Florida Spring Training Trip 2016 -Day 54

We got on the road about 9:45 am after getting gas and propane.  It was a fairly easy drive, but a little breezy.  After turning west about 40 miles east of Tallahassee, we encountered a pretty good crosswind out of the south and increasing clouds.  We ran into rain about 30 miles east of the Florida Springs RV Park in Bonify, Fl where we are staying tonight. It wasn't raining when we arrived so we didn't have to set-up in the rain.  More rain is expected tonight however.

The park where we are staying is "rustic" but it has full hook-ups, Internet and cable TV. There are only two or three other short term RVs here this evening in addition to about a half dozen apparently permanent residents.  This is not a first class resort but we don't have to unhook and its quiet here. It will do for the night. They also have a hidden gem of a cafe where we are going for dinner.  We stayed here two years ago and had a  great meal.  The locals come here to eat so hopefully it is still O.K.  We also gained an hour and are now in the Central Time Zone.

The plan for tomorrow is to drive to New Orleans.  The weather enroute tomorrow doesn't look too great with lots of rain and thunderstorms in the forecast, so we will keep our eye on it and proceed with caution as appropriate.

Day 54 Pictures

Postscript:  We had dinner at the Mustang Cafe in the RV park and it was still great.

Florida Spring Training Trip 2016 - Day 53

It was the last spring training game in Florida today. The rain had passed through and it was clear and warmer with the temperature reaching 84 degrees by mid-afternoon.  

The Phillies were playing the Houston Astros and faced one of the best pitchers in the American League.  It showed, as they only had 2 hits in the 7 innings he pitched and by the 8th inning were behind 3-0.  The Astro's relief pitchers were not that good however, as the Phillies scored 8 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning and won the game 8-4.  It was a great way to finish up their Florida schedule.  They will play 3 more exhibition games in Reading and Philadelphia before the regular season starts next week.

It was a good spring training for the team and they played with a lot more energy and enthusiasm than we saw last year.  The team is just beginning a long overdue rebuilding process and it will most likely be a few more years before they will be a serious contender. They have been able to acquire and develop a significant number of young players with a lot of potential, but most are a year or two away from being ready for the major leagues.  I am cautiously optimistic the team will be better than last year when they only won 63 of the 162 games they played.  I believe they may improve by at least 5-10  wins over last years record but a lot will depend on their pitching and defense as there are not a lot of power hitters in their line-up. A great achievement would be to win 81 games and have a 50-50 season. The Vegas bookies are offering "over or under" odds of 68 and a half games.  It just might be a good bet to take the "over".  In any case, we wish them well and will be rooting for them to succeed this year.

We had a great stay in the Tampa Bay area.  We loved the spring training baseball experience as well as the many other attractions here.  We also enjoyed the food, the warm weather, exploring new things and revisiting favorite places from previous trips.

This part of Florida is different in many ways from California, yet similar in a lot of others.  Here are some general observations and impressions about it that may help describe what we experienced:

1. The Tampa Bay area, especially along the barrier islands in the Gulf, has become a popular vacation/spring break destination, especially during the high tourist season of February through April.

2.  The weather during this time of year is usually mild, sometimes hot, occasionally rainy and increasingly more humid as summer approaches.

3. There are a lot of “snowbirds” (from Canada and northern tier states) who spend the winter here, usually from November to April.  Many rent condos, vacation houses and hotel rooms and a lot of others bring their RVs and stay in mobile home parks.

4. There seems to be an extraordinary number of new hotels and condominium developments being built.  Clearwater Beach had 11 new hotels constructed in the last year.  We wonder how they can keep them all occupied, but apparently they do.

5. The Tampa Bay area has developed into a large metroplex with a lot of urban sprawl that continues to spread and infill in the direction of what undeveloped land is left.

6.  There are a number of relatively small incorporated cities that run up against each other in the area, especially on the Pinellas Peninsula on the west side of the bay.  It is hard to tell where each one starts and stops unless you happen to see a city sign welcoming you or thanking you for visiting their city.  They all seem to lack a specific visual identity or special character.  As Gertrude Stein once said about LA: “There is no there there”.

7.  There are a few small towns/cities we visited that have retained their special identity and charm.  Dunedin, Safety Harbor, and Gulfport are examples of towns we have visited that are still special places with their own identity.

8.  The towns along the barrier islands also seem to run into each other and are identical in almost every way – lots of beachfront hotels and condos, beach bars and restaurants, beachwear/surf shops and various other activities such as miniature golf, tattoo shops and “Vape” lounges. Since the islands are relatively narrow there are activities on both sides of the islands including parks with beach access, boat launch ramps and marinas with a lot of boats, most of which seemed to just be moored there.  This time of year, the streets are usually packed with people going/coming from the beach, and people on bicycles or running or walking along the sidewalks and bike paths.  There are also lots of cars, moving slowly looking for parking and/or waiting at red lights or pedestrian crossings.

