Sorry we have not blogged for a while, but the recent visit by Hurricane Irma has kept us pretty busy for the past couple of weeks. Here at Fun Headquarters we got blown about a bit – as it got pretty breezy at times, but save some roofing, lost fence and a lot of downed tree limbs we came out OK.
Greetings from the Plywood State
That being said, we now have a new mission – which is to see how some of our favorite places fared and report back. The Sunshine State is pretty resilient and we expect a lot of places will pick themselves up and dust themselves off then start all over again.
We also expect a lot of the normal events that happen here also will begin to re-emerge as people look for fun places to go and celebrate – not to mention the onset of this year’s tourist season. Our friends from the north soon will be upon us, escaping the snow and cold temperatures for the sun and fun of Florida.
So again, our apologies for not having filed for a while, but it has been pretty busy over the past few weeks. That being said, we now have pledged to do even more in the way of bringing you reports on restaurants, lodging facilities and attractions with a special focus on if – or how badly – they were affected by our little visit from Irma.
Also, stay tuned, we are re-evaluating our social media platforms and are planning to start our own YouTube Channel, as soon as the FunMeister learns how to operate his fancy new phone!
By the way, we value your comments and suggestions. Please feel free to let us know your opinions and ideas on any of our articles. Visit our Florida Fun Zone Facebook page or drop us a line at [email protected].
A zoom lens in helpful to see all the elements of this massive pylon
Those who follow us here at Florida Fun Travel are always in search of the quirky and interesting, So when we were tipped to the Monument of the States in Kissimmee, we decided to stop by and visit this great piece of Americana.
On a recent trip to Osceola County – we found it a short detour up Monument Avenue to Lakefront Park. That is where we found the self-proclaimed “World’s Most Unique Monument” – The Monument of the States.
A zoom lens in helpful to see all the elements of this massive pylon
How it Started
We were told that it began back in 1942 after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. The giant pylon was the vision of Dr. Charles Bressler-Pettis. At the time, he was the president of the All-States Tourist Club. The idea was to create a physical symbol of American solidarity as well as a way to draw tourists to his town.
The Vision
As we read the history, it appears the enterprising Dr Bressler-Pettis sat down and wrote letters to the governors of each of the then-48 states to send him local rocks. His vision was to cobble them together and build a Monument of the States.
And come they did.
In fact more than 500 pieces arrived on his doorstep. They came in a variety of formats. There were blocks of native granite, chunks of quartz, small boulders, fossils, hunks of old buildings – even President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent a rock from his Hyde Park estate.
By 1943 the Doctor had a complete set from across the country. Reportedly he took the pile and had them put into blocks, inscribed with what each one was and mortared into a 50-foot obelisk of multi-colored concrete slabs.
How It Was Built
The monument was constructed entirely by volunteer labor. Reportedly, by members of the senior citizens of the travel club. The 50-foot tall pile weighs in at a reported 100,000 pounds and boasts three and a half tons of steel rails. It was dedicated as The Monument of the States on March 28, 1943.
In addition to the contributions donated by the states, Dr. Pettis reportedly added hundreds of additional rocks he and his wife had collected over years of vacations. On the peak of the monument he sculpted the words “Tourist Paradise” and had it set underneath a concrete planet Earth. The entire pillar is topped with a concrete bald eagle over which flies an American flag.
When we got there, we found that it takes a while to see the whole thing. In fact we had to do some zooming in on our phone cameras to see some of the higher entries on the pylon in detail.
Kissimmee’s Monument of States is quirky and fun
The Creator Becomes Part
One of the coolest parts, we thought, was that the creator now is part of the monument. When he died in 1954, some of Dr. Pettis’ remains were interred with the other 1,500 stones and objects on the pylon. But it wasn’t finished. After his death the monument continued to grow. Rocks from Alaska, Hawaii and from 21 foreign countries since have been added to the surrounding walkways,
In 2001, an automobile association and a hotel chain rallied local employees to give the weathered Monument a facelift. It came complete with a new flag and a fresh coat of paint on some of the slabs. Two years ago it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
For more events and other Florida travel items – visit our Florida Fun Zone Facebook page or drop us a line at [email protected].
