Posted on April 7, 2019
We visited the Palm Beach Zoo on the way back from our stay at the Waldorf Astoria in Boca Raton. It’s a beautiful little zoo/conservatory located in a public park near West Palm Beach. There was no wait when we showed up (mid-morning). It has 4 main walkable areas, some larger than others. They have […]
Posted on April 7, 2019
We took advantage of our Hilton discount to visit the Waldorf Astoria resorts in Boca Raton, FL this weekend. They have 2 resorts, the Boca Raton Resort and Club (inland), and Boca Beach Club (on the beach). They are both very beautiful. They are also very expensive (sans discount). *** The Resort and Club is […]
Posted on March 17, 2019
Shared a cabin with my buddy Shane at Silver Springs State Park, “gateway to Ocala National Forest.” Their cabins are sometimes hard to come by, and he found a last minute opening. It was one of the last good weather weekends of the year (for us in Florida). We didn’t do the typical glass-bottom boat […]
Posted on December 23, 2018
I decided to do something useful with our dilapidated old fence that needed to be replaced. A simple looking, rustic ceiling light/chandelier at First Watch caught my eye. Theirs is larger, but my creation is similar. I saved some of the rest of the wood for rustic wall paneling I intend to do later on. […]
Posted on December 6, 2018
Today we toured Penang Nursery with its owner, Mr. Lo, an acquaintance through the Orlando Chinese Association. They are located in Apopka, FL, specializing in indoor plants and wholesaling to all major stores including Home Depot, Lowes, Aldi, etc. They are also open to the public.
Posted on August 25, 2018
While in San Diego for an SPIE conference (presenting this paper), I took some time to see various sites. See my posts on the Maritime Museum of San Diego, and the USS Midway Museum. The Gaslamp Quarter of downtown San Diego offers vibrant streets and plenty of restaurants, bars, clubs, and shops. Balboa Park is […]
Posted on August 19, 2018
Today, we visited the Maritime Museum of San Diego, located right on the water in San Diego Bay. It is comprised of 10 or so ships wet-docked and lashed together for you to explore. They have some beautiful ships here with lots of history, including: the still active barque The Star of India, a replica […]
Posted on August 2, 2018
Today we visited the Reptile World Serpentarium in Kissimmee, Florida, which has been in the area since the early 70s. They have a very large collection of poisonous snakes, and are one of the leading suppliers of snake venom to universities, companies, and organizations producing antidotes. They also have a number of turtles, tortoises, rabbits, […]
Posted on July 30, 2018
Saw a huge grasshopper while walking my dog today. Must be a grasshopper because it is solitary. Though I saw a few more throughout the week… so maybe it was gregarious?
Posted on July 27, 2018
“The Mayor” is a very beautiful, very large, and very old Southern Live Oak near the Mennello Museum of American Art at Loch Haven Park, home to the Orlando Science Center. Many websites report it at 200 years old, but unless I’m reading the commemorating plaque wrong, it is likely 300-400 years old. I believe […]