Category Archives: Florida

The Ringlings in Sarasota

The Ringling’s in Sarasota

We love the Siesta Key area and one of the things we love most is the Ringling’s in Sarasota. Because of the amount of things to see I will break it down to three post.

The first post will be the grounds surrounding the Ringling home and the art museum. The second will be the art museum and the third will be the house.

When you arrive at the Ringling you enter in a common area and choose what you wish to see.

The Ringlings in Sarasota
Entrance

The museum admission is about twenty five dollars for adults and includes the art museum and the circus museum.  For an additional ten dollars you can include the first floor of the Ca’d’Zan or Ringling house. For twenty dollars more then the museum price you can get the first and second floor of the Ca’d’Zan. John’s tour is thirty dollars and does not include the museums. But it takes you to the fourth floor and the tower.  John and Mables tour is fourth dollars and covers the entire house but does not include the museums.  A great deal is Monday’s, on Monday you get free admission to the art museum.

We felt that you could spend a day just in the art museum so we took advantage of the free Mondays.

The Ringlings in Sarasota
view from entrance

After planning your visit and buying tickets you can walk straight to the circus museum and then continue on the Ringling House (Ca’d’Zan).  If instead you turn left you can go to the art museum.

The Ringlings in Sarasota

Also to the left is a shaded area full of little people, where you can find a nice place to sit.

The Ringlings in Sarasota

The Ringling area has many water features with fish ducks and turtles.

The Ringlings in Sarasota

Looking across the water, you can see one of the many golf carts or trams which help transport visitors around The Ringling’s in Sarasota  .

The Ringlings in Sarasota

Some of the things you pass walking to the house.  All of these pictures were taken in February.

My next post will give you a view of the art museum, as we continue our visit with The Ringling’s in Sarasota

Airboats and Gators

Airboats and Gators

We drove down to Everglades City looking for airboats and gators. I have always wanted to ride an airboat through the Everglades.  There was a TV show when I was young which had the airboats speeding through the Everglades hitting small sandbars and bouncing across. Without having to say it, there were always gators waiting for airboat to make a mistake.

Driving South from Siesta Key we came to Wooten’s  just past the turn to Everglades City.  Wooten’s does not only have the airboats but also kayaks and swamp buggy tours. The swamp buggy, I could enjoy if they would let me drive.  The Kayak, I could think of nothing good coming out of me in a kayak with gators swimming around me. But it was the airboat that we had come looking for.

Airboats and gators
Wooten’s dock

The standard airboat at Wooten’s will hold about ten to twelve people. We got there early and sat just in front of the captain.

Airboats and gators
Good seats in front of the captain

Soon we pulled out from the dock and went in search of gators.  That is the one thing everyone was wanting to see.  Our wish was soon granted the Captain spotted one swimming toward us.

Airboats and gators
Gator

He move the airboat up to the side of the gator to give us a closer look.

Airboats and gators

After seeing a couple of gators, the Captain showed us what the air boat could do.  Because of the loud engine everyone had head set to cut down the sound.

Airboats and gators
Loving it

Try the link  to get some idea of the ride.  Airboats and gators

Sorry I filmed my leg for a while, but it will give you some idea. While at Wooten’s, we also saw manatee and a eagle’s nest. But most of all I got to see airboats and gators.

Manatee
Airboats and gators
Eagle’s Nest

One interesting thing was the airboat Captain ask where we were from in Kentucky.  I told him that I doubted if he would know our town.  Long story short, his grandparents lived in our county and he grew up not to far away in Logan West Virginia. So here’s to a local guy having fun in Florida with airboats and gators.

Hello to his friends and Family in Logan WV