As you may, or may not, know – September is Bourbon Heritage month – and there’s still time to celebrate. When it comes to Bourbon whiskey the Sunshine State offers you a lot of options. We have had the opportunity to visit some of these locations and they are fun as well as producing a great product.
St. Augustine Distillery
For example, the St. Augustine Distillery Company is a Florida business collaborative; a group of locals that share a dream. They have worked diligently to distill super premium, small batch spirits it better than anyone in the world – and are succeeding on a number of levels.
They started by bringing some of the world’s best distilling experts to St Augustine — the oldest and coolest small city in America — then combine it with locally grown sugar cane, wheat, corn, and citrus. The notion was to develop a finer quality spirit than just about any other place in the world.
While the business is new, the location is not. They operate out of St Augustine’s Historic FP&L Ice Plant. Built as part of St. Augustine’s first power and ice complex in 1907, owners have restored and brought it back to serve the community for the next century.
Locally produced in St. Augustine
The Ice Plant is a contributing building to the Lincolnville Neighborhood on the National Register of Historic Places and was the first of it’s kind to make commercial block ice in Florida over 100 years ago. Today, it is helping us make Florida’s first bourbon and other fine craft spirits.
When you visit St. Augustine, you need to budget some time to go through their tour. It is fun, informative and you get enough of a sample to stock up on their product before you leave
On a family farm located just north of Destin, Florida is the Timber Creek Distillery. These folks are so far out into the woods they have to come back toward town to go hunting.
Their vision is to take the best local fruits and grains from the Florida Pa nhandle and turn them into the finest Craft Spirits. They take great pride in hand making every batch and hand bottling every bottle.
The Florida Panhandle and Gulf Coast are blessed with some fantastic local crops. For their Whiskeys, they use local Red Soft Winter Wheat, local Yellow #2 Dent Corn, and local Florida 401 Black Rye.
Timber Creek
The Timber Creek distillery is unique inasmuch as they use a custom designed pot still, “thumper”, and copper worm condenser to allow the bold favors of the raw ingredients to shine through.
The Winter Park Distilling Company was founded in 2010 by Paul Twyford and Andrew Asher. Both were raised in Winter Park. They were later joined by Andrew’s wife, Francesca, a transplant from Palm Beach County.
Starting with just a handmade 50-gallon still and a few old recipes for whiskey, they established the Winter Park Distilling Company as the first and finest craft distillery in Orange County, Florida.
Their Bear Gully Classic Reserve Bourbon is the very first craft bourbon made in Florida. A single barrel bourbon, it is crafted with a rich local corn mash and aged in a naturally heated rackhouse to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. In this thick, humid, summertime air our award-winning Florida bourbon gets its smooth and rich finish imbued with a proud Central Florida pedigree.
Those are just a few of the Sunshine State distilleries and definitely Florida Fun Travel locations.
In addition to their stock, each also offers tours of their facilities.
And – A Bourbon Festival
And finally, no Florida Fun Travel report would be complete without a festival – and this is no exception. This March, the Bacon & Bourbon Festival will be held in Wellington.
Attendees will be able to pig out on a wide-ranging menu developed by local chefs exploring the boundaries of bacon and pork related dishes from the inspired, just like the comfort food Mom used to make, to the somewhat insane and unusual of bacon ice cream.
Bring this together with the flavors of well-aged bourbon and you have a match made in heaven. But just in case you can’t be tempted to partake of bourbon, Irish whiskey, rye, icy cold beer and a sampling for wine will be at the ready as well.
Bourbon and Bacon
In addition to bacon, the festival will feature an eclectic selection of bourbon and whiskeys. The distiller’s art and patient techniques are shared in a series of seminars and tastings.
There will be plenty of backyard games including; corn hole, jenga, checkers and the now famous pig race game!
In fact, we are getting ready to make our own custom bourbon thanks to the fine folks at Timber Creek. Visit our Florida Fun Travel Facebook page or drop us a line at [email protected].
Recently picked as one of the world’s Top 5 Motorsports events, the Sebring International Raceway now has another upcoming feather in their cap.
The FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) has announced Sebring will host not one, but two, world-class endurance sports car events in 2019.
The March 15-16 weekend – the year after next is slated to feature IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida followed by a 12-hour WEC race.
