Let me tell you about the time my wife casually turned a normal "drop our daughter off at college"…read moretrip into what felt like a deleted scene from a survival movie... destination: Solomon's Castle in the absolute middle of nowhere. And when I say nowhere, I mean NOWHERE. I'm driving waiting for streetlights... nothing. Gas stations? Nope. People? Questionable. Cows? Plenty. Motorcycles flying by like we accidentally entered a post-apocalyptic biker convention? Oh yeah. At this point, I'm looking at my wife like, Babé are we visiting a castle or auditioning for The Walking Dead: Florida Edition?" Then suddenly... BOOM. Out of nowhere... like a mirage built by a very creative pirate appears this shiny, aluminum-covered CASTLE. Now I'm confused. Because one minute I'm dodging cows... and the next minute I'm like: Did we just teleport to medieval times sponsored by Home Depot? But here's the thing this place is AMAZING. Inside? Pure genius. Art everywhere. Sculptures made out of stuff you probably threw away last week. It's like if creativity, humor, and a junkyard had a baby and that baby became a castle. And then there's the restaurant. Yes. A restaurant. Inside a boat. Inside a castle. In the middle of nowhere. At this point, I've stopped asking questions and just accepted that I'm in someone else's dream. If you want the backstory, go ahead and Google it because it's wild. But honestly, just go. Don't overthink it. Would I have ever planned this stop? Absolutely not. Did my wife once again prove she's the CEO of random but incredible detours? 100%. Final verdict: Unexpected Slightly suspicious drive in Completely worth it If you're ever near Ona, Florida--or even if you're not take the detour. Just make sure your gas tank is full... and maybe say a quick prayer once the streetlights disappear

Your sign on the front gate. Sorry folks close until October 1s. What a joke! How about you post it…read morein your website CLOSED UNTIL OCTOBER 1ST! SPENT 4 HOURS driving to get to you only to find a sign! Extremely inconsiderate! We will not be back and we will not recommend anyone visit.

It's such a shame this place is hidden and has terrible signage as it's a wonderful quick visit!…read more Location- It's on the second floor of my town's Community Center located on Main Street. There is a small sign. Parking is a snap and free. What to expect- A few small beautifully lit rooms and a small gift shop. See my pictures. Please control your children. Duration- This is a small museum dedicated to local and regional artists. I've visited twice now, and each time spent less than an hour, but it was time very well spent. Because of its size this is not a destination in and of itself but a place to stop by when you're in the area and to get out of the Florida heat! Hours- They are limited so go to the web site which is on the Yelp page. The Neighborhood- Because it's on Main Street there are several eateries and places to grab an adult libation. Many are within walking distance or at most, a two-minute drive. Mexican food is particularly well represented. Use your Yelp app to find them. It's amazing what you can discover in a teeny tiny town and this experience is a great example!

Peter Powell Roberts Museum of Art and Cultural Center features a valuable collection of paintings…read moreby Florida Master Artist Peter Powell Roberts (1926 - 2014). His work is renowned for rendering the oft-overlooked Florida minutia in powerful near abstract compositions using oil paint on wood. The Museum also offers sculptures and furniture made from rare sunken cypress logs salvaged from Florida rivers by Master Diver, Sawyer and artist, John Claytor. The gift shop offers three dimensional and wearable art from select regional artists as well books from local authors and Peter Powell Roberts prints, cards and collectibles.

During my travels I have visited a lot of Veteran Memorials but this is the first war dog memorial…read morethat I have found. This memorial is located in front of the Avon Park Community Center and it was dedicated on November 9, 2018. It was donated to the City of Avon Park by the Battle of the Bands and the Loyal Order of the Moose. The Battle of the Bands is an organization created on February 15, 2005 in order to create an annual display that honors veterans on Main Street every holiday season. The monument features a 5 foot tall soldier, German shepherds, collies, and other breeds of dogs. At night the memorial is lit up. As a huge dog lover this memorial instantly caught my attention. It not only recognizes how dogs have served in combat but also how they have offered emotional therapy and support to our soldiers. I love this touching tribute to mans best friend.

