I grew up here, but moved away before I had matured enough to truly appreciate things like theater,  museums and galleries. I had been to the Dali museum as a child, but revisiting it was like seeing it anew! The building is different than the old one, and the museum is amazing. I adore art! I have also pinpointed a few galleries I would like to visit- the Chihuly one comes to mind right away. I love the MOSI, and look forward to going there at least 5 more times to try and get it all in. I have plans to see The Book of Mormon at the Straz center this fall.  

nice subject Sarah
....you know I've toured the world as a musician, and where ever I went with few exceptions was only for a day or rarely 2 or 3 days...but I always made it a point to get out and explore Rome, London, zeal am see Austria, Stockholm etc. I think it doesn't matter where you live if you never get out of the house!...lol....I live the staz and also go to Orlando for a lot of concerts...tarpon springs is great...and the Ringling museum in Sarasota is great...of course its always nice  to dance in the sand at skippers smokehouse....

New Orleans has a lot of culture, believe it or not. So many "first times" were created here, including many brothels that are now apartment buildings, the city of Voodoo, a few haunted hotels like Le Pavillion, etc.  Not a big interest to me, but we do have a great WWII Museum and tons of locally owned art galleries and a ton of plantations to tour. One of my favorite things to do in the fall is to grab a picnic basket, bottle of wine, and spend the day at an old plantation dressed up the way they did back then.  

Lol! Would you believe I've never been to Skippers and I drive right by it at least once a week? I'll have to make it a point to stop in now.

Ahhh- NO is soooo rich in culture!! I have a couple of books on brothels there that I will read before actually going there and exploring that side of the city. I have been to Mardi Gras several times years ago, and also to the Jazz Festival. NO is wonderful!

I live in the NYC area now, and for me the appeal of everything here is lessened by the difficulty in simply getting around. To go see a show in Manhattan I know it will involve driving through some pretty bad traffic, paying $50 to park, etc. When the opera is finished at the Met, good luck getting a cab back to your hotel, since you'll be competing with hundreds of others spilling out of Lincoln Center at the same time.  

well I'm a drummer but I also play piano and bass...basically anything I can bang on...lol
I've toured with Kenny loggins, bonnie raitt, chuck man gone, Eric Johnson, the outfield, Suzanne Vega...etc...I grew up playing jazz so I love jazz too.
my favorite city was Zel Am See Austria. not far from Lake Cuomo in northern Italy

LoL Yeah, Florida really is different in so many ways from everywhere else.  I think that we do have culture, just not in the traditional sense.  Just about everyone had a winter home somewhere in Fl, so we have a lot of home museums... Like the Thomas Edison / Ford estate in Sarasota, and the Barnum estate and museum is there too...havnt been to that one yet, but its more of Barnums Fine Arts collection which Ive heard is pretty impressive.  

You do have a point about the difficulty of enjoying the culture of big cities.  Fortunately when I have lived in them I lived very much in the center where it was easy to walk or take the subway/underground. And there is nothing more satisfying than walking around a city after a fantastic meal and a good show! I saw La Traviata in NY in 07 and I don't remember much of a hassle. But again, walking afterwards means I miss the hoardes waiting for taxis. Having said all that, the crowded subways can really annoy me!

Mmmm... That part of Italy sounds beautiful. I have only been to Milan and Venice in the north, but thoroughly enjoyed many beautiful places in the south on the west coast. My fave was probably Sorrento- many fond memories! And Portofino was very charming. And for Austria, Vienna is my sole experience. If we ever meet I will tell you some wild stories. Perhaps you have a few of your own? Of course I could be presuming based solely on your proclivity for banging on things...

I have yet to explore Miami, but you've made a great case for it! I adore Latin-infused cuisine and music! That's why Ybor can be so much fun here in Tampa.  I saw Hemingway's house (and cats) as a child. The Vizcaya Estate sounds beautiful- I absolutely adore gardens! I can spend hours in them!

I havnt had the chance to really check out Ybor though Ive heard a lot about it.  I have been to Columbia there (I think thats in Ybor?) and I liked that...theres also one in Celebration and I went there all the time when I lived there, but the one in Ybor had belly dancers! That was a fun night hehe!

...Also, while not cultural, there's always Miami's MetroZoo and the Miami Science Museum/Planetarium...

So glad I came upon this thread! Having traveled across the USA as well as having seen India, Singapore, parts of Europe and Latin America one of the things that keeps coming up is just how similar big cities are. With international fast food chains including Pizza Hut, KFC and Starbucks as well as big hotel chains I often find big Metropolitan cities very much the same regardless of whether I am in Madrid or Mumbai.

Well I would love to show you Ybor if you'll show me Vizcaya!

Ooooh! The planetarium sounds fun!

You're right that the culture of a place or people is less diluted by globalization the further away from the urban centers you go. Nonetheless, each global city has its own take on music, art, philosophy, literature, etc., which tend to be more prevalently celebrated in urban spaces. Folk art and music would be a purer form of a culture's traditions, and those are particularly rewarding to experience. That is if you can get away from the "made for tourists" brand of those, which are rife in peri-urban areas where cruise ships have tours. Lol

Its right by Vizcaya lol but yeah, the science museum and planetarium is fantastic.  They rotate out the exhibits all the time, so theres always something new to see there.  Also theres a wildlife area as well... the science museum is where certain birds that are found injured around Miami are sent to be taken care of for release.  Really cool stuff.

Planetarium! I'll throw in the Dalí! :

...and then there's Coral Castle ( http://coralcastle.com/ ) and Parrot Jungle ( http://www.jungleisland.com/ ).

