. Over the decades, the farm has grown to add additional buildings to the property, including a barn to house produce for the farmer's market, an ice cream shop, and a [...]
