Reflections From the Fence: Sarasota Florida

Showing posts with label Sarasota Florida. Show all posts

Monday, February 17, 2014

Crowley Natural & Cultural History Center, Sarasota, Florida, The Children's Discovery Path & Tatum Buildings

The rest of the story, our visit to the Crowley Natural & Cultural History Center.

Due to a bit of a wrong turn, Man and I ended up on the Children's Discovery Path. Sometimes wrong turns are the right turns. The Children's Discovery Path has equipment for children to use to experience what it would be like to be a local critter, signage, lessons, and some nice wooden carvings of local fauna. This depicts the Florida panther (subspecies of Puma).

A bit further down the trail there is a eagle nest viewing area. See that blue disc? It is a zip line for kids. To teach them how it would feel to be an eagle soaring from it's nest. The line was about 10 feet off the ground (that is a Carol guestimate.) By the way, they sit on the disc.

A closer look at the owls.

Nearby, another wooden carving, one of an eagle.

This is the Tatum Ridge school house. It closed in 1941.

This is the Tatum house, built ca 1888 - 1892. It is one of the oldest pieces of rural architecture in Sarasota County.

Inside, period furniture.

Love that big ole knob on the drop leaf table. Had a drop leaf one time, did NOT have that big ole knob.

School room, attached to the house, not in the old school building.

Step out of the main house, and through another door (believe it was a separate building), a laundry room. I am not so sure about that ironing board - - balanced on two chairs?? Go ahead - - you try it first.

The wrong turn was the right turn, as by the time we finished the Children's Discover Path and the Tatum buildings my ankle was starting to sting. It was time to call it a day.

We had a wonderful visit to the Crowley Natural& Cultural History Center. During our walk we saw no other humans. Not a one. During the visit to the entire park we only saw about 6 other visitors. We understand that the weekend of February 22nd, they are expecting about 3 to 6,000 people to visit. 6 or 6,000, which do you think we prefer?

Crowley Natural & Cultural History Center, Sarasota, Florida, The Slow Walk

After visiting the Pioneer Museum at Crowley Natural & Cultural History Center, we headed out to the boardwalk for a slow and leisurely walk.

Yes, there were cattle around. Free ranging. We did see a couple in the very back of the park.

For the most part, because this is very low and wet ground, swamp land and rivers and creeks, most of the trail was a boardwalk.

Now you know I just loved this part of the boardwalk. All the twists. Photo does not show the best due to the shadows, there was a twist about every 8 feet. Made us smile.

Man taking a sit. We found a bench, we sat. We listened. We looked around. We sat some more.

At the end of the boardwalk we find Selby Tower which overlooks the Tatum Sawgrass Marsh along the Myakka River.

Possibly a red shouldered hawk. We saw a few herons and egrets. We were actually a bit surprised we did not see many birds, as this is known as a birding area. And, yes, we were quiet, and we were looking. Sony Too had to zoom a LOT to get this photo!

I know, what IS this photo of the iPhone doing here?? We are always surprised when we are out in the middle of nowhere and the messages start coming in. And, that is exactly what happened here. I looked and I had the best connection I have had in some time. Five full bars at 3G.

When you descend from the tower, unless you retreat back via the boardwalk you are put on a ground level, sorta solid path. Love the color of the water. And, there is a bench we actually did not sit and rest on.

There had been some rain the week before our visit. At this point the path was a bit, well, wet. And, muddy. We managed to sneak by on the side and the shoes only got a wee bit muddy. This is the area where the cattle reside, we did see two deep in the foliage. They were not cooperating, camera shy I guess.

Just a bit down this trail we turned down a side trail and wandered back to the board walk. We headed back trying to locate another path that went to an area where the Indians used to camp. The docent had explained it, and it sounded neat. And, we missed the correct path, ending up instead on the Children's Discovery Path. Probably a good miss, as by the time we had wandered back up to Jolly my ankle was starting to remind me that I am still healing.

Our last stops of the day were interesting, photos coming soon.

Crowley Natural & Cultural History Center, Sarasota, Florida, The Pioneer Museum

On Valentine's Day Man and I did something different. No wine, no roses, no special meals out (just a couple of hits at the local fast food joints). Instead, we drove to Sarasota and chose to visit the Crowley Natural & Cultural History Center.

After a visit to the Visitors Center, armed with the map of the grounds, and suggestions/hints from the docent, off we went. First stop, the Pioneer Museum. The museum is arranged as a general store, most of the artifacts were collected by Jasper Crowley.

Gosh, I love old stuff, and there are some great artifacts here.

I have an old trunk similar to this one, see the curved top inside. That section on mine lifts out. The curved section is made from a heavy cardboard type material, not wood.

The two children on this tour enjoyed the toy display. Rock the ball and the chickens peck at their meal.

I don't remember ever seeing this toy. Two girls, one jumps rope.

Man turns the handle, err, arm of one sister, and her sister jumps!

Butter churn, I believe.

Always a favorite of mine, bottle displays.

Next came a walk, not far in distance, but long in duration, cause we had the time, so why hurry. At the end of the walk we found ourselves on the Children' Discovery Path. We also stopped briefly at the Tatum House.