9. There are a few big shopping centers in the area, but it seems a lot of shopping is oriented towards the many strip malls and smaller outdoor malls with restaurants and anchor stores like Target, Walmart, etc.  Most of the strip malls look good and are about as visually attractive as a strip mall can be.  Every so often you see a dying or dead mall, usually smaller, older ones, but most of the others seemed to be in pretty good shape.

10. There are a few freeways in the Pinellas peninsula but most of the major transportation routes, both east and west are on surface streets.  The streets are wide, usually three or more lanes in each direction plus turn lanes at signaled intersections as well as numerous uncontrolled crossover turn lanes into side streets and shopping centers.  As the traffic is usually heavy on these streets, especially as they cross each other, the red lights on these major streets are especially long and can result in fairly long delays and driver frustration, especially during rush hour.  The other hazard is cars waiting to cross traffic from an uncontrolled turn lane.  We have experienced an extraordinary number of vehicles crossing in front of us with little margin for error.  I am sure they have a large number of accidents involving impatient drivers trying to cross traffic without proper clearance.

11.   Local drivers are very aggressive and, like CA, some do not bother using turn signals or maintain safe clearance distances.  Speed limits seem to be mostly suggestions. This, along with old people driving, and visitors from other states and Canada who may not be familiar with the area and/or are used to a calmer driving environment back home make for a potentially dangerous traffic situation.

12.   The traffic hazards we have seen may have been encouraged by what appears to be complete lack of traffic enforcement on the local streets. The only city police/sheriff’s vehicles we have seen have been responding to traffic accidents or directing traffic after a ball game. We have yet to see someone pulled over for speeding in town.  We have seen a highly visible presence of state troopers on the Interstate and major state highways however.

13.  There are an extraordinary number of billboards with large pictures of smiling lawyers advertising traffic accident and personal injury services.  Sometimes there is one on each corner and many of the same lawyers have multiple billboards around town.  They also advertise extensively on the local TV stations.  One advertisement, establishing a new low for the Florida legal profession, had a lawyer’s two pre-teenage daughters saying “if you have an accident, call our dad”. There must be a vigorous ambulance chasing business in town and/or lots of competition for the victims of the hazardous traffic environment in the area.

14.   There are several local businesses we have seen advertised that are particular to the local area.  Examples include sinkhole repair contractors, alligator trappers, rattlesnake removal, and back yard screening design and installation.  There also seems to be a lot of used tire stores.

15.  There seems to be an unusual way of pricing gasoline here.  When we arrived, gas was selling for $1.79 per gallon.  Every gas station in town raised their price overnight to $1.99 per gallon a few weeks later, even the brand name stations.  They must have some sort of centralized way of agreeing on pricing.  The raise obviously had no relation to the price they paid for the gas already in their tanks and everyone did it at once.  Since then, the price has decreased to $1.96, also across the board.

16.  The Tampa area, as well as the state has invested a lot of money into developing an extensive non-motorized hiking/bicycling trail system.  There are lots of well-maintained trails just about everywhere we have been.

17.   The cities, counties and the state have also invested a lot of resources into parks and recreation facilities and activities.  We have visited a lot of really nice places funded and maintained by local counties and cities as well as the state.

18.   There are numerous residential communities throughout the area, most with specific identities.  Some are gated, others have walls with formal entrance ways and almost all have community names such as Pelican Harbor, Sea Breeze, Tidewater, etc.  There are condos, houses and apartment complexes, some with a combination of housing types.  Most seem to be middle-upper class but we have also seen some high-end communities and others that seem to be mostly manufactured homes, some nice and others low-end.  A lot of the residents are seasonal and many residences are apparently vacant during the summer.

19.   We did see some vagrants begging for money at intersections.  Strangely, most were wearing reflective vests like the Caltrans workers wear.  It must be a local requirement.

20.  Most of the locals we have met are friendly and very nice.  Like California, many are from somewhere else.  Some are transplant retirees from northern and NE states, others have moved here on business or came with family.  There also seems to be a fairly large number of military retirees and veterans in the area.  The Florida natives proudly call themselves “Crackers”.  The term is usually used elsewhere as a derogative description of a southern “redneck” – a not too smart and prejudiced lower class person living in the woods and existing on things like possum and grits with squirrel gravy.  The term “Cracker” however comes from the early settlers of rural Florida and parts of Georgia who raised cattle.  A “Cracker” was a “cow hunter” or cowboy who used a 12-foot whip to herd the cows to market or back to the ranch.  They may not have been as sophisticated as some of the more recent Florida residents, but now the term is used with endearment by residents that have a multi-generational Florida heritage.

21.  There is not a lot of visible Native American presence here, no Indian casinos or reservations or even Indian lore gift shops.  The local Native Americans are the Seminole who lived here for thousands of years before the Spanish, then European/American settlers arrived. The natives were an inconvenience who didn’t want to give up their lands when the newcomers moved in. They resisted however. There were three Seminole wars in the early to mid-19^th century.  Although a peace treaty was never signed, most of the Seminoles were deported to Oklahoma by president Andrew Jackson. Some escaped into the Everglades and have kept their identity in a limited way, mostly visible as the nickname of Florida State University sports teams.