LoL perfect...

I heart Coral Castle...I swear, the website and all that do it no justice.  Ive had to practically kidnap people to get them to come there with me, but Ive been there at least a dozen times...possibly more.  And most who finally make it admit its pretty cool.  But first impression usually is "this isnt a castle...what is this?" LoL

-- Modified on 9/2/2013 12:33:38 AM

Now we're talking!! A very hot rock star once told me about Coral Castle during a day we spent together having intellectual sex. That was a hot day and I have wanted to see it ever since. I've been to the website many times and look forward to seeing it in person. Add that to our tour list! And I will buy lunch.

Can't wait to see Coral Castle! And the jungle looks wonderful as far as the flora goes! But I have a serious thing against zoos. I think the proper place for animals is in their natural habitat. Sure, they might have a nice life in the jungle place, but they're not *free*. So I'll probably give that one a miss. But thanks for posting the link!

Funny thing about Parrot Jungle...it used to be down south, and my home was right around the corner from it.  There were often escapee parrots, and so they were all aroudn the neighborhood. When my ex and I were looking at houses, I thought they were all so beautiful! But then when we moved in, there were...no exaggeration, about 20+ parrots living in the tree in our yard.

Poor guy. Unrequited love sucks! Lol!

Samantha wrote: "But thanks for posting the link!"

"Funny thing about Parrot Jungle...it used to be down south, and my home was right around the corner from it.  There were often escapee parrots, and so they were all aroudn the neighborhood."

Agreed. Most of my travels to other countries were at a very young age, so I never got the chance to venture off on my own and find those hidden spots that are locally dominated, and rich with culture. My last trip to Paris was actually for "work" and again, had it not been for one local taking me around, I would not have seen anything other than the view from my hotel, which was stunning btw.  

In the castle, next to the cooking pit is this thing called redemption corner, its a structure with three walls, a bench, and two holes...one high up for her and one down low for the kids.  His plan was, if she or their kids displeased them, they would need to place their head into the hole, and he would sit on the bench and give them a good talking to.  Aye!!!  There are also copies of manuals that he used to sell, with his beliefs on how to domesticate a woman and the womans role to please her man.  LORD! LOLOL  

Wow- had no idea about his bizarre domestic and family views... Yikes! Lol! We should definitely get together, and I would love to visit the castle with such a seasoned aficionado. have you ever read Fingerprints of the Gods by Graham Hancock? He's a very controversial figure, but I am convinced he's on to something...

Posted By: NicoleSaunders

In the castle, next to the cooking pit is this thing called redemption corner, its a structure with three walls, a bench, and two holes...one high up for her and one down low for the kids.  His plan was, if she or their kids displeased them, they would need to place their head into the hole, and he would sit on the bench and give them a good talking to.  Aye!!!  There are also copies of manuals that he used to sell, with his beliefs on how to domesticate a woman and the womans role to please her man.  LORD! LOLOL    
   
 But he was incredibly brilliant...so many things in there defy comprehension..for instance theres a 6ton door and a 3 ton door both made of coral which is uneven, but he was able to find the center of gravity and balanced so perfectly on a coke bottle cap that you can push them open with a finger.  The 3-ton door got knocked out of place during hurricane Andrew about 20yrs ago, and they have had engineers, scientists, you name it to try and rebalance the door and no one can find the center of gravity to do it...so the 3ton door still doesnt work.  Who knows how he figured it out and was able to do it..esp considering he built the entire castle by himself.  
   
 Sorry, I love Coral Castle LOL  Ive been there so much I could dang near give the guided tour

Go!! Get out there whenever you can!! I traveled the world almost entirely by myself. I didn't always stay by myself (I always found company when I needed it), but I rarely had a travel partner. I did for a few trips, and they were nice, but most of the time people didn't want to go where I wanted to, when I wanted to, or for how long I wanted to, so I just went on my own. It was a blast!!! If you ever decide to do it, I would be happy to give you info.

to even eat a meal alone in a restaurant lol. Actually, I can't recall even 2 times when I have done it, but I once forced myself to. I've never gone to a bar alone to drink, but have sat there at those video crack machines and gambled alone. Now that I have a daughter, it is amazing to know I will always have someone to see the world with, because that's more imporant than some dude lol.  

First, Ive gotta say that what you said here "I am grateful for the opportunities this business has given me to see the world and for the people who shared it with me. "  is soooo true!  I really am grateful for the experiences Ive had, and the places Ive been able to travel to due to this business!!!!

Yup, Im not in that area, but very close by, and when I go for my walks I always pass by a peacock or two lol  And also turkeys...I think they are turkeys?! They are huge birds just strolling around...

That is one thing we don't deprive of...food lol. She's a picky eater but we have been to every possible restaurant you can think of from New Orleans to NYC, and I can't get enough. Lipo is going to get expensive though lol.  I am just not taking the chance of going overseas with her now...nope. Only takes one wrong place, and one wrong thing and she is gone forever. I would not even put her on a plane in the U.S. without me, since all the new security bs has taken place.

LoL @ Lipo, I know what you mean though.  Im getting close to 40 and fearing for the future of my metabolism hehehe!

I can live ON the beach in the panhandle for less than 2k in rent/mortgage, where that would be double in Miami and for half the space. I love the high rise buildings you guys have on the water, but at 5k a month for less than 1200 sq, ft, no way lol. NYC is the worst when it comes to that, but love the culture and the city overall. I usually spend a week a year there at least, and planning to hit them and Chi town this Christmas.