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BUCKET LIST ADVENTURES
by Megan Padilla
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CONTENTS THE GREAT OUTDOORS ISSUE
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RV LIFE On the road again! BY JONATHAN KILE
23 PROTECTING PARADISE The Florida Wildlife Corridor BY CATHY SALUSTRI
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GEAR HERE Shopping at Bill Jackson’s and Bass Pro BY ERIC SNIDER
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STAND AND DELIVER Stand-up paddleboarding BY RESIE WAECHTER
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DEPARTMENTS
50 Travel: Glamorous Monaco by Cindy Cockburn 56 Sports: LPGA in Tampa Bay by Eric Snider
61 Real Estate: Luxury Living in Tampa Bay and Beyond 74 Style: Forecast Sunny by Michelle Cappelli Gordon 76 Dining: Randy Wayne White & Doc Ford’s by Cindy Stovall 80 Benefactors: The Corbetts by David Warner
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84 Arts: The Art Around Us by Julie Garisto
BY DAVID WARNER
89 A&E Guide: dRTBest Bets Spring 2020 by David Warner
44 THE ROAD TO WELLVILLE The Opal Collection’s healthful hotels. BY MARY LOU JANSON
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58 Auto: The Volvo XC90 SUV by Howard Walker
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE Outdoor summer camps BY HEIDI KURPIELA A RIVERSIDE RETREAT A country estate in Bradenton.
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99 Parties/People: Alice, Karol, Matisse and more
IN EVERY ISSUE: PUBLISHER’S LETTER PAGE 6 | EDITOR’S LETTER PAGE 8 | BACK PAGE 104
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ON THE COVER: Photo by Carlton Ward, Jr.
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THE ETHAN ALLEN COMMITMENT E XC E P TI O N A L SAV I N GS O N E V ERY S T Y L E, E V ERY DAY * CO M PLI M E N TA RY WOR L D CL A SS IN T ER IO R DE SIGN SER V ICE S PEC I A L FIN A NCING † PR E M I E R IN - HOM E DEL I V ERY We invite you to visit our Design Center and explore ethanallen.com.
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Dear Reader, At press time, everyone was glued to the news outlets regarding the growing threats from the coronavirus. Hopefully, by the time you read this, the worst will be over and we can go about our daily lives. I hope anyone reading this has not been affected and that those who have been are on the the road to a full recovery. In the event that any activities in the Bay Area are impacted by the virus, I am sure that there will be some turmoil. If not, here are four that you will not want to miss. •
The Valspar Championship at Innisbrook. Last rounds Friday-Sunday Mar. 20-22. And it’s right here in Palm Harbor at the beautiful INNISBROOK Resort.
•
The MacDill AFB AirFest 2020. Saturday-Sunday, Mar. 2829. The two-time “BEST MILITARY AIR SHOW” runs 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and it’s free… but crowded. The Blue Angels will be there !
•
The second annual GASPARILLA Concours d’Elegance. Downtown Tampa at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, Friday-Sunday, Apr. 17-19, with the grand car tour on Sunday. Yours truly has been invited to be the Grand Marshal. See you there!
•
The PELICAN Woman’s Championship presented by DEX. Final rounds May 15-17. A first LPGA event for the Tampa Bay area and a first for the brand new Pelican Golf Club. The golf will be fabulous and the course more so.
These are just four of the many great events that should be on your schedule between now and Memorial Day Weekend. Happy Living,
Thomas L. duPont Publisher/CEO tdupont@dupontregistry.com P.S.: It is most fitting that the cover of our GREAT OUTDOORS issue would be a photograph from the extensive collection of CARLTON WARD JR. CARLTON is a conservation photographer whose focus is on “Wild FLORIDA.” He is a true TAMPA BAY treasure — he was born and raised here and has a fascinating perspective on our wonderful state. You can learn more about his work on page 23 and and see some of his accomplishments at the CARLTON WARD Photography Gallery in Hyde Park. Don’t miss it. You and FLORIDA will be better off. 6
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I love the outdoors. However, I don’t think anyone would think of me as “outdoorsy.” I’m much happier reading Cathy Salustri’s accounts of Carlton Ward, Jr., Mallory Lykes Dimmitt and their valiant efforts to preserve the Florida Wildlife Corridor than I would be actually slogging my way through it. I don’t think I’d be able to sit, let alone stand, on a stand-up paddleboard, but I love hearing how fitness fan Resie Waechter got herself up on a SUP. I may never need any of the outdoor gear stocked so generously at Bill Jackson’s Shop for Adventure or at Bass Pro Shops, but after reading Eric Snider’s stories I definitely want to visit both. And while I’m way too old for summer camp, that chocolate pudding thing that Heidi Kurpiela writes about sure sounds like fun. That’s the thing about editing a magazine — I get to go on all kinds of vicarious adventures: playing blackjack with Cindy Cockburn in Monaco; living the RV life with Jonathan Kile; going to fabulous out-of-the-way bucket-list destinations with Megan Padilla; tooling around in a tasty new Volvo with Howard Walker or enjoying his sit-down with Randy Wayne White of Doc Ford’s fame. I’m grateful to Julie Garisto for highlighting the public art that’s become an increasingly important part of our landscape, and to Mary Lou Janson for alerting us to a new form of vacation travel: wellness tourism. (Expect to hear more wellness stories in our “Health & Happiness” issue, coming out in May.) Granted, I get to take a few trips of my own, if closer to home. What a treat to discover a rambling riverside estate in Bradenton, or to hear the touching story behind Dania Perry’s success as a Realtor. And as ever, we’re happy to shine a light on people making life better for all of us through their philanthropic efforts, both indoors and out — people like Cornelia Corbett, an outdoorswoman who has played a crucial role in the success of the Tampa Museum of Art; Jane Bunker, whose gorgeous paintings of lilies have raised tens of thousands for the Woodson Warrior Scholarship Fund; and all the generous folks pictured in our party pages, from Lightning players to Mad Hatters. It’s my fervent hope that you, too, get some vicarious fun from this issue. Or better yet, get out there and have some adventures of your own. Our A&E Calendar outlines a whole slew of cultural must-do’s in the next few months — and hey, just because I can’t picture myself standing on a SUP, that doesn’t mean you aren’t already on your way to the water. Thanks for reading!
David Warner Editor in Chief dwarner@dupontregistry.com
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PUBLISHER/CEO Thomas L. duPont EDITOR-IN-CHIEF David Warner CREATIVE DIRECTOR Bruce Bicknell DIGITAL MEDIA Eric Kennedy SALES MANAGER/COMMUNITY RELATIONS Molly duPont - Mdupont@dupontregistry.com DIRECTOR OF MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS Rosemary Nye - Rnye@dupontregistry.com DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS Tracey Serebin - Tserebin@dupontregistry.com DIRECTOR OF BAY AREA SALES Sharon Castellano - Scastellano@dupontregistry.com ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES Ron Barreto, Marty Binder, Cindy Carr, John D. Chapman, Jill Massicotte CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS Michelle Cappelli Gordon, Cindy Cockburn, Kimberly DeFalco, Julie Garisto, Mary Lou Janson, Jonathan Kile, Heidi Kurpiela, Megan Padilla, Cathy Salustri, Eric Snider, Resie Waechter, Howard Walker, Carlton Ward, Jr. DESIGN Khoi Nguyen PRESS MANAGEMENT Charlie Walsh PRODUCTION MANAGER Tony Alvis
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Carol Bressler
SALES ASSISTANT Martha Henry CORPORATE ADDRESS 3051 Tech Drive, St. Petersburg, FL 33716 727-897-8337 WEB / SOCIAL MEDIA www. dupontregistrytampabay.com @dupregtampabay
The duPont REGISTRY™ is copyright 2020 by Registry Media, LLC. All rights reserved. duPont REGISTRY™, duPont REGISTRY Luxury Living in Tampa Bay, the Steering Wheel design, dupontregistry.com™, and various titles and headings herein, are trademarks of duPont Publishing, Inc. and may not be reproduced without written consent. Printed in the U.S.A. Published six times per year. Single copies available at your newsstand or call our publishing office for shipping information. Canadian GST not included in cover price. The pictures for sale and the written offer for sale are the responsibility of the individual advertiser. duPont REGISTRY™ and duPont Publishing, Inc. make no representation or warranty for accuracy or content. All photos become the property of duPont Publishing, Inc. when printed unless otherwise agreed to by the Publisher.
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Have Van, Will Travel
His Westphalia’s fine for family treks, but about that Airstream… STORY BY JONATHAN KILE
ON THE WATERFRONT: The author and his van at Curry Hammock State Park in the Florida Keys.