22. The atmosphere at the Phillies spring training games makes you almost feel you are watching a game in Philadelphia.  Most of the fans either have retired here from the Philadelphia area or are visiting for periods ranging from 6 months to a week.  It is a friendly atmosphere and the fans sitting near us are easy to talk to and are having a good time.  Most are very knowledgeable about baseball, the Phillies and familiar with the long up-and-down, and sometimes frustrating history of the Phillies quest for respectability and success.  The food at the ball park is typical ballpark food with a Philadelphia flair.  Many of the vendors also have establishments in the Philadelphia area and offer the same food they serve back there.  You can also get local beer from Philadelphia at the beer concessions.  If you have ever lived there it is a great way to get a nostalgic "Philadelphia Fix".

23.  They have something down here called a “Silver Alert”.  You get a text announcement and electronic traffic message signs announcing that an older person has wandered off or driven away and is unaccounted for.  The license plate number and the make and model of the car are displayed, similar to the Amber Alerts we often see in CA.

24.   All-in-all, the Tampa Bay area and Florida is a nice place to visit in the winter, but it would take some “getting used to” to live here year round.  The locals don’t seem to mind the summer weather, but I guess if you are here, and maybe growing up here, it is what is and you deal with it.

25.   Despite all the good things we have experienced on the trip, there is still no place like home and we look forward to returning to Nevada City.

We are planning to leave tomorrow morning, hopefully around 9:00 am.  Everything is about ready to go and after getting gas and propane before leaving we will head north then west, with a planned stop for the night west of Tallahassee. 

Day 53 Pictures

Florida Spring Training Trip 2016 - Day 52

The weather forecast for today was for rain and thunderstorms starting around 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm and lasting throughout the day into the evening.  When we arrived at the ballpark the tarp that covers the infield was unrolled and ready to be used but remained off.  About 12:15 as it started to rain a little they covered the infield with the tarp.  About 12:45 pm after a lot of discussion between the umpires, the managers and the ground crew, they decided to play ball in the rain.  So, the tarp came off and the game began about 1:15 pm.  It was still raining - not hard but steady.  As the game progressed the rain intensity increased and thunder and lightning were heard and seen in the not-too-far distance.  By the 4th inning, as all the red rain ponchos had been sold and the concessions had probably meet their minimum sales needed to cover costs, and more importantly, the field became increasing unplayable, they cancelled the game.  It wasn't a very good game anyway, as the Phillies were losing to the Yankees 7-1 at that point.

My sister Eileen and her friend Linda came down for the game and after it was cancelled we all went to the Lucky Dill on Route 19 in Palm Harbor for a late lunch.  We had an excellent meal and we said our goodbys.  They are also leaving on Thursday for their other home in Manahawkin, NJ, near the Jersey Shore.

It has still been raining off-and-on this evening. We are getting organized for an early departure for home on Thursday.  It looks like we are pretty much on schedule and will make the final preparations after the last spring training game against the Houston Astros tomorrow.

Day 52 Pictures

Florida Spring Training Trip 2016 - Day 51

Not too much to report today. We slept in, Judy did the laundry and I started breaking things down outside and getting ready for our departure on Thursday.

Later, I helped Judy fold clothes and went to the store to pick up a few things.   It was dinner in the RV and early to bed is on the horizon.  We have baseball tomorrow and Wednesday, so our departure will be here before we know it.

We didn't think anyone was interested in pictures of us doing the laundry and/or folding clothes, so no pictures again today.

The weather was hot and humid with the threat of thunderstorms but they missed us.  The Florida summer weather pattern is starting to kick in.

Florida Spring Training Trip 2016 - Day 50

Easter Sunday today.

We drove up to Crystal River and had Easter dinner with my sister Eileen and her friend Linda.  Eileen also had a surprise visit from her oldest daughter Andrea (Ang) as well as her friends Zee and Mike from the Philadelphia area who were in the area on vacation.

We had a great dinner and lots of conversations about our parents, other relatives and friends.  It was good to just relax awhile, have an excellent meal and talk about old times.  

For some reason, I never got around to taking any pictures, so no pictures today.

There is no home game tomorrow. We are going to work around the RV and start getting ready to break camp.  The last two games are on Tuesday and Wednesday and we will leave for home as early we can get away on Thursday morning.

Florida Spring Training Trip 2016 - Day 49

After waking up this morning, Judy had a little bit of an upset stomach and decided to take off a day from baseball.  She convinced me  that I should go the game however, as she would root for the team from the RV.

I went to the game and stayed until the 7th inning and left in time to get some fresh produce from the Oldsmar Farmers Market before it closed at 4:00 pm.  When I left the game it was tied, but a marginal minor league relief pitcher trying to make the team gave up 2 runs in the 9th inning and the Phillies lost the game 5-4.  It is getting close to the time when the rosters need to be reduced before the season starts, so there is little margin for error for players "on the bubble".

