On a beautiful Saturday not long after I arrived in Florida my husband and I decided that we needed a break from house hunting and his work. We couldn’t decide what to do, so we pulled out the Off the Beaten Path-Florida Edition and chose a visit Bok Tower and gardens.
We took the long way there avoiding the interstate. When you are truly having a relaxing outing, this is often a fun thing to do. You never know what you will find driving through small towns -- antique shops, diners, or just simply some odd tourist attraction of days gone by. That advice actually applies to any state in the union.
Pulling up to the entrance we rolled down the windows to pay the $10 to the parking attendant. As we drove through the winding road leading up to main buildings, we smelled orange blossoms. It was such a nice effect that we actually commented that management should pipe the smell in when the orange trees aren’t in bloom.
If you visit Bok Tower, remember to bring your walking shoes to tour the beautiful gardens. Since I am not a gardener this is as close to nature as I get. But I still found it very enjoyable and relaxing. There are benches in shaded areas throughout the walking tour. (Hint Hint) This might be a nice romantic date or anniversary type of outing, especially if you have a important question or a special gift!!!
Unfortunately I can not give you a critique of the Pinewood Estate because we skipped that. I can tell you from the outside it was very appealing and the manicured lawn leading up to the home was breathtaking.
We finished our walk at the Singing Tower were we found a bench under a beautiful live oak tree. At least I think it was an oak tree, remember I told you I was not a gardener. We sat and listened to the relaxing sounds of the carillon. If you are a people watcher like me you like to look around and see smiles on others faces, people holding hands, or with their arms around each other. On the day we visited, there was not much talking -- only appreciating the sounds of the carillon.
On the way out we decided we were famished and needed lunch. Since I did not plan ahead and bring a picnic basket so we could enjoy the grounds and use one of several picnic tables in the parking area, we opted for the Carillion Cafe. To our surprise it was so much more than the typical dining experience at a tourist attraction. There were fresh salads available, a variety of sandwiches, soup and for the kids -- the ever important hotdog.
This is not an outing to be rushed. Make sure you have batteries charged in the camera because there will be much you will want to remember in digital print. Oh and for the shoppers among my readers, they also had a quaint gift shop that sold a variety of plants to take home to add to your yard.
We took the long way there avoiding the interstate. When you are truly having a relaxing outing, this is often a fun thing to do. You never know what you will find driving through small towns -- antique shops, diners, or just simply some odd tourist attraction of days gone by. That advice actually applies to any state in the union.
Pulling up to the entrance we rolled down the windows to pay the $10 to the parking attendant. As we drove through the winding road leading up to main buildings, we smelled orange blossoms. It was such a nice effect that we actually commented that management should pipe the smell in when the orange trees aren’t in bloom.
If you visit Bok Tower, remember to bring your walking shoes to tour the beautiful gardens. Since I am not a gardener this is as close to nature as I get. But I still found it very enjoyable and relaxing. There are benches in shaded areas throughout the walking tour. (Hint Hint) This might be a nice romantic date or anniversary type of outing, especially if you have a important question or a special gift!!!
Unfortunately I can not give you a critique of the Pinewood Estate because we skipped that. I can tell you from the outside it was very appealing and the manicured lawn leading up to the home was breathtaking.
We finished our walk at the Singing Tower were we found a bench under a beautiful live oak tree. At least I think it was an oak tree, remember I told you I was not a gardener. We sat and listened to the relaxing sounds of the carillon. If you are a people watcher like me you like to look around and see smiles on others faces, people holding hands, or with their arms around each other. On the day we visited, there was not much talking -- only appreciating the sounds of the carillon.
On the way out we decided we were famished and needed lunch. Since I did not plan ahead and bring a picnic basket so we could enjoy the grounds and use one of several picnic tables in the parking area, we opted for the Carillion Cafe. To our surprise it was so much more than the typical dining experience at a tourist attraction. There were fresh salads available, a variety of sandwiches, soup and for the kids -- the ever important hotdog.
This is not an outing to be rushed. Make sure you have batteries charged in the camera because there will be much you will want to remember in digital print. Oh and for the shoppers among my readers, they also had a quaint gift shop that sold a variety of plants to take home to add to your yard.
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