“The ACO announcement of IMSA and WEC races at Sebring over a two-day period in 2019 is a win for everyone involved, but most for especially the sports car racing fans here and around the world” IMSA president Scott Atherton said. “We look forward to providing details about the event at Sebring and what promises to be an unforgettable weekend of racing.”
ACO President Pierre Fillon and WEC CEO Gérard Neveu unveiled the details of the weekend as part of a wider announcement regarding the future of the WEC. The Sebring event will be the seventh race on the 2018-2019 WEC calendar as part of a transitional season for the series.
The announced schedule shows Twelve Hours of Sebring would begin approximately at 10 a.m. on Saturday, with a 12-hour WEC race going green shortly after the checkered flag of the IMSA event at approximately midnight Sunday.
More details on this multi-race weekend will be released at a later date – see www.sebringinternationalraceway.com
Stay in touch. Visit our Florida Fun Zone Facebook page or drop us a line at [email protected].
Like many other events in Highlands County, officials of the North American Society of Grass Racers and Sod Slingers have postponed the opener of the 2017-18 racing season at the Avon Park MowerPlex.
“It really is a shame,:” said NASGRASS President Wes Pyburn. “But the safety of our racers and our fans are most important to us.”
Pyburn said the opener will be pushed back two weeks to Saturday Sept. 23, with an open house to be held Friday Sept. 22.
“In a way, it will be better for some of the guys who have been building mowers to get them finished – so we may have even a better show at that time.”
The opener was to have had Highlands County Sheriff Paul Blackman participate as the official starter for the first race of the season and to be involved with a number of other events on opening night as well.
“We’re hoping by the 23rd that things will be settled back down enough that he can join us then,” Pyburn said. “In the meantime, we just want everybody to be focused in on their families and make sure that everybody is safe.”
More information can be found on the group’s FaceBook pages at NASGRASS and Avon Park MowerPlex, and on their website at www.nasgrassinc.com
September marks the end of summer and the start of the lawn mower racing season in Florida’s “City of Charm.” The grass is cut, the track is prepared and fans are ready to see some action at the Avon Park MowerPlex,
Drivers, club members and race officials at the North American Society of Grass Racers and Sod Slingers say they too are “ready to mow” as the start the 2017 – 2018 lawn mower racing season begins this Saturday night on the clay oval off Herring Ave on the westernmost end of the Avon Park airport.
More commonly known as NASGRASS, many of the drivers have been at the Avon Park MowerPlex for the bulk of the 25 years they have hosted the quirky and fun competition.
“Actually, we are the oldest for purpose track in America and have the oldest continuously operating club,” said NASGRASS President Wes Pyburn.
The track has been host to a number of firsts – and this year will be no exception. Pyburn announced that this season, scoring will be done electronically – meaning that all of the competitors will have transponders aboard their machines to keep track of both the number of laps and lap times.
Fans this year will see eight different classes of competition staring with the slightly modified iMOW division, to the ultra fast FXS and FXT mowers that can get upwards of 60 mph on the wide clay oval located on the westernmost end of the Avon Park airport property.
For the opener, Pyburn said he expected about three dozen competitors, with some coming from out of state.
“We ended last year with 45 mowers a night and traditionally we start the new season with about 10 fewer than that,” he said. “But I know of at least eight mowers that are under construction and will definitely be out by October, which will easily bring us back up above 40 regular racers.”
Other drivers have pledged to haul in from as far away as Georgia for the season opener.
The cadre of lawn mower racers come from all over the central Florida area, with crews and teams coming from Deland, Lakeland, Inverness, Immokalee, Naples and Fort Pierce as well as from throughout Highlands County – where the track is located.
In addition to the racer count, Pyburn said he was encouraged by the numbers of sponsors who have signed on for the new season offering cash, goods and services.
“September 9th will be the Josh’s Lawn & Landscaping Opener,” he said. “Josh does all of our grounds keeping. We have great racing mowers, but to compete we have to take the blades off”
Returning to do concessions this year will be John’s Famous BBQ. The Sarasota-based vendor has been an award winner in competition cooking and recently was featured on a syndicated television food program.