We are going up to Crystal River tomorrow to visit Eileen and Linda and have Easter Dinner with them.  There are two more games - Tuesday and Wednesday, before we start home on Thursday.

Day 49 Pictures

Florida Spring Training Trip 2016 - Day 48

We had a line of thunderstorms move through the area last night with lightning, thunder, strong winds and lots of rain.  It was cloudy this morning and  a pretty good line of thunderstorms came through again early this afternoon.  When we left for the game at 4:30 pm it wasn't raining, but it was still overcast with more rain in the forecast.

The field was uncovered when we arrived at the ballpark and it was still cloudy with a threatening sky.  The rain held off however and by sunset at 7:30 pm the threat of rain subsided and we had a beautiful night for baseball.  The temperature was 75 degrees, no wind and little humidity.

It was a good game against the Toronto Blue Jays, with a lot of Canadian visitors and locals in attendance.  Both the Phillies and the Blue Jays had most of their primary players in the game and the lead went back and forth.  The Phillies came back to tie the game at 4-4 which was where it ended as extra innings are not normally played in Spring Training.

We were back in the RV by 10:00 pm and it will be a short turnaround as there is another game against Detroit tomorrow afternoon at 1:05 pm.

The forecast for the weekend is for more unsettled weather, so weather watching will be in order.

Day 48 Pictures

Florida Spring Training Trip 2016 - Day 47

We slept in a little today.  Then, after breakfast, we decided to drive south to Largo and visit the Florida Botanical Garden and Heritage Village in Largo.  They are both Pinellas County Government Programs and represent a wide variety of displays representative of Florida's heritage.  We had visited them last year and felt they deserved a return trip.

There is also a University of Florida Extension on the site that provides advice and recommendations on urban agriculture, non-native plant and pest eradication, water conservation, gardening, landscaping and other natural resource issues.

The Botanical Garden has over 92 acres of gardens with 2.5 miles of pathways that wind through formal settings, tropical landscapes and native habitats. The Garden also hosts weddings, special events and private parties and conducts classes and special children's events.  The Garden was as spectacular as last year and despite the heat and humidity, we enjoyed our walk through the grounds.

The Heritage Village is co-located with the Garden and has 31 historical structures that depict Florida's heritage and varied history with interactive activities and hands-on features.  Many of the structures are original and have been relocated from their original locations.  While we were there, we saw a woodcarving exhibition and previously had seen quilting and other demonstrations.  After visiting a few of the structures, we drove  a little further south to the small waterfront town of Gulfport at the south end of the Pinellas Peninsula.

Gulfport is an older town with a few beach bars, a pier, a historical casino and a small downtown very similar to that of Safety Harbour.  The casino has never hosted gambling activity, but has been used essentially as a community center.  We had a great early dinner at O'Maddys, a popular beach bar and grill that been recommended to us by the ushers at the ballpark.

After a drive back to the RV park, again during rush hour, we went to bed early.

Tomorrow is an R&R day with a Phillies night game tomorrow evening.

Day 47 Pictures

Florida Spring Training Trip 2016 - Day 46

We ran a few errands this morning then drove over to Clearwater to have a late breakfast at Lenny's again before we leave.  Since the Phillies were playing a night game today over near Orlando, the restaurant was not as busy as it always is before a home game.  As usual, we had a great meal with typical east coast large portions.

After breakfast we drove up to Tarpon Springs and picked up a few things at a nearby Camping World.  We then walked around the sponge docks in town again, shopping for a few things we didn't know we needed. The town is a tourist mecca and is always crowded, especially during their high season right now.  It has a lot of attractions - a picturesque waterfront with a European flair (Greek), great restaurants, plenty of tourist attractions such as boat tours, sponge diving demonstrations, etc, entertainment, plenty of shoppes and usually great weather.

We then drove down to Dunedin for our sunset cruise. Since we had some time to kill before the cruise, we walked around town a little then had a glass of wine and an appetizer at Bon Appetitte, the waterfront restaurant at the end of the wharf where we have eaten several times before.

We boarded the ParrotDise Express cruise boat at 5:00 pm for a 5:30 pm departure.  We went on this cruise last year and wanted to do it again.  This year, the weather was warmer, the seas calm, and there was little wind.  We also did not have a full boat which made it easier to move around the boat to take pictures.  It was fun and interesting. The captain and mate provided plenty of information and all the drinks you wanted (cheap white wine, sangria, rum punch, beer, soft drinks, water and coffee). There was also recorded music (beach music) and a running commentary as we looked for dolphins to swim along with the boat

The cruise went out into Clearwater Bay then circled back and through Clearwater Pass into the Gulf of Mexico.  The cruise normally continues north and back into the bay through Hurricane Pass between Honeymoon Island and Caladesi Island.  Tonight however, there was a full moon and unusual high/low tides.  The captain decided that the water through the pass might be too low to make it across the sand bar, so we doubled back and returned essentially the way we came.

