Uncategorized Archives - Page 38 of 156

Exploring the Ringling Museum

June 7, 2021

Exploring the Ringling Museum
📍 Ringling Museum, Sarasota

As a born-and-raised Floridian, it’s so easy to only think about the beaches and theme parks. A benefit from this past year, not being able to travel fully, is that I had ample opportunity to explore more of the Sunshine State. Palm Beach, Boca Grande, Amelia Island, I loved each destination. The most recent city I added to that list happens to be one of the closest. Just a quick drive away from St. Pete, over the Skyway Bridge, is the Gulf Coast gem of Sarasota. For this particular visit, I only had one destination in mind for exploring: The Ringling Museum!

Sarasota, Ringling Museum, Florida, Art, Travel

The History

Where to begin with the history? The Ringling Museum is named after John Ringling, best known for his circus empire in the early 1900s. He and his wife Mable would spend their summers in Sarasota and ultimately purchased a large property overlooking Sarasota Bay. While he was a man of many hobbies, he was also a prolific art collector. Upon his death, he willed his collection, his mansion, and the rest of the property to Florida. Since the Ringling Museum formed in 1927, it has been named Florida’s official art museum and is viewed as one of the best cultural institutions in the state.

The Ca’ d’Zan

When we arrived at the museum, I made a bee-line for the Ca’ d’Zan. A lover of all things Venetian, the Ringlings were inspired by the Floating City in Italy to create a Gothic revival mansion steps from Sarasota Bay. In fact, Ca’ d’Zan translates to House of John in Venetian dialect. As you walk through the mansion, you can’t help and think, “if these walls could talk.” John and Mable Ringling would frequently hold extravagant parties here. Nearly 100 years later, every corner still oozes the opulence and gild associated with the Roaring Twenties. Not to be outdone is the bayfront façade. Here, you get a full view of the home’s stain-glassed windows and gothic features. It was enough to leave me speechless.

Ringling Museum, Sarasota, Florida, Art Museum, Travel

The Gardens

After the Ca’ d’zan, we took the time to walk through the sprawling gardens on the Ringling property. Mable Ringling, in particular, had a very green thumb and took great pride in her work. Her greatest joy was the Rose Garden which serves as a central point to the museum. In total, there are about 66 acres of garden space, includes 14 sweeping Banyan trees that make you feel like you’re in an ancient forest. To take full advantage of the gardens, I recommend coming during the cooler Spring or Fall months.

Ringling Museum, Art, Sarasota, Travel, Florida

The Art Museum

The piece de resistance of The Ringling must be the Art Museum. It’s the greatest testament to John Ringling’s legacy. The exterior is designed to look like a Renaissance Italian palace in the prettiest shade of pink. As you walk through the sweeping archways and statues, you instantly feel transported to Europe. Inside, there are 21 different galleries filled with Baroque and Late Medieval art straight from Ringling’s extensive collection. Throughout his life, he had acquired well over 1,000 pieces. Although I don’t have an art background, visiting art museums is one of my favorite pastimes. Walking through the museum was such a joy. I just can’t believe such a beautiful collection was right in my backyard all along.

Ringling Museum, Sarasota, Art, Florida, Travel

The Circus Museum

Because Ringling made his fortune through his family’s traveling circus, the property also has a special museum to honor that heritage. So, if I’m being honest, I have a slight phobia of clowns steaming from my childhood. While there were none in person, I was a little on-guard while walking through this museum and probably didn’t enjoy it as much as I could have. I did love the vintage advertisements and 44,000 piece model that showed how vast his traveling circuses were. The Circus Museum gives a kid-friendly element to the Ringling and makes the experience perfect if you visit as a family.

Ringling Museum, Sarasota, Florida, Art, Travel

What an experience! The Ringling Museum was the perfect excuse to visit Sarasota. As you plan a trip to the Gulf Coast, be sure to make time away from our world-renowned beaches for an opportunity to explore a different side of Florida. Happy travels!

Love from Florida,
Katie

As always, thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.

Getting Ready for Hurricane Season

June 2, 2021

Getting Ready for Hurricane Season
📍 Downtown St. Pete, Florida

Hurricane Season, Florida, storm, prepare, Hurricane Kit

Dress (also) || Shoes (also) || Earrings

June 1st marks the beginning of Hurricane Season. In years past, I wouldn’t have given this a passing thought. Such is life when you live in the Sunshine State. This year feels a little different, and my blood pressure is up. If you’re new here, you may not know that our home flooded from the very last Tropical Storm of the year. Although it is almost entirely back to normal, I still have some anxiety from the 10 inches that came into our home. When we made the last-minute decision to pack up and evacuate, we had no idea what would be left of our starter home. From now until December (and possibly longer), I’ll be holding my breath and praying that this year’s Hurricane Season will be kind to us. Still, here’s how I’m getting our home ready for hurricane season.

Reevaluate Your Home and Insurance Policy

When thinking about future storms, my biggest concern is obviously our home. While there isn’t much you can do to fight against storm surge and flooding, you’re not helpless. I recommend performing a diagnostic check on the exterior of your home. In particular, it’s important to know that the roof over your head is in good condition and doesn’t need to be repaired in any way. If your home is older, it may be worth the splurge to update the windows with something that withstand hurricane-force winds. At the very least, double-check the windows and doors for cracks and have shutters on hand in case a storm is predicted to come your way.

In that same light, now is the time to reevaluate your home’s insurance policy. Depending on where you live, you may be required to have flood insurance. Because our neighborhood is right on Tampa Bay, we fall into this category. Decide if you want to increase your coverage and if that policy protects both your home and contents. I’m by no means an expert, so find a professional who can answer any lingering questions you may have.