“He loves it here and the fans love him – so it has worked out well,” Pyburn said,
The competition has grown to a degree, that NASGRASS has inked a contract to have a six race shootout series with races to be run at tracks across the Sunshine State including; Avon Park, Imokalee and Punta Gorda.
“Officially it will be called the Southern All-Star Shootout – but we call it the six-pack series for short,” Pyburn said. “There will be two races at each track with the finale to be run here in Avon Park.”
As in the past, the United States Lawn Mower Racing Nationals also are in the works for the MowerPlex. Usually run the weekend before the Mobil One 12 Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida, the three day event can draw as many as 100 competitors from as far away as Michigan, Delaware and Texas.
The nine race season runs September through May, always on the second Saturday of the month. The gates will open for his Saturday’s opener at 5:00 with racing to commence at 6pm. In addition to the eight classes of mowers, a go-kart race is scheduled as well as a power wheels race for children as part of the half time activities.
Regular admission is seven dollars for adults and children 12 and under are free.
“Pit admission has increased to $12 due to a hike in our insurance,” Pyburn noted.
For those who want a sneak peek, there will be an open house on Friday, Sept 8, with a track day and work day. That will be capped with the NASGRASS annual banquet to start off the year.
“It’ll be a good opportunity for fans to come out and have a look at some really great mowers,” Pyburn said.
More information may be found at either of the group’s Facebook pages at Avon Park MowerPlex and NASGRASS. There also is their web page at http://www.nasgrassinc.com/
Visit our Florida Fun Zone Facebook page or drop us a line at [email protected].
Gulfport’s waterfront plays host to the 17th annual Geckofest presented by Eyeglass World on Saturday Sept. 2. Running from 10am until 10pm, it is the largest festival of the year for this waterfront village and is a true Florida Fun Zone.
Why a gecko? It’s their unofficial mascot and favorite reptile.
The Geckofest is returning to Gulfport!
The music portion of this year’s festivities has been dubbed “Geckostock” – a nod to the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
Live music will rock from two different stages, one presented by Sprint, the other by The Blueberry Patch. There will be both strolling and stationary performances as well.
Appearing on the Sprint Stage will be the musical stylings of Dan Stevens, The Cozmic Cowboyz, The Schmitz Brothers, DivaDivaDiva!, Janis Joplin AKA Wes Sloat-Ray and Peace of Woodstock.
Laura Shepherd, Askew, Tropical Disturbance, Troy Youngblood and the Soulfish, and Boxcar Hollow are slated to perform at the Blueberry Patch Stage:
The area will have a wide array of street performers and buskers that will keep the crowd entertained. Watch out though, some of them will be crowd-interactive – meaning you could become part of the show.
Dallas “The Fire Guy” will be there with his daredevil comedy and juggling show, as will Nickotorius, who bills himself as one of the youngest and fastest escape artists in captivity.
The husband an wife interactive duo Acromaiacts will put on an acrobatic show as will Loz Primroz Breakerz – an international breakdance group.
Crazy Indy will be back. He got his start in breakdancing with flips and head spins but has since become any expert on the Cyr Wheel. He is well known for grabbing members of the crowd and bringing them into his show.
Juggler David Ferman will be there – he is a Guiness Book of World Records holder for the 10-ball catch and there will be magic with Shaun Jay. Dubbed “The Modern Millennial Magician,” he combines improvisational comedy and audience participation with his prestidigitation.
The Amazing Kenny will be amazing the crowd with a combination of fire, juggling baloons and prop manipulation.
And that’s the short list.
Also on tap will be special appearances by Spider-Man, Darth Vader, Captain Jack Sparrow, Michael Jackson and Sterling the Silver Statue.
The entertainment schedule is available on a Mobile App at www,bbinimble.com/gma
But wait – there’s more. You can join the quirky walking parade, there will be hippie costume contest and dueling street dances to cap off the day.
Parking and admission to Geckofest is complimentary and the event is pet and family-friendly.
The Gulfport Trolley offers visitors who park in designated off-site locations transportation between their vehicle and the festival site at no charge. GetGO, Gulfport’s 5 passenger electric vehicles, will also be available to pick up residents or visitors and deliver them to their desired destination with no parking worries.