It was a great trip. The water was not rough and the weather was almost perfect.  It was a friendly crowd on-board with a mix of elderly couples, young families and teenagers.  Most were visiting from out of town and a few locals were escorting people visiting them. We saw dolphins, an osprey nest with chicks, lots of boats, seaside mansions, a green flash sunset and a full moon rising. It doesn't get much better than that.

It was a long day and we arrived  back at the RV at 9:30 pm.  The plan is to sleep-in tomorrow and go from there.  The Phillies are playing another night game in Sarasota so whatever we do, if anything, will be sightseeing related.

Day 46 Pictures

Florida Spring Training Trip 2016 - Day 45

The Phillies played the Minnesota Twins today.  It was another good crowd with over 8,000 attending.  The weather was still a little cool and breezy but the winds shifted to the east and it warmed up as the day progressed.  Alas, the Phillies lost 7-5, primarily to another not so shiny performance from relief pitchers in the late innings.

It was beach bag giveaway day, with everyone attending the game getting a beach bag from Comcast as long as the supplies lasted.  The Phanatic also visited the suites on our club level and got a little photo time with happy fans.

We stopped for a few groceries after the game and ate dinner in the  RV.  There is not much else to report today, so we'll keep it short for a change.

No baseball tomorrow - we will take a sunset cruise on the Bay and the Gulf from the marina in Dunedin. 

Pictures Day 45

Florida Spring Training Trip 2016 - Day 44

As predicted, it was cool and  windy when we got up this morning.  Since we didn't have a baseball game today and it wasn't going to be a great day for outside activities, Florida wise, we decided to do some "inside stuff" by going into Tampa and visit the Tampa Bay History Center.

The History Center is located downtown along the waterfront downtown area, connecting the cruise ship terminal, the aquarium, hockey sports arena, the convention center and the many downtown hotels.  There is also a Riverwalk stretching along the waterfront for several miles accessing the public and commercial activities in the downtown area.

The History Center is very well done with many attractive displays and AV presentations depicting the history of Florida and the Tampa Bay area.  We also had lunch at the Columbia Cafe in the center.  This is one of the six Columbia Restaurants in Florida.  As it turns out we have had lunch or dinner in four of them so far.

After spending most of the afternoon at the Center, we had a drink and a snack at the outside section of the Columbia Cafe then took a short walk along the Riverwalk before heading back to the RV.  Of course, we were right in the middle of Tampa rush hour, which can give the SF Bay area rush hour a "run for its money", or perhaps I should say a "stop and go for its money".

After we got back to the RV it was still cool (the high today was 65 degrees with a 10-15 mph wind) but the winds died down quite a bit.  It will be warmer tomorrow as high pressure moves in and it will back into the 80s by Wednesday.

Baseball again tomorrow.  We have 5 games left before we head home on March 31st.

Day 44 Pictures

Florida Spring Training Trip 2016 - Day 43

Baseball today.  The front moved through: the rain stopped, the skies cleared, it cooled off and the winds picked up.

The Phillies played the Houston Astros today.  It was also Phillies Alumni Day.  The Phillies invited a number of former Phillies players to attend the game, mingle with the crowd, sign autographs and be recognized on the field before the game. A number of Phillies coaches and radio/TV announcers are alumni and they also participated in the alumni activities.  This is always fun and it is great to see some of the "old timers".  Its funny how they are all getting older and we just seem to be staying the same.

It was a good game.  One of the Phillies projected starting pitchers pitched five strong innings, not allowing any hits or runs .  The Phillies had scored 4 runs and were ahead when Phillies relief pitchers allowed 4 runs and the Astros tied the score.  The Phillies then scored another run and held on to win a close game 5-4.

The weather forecast for tomorrow is for stronger winds and colder temperatures.  The projected temperature is 64 degrees with a 15-20 mph wind chill and is being described as "winter weather" by the local TV weather guy.  The pressure gradient doesn't last long this time of year however, and we will back into the 80's by Wednesday.

After the game, we returned to the RV, had an early dinner and relaxed awhile before planning to go to bed early (probably about the same time many of the Phillies alumni retire for the evening).

No baseball tomorrow.  We are going into Tampa and visit the Tampa History Museum.

Day 43 Pictures

Florida Spring Training Trip 2016 - Day 42

 We had a line of thunderstorms come through the area this morning and it rained off-and-on into the afternoon.  It worked out pretty well however, as Judy did the laundry. I helped a little and did some things around the RV.  After lunch, we stopped by the flea market to get some local strawberries from nearby Plant City and Judy got her nails done (not at the flea market).  It was 4:30 pm by then so we decided to travel to a nearby town called Safety Harbor to check it out and maybe have dinner.

Others had told us Safety Harbor was a neat little town and we have been meaning to go there but it was never convenient to do so.  When we got there the main street was blocked off and we discovered they were having their annual Chalk Fest this weekend.  Despite the rain today artists from 17 states and one from Italy were participating in the event.  Each artist was given a section of the sidewalk to draw art using chalk and in some cases what appeared to be a paint of some sort.  Some of the pictures had been impacted by the rain, but many artists  delayed their work until the rain passed and their pictures were works in progress while we were there.  The event continues tomorrow and a big crowd is expected to attend.

