Yesterday I drove 15 miles north to the Bishop Planetarium in Bradenton, which is open late the first Saturday of every month. My plan was to attend the various shows that run throughout the afternoon and maybe grab a bite to eat before heading home. I got WAY more than I bargained for. Upon arriving, I found the town’s annual Seafood Festival in full swing. Since I arrived at 11 a.m. and the first show at the Planetarium was not scheduled until 2:15 p.m., I strolled along the river and wandered around the town’s quaint little downtown, listening to live music at several stages set up around town and checking out the food booths. Mmmmmmm! Rarely have I seen such a display of Read the rest of this entry »

I LOVE to travel. I can only stay put for a few months before I get the urge to head out for another one of the distant, exotic places that I haven’t yet checked off my list. Unfortunately, I can’t travel all the time. Once in a while I have to stick around and make some money to pay for all this travel about which I am so passionate. When I find myself grounded for a while – like now – I have to find a way to scratch that travel itch or I go crazy. That’s when I start looking around in my own back yard.

I am ashamed to admit that, despite the fact that I was born and raised in Chicago, I never visited Lincoln Park Zoo, attended a concert at the downtown band shell, went to the top of the Sears Tower, toured Frank Lloyd Wright’s home, visited the Old Water Tower, or watched the futures trading at the Chicago Board of Trade. It’s a mistake I don’t intend to repeat, now that I’ve relocated to Sarasota. Read the rest of this entry »