The Geckofest looks to be 12 Hours of pure entertainment and fun. Did you go? Please let us know! Visit our Florida Fun Zone Facebook page or drop us a line at [email protected].
This is Chef Appreciation Week – but do you know the difference between a chef and a cook? The folks at The Reluctant Gourmet do – and explain that to most people, a cook and a chef are the same thing. The two terms are used interchangeably to indicate someone working away in the kitchen, regardless of whether that individual is cutting vegetables or masterminding the entire menu.
For those who work in the culinary field, however, there is a big difference. Although there is no single professional organization that determines exactly who is a chef and who is a cook, most agree that the difference lies in education and experience.
Chef Appreciation Week
If you have a culinary degree and/or trained under a notable chef and have moved up the ranks, you are typically considered a chef. If you simply dabble in the kitchen at home or are just starting out at the bottom of the restaurant totem pole, you are almost always considered a cook.
Most people agree that a cook is lower-ranking than a chef, and that chefs themselves vary in rank. For example, an executive chef is the top of the line, while sous chefs, chefs de partie, and other professionals might have the right training, but are still working toward their top professional goals.
If you still aren’t sure exactly what it is that makes a chef a chef, consider these qualifications:
A two- or four-year culinary degree
Extensive training under a chef with the goal of gaining a culinary education equal to that of a degree (also known as a culinary apprenticeship)
Responsibilities that include a supervisory role
The ability to create and implement menus in a restaurant setting
Management roles in the kitchen
A cook, on the other hand, can expect to:
Prepare food on a daily basis
Perform kitchen duties, as needed and directed
Clean and wash the kitchen
Use recipes and follow someone else’s menu plan
Still be at the learning level of his or her career
There are some culinary institutions (including the American Culinary Federation) that offer designations and titles based on testing, work experience, and education. Although many organizations and restaurants recognize these distinctions (and will boost your career accordingly), they aren’t required to be a chef or to be successful in your own culinary career.
In most cases, the cook is below the chef in terms of prestige, pay, and career development. However, there are instances in which this isn’t true. Many home cooks or amateurs have skills and experience that surpass that of their chef counterparts; they simply may not make claim to the title.
Famous Cooks vs. Famous Chefs
In fact, many of the celebrity chefs we have come to know and love as a culture aren’t really chefs at all. Rachael Ray and Nigella Lawson are two of the biggest names in the culinary and Hollywood world, but both women profess that they aren’t trained chefs…and have never pretended to be anything other than cooks. Self-trained, self-motivated, and never having worked in a long-term chef capacity (such as overseeing a restaurant), they are just two examples of cooks who have hit it big.
Now that we have that settled – some of our favorite fun zones are restaurants and we want to know who is your favorite chef in the Sunshine State and how will you show your appreciation this week? Visit our Florida Fun Zone Facebook page or drop us a line at [email protected].
The inaugural Woodstock Revival is coming to the Sarasota Farmer's Market
The inaugural Woodstock Revival is coming to the Sarasota Farmer’s Market
This Saturday will be the Woodstock Revivial at the Sarasota Farmer’s Market. It’s the inaugural trip back to Max Yasgar’s farm for this group, who specializes in the natural, flavorful and fun.
Although there probably will not be the hundreds of thousands of fans who went to the festival in upstate New York, organizers are hoping for a good turn-out of folks who will get into the spirit of the Summer of Love – dressing in period and ready to enjoy music, food and fun.
The big stage will be located on 1st Street with music from the Woodstock era performed by the band Paisley Craze.
They are a five-piece band that specializes in playing favorites from the 1960s. They use talent – and costumes to re-create the incredibly wide range of styles of that historic decade.
From the sunny and light pop of the Beach Boys and Young Rascals to the mind-blowing psychedelic rock of Hendrix, Joplin and the Jefferson Airplane, the band will be groovin’ throughout the day,
Also located on 1st Street will be the Manasota Aircooled V-Dubbers displaying many vintage Volkswagens, including bugs and buses.
Along with many events on 1st Street, Tiny Lifestyle Homes LLC will be displaying their first tiny house made locally by Brian Kelly.
Sarasota Farmers’ Market organizers emphasized that this will be a family event including kids’ activities such as an opportunity for youngsters to paint their own peace sign.