After walking around Main Street and observing the artists in action, we checked out the nearby marina park on the waterfront.  After that, we had dinner at a local pizza restaurant where we had an excellent brick oven pizza.  They have an interesting way of processing orders.  You order at the counter, they write it down, attach it to a clip and send it along a zip line to the guy cooking the pizza.  He takes the order slip and sends the clip back to the counter on the zip line.  After you order, you are given a toy to put on your table (we had a Muppet doll) so they know where to bring your order.  When you are done eating, you bring your toy to the counter so they can identify your order and charge you accordingly.

The cold front that brought the rain today may result in some scattered thunderstorms tomorrow morning and the temperature is only expected to reach 74 degrees with a strong wind from the NNW.  That should result in a cool day at the game tomorrow with the Houston Astros.

Day 42 Pictures

Florida Spring Training Trip 2016 - Day 41

The Phillies played the Pittsburgh Pirates today.  The weather was overcast with slightly lower temperatures and maybe a little less humidity.  It was also  another very good crowd with attendance over 9,000.

The game today was truly a crazy one.  The Pirates scored 6 runs in the first three innings and led 6-0 until the Phillies scored 15 runs in two innings and led 15-6.  The Pirates came back in the later innings and scored 6 runs to make the score 15-12.  The Phillies held on however, and won the game despite poor pitching performances today.

After the game we came back to the RV park and had dinner in the RV.  There is no game tomorrow and rain showers are in the forecast.  The plan is to sleep in and do some things around the RV.  We may also take a short trip tomorrow afternoon and go out to dinner.

Day 41 Pictures

Florida Spring Training Trip 2016 - Day 40

A busy day today.  Baseball against the Tampa Bay Rays then over to Dunedin for it's annual St. Patrick's Day celebration.

The St. Patrick's Day Phillies game is always fun.  Most of the fans were wearing green clothing and accessories and even the Phillies wore green uniforms. The Phanatic, and a lot of the concession workers and ushers were also wearing green attire.  There was a lot of Irish music played over the PA system before the game and between innings and everyone was in a happy "Irish" mood.  In another special annual event, the U.S. Special Operations Command, headquartered at nearby McDill AFB presented the U.S. Flag, the Phillies banner, and the POW/MIA Flag by parachute prior to the game.

The stadium was sold out with over 11,000 people attending.  The stadium capacity is 10,000 but they can also sell about 1,000 standing room tickets if there is demand to do so. My Sister Eileen and two of her friends also attended the game today. It was very hot and humid  and even upstairs where we sit in the shade, it was probably the hottest game of the season so far.  The Phillies played the Tampa Bay Rays, a good American League team with a strong local following.  Alas, the Phillies lost 6-1, despite a strong pitching performance from one of their prospective starting pitchers.

After the game we traveled over to Dunedin for their annual St. Patrick's Day celebration sponsored by Flanagan's Irish Pub. The city park and streets in the center of the town are enclosed by barriers and turned into a party venue.  There are food booths, various vendors, lots of beer and other beverages, street musicians and a bandstand in the park with almost non-stop musical entertainment.  There was also lots of colorful green attire throughout the crowd.  When we arrived around 4:00 pm the crowd was mostly family oriented and the event area was not overly crowded.  After walking around and listening to the music for awhile, we went to dinner at a downtown restaurant, the Cafe Allegro, around 5:30 pm, .  After dinner, and while walking back to where we were parked, it was almost dark. The crowd had increased significantly and seemed to be more of a young adult, party oriented group.  There was were lots of police and security personnel on duty and the crowd was well under control and not the least bit rowdy while we we there. The event would go on until midnight however, and I am sure the potential for alcohol-related incidents would increase.

We arrived back in the RV park by 9:00 pm, safe from party goers driving home after the bars closed.

More baseball tomorrow, this time with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Day 40 Pictures

Florida Spring Training Trip 2016 - Day 39

We went back to Honeymoon Island State Park today for a guided nature walk in the northern section of the island.  The walk was led by two experienced volunteer docents who are very familiar with the area, its history and the wildlife and various plants and trees in the park.  We had taken the same walk two years ago and wanted to do it again.

The walk, initially along the Osprey Trail towards the north end of the island, is home to ospreys, great horned owls and bald eagles.  We saw several osprey nests, lots of ospreys, a great horned owl and two bald eagle fledglings in their nest.  We also saw woodpeckers, buzzards and a variety of smaller birds.  We also saw a gopher tortoise but missed seeing the armadillos and the rattlesnakes that are also common on the island.  There are also different species of vegetation including pine trees, palm trees, different types of mangroves, palmettos, plants with poisonous berries and lots of poison ivy.  Wandering off of the trail into the brush was not recommended.  The bald eagle nest is at the north end of the trail, about a mile from the trail head.  We stopped frequently along the trail for explanations of the various things we were seeing as well as watching the eagles for awhile. It was a leisurely walk in the warm, humid weather.