V
what is the ideal way to get outdoors in comfort and luxury? an Life. It’s a hashtag. It’s a bumper sticker. It’s To answer that question, I drove out to the Florida State a way of life. A search of #vanlife on Instagram Fairgrounds in January and perused the shiny new campers reveals 6.5 million posts, most featuring people in their twenties and thirties in customized vans, camping in the at the Florida RV SuperShow. shadows of red mesas and tall cacti. When I hit the road with Walking into the RV Show can be intimidating. my family for a summer-long road trip, I was 44 — a You can spend as much money as you would on medically retired Gen X-er. I didn’t own a startup. I Airstream’s just wanted a van that would start up. Mercedes Sprinters are a house for a rig that’ll accommodate a touring rock band. It’ll have more square feet than a My family and I have spent the last two gorgeous, and I would Manhattan apartment, flat screen TVs that summers crisscrossing the country in old vans. forsake my well-loved Westy for one in a emerge from the outside of the bus, queen-size First was a throwback “conversion van” with heartbeat. carpet everywhere and rear seats that folded down beds, washers and dryers, and leather recliners. With the push of a button, walls slide out to make into a bed. Then we found a Volkswagen van with your home even more spacious. But is this luxury? a pop-up tent — a 1995 Eurovan Camper with the Luxury implies ease. Luxury isn’t stressful. But the bigger iconic “Westfalia” emblazoned along the top. Camping in the vehicle the bigger the tradeoffs. Where will you store it the Westy was far more convenient than sleeping in a tent, but not much more comfortable. With two young children in when you’re not using it? What will you drive once you’ve plugged in at your destination? Driving a 35-foot bus while tow our vibe was more “Clark Griswold” than “free-spirited towing a car is no picnic, and the list of places you can’t go is vagabonds.” We fell into a pattern. Camp for a few days, long. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have their place. The and then live it up in a nice hotel. It all got me thinking, continued p.18 www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
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Photo by Jonathan Kile
THE GREAT OUTDOORS: RV Life
FRESH AIRSTREAM: Inside the Airstream of Tampa dealership in Dover.
big coaches are best if you plan to drop anchor in one place for a season, and the “just like home” features are important. Some people even go as far as to own property in RV parks that offer the sort of amenities you’d expect at a hotel or country club. (See David Warner’s sidebar: “Pull Up to My Oasis.”) But, when it comes to roaming like my family does, smaller is better. You can have the comforts of home, and still be able to fit it into a spacious parking spot, or at the end of a secluded dirt road. The first thing to greet me at the RV show was the latest offerings from Airstream. I’m not talking about the iconic Zeppelin-style stainless steel trailers Airstream is known for (they still make those, too). They’ve turned the workhorse Mercedes Sprinter into a “touring coach” that is beautiful from bumper to bumper. And they’ve learned from the Van-Lifers who go off-grid, offering options for solar power and off-road capabilities. The biggest luxury these enjoy over other small campers is that most of them have a bathroom and shower onboard. These Airstreams start in the $150,000s and can run into the mid $200,000s. They are gorgeous, and I would forsake my well-loved Westy for one in a heartbeat. If you’ve been in the Tampa Bay area more than a couple of years, you’ll remember the “Airstream Ranch,” where eight of the silver trailers were planted upright in a field adjacent to I-4 near Dover. It was there for a decade before the land was sold and it was removed — appropriately enough — to make way for an Airstream dealer. I visited the gleaming new facility where store manager Jessica Herrmann explained that the “Interstate” line of Mercedes-based Airstreams has brought in all kinds of buyers, from grandparents trying to find a good way to visit grandkids spread across the country, to young couples who live life on the road, to avid 18
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football tailgaters. The new models have all the bells and whistles of any Mercedes, including collision avoidance, navigation, backup assist, side-view cameras, and a three year warranty. By contrast, my VW’s horn doesn’t work and it still has lap belts in the back. And my own biases against towing were put in check as Jessica reminded me of what put Airstream on the map. On the day I was there, the Basecamp trailer, which is small enough to be pulled by an average minivan, was sold out. “And people love the Bambi,” she said, referring to another smaller model. “Some people get one to pull behind their Interstate.” An Airstream pulling an Airstream — that might be peak luxury. Alas, even the luxurious Airstreams only sleep two people. What is a family to do? Cesar Morales and Danni Letendre know a few things about life on the road. They lived in a 1995 Toyota Forerunner while driving from Washington, D.C. to Ushuaia, Argentina, at the southern tip of South America. And back! When they started their family, they found a used diesel-powered Sprinter and installed a rooftop tent. Theirs is the size of a small bedroom, while our Eurovan’s top bunk is a roomy canvas coffin. Cesar offers the following advice to those hitting the road. “If you are going to drive internationally, it is important to have a vehicle where parts are readily available. Things break, and trying to get a new transmission through customs is not fun. ” If you’re traveling with more than two people, finding something with a rooftop tent is the way to stay small and avoid pulling a large trailer (which requires a truck that can pull it, and a love for hitching and unhitching). Several manufacturers are putting rooftop tents on the Sprinter-inspired vans from Dodge and Ford. The interior layouts borrow heavily from the 1990s Eurovan Camper — just a bit larger — and they have the all-important continued p.20
Photo courtesy of airstream.com DREAM CAR: The “Interstate” line of Mercedes-based Airstreams has brought in all kinds of buyers.
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THE GREAT OUTDOORS: RV Life
DINNERTIME: James Kile watches over the cookout in Shenandoah Valley National Park.
lavatory/shower. And these things will get up to highway speed, and to the top of the mountain, much faster than my Volkswagen. Models that I saw ran around $75,000$100,000. One of the realities of owning any recreational vehicle is maintenance. Gremlins love engines that don’t run regularly. If you run your vehicle frequently, you’re more likely to discover an issue between trips. Our Westy has 205,000 miles on the odometer and a long service history. I drive it every day, so I’ve been able to address most of its problems with my local mechanic. The decision to hit the road enabled my family to travel longer and spend more time in places we might never see if we’d relied on airports and hotels. Many of our favorite stops were places we’d never heard of until we were passing by, like Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota, and Chippokes Plantation State Park in Virginia. A four-star hotel and a hot shower is even sweeter after spending a few days cooking by the campfire. I don’t think our kids will be asking to visit Death Valley again, but they have fond memories of the week we spent in the remote elevations of Yosemite. We’ve hit 39 states and 11 National Parks in two summers. For us, it’s the freedom that makes the trip luxurious. We’ve never been in a hurry, and many days we wake up not sure of where we’ll go next. Our kids spend the 20
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summer without electronics and video games, and they don’t even miss it. Our travels expose them to a mix of history, art, and nature. And we bond as a family. Whether you’re in a $400,000 mega-coach or a trailer hitched to a pickup, a brand new Mercedes Sprinter or an old-school Westy, that’s an outcome no one can regret. Jonathan Kile is a writer, blogger and novelist in St. Petersburg, Florida. Follow him at dontmakemeturnthisvanaround.com.
ALL IN THE FAMILY: Jon, James, Anna and Monica Kile.
Photo Courtesy Desert Shores Resort
Pull Up To My Oasis
Exclusively reserved for luxury motorcoaches, Desert Shores is nothing like a trailer park. STORY BY DAVID WARNER MOTORCOACHELLA: The resort is located in California’s Coachella Valley.
A
lthough Jon Kile prefers the smaller Mercedes Sprinter to a big luxury RV, the owners of “Class A” motorhomes do have a distinct advantage: As Jon pointed out, they can buy into an RV resort where they can park for months at a time. (There’s a minimum size requirement for RVs at such resorts, so smaller vans like the Sprinter aren’t permitted.) My husband and I had once considered a 40-foot Entegra Motorcoach as a future retirement option — that is, when we weren’t dreaming of building a tiny home. Neither came to pass, but I’ve since found the prospect of RV resorts mighty intriguing — especially after talking to Darren Smith of Desert Shores Resort, a motorcoach community in Indio, California. I guess I’d thought the only option for docking your diesel behemoth for an extended period of time was at someplace akin to a trailer park. In fact, says Smith, it used to be that a parking pad was pretty much all you’d get at even the most exclusive resorts. But when Desert Shores was built close to 20 years ago, it was designed to fulfill RV owners’ wish lists, answering the question: “If we built our own, what would we want?” What they wanted, and what they got, was much more than just a pad. Each 6,500-7,500-square-foot parcel includes a small villa (around 800 square feet) and in most cases a beautifully landscaped pool and spa — plus, of course, plenty of room to park that 42-foot Winnebago. The price for a typical lot ranges from $300,000 to
$700,000, and owners can opt to place their property into a rental pool for the months they’re not going to be around. (November 1 through April 1 is high season for the resort, says Smith.) And they’re not just getting a villa with a pool and a parking space. The resort has a fitness center, a pool, a dog park, tennis courts and a 10,000-sq-ft clubhouse, plus it’s near some of the finest golf courses in the country, and a half hour from the glitz and glamor of Palm Springs. The resort is located in the Coachella Valley. If that rings a bell it’s likely because of the famed Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which takes place a quarter of a mile from the resort at the Empire Polo Club, also in Indio. Coachella celebrated its 20th anniversary last year as one of the most successful festivals of its kind, attracting hundreds of thousands of fans and top stars in pretty much every musical genre except classical. “The desert goes crazy, in a good way, during Coachella,” says Smith. “But we’re not crazed in our own resort. We have our own private passes and streets, so it doesn’t affect us.” However, for fest-goers whose parents or grandparents leave their villas and RVs in place at the resort, it’s a pretty sweet place to crash. Oh, and there’s still another plus, one that makes this Floridian sigh: “There are no flying bugs in the wintertime,” Smith adds. “People leave their windows and sliders open all day long.” www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
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Protecting Paradise Why the Florida Wildlife Corridor is so vital to our future.
Carlton Ward, Jr.
STORY BY CATHY SALUSTRI PHOTOS BY CARLTON WARD, JR.
INTO THE WILD: A stand-up paddleboard view of the cypress backwaters of the wildest tributary to Lake Okeechobee, shot during the Florida Wildlife Corridor Fisheating Creek Expedition in 2013.