I am so ashamed and triple embarrassed! OMG Steven B, what did you do?…read more I've lived in this teeny tiny town for five years and I'm a lifelong dog lover and I've been a member of the Loyal Order of Moose for many years. I've driven by this wonderful memorial maybe a thousand times and for some strange reason it's never "clicked!" Along comes my good Yelp friend https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=lvthTfCQGD0qaEk6jCdRdQ from considerably out of town and she writes the very first review! I am so ashamed! Thank you, Ariel W., for bringing me to my senses. This is an awesome and well-deserved memorial for our four-legged friends that is co-sponsored by the local Moose Lodge. War Dogs have helped humans for hundreds of years, saved countless lives and provided much needed emotional support to our soldiers. The memorial is very nicely done in bronze. I've stopped by twice now and I'm not ashamed to say that I've shed a tear or two!

Quite a surprise for teeny tiny Avon Park! The college has an enormous campus here with dozens of…read morebuildings. Read on for why you should visit. Location- With so many buildings it can be a little overwhelming. Let your GPS do its thing along with the picture I posted, and you'll have no trouble spotting it. Plenty of easy parking. Time Commitment- This is a small museum. Ninety minutes and most folks will be done. What to Expect- As the name suggests, expect the focus to be on Florida including the artists. It's a great way to learn about this wonderful state! Cost- Every time I have been here it has been free with donations requested. Hours- Extremely limited. Check first before you go. This is not a "Destination" location. It's the kind of place you visit when you are in the area and have a few minutes. Yelp will give you plenty of places for lunch within five minutes of here. What a great place to walk off that huge platter of Gator Bites & giant pitcher of beer!

Free admission sponsored by Wawa August 30-31. Very cool homage to native Florida wildlife -…read morehundreds of plants - 48 of them rare. Originally planted by landscape artist Olmsted in 1920s. Bok Tower has 60 tons of carillon bells and is covered with depictions of FL birds, animals, plants, and humans. Built by Bok in Art Deco style of the period, it was designated a National Historic Landmark by Calvin Coolidge.

This is perhaps the best botanical garden in the world--we haven't gone to any outside of Florida…read morethough so take that how you will. We got engaged here! 8.28.26! So take that how you will! The tower itself is a masterful design, everyone is friendly and will answer any questions you have! The cafe is stellar and the wine and tap selection will appease anyone who partakes! This was our third time going, so many gift shop goodies and plants we've taken home!

We booked the Uncovering Ca' d'Zan Guided Tour ($40 per person) before flying to Florida. The tour…read morelasts about 60-70 minutes and includes the main rooms on the first floor, a peek into the Tap Room with stories about indulgence and Prohibition during the 1920s, as well as select spaces on the second, third, and fourth floors of the Ringlings' magnificent waterfront mansion. I'm so glad I booked this tour! it was the highlight of our Florida trip. Our tour guide, Susan, was professional, knowledgeable, and full of humor. She made the entire experience both informative and relaxing. Ca' d'Zan is simply breathtaking. This stunning Mediterranean Revival mansion sits on the shores of Sarasota Bay and was built in the mid-1920s as the winter retreat of American circus magnate, entrepreneur, and art collector John Ringling and his wife, Mable Burton Ringling. Although the mansion is over 100 years old, it still radiates the glamour, elegance, and artistic vision of the Ringlings. Every room is filled with exquisite craftsmanship and thoughtful details that reflect their passion for art and architecture. One of my favorite features was the magnificent ceiling paintings by the Hungarian artist Willy Pogany. Each one tells a story from another era, preserving its beauty for generations to admire. Standing on the terrace overlooking Sarasota Bay, I couldn't help but be reminded of the atmosphere from the movie Great Expectations. There was something incredibly romantic, mysterious, and timeless about the view. To me, Ca' d'Zan feels alive. If you slow down and listen carefully, the mansion tells its own story. There is glamour. There is longing. There is sadness. There is hope. And somehow, there is a place for you within it. I absolutely fell in love with this place. Without a doubt, this was the best attraction we visited during our trip to Sarasota. I would highly recommend the Uncovering Ca' d'Zan Guided Tour to anyone visiting the area, and I will definitely return to explore the Museum of Art next time.