A best dressed 60s/70s outfits will be judged and a winner will be chosen. This is a free event for the community.
More information may be had by going to http://www.sarasotafarmersmarket.org/ and checking “Woodstock Revival” Did you go? Please let us know! Visit our Florida Fun Zone Facebook page or drop us a line at [email protected].
This is National Aviation Week – and for those who like airplanes and aircraft, there’s plenty of opportunities to visit places across the Sunshine State to see a wide variety of both vintage and modern ways to soar through the air.
MUSEUMS
For instance, in Lakeland there’s Aerospace Discovery at The Florida Air Museum. Florida’s “Official Aviation Museum and Education Center” features a dynamic display of the best examples aviation has to offer including one-of-a-kind designs, classics, ultra-lights, antiques and war-birds.
But the Museum is more than a collection of airplanes; it is a tribute to the history and joy of flight highlighting pioneers such as Howard Hughes, early air racer and countless Floridians who have influenced the world of aviation. The Museum also offers a variety of unique year-round educational experiences for all ages including camps, tours, workshops and speaker presentations.
Aerospace Discovery at The Florida Air Museum continues to grow and meet the challenge of our mission – to be the premier showcase for Florida’s aviation history through exhibits, restoration and preservation, education and outreach and to share the passion of flight with all ages.
Then there’s The Wings of Dreams Museum – located at Keystone Heights Airport in North Central Florida They were founded in 2005 by Susan King and Bob Oehl. The airport, formerly the Keystone Army Airfield, has a rich military history as a World War II Army Air Corps air base, tasked with reconnaissance pilot training, as well as preparing a squadron of fighter pilots for the Normandy Invasion. Part of the announced mission of Wings of Dreams is to preserve the airport’s wartime history, much of which is unknown or forgotten.
They plan to restore and display vintage aircraft and warbirds, many to flying condition, and serve as a repository for memorabilia and artifacts from World War II, other military conflicts, pioneer aviators and the space program to fulfill its mission to educate and preserve this part of America’s unique heritage for future generations
And of course there’s Pensacola’s National Naval Aviation Museum – the world’s largest Naval Aviation museum and one of the most-visited museums in the state of Florida. Share the excitement of Naval Aviation’s rich history and see more than 150 beautifully restored aircraft representing Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Aviation. These historic and one-of-a-kind aircraft are displayed both inside the Museum’s nearly 350,000 square feet of exhibit space and outside on its 37-acre grounds.
National Aviation Week is a good opportunity to find a great Florida Fun Travel destination to visit! And be sure to visit our Florida Fun Travel Facebook page or drop us a line at [email protected].
At the Florida Fun Zone we are always looking for a reason to go find quirky and fascinating places. The month of September is chock full of special observances that will give us an opportunity to travel and explore. Here are a few of the designations we can CELEBRATE!
All American Breakfast Month Link
Be Kind To Editors & Writers Month
Bourbon Heritage Month Link
Childrens’ Good Manners Month
Classical Music Month Link
Eat Chicken Month
Fall Hat Month
Happy Cat Month Link
International Square Dancing Month
Library Card Sign-up Month
Little League Baseball Month Link Million Minute Family Challenge (September-December)
National Americana Month Link
National Bake & Decorate Month
National Cheese Month Link National Chicken Month Link National Coupon Month
National Fruit and Veggies Month
National Home Furnishings Month
National Honey Month Link
National Mushroom Month Link
National Organic Harvest Month Link
National Passport Awareness Month Link
National Pet Memorial Month Link
National Prime Beef Month Link National Prosper Where You Are Planted Month
National Rice Month
National Sewing Month Link National Service Dog Month
National Shake Month (Ice Cream)
National Skin Care Awareness Month
National Piano Month LinkLink
National Preparedness Month
National Wilderness Month
Pleasure Your Mate Month
Save Your Photos Month Link
Self Improvement Month Link
September Is Healthy Aging Month
Shameless Promotion Month
Sports and Home Eye Health & Safety Month
Subliminal Communications Month
Update Your Resume Month
Whole Grains Month
Wild Rice Month Link
Women’s Friendship Month
Let us know how will you be observing any or all of these ! Visit our Florida Fun Zone Facebook page or drop us a line at [email protected].