On the way back we took the Pelican Trail on the west side of the island, close to the shore of Pelican Cove, a shallow stretch of water between the island and the sand spit just to the west.  The vegetation on this side of the island is somewhat different in that there are fewer large trees.  The small mangrove trees along the shore protect and "build" the shoreline. This area is also a little lower in elevation, but the highest point on the island is only 8 ft above sea level.  There is also an active proscribed burn program by the park to keep the vegetation under control and help reduce the threat of catastrophic fire danger that could be caused by lightning from summer thunderstorms.  

We arrived back at the trailhead about 1:30 pm, hot and a little tired.  It was a great 2-mile hike and an excellent presentation from our guides, and we were glad we did it.

We then drove about 7 miles north to Tarpon Springs, a community with a strong Greek heritage associated with sponge diving.  The sponge docks are a major tourist attraction with lots of shoppes selling trinkets and things and boat tours with sponge diving demonstrations,  Along with all that, the area also has a number of Greek restaurants with excellent and authentic Greek food.  We had another great late lunch/early dinner than drove down the coast to Dunedin, about 10 miles south.

We had originally planned to take a sunset cruise from Dunedin but were unable to get reservations for today.  Since we were in the area, we decided to wait at the dock for the 5:00 pm boarding of the cruise boat to see if perhaps there were any cancellations.  Alas, there weren't so we went down the street to have a drink at Flanagan's Irish Pub.  The pub is at the epicenter of the St. Patrick's Day celebration tomorrow and we wanted to have a quiet drink before the "craziness" tomorrow night.  All was quiet in the pub as I guess the hardcore partygoers are resting up and gathering stamina.

Back to baseball tomorrow as the Phillies are playing the Tampa Bay Rays.  The St. Patrick's Day game is always a lot of fun with most of the fans wearing green and special ballpark activities.  Even the Phillies wear green uniform jerseys.  Eileen and Linda are coming down from Crystal River for the game and we are planning to go over to Dunedin after the game for dinner and a taste of the St. Pat's celebration there.

Day 39 Pictures

Florida Spring Training Trip 2016 - Day 38

It was a bird and nature day today.  We traveled a little ways south this morning to the George C. McGough Nature Park, a relatively small park and environmental education center run by the City of Largo.

Th park is situated in a shaded oak canopy setting with palmetto plants underneath along with dense mangroves along the shore of the intercoastal waterway at the Largo Narrows. There is a loop trail through the park and walkway out into the waterway.  The park is also known locally as "the turtle park" for its abundant aquatic turtle population.

There is also a nature center in the park which houses live animal exhibits and hands-on activities for children.  The park also offers several environmental education programs. The center additionally takes in a few injured raptors, nurses them through recovery, and houses them if they are unable to return to the wild due to their various injuries.  While we were there today volunteers from the center had several different birds on tethers outside while talking to visitors regarding the birds, their injuries and what the center does to help them. We saw three different types of owls,a red-shouldered hawk and a redtail hawk up close and got some great pictures of them.  The park and nature center is a hidden jewel in a mostly urban center and was well worth the visit.

We then crossed over the causeway and drove about 4 miles south along the coast to visit the Seacoast Seabird Sanctuary.  The sanctuary is the largest non-profit avian hospital and sanctuary in the U.S.  We have visited the sanctuary several times in the past and always look forward to visiting it again while we are here.  Injured seabirds are brought to the sanctuary and are treated by the organization's medical staff and volunteers.  Their mission is to return the birds to their natural environment, but often some birds, depending on their injuries, remain at the sanctuary as permanent residents.  They have treated up to 8,000 birds a year and at any given time there is an excess of 600 birds residing at the sanctuary.

After our visit, we traveled up the coast and had lunch at the Columbia Restaurant in Sand Key.  It has a Cuban/Spanish theme and it is one of our favorite restaurants in the area. We had a great late lunch and drove back to the RV by way of Clearwater Beach.

The beach area activity here has picked-up quite a bit.  Spring Break is in full swing and the warm weather and concentration of visitors and winter snow birds from points north has resulted in a busy vacation season right now with lots of extra traffic

Tomorrow we are going on a guided nature walk at Honeymoon State Park in the morning then up to Tarpon Springs for Greek food for lunch.  We may also take a sunset cruise tomorrow evening, depending how we feel and if we can get a reservation.

Day 38 Pictures

Florida Spring Training Trip 2016 - Day 37

The rain had moved on this morning so we continued with our plan to take the air boat swamp tour on Lake Panasoffkee.  The lake is about 60 miles north of here on I-75 on the way to Ocala.  Traffic was heavy with lots of construction just about the whole way.  It took us a little longer than anticipated to get there and we arrived just as the 11:00 am boat we had reservations for was leaving the dock.  There was another family of 4 who arrived just behind us, so they generated another boat and took the 6 of us out.  That actually worked out pretty well as we had a lot of room on the boat to move around and take pictures. Normally there are 15-20 people on the boat and it can be a little cramped.