The Ringling is absolutely beautiful and there's way more to see than I expected. You get…read moreeverything from circus history to ancient art and artifacts, contemporary pieces, gorgeous grounds, statues and the rose garden. The roses were supposedly in season, but honestly that part was a little underwhelming. My personal favorites were the ancient artifacts and the circus miniature. There are also some parts of circus history that definitely haven't aged well, including minstrel depictions, but history is history and I appreciated that it wasn't sanitized. My biggest issue was being asked THREE separate times to show our wristbands while walking the grounds. Normally, no big deal, but we watched larger groups walk right by without being questioned while our group of three kept getting stopped, despite our wristbands being just as visible. By the third time, it was hard not to feel like we were being profiled. That was disappointing, especially after driving an hour for a close friend's birthday. I usually don't spend my money where I feel unwanted, but I wasn't going to let it ruin her day. Beautiful museum and absolutely worth experiencing, but that part of our visit left a bad taste in my mouth.

This is an out of the way botanical (and sculpture) garden that doesn't look like much at the…read morebeginning but gets better as you go along. Admission is paid at a booth as you drive in. They normally accept AHS reciprocal memberships for admission, but because there was a special exhibit (origami) during our visit, we paid a reduced rate vs getting in free. Wrist bands are issued when you pay. Once you've parked there's a booth where you can get a map of the premises. The garden is divided by Riverside Drive. The side where you park is just ok, but much of the real beauty (at least in mid- March during our visit) was on the other side of Riverside. There are lots of sculptural elements, pools, and garden color in that area. There's a koi pond, and we saw a little blue heron there during our visit. We spent about 90 minutes enjoying the scenery. There are apparently plans to enhance these gardens, so stay tuned!

Nice gardens in an area I didn't anticipate seeing something. We were lucky enough to be there…read morefor a metal origami exhibit which was interesting. Nice mixture of trees, plants and statues. The koi pond was nice and you could feed them If you chose. The gift shop was very nice with reasonably priced items. I wish there were more signs on the plants and trees so I knew what I was looking at.

I had advertisment for a honey tasting class and decided to sign up for it. It was about 28…read moredollars, which included admission to the gardens. I was greeted when I arrived, then I checked in to the class. The instructor was a beekeeper from University of Florida. He introduced us to various types of honey, including many from different countries and types of flowers. We also tried were a few local honeys from Florida. It took about 1.5 hours to sample over 20 different types of honeys. A bit of description was provided for each honey, but questions were answered. I really enjoyed the Manuka honey, Lavender honey, and the various honeys from Florida. After the class, there were certain items for sale, but I decided to head to the gardens. While I did enjoy the displays and the fountains near the home, I couldn't enjoy much and left early due to the thunderstorm nearby. Still, I did enjoy about 15 to 20 minutes of walking through it. Parking was free and ample. Being a foodie, I really enjoyed the honey tasting experience. The instructor was great and informative, and I enjoyed most of the honeys I tried. The garden admission addition was a plus, but I wish I was able to stay a bit longer. I will definitely register for another class in the future, and hopefully be able to spend time at the gardens a lot longer. Overall: A

If you're visiting Orlando, I highly recommend this as one of your stops. A historical landmark of…read morethe city. I found out the Leu family donated their family land hoping to share its beauty. Unique gardens with plenty of shade. Great for all ages, including toddlers. It is fenced in with lots of areas to picnic, if that's your thing! There's a small cafe for coffee, ice cream and a few snacks. On certain days they have infant and toddler reading time (20minutes long). The first Monday of each month is free entry however there are no guided tours. Check their website for more info!

What an outstanding experience to tour this campus! The…read moreguide Jack C is simply amazing. Me & Barby took the one & one half hour tour & really enjoyed it. We found free parking on College St one block away. It cost about $30 & you can get a AAA discount. They give you a small audio ear piece & you can hear Jack in your ear as you walk from building to building. If you're a FLW fan, this is a singular experience.

Everything was easy to walk to, lots to see, great little fish place by museum, super informative…read moreand great prices