C
arlton Ward, Jr. is doing his best to persuade me to crawl and labor of love for Floridians like Ward, Mallory Lykes Dimmitt, and Meg Lokey. Almost a decade ago, a cadre of toward the wildlife camera. He keeps smiling, entreating dedicated Florida-philes, including Ward and Dimmitt, put me to drop to all fours and belly-crawl along the floor of together an expedition through Florida’s wettest, wildest places. the Everglades. The idea is that I’ll understand what a panther Their reason? They wanted to know if enough wild Florida sees as it emerges from a wildlife underpass and Ward’s camera “traps” get their photographs. It’s tempting to acquiesce — after remained to cobble together a pathway of green that would all, he’s giving me the chance to see something not many allow wildlife to safely resume natural hunting, foraging, and Floridians will ever see — but I am no panther. A trickle migrating behaviors. Those expeditions (they continue “We’ve got to of glossy black water streams through lush, viridescent today; see the “Green, Seen” sidebar) form the nucleus take care of this livgrasses, underbrush, and trees. A pair of almostof the Florida Wildlife Corridor, perhaps most widely ing, breathing thing that forward-facing obsidian eyes, flecked with amber, known through the lens of Ward’s camera. allows us to live on this track us from not-quite-beneath the surface of the But the Corridor is so much more than a photo barrier island of a state,” water as traffic streams by overhead, oblivious to the op. Webbed together by a patchwork of state and says Mallory Lykes diorama of survival beneath their tires. I feel vaguely national parks and preserves and cattle ranches, the Dimmitt. Heinlein-esque, a stranger in a strange, glorious land. Florida Wildlife Corridor is a spectacular example of That diorama plays out in LaBelle, a small town east of how private-public partnerships can protect the natural Lake Okeechobee and south of the Caloosahatchee River, in environment. When complete, the Corridor will allow Florida’s South Florida. LaBelle, in case you haven’t had the chance to animals and ecosystems to exist in spite of humans. visit (and most people haven’t; cattle, not beaches, blanket the land in these parts), has plenty to offer Florida’s future — most of “Green infrastructure is just as important as [that] grey it green. This wildlife underpass in LaBelle offers safe passage for infrastructure we’re always talking about,” says Lykes Dimmitt. the Florida panther, black bear, and other creatures that make “Those two things need to come together.” As our city councils paradise, well, paradise. and water management districts look at how many water Welcome to the Florida Wildlife Corridor, a work-in-progress reclamation facilities we need, Dimmitt says, they should also www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
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Carlton Ward, Jr.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Wildlife
NEW DAWN: A sunrise emerges beside Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, where the morning fog rises off of palm-studded Crawford Creek.
look toward saving greenspace. Not only city parks, but state parks and preserves, and forests. “We’ve got to take care of this living, breathing thing that allows us to live on this barrier island of a state,” she says. Dimmitt knows of what she speaks: She’s part of the Lykes family, one of Florida’s premier ranching families, and vice president of strategic development for Lykes Bros. The Lykes family has demonstrated a strong commitment to Florida’s greenspaces — not only through on-site conservation initiatives, but also by participating in the Wildlife Corridor, via its conservation easements. The premise is simple: Conservation easements limit the future development rights for a property and pay the landowner for those rights. For example, if a rancher owns 1,000 acres of cattle ranch, he can get an easement that allows the ranch to always be a ranch — even if it changes ownership — but no matter what happens, no one can develop the land for a more intense use, like a shopping mall or a Sun City Center. It’s akin to selling mineral or water rights for a property, but in these cases, the landowner is selling his or her development rights. The notion of a wildlife corridor isn’t new — biologists in Central America created a corridor so monkeys could cross the land without coming out of the canopy — but in Florida, where interstates and subdivisions wage constant war on wildlife, it’s complex. “Most of these panthers are using privately owned ranch land,” says Lindsay Cross, the former director of the Florida Wildlife Corridor, “and due to the human population growth a lot of these areas could be developed into urban landscapes if they’re not protected.” Cross left the Corridor in 2018. Her successor, Jason Lauritsen, stepped in and has worked tirelessly to advance the mission. Right now, his job includes working to get House Bill 2795 passed. The bill would help create a “corridor 24
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network across federal, state and local governments, tribes, and the private sector,” Lauritsen says. It’s already out of committee; next, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on it, although it’s not on the calendar for a vote. Lauritsen urges Floridians to call their elected officials to express their support. HR (House of Representatives) 2795 does something else: It catapults the Corridor to a national level, because the Florida Wildlife Corridor leads the way for other states. “Florida has been a leader in corridor conversations for a long time,” Lauritsen says. “For almost a decade we’ve been talking about corridors and corridor science. Support of the bill would help to showcase the science and support for thinking and planning with corridors in mind and show us as leaders ... it’s intended to create an organizational element. The most important part is to coordinate among stakeholders.” And there’s a lot of stakeholders in Florida. While the Corridor starts (or ends) 63 miles south of LaBelle, in Big Cypress National Preserve, much of the land between the National Preserve and the Florida Alabama border remains in private hands, thanks to those conservation easements, which are managed by state and federal agencies. Still other parts of the Corridor exist because nonprofits like Conservation Florida or the North Florida Land Trust use donor money to buy land to preserve as part of the Corridor. HR 2795 would do more than that, too: In these days of Weird Florida and Florida Man, the Florida Wildlife Corridor gives Floridians something to be proud of. It’s, as Lauritsen says, “a point of pride for our state to rally around.” Finally, Carlton drops to his knees, and — still smiling — crawls toward the cameras, which start taking photographs immediately. They only take photographs as animals emerge from the underpass, not going toward it, he explains, so as not to discourage them using the underpasses. From eye level, the wildlife crossing looks like...not much: fencing that funnels wildlife to this one point, a few well-camouflaged cameras, and some vegetation around a leveled bit of riprap. You can’t see any of this from the road, and most people don’t even realize they’re driving over one. But from on high — from 400 feet, the underpass tells a different story. It’s a story of danger, death, life, and, ultimately, salvation. For a deep-dive into areas the Florida Wildlife Corridor protects, and which ones it aspires to protect, visit floridawildlifecorridor.org/maps. If you need to find your congressman to urge support of HR 2795, that’s where you can do it. Cathy Salustri, author of Backroads of Paradise, is a Florida writer based in Gulfport. Contact her at cathysalustri@ gmail.com, or follow her at @cathysalustri.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Wildlife
Green, Seen
Carlton Ward, Jr.
The expeditions that may save Florida. STORY BY CATHY SALUSTRI Mallory Dimmitt and Joe Guthrie navigate a washed-out section of the Florida Trail during the 2015 Florida Wildlife Corridor Glades to Gulf Expedition.
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Withlacoochee and Ocklawaha Rivers. On this sojourn, n 2012, photographer Carlton Ward, Jr. had an ribbons of waterways washed uncomfortably close to idea: What if he could show the world that parts of ribbons of asphalt. wild Florida still existed, one that would connect the “You can almost see the citrus groves turning to rooftops Everglades with Georgia? What if he could take a walk and there,” Ward says of the Headwaters Expedition. “There’s a paddle through those connected parts and shine light on a question of urgency but there’s a sense of it’s almost too them, and the people tied to those places? As it had for late.” Dr. Michael Fay, who walked from the Congo to Gabon, A year later, though, the Ranch to Ridge expedition could the power of visual storytelling help protect an offered hope. The journey started at Highlands emerald web of marsh, forest and swamp for “You can Hammock State Park — Florida’s first, donated wildlife to travel from the Big Cypress Swamp to almost see the by Margaret Roebling (of the Brooklyn Georgia and Alabama? Fay’s “megatransect” citrus groves turning to covered 2,000 miles in 450 days, and inspired Bridge Roeblings). From there, the explorers rooftops there,” Ward says the creation of 13 new national parks in Africa. of the 2018 Headwaters traversed ranches, groves and public preserves, ending at The Nature Conservancy’s Tiger Could a similar expedition motivate Floridians Expedition. Creek Preserve by Bok Tower. Along the way, to preserve and protect a wild cordon running Ward says, the expedition revealed hope — and through the Sunshine State? opportunity. He decided to try — along with Mallory Lykes “There’s a whole lot of hope to get it right,” he Dimmitt, who has, according to Ward, “expeditions in her says, because landowners here “want to be part of the DNA,” bear biologist Joe Guthrie and filmmaker Elam conservation solution.” Stoltzfus. They paddled and hiked 1,000 Florida miles in 100 days. A year later, they slogged through Fisheating Green, screened: On March 10, the Ridge Audubon Creek, and in 2015 Dimmitt led another expedition — this time, 1,000 miles in only 70 days, adding biking to the mix. Society in Polk County hosted a screening of The Last Exploring Florida’s wide-open green spaces and lushly Green Thread, the short film about the 2018 Headwaters forested wooded places didn’t stop there. In 2018, the Expedition, followed by a lecture and Q&A with Florida Headwaters Expedition explored the Everglades to Wildlife Corridor Executive Director Jason Lauritsen. On May the Green Swamp, the area of the Corridor closest to 2, look for the Florida Wildlife Corridor’s film about the 2019 Tampa Bay and the origin of the Hillsborough, Peace, expedition. Location TBA. www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
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Eric Snider
Where Shopping Is An Adventure
Bill Jackson’s has outfitted Bay area outdoorsy types since the mid-1940s. STORY BY ERIC SNIDER INTO THE WOODS: The entrance to Bill Jackson’s Shop for Adventure in Pinellas Park.
What Bill Jackson’s Shop for Adventure does have is experts. Each team member — 62 employees at last count — comes on board with experience in at least one department. A fuller slate of outdoor products and services is difficult to imagine. Besides the usual fishing, hunting, skiing, paddling, shooting, diving, camping, climbing gear and apparel, Bill Jackson’s sells metal detectors, safes (some of them huge), and other products that don’t fit under the 28 www.duPontREGISTRY.com www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
umbrella of outdoor sports. The 40,000-square-foot space includes an indoor gun range; a 100,000-gallon indoor pool specially designed for scuba lessons; a full ski section, with a movable, carpeted slope for lessons and a full-service repair shop; and three classrooms for instruction on gun safety and other subjects. Outside is Jackson’s Landing on adjacent Freedom Lake, where customers learn to kayak, paddleboard and fly-fish. Bill Jackson’s is a bona fide Bay area institution, a legacy retailer that exists in a single location, whose owners have
Photo Courtesy Bill Jackson’s
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t’s Tuesday at 9:45 a.m., time for the daily staff meeting at Bill Jackson’s Shop For Adventure. Darry Jackson, copresident of the popular outdoor store with his brother Doug, walks the 15 or so folks outside into a wooded area near the parking spaces. Today’s 15-minute gathering is about the foliage that populates the 5.5-acre property — what species are native, what are invasive, and other tidbits. Darry holds up a sprig of the unwelcome Brazilian pepper tree, and asks the group to pluck any little ones they see peeking out of the ground. After this quick, informative outing, everyone heads back inside to their posts, getting ready for the 10 a.m. opening. That’s it? What about running through the numbers, announcing daily sales goals and which products to push — the kind of topics discussed during morning meetings at big box retailers? “We don’t do any of that,” Darry says. “We do some product education and some staff recommendations. We have no sales training. Our people are not on commission. We don’t really have salespeople here.”
