Delight in a FLORIDA Christmas with love, laughter, fun & lots of sunshine!
Hurrah! Louis, Lucy, Matt & Dawn are coming to Florida for Christmas 2023. We are excited for their visit and ready to have some fun times. Even better Florida is providing an extra welcome with lots of Florida “BLUE SKIES AND SUNSHINE.” Ugh! Arrivals to Florida are delayed as Matthew, Louis and Lucy have each tested positive for FLU. Thankfully their arrival in Florida is only delayed a few days. Now to enjoy their Chirstmas holiday visit.
“It starts with Parks” Oldsmar, Florida
The Christmas Holiday adventure with Louis and Lucy, begins with a fun visit to Sheffield Park. Oldsmar, Florida’s logo is it “Starts with Parks.” Wanting to test out the Disc Golf, Pickle Ball, and just be outside we are off to Sheffield Park.
Initially, Lucy, Louis and Mimi try their hand at Pickle Ball. Wow! Dad and Papa are playing Disc Golf so Louis joins the “boys” for a fun disc golf game. Lucy enjoys the playground facilities.
Let’s check out the trail! Terrific! Mimi and Lucy head down the paved walkway. Wow! This path has fun equipment (Miracle Recreation Equipment) that provide a variety of exercises. Lucy enjoys stopping at each piece of equipment to test her skills. Since she and Louis do CrossFit, Lucy is very proficient at each. Lucy has great style and coordination as she easily swings across the Horizontal Ladder. Better known to Mimi as the Monkey Bars.
Look out! Louis diverts from Disc Golf to show off his skills on Uneven Bars. Yes, there is a bit of monkey in Louis.
The Disc Golf Course at Sheffield Park is challenging. A lot of water hazards and trees create an exciting and demanding Disc Golf Course. Oops! Louis new Disc sails into a lake. Papa has fun learning to play Disc Golf. A lot different than regular golf. Playing the 18-hole course is a lot of FUN with plenty of obstacles along with lots of laughter. Dad is the winner!
“The Jewel of Tampa Bay,” SAFETY HARBOR, FL
What’s for Dinner? Maybe Pizza? Louis says, “We can get pizza anywhere. We are in Florida and ready for a Florida experience.” Louis is right! Okay, then let’s explore Safety Harbor, FL.
Tantalizing Lobster Grilled Cheese & Lobster Bisque at Bar Fly.
Hurrah! On a beautiful Saturday night we have a Safety Harbor adventure. First stop is Bar Fly. Sitting outside, we enjoy tasty “Lobster Grilled Cheese with Lobster Bisque”. This sure beats pizza!
After dinner we stroll to the Safety Harbor Pier with great views of Old Tampa Bay. Wow! We can see the lights of Tampa across the water.
Then we wonder through the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa. Yes, it is famous for its healing waters.
Walking downtown Safety Harbor, we find a variety of shops, eateries and lots of Christmas decorations. Weird! Louis & Lucy pose with a spooky Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Then it’s all about the lights at the big Christmas Tree along with the “COLOSAL SANTA” by the Gazebo. Hurrah, it’s time ICE CREAM!
As we make the return walk through Safety Harbor, we admire this MASSIVE OAK TREE. It’s the Baranoff Oak! Wow! This oak tree is between 300 to 500 years old.
PICTURES, CHRISTMAS, & MORE – Mimi & Papa’s
It’s time for pictures by a tree that looks like it is falling in the water near Mimi and Papa’s house. SMILE
Opening their Christmas Gift, it’s a USA Coin Map! Louis and Lucy get a bag of quarters from Aunt Ruth’s Coin Collection to match to the map. Plus they each get $10 in coins to see how many coins match the map. A bit tedious but intriguing.
Mimi and Papa take Louis and Lucy on a walk around the neighborhoods to check out Christmas decorations. This one is really well done with the lights on the oak trees, palm trees and an arched walkway.
Tampa Riverwalk – a Lot to Explore
On this visit Louis and Lucy have been Oldsmar to explore it’s parks, then had an enchanting evening in Safety Harbor and now are off to check out the Tampa Riverwalk. This holiday visit has us checking out the different towns and cities in the Tampa Bay Area. Arriving at Ulele’s Louis and Lucy first have fun feeding the fish in the Ulele Springs. There is free fish food. These fish are hungry and LOVE to be fed. As soon as they toss in a handful of food, they create of wake as all the fish hurry to the food trying to be the first ones there. It’s fun! How far we can throw the food? How fast the fish can get to it?
Seated for lunch at Ulele’s we check out their great options for lunch. Ulele is named after an Indian Princess who saved the life of a man the Indian’s were going to burn. This is a unique restaurant on the banks of the Hillsborough River next to the Ulele Spring. The restaurant is a native-inspired restaurant and brewery. Dad and Papa decide to try a beer and the Brewmaster comes out to share and giving samplings of their various beers. Then all relax and enjoy their tasty lunches. Everyone is thrilled with their choices.
After lunch we check out the Water Works Park adjacent to Ulele’s. Here are lots of outdoor seating, places to rent kayaks, play corn hole and just chairs for relaxing along the Hillsborough River. At the Armature Works we walk through to see the various eateries. It is also a great spot for some photos in their life size photo frame.
After visiting the Waterworks, it’s a nice walk along the Tampa Riverwalk which follows the Hillsborough River through Tampa. There are numerous statues on the walk recognizing various people who had an impact on Tampa.
Plus there are things to do such as relax in a large swing, play a xylophone, and check out the playground at the Curtis Hixon Playground. After our walk on the Riverwalk, the family head off to Dunedin for ice cream. As we get near Dunedin, it is totally fogged in. The warm air going across the cold water of the Gulf of Mexico created a massive fog bank.
Louis and Lucy had other activities on this Christmas Vacation with Mimi and Papa. Papa and Louis enjoyed riding in the golf cart and practicing golf at Ardea Country Club. Louis, Papa and Matt actually play several holes of golf giving Louis a chance to try his playing skills instead of just practicing. A big hit on this visit was getting to ride in Papa’s Tesla Model 3. So much fun with the big screen. Even more FUN was the “TESLA LIGHT SHOW!” It is awesome as it plays music, the lights go on and off to the music, the windows go up and down and the car vibrates. Terrific!
We have a tasty dinner at Captain Jack’s Bar & Grill on a foggy night in Tarpon Springs. Fun seating outside in the fog. Overall a fun holiday with visiting Oldsmar, Safety Harbor, Tampa, Dunedin and Tarpon Springs on Christmas Vacation with Mimi and Papa. Happy New Year!