Lake Panasoffkee is about 3 miles long and maybe a mile wide at its widest point. The shore lines are not distinct as they are overgrown with vegetation and shallow bayou water around small mounds of vegetation and vines.  There are about 7,000 alligators in the lake along with 5-6 different kinds of fish and lots of poisonous Cottonmouth snakes.  We did see alligators along with turtles and several different species of birds.  Thankfully, we didn't encounter any snakes as they can sometimes be aggressive and have been known to jump into boats when agitated.  There are also wild pigs living along a section of the lake shore. We saw them on our last tour two years ago, but the boat captain said they moved inland due to dry conditions in the area this past year and only occasionally come to the lake anymore.

After the tour we headed back south and cut over to US 19 near the coast for a late lunch/early dinner at the Lucky Dill, a New York style delicatessen we had heard about.  We were not disappointed.  The food was good and pretty close to what you would expect to find back east.

We then headed back to the RV, arriving around 4:00 pm.  it was a long drive, but worth the trip. Tomorrow is another sightseeing day with activities TBD.

Day 37 Pictures

Florida Spring Training Trip 2016 - Day 36

I guess one way to look at "Spring Forward" is that we got an extra hour of sleep last night since we woke up at 8:00 am instead of 7:00 am. In any event, we woke up rested and decided to stay close to "home" today.

It was time to do the laundry which Judy did this morning.  After that was done, we had lunch in the RV and decided to visit the Oldsmar Flea Market, just down the road.  We have been there before and it is a sight to see.  It is only open on weekends and includes ten long buildings with permanent/semi-permanent booths selling just about everything you might want to buy at a flea market.  There are also laterals off of each building with more good stuff you didn't realize you need.  You name it, they have it.  You could buy furniture, "antiques", cheap Asian things, reptiles (yes ,snakes and lizards), guns, get a haircut. get your eyes checked (with discount glasses made while you wait), and maybe even a colonoscopy (joke).  We resisted the urge to buy a Confederate flag or a 2016 political tee-shirt.  We did buy some good looking produce, and had some great local strawberries for dessert this evening.

One of the reasons we decided to stay close today was the forecast of a line of thunderstorms to move through the area this afternoon/evening.  Sure enough we had some rain move through this evening as we were cooking dinner.  There wasn't any thunder and/or lightning but we did get a few pretty good showers with a fair amount of rain.  The rain was actually welcome as it helped wash down some of the pollen and dust in the air.

We are also experiencing a dose of what is probably going to be a common experience as the year progresses.  The Florida primary election is next Tuesday, March 15th.  The TV stations are saturated with negative  political TV ads, pointing out everything each candidate has done wrong since grade school.  The ads cut across all political persuasions with heavy emphasis on how bad Trump and Rubio are, with less emphasis on Cruz.  On the left, Hillary seems to be focusing mostly on Trump and ignoring Sanders.  There is not a lot this year to feel positive about except how the Phillies may improve.  Politically, it looks like a crop failure all around.

We are going on a swamp tour tomorrow.  the location (Tom and Jerry's Airboat Tours) is about 60 miles north of here.  We went there 2 years ago and enjoyed the tour.  Now it is time for another "close up with the gators" experience.

Day 36 Pictures

Florida Spring Training Trip 2016 - Day 35

The Phillies played the Toronto Blue Jays today.  Toronto has a very good team with a lot of excellent hitters.  They also had one of their best pitchers pitching today, R.A. Dickey, a 41-year old knuckle ball pitcher who is hard to hit when his control is good. He pitched pretty well today but the Phillies pitchers also did well and held on to beat the favored Blue Jays 8-5.

The game today was the seventh straight game the Phillies have won this spring training and, at the moment, have the best record of any National League team.  Of course, this is only spring training, and wins and losses don't really mean anything when the season starts. Winning in spring training is still important however, and can help set the tone and attitude of the players going into the regular season.  Last year the team seemed "dead" and somewhat listless.  When we left spring training last year, we had the feeling it wasn't going to be a good year for them.  Alas, that's the way the season turned out - they ended up with the worst record in baseball.  This year seems a little different.  There are a lot of young players doing pretty well so far and there seems to be more energy and enthusiasm throughout.  We'll see how it all turns out as the season progresses, but right now cautious optimism is beginning to stir as the team rebuilding process begins.

After the game we returned to the RV, grilled steaks for dinner and prepared for moving the clocks up and losing a hour's night sleep tonight. 

With all the current controversy about the merits of daylight savings time, maybe the answer is just to keep moving the clocks back an hour each fall.  That way, we all get a little younger each year and maybe live a little longer.

We have a 4-day break in our baseball schedule and will now do some more sightseeing and visiting places we have previously visited and want to see again as well other places we have not yet visited.  Weather remains good - temperatures in the low 80's, mostly sunny and no rain last week.

Day 35 Pictures