HAPPY CAMPERS: The Jacksons: Bill, Harriet, Darry and Doug on Christmas Eve, 1975.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Gear
Eric Snider
Eric Snider
never been interested in adding outlets or franchising the brand. The shop has stayed the course amid an influx of big box retailers, as well as the explosion of online commerce. Why? Because this family-owned business, founded in 1946, has a deeply ingrained culture that has grown organically over the decades. “We have this saying: ‘We teach what we sell,’” Doug Jackson says. “Scuba lessons, snow skiing, kayaking, gun safety, camping clinics, fly-fishing classes. Most places can’t do that. And you can’t get that kind of instruction online.” The emphasis on expertise started early. “My dad’s first employee was a guy named Bud Stark,” Doug recalls. “Someone came in and said to him, ‘I can buy this Coleman lantern down the street for two dollars less. Give me one reason I should buy it here.’ Bud says, ’Cause I can show you to light it.’ The guy bought it from us.” A trip to Bill Jackson’s is a real experience, and that experience starts with getting here. You turn east at the big sign on U.S. 19 in Pinellas Park, then wend your way through a wooded area until you reach a building topped with a simple placard that reads “Bill Jackson.” There is HUMAN TOUCH: Manager of cashiers (and ski apparel aficionado) no conventional parking lot. Instead, spaces have been Baudelia Velazco. carved out amid the vegetation, campground-style. Inside red knit ski cap, a stylish touch on a brisk day, covers her the cavernous building are rows and rows and racks and dark hair. racks of products, but with plenty of elbow room to Baudelia was born in Puerto Rico and moved invite unhurried browsing. with her family to Hudson, Massachusetts when Bill Jackson’s embodies a vanishing breed: the destination retailer. “We have this saying: she was 5. After high school, she lit out for ‘We teach what we sell,’” Florida, mostly for the weather, and landed in Pinellas County. “I’m a PR baby,” she says To be accurate, not every Bill Jackson’s says Doug Jackson. with a grin. She used to work at Chipotle in staff member signed on with existing outdoor Pinellas Park, where a lot of Bill Jackson’s staffcredentials. Baudelia Velazco, the manager of ers would have lunch. Baudelia caught their eye, cashiers, is standing at the checkout counter, a not just because she’s eye-catching but because the light sweater covering her blue polyester staff shirt. A Jackson’s crew often witnessed her doing three jobs along the serving line to cover for co-workers more prone to slacking. The staffers lobbied Darry to check this hard-working young woman out. He stopped in for lunch at Chipotle and offered her a job on the spot. She accepted. That was in 2007, making her one of many employees with double-digit years on the job. Even though she’s a manager, Baudelia is not tethered to an office or behind a cash register. Her favorite place to work is in ski apparel, where she can help customers look sharp on the slopes. It all but goes without saying that this sort of impromptu employee recruitment is unheard of in corporate retail. It’s an example of how the Bill Jackson’s culture chooses the human touch over rigid systems and metrics.
WHO NEEDS SNOW? The indoor ski slope at Bill Jackson’s.
During WWII, Bill Jackson, who grew up in Atlanta, served two-and-a-half years in England as an officer in the U.S. Army Air Force, then spent the rest of his five-year www.duPontREGISTRY.com 29 www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
Brandon Burke for Bill Jackson’s
THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Gear
BOARDS & MORE: A jam-packed sales floor at Bill Jackson’s.
stint at MacDill AFB. In 1943, he met Harriet Rogers at a big band party on the base. They became inseparable. Bill was discharged as a major in November 1945. Shortly after marrying Harriet on Dec. 14, 1946, Bill attended an army surplus auction at MacDill, purchased 500 pounds of rat poison and a ton of laundry bleach, and stored it in a small garage. He quickly sold all of the stuff. Bill and Harriet, who became business as well as life partners, set up Bill Jackson Army Surplus in a warehouse building at 4th Street and 11th Avenue South in St. Pete. The shop sold surplus furniture, sleeping bags, backpacks, tents and other gear. “You remember those radios that soldiers would crank up during combat?” Darry asks. “We sold a lot of those. Contractors used them to communicate with workers on building sites.” Bill Jackson’s added fishing tackle and scuba equipment to its product line. When Bill started to teach scuba diving in 1952, it was a pivotal moment in the store’s march toward becoming a full-on outdoor retailer. Darry was born in 1948, and Doug came along a year later. “We didn’t have babysitters,” Darry says. “We grew up in the store.” They worked, too. As early as age 5 and 6, the brothers were putting price tags on products and using turned-over trash cans to reach countertops. 30 www.duPontREGISTRY.com www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
Over the course of 30 years, Bill Jackson’s moved and expanded in the same southeast section of St. Pete. In 1976, the Jacksons built their dream store on five acres of virgin woods in Pinellas Park. In ’87, the shop got a major boost when Visa filmed an action-packed commercial there. The 30-second spot ran worldwide. “We’d have people who were visiting from Europe make a point of coming in,” Doug says. “We had calls every week from people wanting to know if we’d like to franchise. We said no. We knew we’d lose control over the quality.” Bill Jackson’s has enjoyed plenty of boom years. Lately, Doug says, “we’re holding our own. It’s not been as great as it has been in the past, but so far so good this year.” The Jackson family built a legendary store that has withstood the whims and vicissitudes of retail. Bill and Harriet Jackson remained spouses and business partners for 67 years. About 15 or 20 years ago, Doug reckons, they ceded day-to-day operations to their sons. Bill Jackson died on January 29, 2014 at age 98. Until a month before his passing, he was coming into the store five days a week, if only for an hour or two. Harriet, who was in a nursing home, passed away 33 days later. She was 93. Darry and Doug Jackson — who each own half the business — are determined to carry on their parents’ legacy. They both work full time, with no plans to retire.
Eric Snider
THE GREAT INDOORS
Over 48 years, Bass Pro Shops has grown from a small space in the back of a liquor store to the preeminent outdoor retailer in North America. STORY BY ERIC SNIDER The chain has humble beginnings. Johnny Morris was raised in Springfield, the son of John and Genny, who grew up poor in the Ozarks. They shared their passion for hunting, fishing and the great outdoors with their son. Johnny, after a five-year stint on the pro bass fishing circuit, opened the first Bass Pro Shop in 1972, using eight square feet in the back of his dad’s liquor store, says company lore. It was the sole Bass Pro location until 1985. In the ensuing 35 years, Morris has built a dynasty, which now includes nine different restaurant concepts; White River Marine Group, an umbrella for nine boat brands; Big Cedar Lodge, a wilderness resort in Missouri; Big Cypress Lodge, a huge hotel in downtown Memphis, Tennessee; and other attractions. Johnny Morris, now 72, has rightfully earned his reputation as a visionary and a legend.
Eric Snider
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n elderly fellow wearing a ballcap emblazoned with “Navy Veteran” sits in a plush leather chair in the front lobby area of the Bass Pro Shop in Tampa. Actually, the space is more like a hunting lodge tucked in the corner of a 130,000-square-foot megastore. The man scrolls through his smartphone. Who knows how long he’s been here, but the guy is so settled in it seems as if he might grab a sleeping bag off the rack and spend the night. No Bass Pro staffer approaches him. It appears as if he’s free to lounge here until the lights go out. This is but one example of what sets Bass Pro Shops apart from your typical big-box retailer. Crafting an experience — whether it’s idling in a chair or test-driving an off-road vehicle — has ushered the brand to the top of the outdoor store food chain. Bass Pro Shops has nearly 200 locations in North America and welcomes 200 million visitors annually. Today, Bass Pro Shops are the No. 1 tourist destination in three states, including its original flagship in Springfield, Missouri. If you use a gizmo to count your steps, Bass Pro Shops in Tampa is a good place to visit. There are fishing boats and off-roaders here, a sea of fishing rods there, row after row of hunting rifles here, an 11,000-gallon freshwater aquarium (with fish floating by) there. You can get lost in a jungle of camo wear. Off to the left is Islamorada Fish Company, an 8,000-square-foot restaurant owned and run by the company. And on and on you go. There’s even a department dedicated to home decor, toys and gifts. Bass Pro Shops is not so much a lifestyle brand as a lifestyle in itself. (When the complex opened on a vast plot of land near Brandon in July 2015, it caused quite the hubbub, something akin to the frenzy surrounding Tampa’s first Trader Joe’s.)
GET COMFORTABLE: The hunting lodge-like lobby of Bass Pro Shops in Tampa.
JUNGLE CHIC: You can get lost in the camo department. www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com www.duPontREGISTRY.com 31
Photo Courtesy Urban Kai. RIVER VIEW: A stand-up paddleboard session on the Hillsborough..
