floridatraveler

Sitting on the quiet banks of the Ancloate River in Tarpon Springs is St. Luke’s Cataract & Laser Institute, a tribute to the work of Dr. James Gills, the man who has performed more surgeries than any other eye surgeon in the world.

Ronald Reagan, Rev. Billy Graham, Margaret Thatcher, and more have visioted Dr. Gills. But his career doesn’t just envolve medical books, medical awards, and innovations in eye operations.

Dr Gills is the author of over fifty Christian books, which he gives out to patients and visitors. He has built 2,500 churches around the globe.

Some of you may recognize his name with the Iron Man endurance races. Dr. Gills has been a marathon runner and even ran two Iron Man races in one day. Today he just bikes many miles over to his Institute and clinics.

Summer is on the way and its time for Floridians to hit the beaches. Instead of giant and costly resorts and high rise condos, we like those rare commodities: a great bed and beakfast inn DIRECTLY ON THE BEACH.

Here are some choices: Amelia Island Oceanfront B&B (see pic) on the Atlantic in a historic structure is just a mile away from historic Fernandina Beach.

A 1925 coquina block beachfront gem on Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island Harrington House is highly rated for good reason. Over on St. Augustine Beach is the delightful Beachfront Bed and Breakfast with heated pool, Jacuzzi, and big waterfront lawn.

If you like the Florida Keys, try the Conch Key Cottages, a great place to take a kayak off a private piece of sand beach. If you like Panhandle seclusiuon, it’s hard to beat the Turtle Beach Inn, a low key wonder on secluded Indian Pass Beach.

Sanibel and Captiva Islands are well known for their strong rules protecting the environment, but the islands are equally supportive of preserving the islands’ past.

The Sanibel Historical Village and Museum has saved an entire village of island history: 1896 Schoolhouse, 1900 Sanibel Packing House, 1926 Miss Charlotta’s Tea Room, 1927 Old Bailey General Store, and several pioneer cottages.

Equally impressive is how landmark resorts have saved original buildings. The 1890 Thistle Lodge is the restaurant at the Casa Ybel Resort. The Charles Linbergh Cottage and the Old Captiva House stand at Captiva’s Tween Waters Inn. The Island Inn and the South Sea Islands Plantation feature original structures.

In a Florida where high rise condos have replaced Old Florida architecture, it is nice to visit a progressive resort that recognizes the value of historic preservation.

South of Disney World is “cattle country” in Florida and more and more cattlemen are turning to “Cracker cattle” – the wild ancestors of cattle brought to Florida by the Spanish for local consumption.

After the Civil War bigger breeds (even Brahman) were brought into the state since Cracker cows are small (under 1,000 pounds) and a little wild. By the 1950’s Floridians raised Angus and other breeds for shipment to the Great Plains to be fattened.

But in recent years, as the acreage for farming has declined across Florida, the pioneer cows on on the rise. They are low in fat and tasty, with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids from eating Florida grass, not formulated corn and grains.

So next time you drive across Central Florida and see a herd of mangy little cows, don’t laugh – they may be on your dinner plate later that day.

My favorite luxury resort at WDW is the Animal Kingdom Lodge and Villas. It has three killer restaurants, a wonderful African theme, friendly people from Africa and elsewhere, and a large and exotic pool area.

It’s biggest shortcoming is that unless you have an automobile (as I do), you have to take long bus rides to get to the theme parks. For others being away from the crowds is a blessing. The Grand Floridian (#2) and Contemporary (#4) get armies of visitors from the parks. Even the Beach Club and Villas (#3) and Yacht Club (#5) get visitors from Epcot and the Boardwalk shops.

For creative Indian and African dishes and a ground level view of the African plains, eat at the newest restaurant – Sanaa. Read the reviews in Tripadvisor.

It is with great regret that I announce that The View at CK’s at Tampa AIrport Marriott is closing this summer. The 1980’s revolving restaurant gave us Tampans a feeling of status in the world of restaurant architecture.

Started by German technology, the revolving restaurant came to Honolulu in 1961 and soon spread acreoss the USA with landmarks in Seattle, San Antonio, Atlanta, and elsewhere. In recent times some of these places have lost their luster.

I guess this makes the Spinners Rooftop Restaurant at the Grand Plaza Hotel in St Pete Beach my nearest spot for a revolving meal. The oddest revolving food spot in Florida may be the Garden Grill at Epcot at WDW. It is “an indoor revolving restaurant” which just spies down upon scenes from The Land ride. It does have the Disney characters in farmers jeans.

It is strange how a basketball game can put a university on the news map faster than hiring a few Nobel Prize winners. Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers is further south than U. of South Florida. Beach balls are more common than basketballs.

But by beating #2 seed Georgetown in Phily in the NCAA Tournament millions now know who and where FGCU is. When my father was editor in Punta Gorda, he tried to get FGCU built at the Charlotte County Airport, but the campus was built on Fort Myers’ southside. I’m certain Dad in heaven is doubly happy – his beloved Harvard won its first NCAA Tournament basketball game in the 350+ year history of the school. And people now know about FGCU.

The seventy-five store-restaurant complex known as Downtown Disney will double in size in the next three years and become a four part Florida lakeside village known as Disney Springs.

Lake Buena Vista will be lined with a Town Center with natural springs, a waterfront dining area called The Landing, an over-the water pedestrian walkway by the Marketplace, and a West Side where popular entertainment spots like Raglan Road and House of Blues will probably locate.

Parking is often a problem at Downtown Disney so I’m not certain how a 150 business complex will handle the traffic. I know kids will love to see a World of Diosney store twice as large.

I love visiting the West Coast city of Sarasota. No town in Florida exhibits a greater appreciation for the role art plays in our daily lives. Main Street downtown has statues everywhere. This wonderful statue set is at the Sarasota Art Center off US41.

Epcot’s Chefs de France at Walt Disney World has a one character dinner show. A French actress who reminds me of Leslie Caron wheels a serving cart around the tables and when she lifts a chafing lid, there is Remy from the movie Ratatouille on the plate.

Remy moves and talks to the shock of kids who discover no one is hiding under the serving tray. What was most amusing was many older diners were not familiar with the film so a talking rat in a chefs outfit was rather disarming.

And more good news: the onion soup is good, the lobster bisque is better, and you can get a great three-course set dinner for $39.99.