Feb 9-10 2012

Still at the Cummings parking lot. I am not a morning person and getting out of there by 730 am is like death.  We found a new place for breakfast. The three coins, it was given a 5 pancake rating on the internet. Not a bad place. Before that we thought maybe the people in Tampa did not go out for breakfast, we could not find a place.  We had a long day then, went to 3 museums, a heritage park , the beach and a Mexican restaurant for dinner. I drank too many margaritas. Two, I am really becoming a light weight.

The fireman's museum

The Plant Museum. It was the Tampa Bay Hotel. Built 120 years ago. It was the first magic kingdom in Florida. It was a luxury resort with electricity and a bathroom in each room. Very elegant. Henry Plant owned the railroads and built it. People came from all over the world to stay here.  During the Spanish American war the army was stationed in Tampa before invading Cuba. The officers, including Teddy Roosevelt stayed in the hotel. During the depression it fell on hard times and closed. It now belongs to the University of Tampa. There is a museum in the lower floor and the university uses the rest of the building.

The original dining room, now a lecture hall. John relaxing on the front porch.

One of the bedrooms-in a suite of 4 rooms. Some of the etiquette tips around the museum.

one of the new fangled bathrooms. Being on a college campus this was posted in the lobby. Sexapalooza-wear condoms.

a historic post card from the Tampa Bay Hotel, college graffiti and a lizard climbing a sky scrapper in the city.

The Florida Classic car museum. It had cars from the 20’s and 30’s. Mostly European cars, many we had not seen before.

dragons made from car pieces in front of the building next door to the museum. Suep as a mermaid at the heritage park where there were restored old buildings from the area,

Rock Island Beach on Sand Key

Egret and heron

sunset on Sand Key. Finally we got away from the repair shop parking lot and are parked in a real RV park-with a pool and 80 degrees out . Guess where we were.

The tree next to the bus has these flowers on it. John relaxing under my snuggly that he got me for Christmas.  He was freezing. I guess since it was 80 during the day 67 degrees might be considered cool . . .