Stand & Deliver
A moonlit introduction to the joys of stand-up paddleboarding (SUP). STORY BY RESIE WAECHTER
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of minutes before our scheduled 6:30 launch from the dock. place where elite athletes travel from across the There are several other people waiting to SUP – some of world to train, Tampa Bay is the perfect place to them are rookies like me; others brought their own boards get fit while getting outdoors. Recently I got to and are clearly more comfortable on the water and just there experience an activity that combines a little bit of both: for the social aspect. Our guide, Alex, is college-aged I stepped outside of the confines of the gym and and friendly with a positive, easygoing attitude. my CrossFit comfort zone and tried stand-up When I voice my concerns about never having paddleboarding (SUP) with Urban Kai. Standing on the paddleboarded before, Alex reassures me with a With outposts in both St. Pete and Tampa, SUP for the first time is Urban Kai offers many varieties of paddleboard challenging; I feel like a relaxed smile and gives me some tips on standing activities, and when I spot the upcoming Full up for the first time. baby deer learning Moon Paddle Social I know it’s the right one for By the time we get out on the water, the full to walk. me. I’m running a marathon the next day, so I’m moon is in full force. I am still shaky on my board, excited to spend some time in the moonlight to calm even just down on my knees, but I am determined to my nerves. I reserve a spot and look forward to my first at least attempt to stand up. SUP adventure. Once we’ve cleared the first bridge, I decide to bite the When Saturday evening arrives, I am grateful to have bullet and try standing. Remembering Alex’s advice, I allowed extra time in my drive to Tampa: it’s a busy night swipe my oar through the water for several strong strokes, and Armature Works is the place to be. I arrive just a couple speeding up to help with balance. It takes me a few minutes 32
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THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Fitness to straighten up and I’m certain the others behind me are laughing, but I am too excited to care: I am standing! Standing on the SUP is challenging, and I feel like a baby deer first learning to walk – my legs shake so much I can barely keep my board from tipping. After a few minutes, though, I straighten my stance and am comfortable enough to lift my eyes from the water. I take a look around at the jawdropping vistas around us — long-standing Tampa icons like the University of Tampa and the Sykes building along with newer additions like Curtis Hixon waterfront park. There is a wedding reception outside of the Straz Center and I have a unique view of the newlyweds posing for photographs and preparing to cut their cake. There is music and dancing and laughter, and it crosses my mind that perhaps I am as much a part of their evening’s backdrop as they are a part of mine. We are not even at the halfway point when I see the moon peek between the buildings and skyscrapers: gigantic and luminous and full. This unique view of the moon while I’m standing up on the water is reason enough to have come tonight. My breathing eases up and I feel a sense of serenity wash over me as I continue paddling through the
waters of the bay. I follow the moon as long as I am able as we paddle beyond the noise of the city. I am far from comfortable standing on my board, but manage to complete the duration of the 90-minute paddle session without falling in. With the exception of a few splashes, my bathing suit remains dry. There are people who pass by occasionally on boats – some who are clearly enjoying their beverages and call out with harmless banter – but overall it is an incredibly peaceful ride and I have a great time. The Full Moon SUP is the perfect way to get in the zone before my race the next morning. The moon greets me once more as I return my board to the dock and say goodnight to my fellow riders. I soak in the scenes of the city and saunter back to my car. The sense of calm lingers on my drive back over the Howard Frankland and I am grateful to have pushed outside of my comfort zone. Stand-up paddleboarding takes some practice and balance, but on a cool and calm night like tonight it is more of a meditation than a workout. I am grateful for a fun experience and a unique view of Tampa Bay.
What’s SUP? Upcoming events at Urban Kai Tampa Sat. 3/28: Paradise Paddle 9 a.m. Sat. 4/4: Youth SUP Program 9:30 a.m. Sun. 4/5: Heights Health and Wellness Festival 9 a.m. Sat. 4/4: Full Moon Paddle Social 7:30 p.m. Sat. 4/25: Youth SUP Program 9:30 a.m. Urban Kai Tampa, 1910 N. Ola Avenue #5404; Urban Kai St. Petersburg, 13090 Gandy Boulevard N. 813-598-1634, urbankai.com. Other local SUP lessons, socials, and board rentals Livin’ Salty. A Dunedin shop offering various SUP social activities like SUP Therapy, Honeymoon Island Tours, Salty Gal Adventures, and Paddleboard Yoga. 727-229-8181, livinsaltyfl.com. Sweetwater Kayaks. A locally owned kayak and SUP rental and retail store, Sweetwater Kayaks rents right out of Weedon Island Nature Preserve in St. Pete. 727-570-4844, sweetwaterkayaks.wordpress.com. Bay Breeze Paddle Adventures. Located in Tampa, Bay Breeze gives SUP lessons and eco tours. They also offer SUP, jet ski, and kayak rentals. 813-614-6503, baybreezepaddleadventures.com. Looking to purchase your own stand-up paddleboard? Try renting a few different types to figure out what size and style you prefer most. Once you’ve made your decision, you can purchase your SUP at many of the local rental shops, or visit a sporting goods store like Bill Jackson’s, Bass Pro Shops, Dick’s Sporting Goods or REI.
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Photo by Heidi Kurpiela
PROOF’S IN THE PUDDING: Counselor Nora Gaunt gives campers a chocolatey end-of-season bath.
Where the Wild Things Are St. Pete’s legendary Pioneer Camp lets kids be kids — and parents love it. STORY BY HEIDI KURPIELA
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arriving in clean minivans, counselors hose off their very Friday afternoon during the summer, sticky charges when they’re done.) The chocolategaggles of sweaty kids ages 7 to tween line up covered ritual marks the end of yet another Pioneer outside a barn nestled among the oaks and Camp Jamboree, a raucous field day at which pines that shroud South St. Petersburg’s Pinellas campers participate in relays, water games, shelterPioneer Settlement at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve. building, ice cream churning and other activities that Four at at a time, they scramble into an empty basin alternate between folksy and feral. floating in a larger basin of water. Giddy, they sit Like much of the goings-on at this City rub-a-dub-dub-style waiting for their chance to of St. Pete institution, the pudding bath be bathed in chocolate pudding. is an unfettered adrenaline rush and Armed with aluminum cans the size of a rite of passage. Offered as part of buckets, adult counselors pull out gob First the pudding is after gob of lumpy chocolate — the bulk flung; then it’s smeared. Boyd Hill’s summer rec lineup, the variety that comes from wholesale food No willing participant 10-week program harkens back to a prehelicopter parenting era that resonates stores. is spared. with many Gen-X parents. The large First it’s flung; then it’s smeared. No chunks of scrappy free play and myriad willing participant is spared. Sweet brown sludge drips down gangly arms bygone activities (blacksmithing, fire-building, and legs, heads and hat brims, streaking flushed weapon-carving, leather-stamping, dutch oven faces like war paint. The campers hoot and holler, campfire cooking, etc.) evoke a sense of nostalgia and writhe and wriggle. Some of them beg for direct hits. wonder in even the most squeamish parents. Not since Augustus Gloop ravenously lapped from “Once you get to a Jamboree you’re hooked as a Willy Wonka’s chocolate river has the dessert evoked parent,” says St. Pete resident Lisa Halter, whose such hedonism. twins, now 16, joined the camp as 4th graders before graduating to junior leaders. “You’re like, oh right, By the end of the afternoon, 28 pounds of pudding this is the kind of stuff we used to do as kids.” will be gone. (Out of consideration for parents
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THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Summer Camps Throwback camp
Courtesy Nancy Marshall
Halter was nervous the first time she dropped her kids off at camp. When a counselor called during the first week to let her know her son had ripped his shorts from waist to seam, she left work immediately and showed up with a new pair in hand. She walked into the old “clubhouse” –– a ramshackle twobedroom structure filled with old skulls, snakeskins and broken doors –– expecting to see her son, who was not particularly outdoorsy, sitting mortified in a corner. Instead she found him running through the barn in shorts that had been entirely ducttaped. “That’s when I knew my kids would be fine,” she says. “The counselors had handled the situation in a way that made him feel safe. It was such a great thing to experience early on.” Launched in 1998, Pioneer Camp –– or PioCamp as it’s known among devotees –– was exactly intended to be the kind of place where kids could patch their torn clothes with duct tape. The brainchild of 66-year-old free-spirit Lynn Marshall, it was designed with what Marshall calls “a one-room schoolhouse mentality.” His ethos was half-modeled after the youth team-building exercises and experiential learning programs facilitated by local nonprofit Pathfinder Outdoor Education, for which he worked for 11 years. The other half was a direct extension of Marshall’s childhood. An electrician by trade, Marshall grew up in the 1960s on Pass-a-Grille Beach, where his grandparents owned The Seahorse Restaurant. Everything from the camp’s early PIO-NEER: Lynn Marshall with his 3-year-old grandson at pudding challenges to its first field trips were plucked from his Homosassa Springs. youth. For example, the pudding bath began as a pudding pole inspired by the greased pole kids used to climb at Boca a llama, a horse and a giant turkey were among the critters. Ciega High School. The outings to Ted Peters Smoked Fish The activity inside the clubhouse was equally curious. In one House were because Marshall’s grandfather used to supply the room, campers would set off mousetraps and Rube Goldberg restaurant with its famous fish. contraptions. In another room, they’d bang on buffalo-hide “We got kids that parents didn’t know what to do with,” drums, one of the many crafts created by campers. Marshall says. “One mom brought us her son because “I remember someone inviting me to play outside,” he was like bouncing off the ceiling he had so much says Ash, who grew up near downtown St. Pete. “It “Young energy. We had him run around the block to burn was the first time I felt myself having the agency people are it off. Another kid who showed up just couldn’t to roam free. The other camps I’d gone to had a definitely more get along with other kids. He loved banging stuff capable than adults give basketball court and a playground. At this camp, on an anvil, so we put him in the blacksmith I could run through pine forests and crawl them credit for,” says shop making knives.” through grapevines and explore a bunker used counselor Adam The first kid is now the head of IT at Tampa for Civil War re-enactments. The structured time Mitchell. General Hospital. The second kid is a surgeon in was beautiful, but the unstructured time was where Portland, Oregon. When Marshall had heart surgery we made the space feel like ours. Being given that earlier this year, he consulted with his former camper permission was magical.” before going under. Ash remembers the ponytailed Marshall would begin every “These are the kinds of kids you don’t push into a box,” Monday morning with a demonstration outlining camp says Marshall, who lives with his family on eight acres in rules and morals that involved a story about an ant that gets Gibsonton. “You celebrate their differences.” squashed while playing cards with his friends. To illustrate his When counselor Margot Ash was a camper 16 years ago, point, he would run into the clubhouse and crash into a card Marshall used to keep a menagerie of farm animals on the table. “We definitely understood not to disturb wildlife. And property. Miniature ponies, goats, rabbits, chickens, an ostrich, we all thought he was hilarious,” she says. www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com 35 www.duPontREGISTRY.com 35
THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Summer Camps Cult classic
Photo by Heidi Kurpiela