Stock Up Your Hurricane Kit

No Florida home is complete without one! While it can take many different forms, we have a large plastic bin with plenty of non-perishable food to save for if the power runs out. It’s easy to forget about the Hurricane Kit once you make it, but everything has an expiration date. If you already have one, double-check the canned goods and replace your water. It may even be wise to a fresh pack of batteries too.

FEMA recommends having a 3-day supply for evacuations and a 2-week supply if you’re staying in your home if you’re starting a kit from scratch. The non-perishable food items can be whatever you prefer, but I always try to have a wide range of flavors (peanut butter, crackers, canned fruit) and fun treats to help take the sting out of hurricane anxiety. In terms of water, the rule of thumb is one gallon, per person, per day. Your Hurricane Kit should also include critical non-food items such as a first aid kit, flashlights, and a hand-crank radio. Don’t forget to have rations for all family pets.

Create An Evacuation Plan

There are so many different variables when it comes to creating a game plan. How bad is the storm supposed to be? What does the path look like? How long do I have to prepare? While there are so many last-minute decisions you’ll need to be ready to make, having an overarching strategy will give you peace of mind at the beginning of the season. Depending on the circumstances, we know that we can bunker down with my parents or escape to stay with my family on the east coast of Florida. Although it has never gotten to this point, we keep Tallahassee in mind as a destination if things are predicted to be dire.

Part of the evacuation plan is knowing what you’ll ultimately bring with you and how you’ll protect what stays. As part of my Hurricane Kit, I also keep a packing list to check off as I load the car. Having to leave your home is hard enough without dealing with the nagging feeling of forgetting something.

Make An Inventory Of Your Possessions

I’m speaking from our most recent experience. For insurance purposes, you’ll be asked to make an inventory of anything that was destroyed from the storm. Before this storm, I had never taken the time to list out what we owned. While I was able to backtrack, it was extremely time-consuming. Honestly, it seemed like a huge undertaking in terms of post-flood clean-up.

As you make your inventory, a simple Google Sheet worked for us. I included a description, the date I purchased it, and the price when I bought it. Because most of what I purchase is from online orders, I could track down a lot of the needed information. I had to take a picture of each item and, from there, linked it in the Google Sheets.

Take a deep breath. If you live in a hurricane-prone state, there’s no sense in spending the entire summer worrying about something beyond your control. By preparing at the beginning of the season, hopefully, you’ll be able to breathe easy for the rest of the summer.

Love from Florida,
Katie

As always, thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.

Relaxing for Memorial Day Weekend

May 26, 2021

Relaxing for Memorial Day Weekend
📍 Downtown St. Pete

weekend, Memorial Day, relaxing, Memorial Day Weekend, MDW

Dress (similar) || Sandals (similar) || Clutch

No matter the time of year, I can always justify wearing red, white, and blue. It’s a color combination that is just perfect for summer. Since Memorial Day Weekend is practically here, it should come as no surprise that I’ve been wearing it more and more this past week. The unofficial start to Summer has been calling my name! It means lots of planned trips and the warmest weather. Since the upcoming season is typically pretty busy for me, I am surprisingly thrilled to have 0 travel plans for the long weekend. I am unashamedly going to relax for my three-and-a-half-day weekend. What exactly does that look like for me? Here’s a quick look at relaxing for Memorial Day.

Backyard Cookout

Is there anything more quintessential for Memorial Day than a backyard cookout with friends and family? Although our backyard is currently a work-in-progress, it’s also my favorite place to unwind after work. On our back patio, each day starts with my morning coffee and ends with dinner al fresco. A moonlight glass of wine is optional but highly recommended! This weekend, you can expect to find the Kennedy family outside, with David masterfully behind the grill. I may even feel inclined to make a summertime dessert to match.

Sunny Beach Day

If you live in Florida, a day spent at the beach or pool is just what you’re supposed to do during a long weekend. The real heat of summer hasn’t quite hit yet, but the water will all the same refreshing. Admittedly, I don’t go to the beach nearly as often as I would like. There’s a lot of prep work for a seamless and comfortable beach day. Think: packing all of the beach towels, umbrellas, snacks, and other accessories… Don’t forget the sunscreen! In the end, it’s always worth it and would be a great chance to debut my new navy gingham bikini top and high-waisted bottoms from J. Crew.

Visit an Art Museum

Visiting an art museum doesn’t seem like your typical MDW activity, but seeing the Ringling Museum has long been on my local bucket list. Now that I have an extra day to take advantage of, I will make a day trip to Sarasota a priority. Even though it’s just an hour away, it seems like a faraway destination that I haven’t explored much. While the art museum would be my main focus, I also hope to find new restaurants and scout the local antique scene. While I love all that St. Pete offers, it may be worth my while to visit Sarasota more frequently. Let me know if you have any recommendations!

Quiet Time at Home

I’m very aware that there is a distinct possibility I spend some time this weekend in my LAKE pajamas. I have a stack of new books I can’t wait to read and an ever-growing queue on Netflix. Even though it’s so tempting to be on the go for the entire weekend, don’t forget to slow down for at least one day and allow yourself to recharge. Turn off the phone, power down the computer, and attempt to be off the grid.

When you live year-round in a top vacation destination, it’s easy to slow down on the busiest holidays. Floridians don’t necessarily have FOMO on Memorial Day Weekend because we know there’s also next week! Whether you’re traveling, staying local, or not leaving your home, I hope you have a wonderful weekend to recharge. Let’s make MDW the start to an incredible summer season!

Love from Florida,
Katie

As always, thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.