The Concise Guide to Sensory Fulfillment In the Bay Area
ATTRACTIONS
Galleria
Caladesi Island Adventure,
This boat departs from the Honeymoon
Island Recreation Area at the west end of
the Dunedin Causeway, State Road 586,
(727) 734-5263. Here you can enjoy
three miles of uncrowded white sandy
beach with good shelling, tree-shaded
picnic areas, a three-mile nature trail and
many other amenities. Escorted island
tours are available. The boat departs
every half hour beginning at 10 a.m.
(seasonally adjusted).
Mote Aquarium,
1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy, Sarasota
(941) 388-4441. Ocean adventures await
year ’round at Mote Aquarium, home
to over 100 marine species. See sharks,
dolphins, sea turtles, seahorses, and fish of
all sizes. Discover world-renowned research
of the adjoining Mote Marine Laboratory.
Special behind-the-scenes Aquarium
tours are available.
Sunken Gardens,
1825 Fourth St. N., St. Petersburg,
(727) 551-3100. The four-acre tropical
garden features cascading waterfalls,
flowing ponds, lush tropical displays and
exotic birds.
Walt Disney World Resort,
I-4, West of Orlando in Lake Buena Vista,
(407) 824-4321. This 40-square mile, worldclass
entertainment and recreation center
features four theme parks (Magic Kingdom,
EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios
and Disney’s Animal Kingdom); two
water adventure parks; 34 resort hotels;
81 holes of golf on five courses; two
full-service spas; Disney’s Wedding
Pavilion; ESPN Wide World of Sports
Complex; and Downtown Disney, an
entertainment-shopping-dining complex
encompassing the Marketplace, Pleasure
Island and West Side. Walt Disney
World Resort is also included in vacation
packages of Disney Cruise Line. Open daily,
year round.
Magic Kingdom is divided into seven
themed lands - Main Street, U.S.A.;
Adventureland; Frontierland; Liberty
Square; Fantasyland; Mickey’s Toontown
Fair; and Tomorrowland. Popular
attractions include Pirates of the Caribbean,
The Haunted Mansion, It’s a Small World,
Space Mountain, Splash Mountain,
“Mickey’s PhilharMagic,” and many more.
EPCOT
is an ever-changing international and
discovery showplace covering 300 acres.
Future World attractions focus on discovery
and scientific achievements, including
Innoventions, Spaceship Earth, The Seas
with Nemo & Friends, General Motors’
Test Track and Mission: SPACE. The World
Showcase consists of shops, restaurants and
shows from eleven nations surrounding the
World Showcase Lagoon.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
is a working film, TV and radio studio, as
well as a theme park, on 154 acres. Disney
attractions include The Great Movie Ride,
Muppet*Vision 3-D, Backlot Tour, Toy Story
Mania, The Twilight Zone™ Tower of Terror,
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith,
the American Idol Experience and many
more.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
features high adventures with real exotic
animals, close encounters with prehistoric
giants and warm, fuzzy moments with
beloved Disney characters. Disney’s fourth
major theme park sprawls across 403 acres.
Jungles, forests and a vast savannah are
divided into five themed lands: Africa,
Camp Minnie-Mickey, DinoLand U.S.A.,
Discovery Island and Asia.
Disney Springs
(formerly Downtown Disney)
This outdoor shopping, dining and
entertainment complex nearly doubles the
size of the re-imagined Downtown Disney,
where outdoor “neighborhoods” will reflect
the history of Florida waterfront towns.
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CATERING AND
SPECIALTY FOODS
Belle’s Olive Branch,
100-12 Indian Rocks Rd. (the north side of
the Belleair Bluffs Plaza), Belleair Bluffs,
(727) 408-5743. If you are a coffee or wine
connoisseur, then you know that they are
not all alike. The same goes for olive oils.
The flavors differ from grove to grove as
each variable makes its mark on the olives
and the characteristics of oils they produce.
You will find the very best in the culinary
world here at this gourmet heaven.
The Candy Bar
Sweets and Treats,
748 Broadway, “Sweet” 100, Dunedin,
(727) 474-3783. Patti Coleman and
Marsha Goins’ go-to shop “for your candy
experience” specializes in retro/vintage,
sugar free, organic and vegan candies and
fine European chocolates by Victoria
Richards, as well as personalized party
favors and gift baskets. Also stop by for
cupcakes on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Chef John’s
Creative Culinary Services,
(727) 433-1889. Chef John Lewis and his staff
will cater private parties, bridal showers,
wedding receptions and team building
events. They also offer adult and children’s
cooking classes.
Clear Sky Catering,
680 Skinner Blvd. (S.R. 580), Dunedin,
(727) 286-6266. Dan Shouvlin and his
talented teams at the popular Clear Sky
Beachside Cafe on Clearwater Beach and
Clear Sky Draught Haus in Dunedin have
been catering for charity, business and
private special events since their inceptions.
They now officially offer these services
through a new catering headquarters.
Their chefs have the experience and skills
to orchestrate anything from simple cook
outs on the grill to formal sit down dinners
with Asian, Caribbean, Mediterranean,
Continental, All American or almost any
theme and type of cuisine for two to crowds
of 350 in a variety of locations provided by
you or them.
Gateau O Chocolat,
(727) 251-1879. St. Petersburg
restauranteur Emmanuel Roux has created
a dark, densely delicious, gluten-free
chocolate cake that is available for shipping,
as well as at select local retail locations.
Gallery 1356 on South Fort Harrison Avenue
in Clearwater is home to sculptor
J. Harrison Smith.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017
| TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 145