At 23, Ash is the youngest of the camp’s four counselors. whose parents tell us Pioneer Camp has changed their life.” Adam Mitchell, Eric Starkweather and Nora Gaunt, all of Longtime counselor Adam Mitchell, 35, credits Pioneer’s whom work at Pathfinder during the school year, are also success to its campers. When Mitchell joined the staff as a on staff. (Pathfinder has incidentally provided the program 23-year-old, he didn’t have much experience working with with all its staff members, thanks to Marshall’s ties to the kids, save for the tidbits of wisdom handed down by his organization.) mother, a Pasco County guidance counselor. His chill vibe, “The city has really benefited from our training,” says however, and fair, no-nonsense demeanor resonated with Starkweather, a 45-year-old Pathfinder facilitator, site a lot of the older campers. They felt immediately respected. director and tree-climbing trainer who was hired in 2014 “Young people are definitely more capable than adults as a counselor. “I would set us against any typical give them credit for,” says Mitchell, who proposed to teacher in the county in terms of behavior fellow counselor Nora Gaunt last year during the Each management and creating a space for learning final pudding bath of the summer. “The more I spring parents and engagement.” work with young people, the more I only want form a line down the to work with young people. Their learning Since its inception, Pioneer has remained sidewalk outside of Boyd process is organic. I’ve learned from them one of St. Pete’s most sought-after summer Hill’s visitors center programs. Each spring parents form a line how to be more open and run with ideas. It’s hoping to register down the sidewalk outside of Boyd Hill’s shaped how I interact with the world.” their kids. visitors center hoping to register their kids for He shares a story about a group of campers one week –– or all 10. who cooked up batches of pine needle tea after “It’s gotten harder and harder to get in,” Ash says. being allowed to build a fire and boil water. Says “One dad stood in line for hours. By the time he got to the Mitchell, “Pine needle tea has a lot of Vitamin C in it. It desk all the spots had filled up. I honestly wish there were was used to fight scurvy back in the day.” other camps like ours that we could point people toward.” Lynn Marshall gets emotional whenever anyone shares In order to keep the camper-to-counselor ratio at 15-toa feel-good camp story. Although he stepped away from 1, registration is capped at 45 kids per week, which is lower the program in 2009, he sometimes pops in on random than the standard 25-to-1 ratio at other municipal camps. Fridays to take in a Jamboree, always dressed in one of The lower ratio is exactly why Pioneer is beloved among his wide-brimmed leather hats loaded with feathers. He parents whose kids struggle with emotional or behavioral says it makes his heart happy to see the counselors still issues. guiding it by the three rules he laid out 22 years ago: Says Starkweather, “We probably have more in common take care of yourself, take care of others and take care of with Camp Redbird [a therapeutic program offered by the nature. City of St. Pete for kids and adults with disabilities]. We get “The we-over-me spirit is dominant there,” Marshall says. “To see the way they interact with the kids … it some kids with pretty significant behavioral problems who makes me tear up just talking about it. Those guys get it. are no longer allowed at the Y or at some other camps. I couldn’t be prouder.” We’re able to work with them, and those are the ones
HOSEDOWN: After the pudding baths, the kids get cleaned off thoroughly before heading home. 36 www.duPontREGISTRY.com www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
OUTDOORS: Summer Camps Go Play Outside! Sure, summers are hot and video games are fun, but guess what? Kids still like playing outside. These four day camps fill up so fast Bay Area parents start sweating registration well before spring break. Florida Fantasy Fishing Camp
Give your kid a fish and he’ll eat for a day; enroll him in Florida Fantasy Fishing Camp and you might be eating snapper for dinner. The Bay Area camp offers inshore and offshore fishing programs for kids ages 8 to 15 and a scuba camp for kids ages 10 to 15. Although inshore fishers must stick to the catch-and-release policy, offshore campers are allowed to keep their haul if it’s of legal size. The camp, which is owned by Tampa native Parker Rabow, operates out of four locations: Hula Bay Club, Hubbard’s Marina, USF St. Petersburg and Adventures Under the Sea. Overnight fishing camps, which are held at the USFSP, include bonus nights at the Florida Aquarium. Young anglers love this camp because they get over 20 hours a week on the water with veteran guides and boat captains who know all the best places to drop a line in Tampa Bay. Parents love it because nothing tuckers out a rambunctious kid like four hours a day on the water. fantasyfishingcamp.com.
Tampa Bay Watch Camp
Kids who grow up in coastal communities often take the water for granted. Tampa Bay, home to the largest estuary in the state of Florida, boasts 400 square miles of open water. Tampa Bay Watch, which was created to protect and restore those waters, is doing its part to spread environmental awareness though its popular Estuary EDventures summer camps for kids. The Tierra Verde-based nonprofit, which runs out of a beautiful seaside building with a wraparound deck and open-air balconies, provides the ultimate hands-on experience for aspiring marine biologists. The organization’s summer lineup includes Sea Monkey Camp for kids ages 6 to 8, Discovery Camp for ages 9 to 12 and Ocean Expedition Camp for teens up to 15 years old. Campers explore native habitats, embark on boating trips, and snorkel during the program. They’re even allowed to pluck interesting species from the water so they can study them more closely. tampabaywatch.org/estuary-edventures.
Youth Sailing Camp at St. Pete Sailing Center
Anyone living in a condo in Downtown St. Pete will tell you there’s nothing more adorable than watching a dozen small children maneuver tiny vessels in the harbor. The St. Pete Sailing Center gives kids interested in water sports an early advantage by letting them set sail at a young age. Although dinghies seem to be the main attraction, the facility offers a wide variety of programs for sailors of all ages and ability levels. Camps range from beginner (“Harbor Mice Sailing” for ages 5 to 7) to intermediate (“Optimist Sailing” for ages 8 to 13) to advanced (“420 Sailing” for ages 13 to 16). It even offers paddleboarding and windsurfing for kids ages 10 to 17. The camps are so impactful some former campers go on to compete in races and attend universities with esteemed sailing programs. sailstpete.org/youth-programs.
Camp Muskogee
This sprawling camp, open to kids ages 7 to 13, sits on 53 acres of reserved land in Clearwater. Far from a standard YMCA day camp, Camp Muskogee is located on the banks of Lake Chautauqua, where it seems almost impossible to occupy that much space. It boasts a private zero-entry pool, fishing pier, archery range and a handful of campsites and cabins. Its grounds are as close as it gets to having an authentic middle-of-nowhere adventure without leaving Pinellas County. The property is so enormous campers are able to go backpacking through it. ymcasuncoast.org/muskogee.
Busch Gardens Sleepaway Camp
Why spring on annual passes to Busch Gardens when you can send your kids packing to the theme park’s sleepaway camp? The park’s five-night resident camps are a huge hit with older kids, who not only benefit from geocaching and safari adventures, but enjoy up-close-and-personal time with exotic animals. Open to students in fifth grade and up, the popular sleepaway camps allow kids to participate in zookeeping duties, veterinary care and habitat cleaning, in addition to the usual Busch Gardens fare –– thrilling rollercoasters and quality entertainment. All overnight programs include food and onsite lodging (the park’s Mzinga and Tiger Lodges serve as dormitories). Field trips to local attractions such as Sea World Orlando, Adventure Island and nearby aquariums make the experience even more unforgettable. buschgardens.com/tampa/summer-camps/overnight-camps. —Heidi Kurpiela 37 www.duPontREGISTRY.com 37 www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
The Ultimate Sport Camp Experience If you are serious about improving in your sport, no camp in the world offers better training than IMG Academy. Regardless of your age or ability, if you have a passion for improvement, IMG Academy in Bradenton has a program to help you. Progressive Programs No two athletes are the same, so no two training programs should be the same. At IMG Academy, we help you progress in the area that you need the most improvement by offering weekly and multi-week camps throughout the year that build on instruction taught each previous day and week to facilitate maximum development. With specialized instruction and programs, low athlete-to-coach ratios and an encouraging learning environment, every athlete gets the level of attention required to improve their skill. Customizable Training Options No two athletes are the same, so no two training programs should be the same. If you want more individualized instruction to work on specific aspects of your game or a focus on getting quicker or building power, build the camp that best fits your needs. Coaching From the youth stage to the professional ranks, our sport instructors have experience coaching at every level. Each sport coaching staff also includes position- or technique-specific specialists who deliver expert instruction in their area of focus. Also, with renowned Performance specialists to enhance skill development, the IMG Academy staff represents the most knowledgeable and successful in the industry. Performance Training To facilitate total athletic development, we offer Performance training developed over the course of nearly 40 years that can integrate with sport training: Strength/Power, Speed/Agility, Nutrition for Athletes, Mental Toughness/ Vision Training, Leadership & Communication Training and more. Our goal is to help you reach your full potential in sport and life. World-Class Facilities It’s been called a Sports Utopia – a place where athletes can eat, sleep, and train. Every facility on the IMG Academy campus is designed to help athletes reach their full potential. With all accommodations and training facilities on one campus, athletes can focus on what matters most: improvement and having fun. 38
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Campus Spirit & Fun The motivating energy that exists on campus is something that has to be felt in person. The daily buzz of hundreds of athletes across multiple sports provides an inspiring and competitive vibe unlike anywhere in the world. Because it’s a camp, you should have fun! We offer nightly on-campus events like movie nights or trivia competitions, plus weekly off-campus trips to local beaches or amusement parks. Global Atmosphere Last year alone, athletes from more than 80 nations trained at IMG Academy, creating an inspiring environment that promotes understanding and learning of new cultures. It’s not uncommon for our campers to make lifelong friends from around the world. Pro Athletes Imagine strolling through campus and seeing a Grand Slam-winning tennis player, a Heisman Trophy-winning football player, an NBA All-Star, or a Major League MVP training at the same facilities as yourself. For nearly 40 years, IMG Academy has had a hand in building champions, and many of them train here seasonally or in between competition to maintain their peak form. Something for everyone Looking for a departure from the same old vacation? Try a staycation at IMG Academy. As the kids stay in our residence halls to get the full IMG experience, parents can stay at the Legacy Hotel at IMG Academy with the Icon Eatery & Bar and Wellness Spa, while also participating in adult tennis or golf programs. Education It’s not just sports available. You can balance your sport training each day by selecting optional ACT/SAT test prep classes that include strategy on how to take the tests, practice tests and more from instructors who have placed thousands of kids at elite institutions. More information:
IMGAcademy.com
800-872-6425
info@imgacademy.com
Use promo code TBLuxury to receive a $50 campus store gift card for any online camp registration. Go to IMGAcademy.com/sport-camps to register. www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com 39
THE LONG VIEW: As seen from the terrace, the salt-water infinity pool, sunken spa and the Braden River beyond look like one continuous stretch of water. Plus, the property lines extend over the river to a parcel on the other side so the view will remain unspoiled. Photos courtesy Michael Saunders & Company.
