Florida Trip 2006

In January, 2006, we made our third excursion to The Villages in Central Florida where we enjoyed our stay with our friends, the Meltons. During our early morning walks, we stopped by the pond near the Glenview Golf Course to view and feed the birds. For your enjoyment, here are some photos taken on a crisp January morning of the Birds of Glenview.

On a previous trip we ate at Stumpknockers Restaurant which is located between Ocala and Crystal River on Hwy 200, on the banks of the Withlacoochee River. We thought at the time that it would be exciting to take a cruise down the river to enjoy the wildlife and the scenery. We were not disappointed when we took the guided tour offered by Captain Mike's Lazy River Cruises. Here are some photos we took from the 24 foot covered pontoon boat on the Withlacoochee River.

Later in the week, we took a trip to Lake Wales to Bok Tower Gardens, which stands on the highest point on the Florida peninsula. The historic Bok Singing Tower is 205 feet tall. Built in 1929 by Edward W. Bok, the tower was constructed of pink and gray marble from Georgia and coquina stone from St. Augustine. The tower is rich in carvings depicting the flora and fauna of Florida.

The tower houses a carillon of fifty-seven bronzed bells ranging in weight from 17 pounds to nearly 12 tons. Surrounding the tower are 157 acres of landscaped gardens. Frederick Olmsted, Jr., the son of the man who developed New York’s Central Park, designed the gardens. The gardens took over five years to complete. President Coolidge dedicated them in 1929. Here are some photos we took at the Bok Sanctuary.