A Riverside Retreat
This country estate in Bradenton feels a long way from the city — but it’s not. STORY BY DAVID WARNER
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ou can’t make up your mind. You want to live in the country, with an orchard and a meadow and room for your horses. You want to live on the waterfront, with a place to dock your boat. You want to live close to urban buzz, with great restaurants and theater and museums just a short drive away. You want plenty of room for family and friends, but you don’t want to live in a cookie-cutter McMansion. Well, guess what? You’re not as impossible a dreamer as you might have thought. Because all of that and more is encompassed in an extraordinary 7.64-acre estate on the Braden River, being offered by Michael Saunders & Company for $2,600,000 — which, given all that the property includes, seems like a bargain. Custom-built 10 years ago by contractor Bruce Williams 40 40 www.duPontREGISTRY.com www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
for a prominent doctor and his family, this gracious home is just 20 minutes from Bradenton’s Riverwalk and a half hour from downtown Sarasota. Busy SR 64, 57th St. and an elementary school are even closer, but you’d never know it. Once you pass through the front gate and take the long, winding drive that curves past the stables, the paddock and the fruit trees, you feel like you’ve escaped into an enclave far, far away from Florida traffic. As Michael Saunders’ Stacy Haas puts it, “You feel like you’re in the country but you’re close to everything.” No matter where you are on the property, there’s a seamless sense of being at one with the surrounding landscape — which makes it the ideal house for us to feature in an issue devoted to the Great Outdoors.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Real Estate
THE BIG REVEAL: It may not look all that roomy at first glance, but the 8,000+-sq-ft house has 8 bedrooms and 9 baths, two garages and a separate-entrance in-law suite.
SAIL AWAY: The property’s 322 feet of river frontage includes a private dock and boat lift.
HORSE POWER: The stable has three stalls, plus tack and storage rooms. www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com 41 www.duPontREGISTRY.com 41
THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Real Estate
DOUBLE DOUBLE: The kitchen has two of everything, including dual kitchen islands. The space flows easily from family room to terrace to pool.
IN THE SWIM: The salt-water pool has underwater seating stools and a sunken in-pool spa.
FAMILY CIRCLE: The circle motif in the double doors reappears in the family room’s custom-built entertainment center.
Before 42 42 www.duPontREGISTRY.com www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
SUNSETS & SERENITY ON FLORIDA’S BEST BEACH UNIQUELY SANDPEARL. UNIQUELY YOU.
500 MANDALAY AVE., CLEARWATER BEACH, FL
855.559.5155 | Sandpearl.com
www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com 43 www.duPontREGISTRY.com 43
STRIKE A POSE: A beach yoga session at Edgewater Beach Hotel in Naples.
The Road to Wellville
Florida’s OPAL Collection resorts are finding new ways to make guests feel better. STORY BY MARY LOU JANSON
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who want to maintain their daily fitness routine, helping guests oday’s discriminating travelers are looking for so much to de-stress by unplugging from digital devices, or offering more than a luxurious room when they book a hotel appetizing ways to maintain healthy eating practices, these hotels stay. Creature comforts like plush bathrobes and state-of-the-art make it easy for guests to follow their well-wishes. “People are making healthier choices these days,” said Kerry mattresses are still appealing, but guests are also focusing on other ways hotels can make them feel welcome. High on their Morrissey, director of PR and community relations for OPAL wish lists? Pursuits that enhance their personal well-being. Collection. “We are offering more nutritional culinary options, Wellness tourism is booming worldwide. An estimated $639 as well as spa and wellness packages.” billion global industry in 2017, its growth is fueled by factors Complimentary workout classes, presentations by Florida-based that include an increase in affordable flights as well wellness experts and specialty treatments for technologyas consumer demand. Does the hotel’s spa offer induced ailments are among the many ways OPAL’s massages? Are yoga and meditation classes guests may address their self-care while traveling for Wellness available on-site? Do dining options include tourism has become a business or pleasure. vegetarian dishes or organic foods? Other options include taking mental breaks multi-billion-dollar The Miami-based Global Wellness Institute, from daily demands by donning noise-cancelling industry worldwide. headphones or earplugs (not free but for a fee). which is considered the leading research and educational resource for the global wellness Breathing deeply to absorb the aromatherapy industry, reports that this market is growing more effects of complimentary essential oils while following than twice as fast as general tourism. According to a meditation tips developed by the School of Resort & 2018 study done by the Institute, significant numbers of Hospitality’s Spa Management concentration at Florida Gulf travelers are integrating wellness and fitness into every aspect Coast University. Or simply setting electronics aside to more of their trips. In 2017, the organization’s most recent reporting fully focus on both the food and fellow diners during a meal. period, travelers made 830 million wellness excursions, surpassing Some elements may be available at more than one hotel 2015’s total by 139 million trips. in the Collection, but many are exclusive to a particular OPAL Collection Florida hotels are among the accommodations resort. So mindfully select where to stay, and which at the forefront of this tourism trend. Whether catering to clients special offerings to enjoy, when making reservations. 44 www.duPontREGISTRY.com www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
HOTELS Opal Sands Resort Located in Clearwater Beach, this hotel guarantees panoramic views of the Gulf Coast from its 230 rooms, but it’s also distinctive for its Social Addiction Spa series, which treats ailments related to excessive use of technology. Suffering from headaches caused by eye strain? Try a warm oil scalp massage. Tense from sitting at a computer all day? Hands hurt from extensive texting and typing? The resort offers foot and hand reflexology treatments. Opal Sands Resort Clearwater Beach, opalsands.com.
Edgewater Beach Hotel This Naples-based, all-suite beachfront hotel hosts “Be Well,” a comprehensive program promoting self-care. Among the offerings are complimentary loaner yoga mats and a Beach Yoga guide. Wellness Wednesday Happy Hours pair skinny cocktails with Lite Bites and may include presentations by local experts and tastings, like the Burger Challenge Taste Test comparing meats with plantbased proteins. Edgewater Beach Hotel, Naples, edgewaternaples.com.
JUST SAY AHHH... A balcony view at Opal Sands.
Also at OPAL
Renovations and expansions have been underway at various OPAL Collection hotels throughout Florida, including a renamed hotel, a recently opened restaurant, updated looks for event and meeting spaces, and improvements to a marina. Among the latest additions: • Drift Kitchen & Bar is a new dining concept at Lido Beach Resort in Sarasota. Built atop the eighth floor of the 14-story Palm Building, former home to the Lido Beach Grille, the venue boasts 180-degree floor-to-ceiling views of the Gulf. The cuisine combines local ingredients with fresh seafood, creating a modern American menu. lidobeachresort.com.
EAT IN PEACE: Sandpearl’s Caretta on the Gulf offers tech-free dining.
Sandpearl Resort In addition to bikes guests may ride for free, and a stunning 700-foot span of sand overlooking the sparkling Gulf Coast waters of Clearwater Beach, Sandpearl Resort also boasts a Tech-Free Treasure Chest — an enticement to diners at Caretta on the Gulf to ditch their digital gadgets for an entire meal. In addition to being able to enjoy the cuisine and engage in face-to-face interaction sans electronic interruption, participants get an extra reward: free desserts. Sandpearl Resort Clearwater Beach, sandpearl.com.
Sunset Key Cottages
Guests at this Key West property enjoy custom-designed cottages with scenic views from wrap-around porches, plus fully equipped kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms and baths. Visitor activities include complimentary Saturday morning yoga classes on the beach and weekly escorted tours of the resort’s gardens and landscape highlights led by a staff horticulturist. Plus, this private island retreat offers amenities offbeat enough to be classified as Only-in-the-Keys: an Ice Cream Cycle (it makes daily rounds delivering frozen treats, right) and an afternoon ration of rum at 3 p.m. Sunset Key Cottages Key West, sunsetkeycottages.com.
• The newly restored and remodeled Postcard Inn Beach Resort & Marina in Islamorada features a refurbished marina, recently completed Raw Bar plus remodeled event and meeting space. This nostalgic 151-room property includes the historic Holiday Isle Tiki Bar, where the original Rum Runner cocktail is said to have been concocted. holidayisle.com. • The landmark Delray Beach Marriott has been transformed and renamed the OPAL Grand Oceanfront Resort & Spa. The spa features an extensive selection of spa treatments, there’s a 24-hour fitness center, and dining options range from a pool grill and lobby lounge to the casual Sandbar to the sophisticated 5Ocean restaurant. A new, unnamed restaurant and bar is anticipated to open in 2020. opalgrand.com.
TREAT TIME: The Ice Cream Cycle at Sunset Key Cottages.v
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Bucket List Adventures Immersive luxury travel experiences that embrace the great outdoors.
Photo ©Adrian Wlodarczyk for Silversea
STORY BY MEGAN PADILLA
COOL VIEW: The Silver Cloud cruises the Lemaire Channel in Antarctica..
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ave you noticed that most bucket list trips are headlined by nature? Some people long to immerse themselves in the wildlife and landscapes of Africa. Others turn to the majesty awaiting in our own backyard, the American West. And some dream of being among the few humans to visit the only untamed continent in the world, Antarctica. Add to the mix one-onone planning by an expert luxury-travel advisor who can lean on connections and pull out all the stops to craft you the trip of a lifetime, and you’ve got the makings of a trip that should rise to the top of anyone’s bucket list. We asked Susan Moynihan, Virtuoso travel advisor with The Honeymoonist and Largay Travel, to advise us where travelers are going, staying and how they are immersing themselves in the great outdoors.
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Courtesy andBeyond
BUCKET LIST: Africa
MEET THE NEIGHBORS: The elephants are almost in the room at the Ngala Private Game Reserve in South Africa..
Primal instincts
Courtesy Singita
Which safari’s for you? African safaris are high atop most trav- lodgings such as Singita’s recently redesigned Faru Faru Lodge in elers’ bucket lists, and for good reason; seeing wildlife in its natural Tanzania, or Mahlatini’s Jack’s Camp, a back-in-time tented camp habitat really does shift the way you see the world. But safaris are set in Botswana’s remote Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Mix and match: Moynihan’s approach is to work with companies loaded with variables that greatly influence the experience. A trip that can mix and match lodging styles: a luxe lodge at one place is constructed and shaped from a myriad of choices, depending where perhaps an elephant will stop by your plunge pool for a drink, on country, terrain and time of year. “And that’s before you even followed by a tented camp decked out with cushy beds, a chandelier get into lodging types,” says Moynihan, “from resort-style lodges and wood-heated bucket shower at another. Longtime Africanto tented camps to designer bungalows straight out of the pages of travel company andBeyond owns and manages its own network of Architectural Digest.” It’s key to work with someone who knows truly singular experiences — such as its newest offering, a the industry and can home in on the right experience for treehouse in Ngala Private Game Reserve in South Africa you, she adds. The word — that enable guests to have a multi-sensory journey A mobile vacation: The word “safari” comes from “safari” comes from that is stitched together behind the scenes to deliver the the Swahili word for “journey,” and moving around the Swahili word for unexpected. defines the experience — typically one to three nights Moynihan also likes working with Big Five, a luxury “journey.” per spot. For instance, says Moynihan, “In Tanzania, company that works directly with travel advisors to mix you can do the Serengeti and Ngorongoro by car from and match safari experiences, drawing from a full slate of Arusha on a 7-night circuit, which makes it a great first-time expert operators and luxury camps. In addition, every guest safari, while in a country like Bostwana you’ll use a combination is enrolled in Big Five’s White Glove Service® guest assistance of bush planes to get from place to place, which ups cost.” program that begins two weeks before departure to help with How many countries do you want to visit? Just because anything from concierge services to travel emergencies. you’re on the same continent doesn’t make it easy to get from place to place, so before you get your heart set on visiting multiple countries, look at real-time flight offerings. You may need an overnight layover in a place like Nairobi or Addis Ababa, even if you’re not visiting Kenya or Ethiopia. Says Moynihan, “Botswana and Namibia work well together due to proximity and airlines, as do South Africa and Mozambique.” Pacing is key: Do you want to do as many game drives as you can, or do you want time to also just enjoy your surroundings? It’s not a trick question, says Moynihan, highlighting the appeal of POOLSIDE IN TANZANIA: The pool and a watering hole at the Faru Faru Lodge.. www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
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Courtesy Alana Watkins for Brush Creek Ranch
BUCKET LIST: The American West
SO MANY STARS: The lodge at Wyoming’s Brush Creek Ranch at night.
America the beautiful
Courtesy Sage Lodge
Go West! Some of the most beautiful places in the world friendly Sage Lodge in Montana, 35 minutes from the are found in our own backyard — iconic landscapes such northern entrance to Yellowstone. Or The Lodge and Spa as Wyoming’s Yellowstone (our nation’s first national park), at Brush Creek Ranch, which offers easy access to Medicine California’s Yosemite, or lesser-known national parks such as Bow-Routt National Forest and authentic Wyoming style activities such as hiking, horseback riding, fly fishing and Glacier in Montana. clay shooting. Within or outside of national parks? National Glamping: In case this term is new to you, it Stay in lodges Park lodging concessions put you inside the park but with minimal frills, says Moynihan. “Most of on the doorstep of means “glamorous camping.” Before you dismiss them are older, and packed, and sell out a year national parks, not it as an oxymoron, Moynihan promises you won’t suffer. Under Canvas has safari-style tents in advance, especially the best rooms.” Moynihan inside them. with king-size beds, ensuite bathrooms and meal directs clients instead to take advantage of lodges on service (plus fireside s’mores) in parks including the doorstep of national parks, that offer proximity Zion and the Grand Canyon. In California, AutoCamp paired with privacy, luxury and curated experiences that embody the majesty and open spaces of the American West. offers hip tents along with vintage Airstreams in Yosemite, Top lodges: Some of Moynihan’s faves include family- but also scenic spots like wine country’s Russian River.
ON THE FLY: Fly fishing at Montana’s Sage Lodge. 48 www.duPontREGISTRY.com www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
Courtesy Richard Harker for Abercrombie & Kent
BUCKET LIST: Antarctica
MARCH OF THE PENGUINS: A gathering of the clan on South Georgia Island.
The seventh continent
Courtesy ©Richard Sidey for Silversea
can book up one to three years in advance, depending on the Best for last: There have never been more options for outfitter. For best pricing, deposit early, especially if you care getting to our southernmost point, Antarctica. This is a bucket about securing a particular stateroom category. list trip for travelers aiming to hit all seven continents, and Challenge: You can’t get to Antarctica without crossing usually the last one they do, as it requires both time and the Drake Passage. One of the most intense bodies of expense. The the world, “it gets nicknamed The Drake Lake or Travel mode: Ships that ply the frigid South window for The Drake Shake, depending on conditions,” says Atlantic and Pacific Oceans must be expedition sailing is short — Moynihan, and there’s no guarantee which moniker rated, and rugged enough to deal with changing basically it’ll get. Some companies, such as Seabourn, offer weather conditions from whiteouts to icebergs. two-hour flights across the Drake, again weather November to Back in the day that made for a more rudimentary permitting, and with a very high price tag. experience, says Moynihan, but today there are March. expedition-class ships that offer serious luxury; “Think Thomas Keller dining and spa services done in SITES TO SEE partnership with Dr Andrew Weill aboard Seabourn Quest; Travel advisor Susan Moynihan: thehoneymoonist.com heated outdoor swimming pool and an onboard photo studio African safaris: andbeyond.com, bigfive.com, singita.com, with classes on Silversea’s Silver Cloud; and Polar Medal mahlatini.com American West: sagelodge.com, brushcreekranch.com, undercanvas. winners as onboard experts during Abercrombie & Kent com, autocamp.com charters of Ponant’s 200-passenger Le Lyrial,” says Moynihan. Antarctic cruises: Seabourn.com, Silversea.com, Abercrombiekent. Plan ahead! Moynihan reminds clients that the window for sailing is short — basically November to March. And trips com/cruises
WHALE OF A TAIL: A close encounter on a Silversea excursion. www.duPontREGISTRY.com 49
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GLASS CEILING: Looking up at the ornate interior of the Casino de Monte Carlo.
TRAVEL: Monaco
Monaco’s Magic
A weekend on the French Riviera in the world’s second-smallest (and possibly most glamorous) country. STORY BY CINDY COCKBURN
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Photo by Mike Dupre
The Girl in the Casino
Photo by Cindy Cockburn
alk about a thrill! Just grabbing my black, oversized Jackie O sunglasses in anticipation of packing for the Riviera sent sizzling sensations through my brain. Call it Mediterranean travel lust. Digging through my little designer evening bags, I’m searching for any hidden euros stashed away to throw in my luggage. I’m ready for some Monaco magic. Hard to believe, but Monaco is the second-smallest country in the world (after the Vatican). It’s very safe, with the crime rate almost non-existent. And for good reason: Everybody is being observed on security cameras 24/7. Residents cannot gamble in the Casino de Monte-Carlo, only visitors. The ambience is very serious, very quiet, and OH, CRAPS: Playing the intimidating and complicated game of craps in the you have to play by the rules (bring a photo ID, men must Casino’s legendary gaming rooms. wear jackets in the evening). Traveling with my George Clooney lookalike son Mike, I was thrilled he didn’t mind Off to the races the formality of it all. The rooms were very ornate (the The world’s eyes turn to Monaco in May, in casino was built in 1863), with lots of marble, chandeliers, anticipation of the annual Formula One Grand Prix candelabras, mahogany, stained glass, frescoes, sculptures car race. It’s not just the exotic cars that are over the and turn-of-the-century paintings adorning the walls. top, but the almost comical bumper-to-bumper multiOld European elegance. Pure silence. Cameras million-dollar yachts in the harbor that add that forbidden. international razzle-dazzle. (The nautical scene Movie buffs may remember the casino from in Monaco makes even Newport’s harbor in the This small principality on the Riviera Never Say Never Again and other Bond movies summer seem ordinary.) is drowning in glamour, from the Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan The French superstar race car driver and beautiful people and days. Today, photos of George Clooney greet now St. Pete resident Sebastien Bourdais scenic beauty. us, placed on each side of the Casino. I’m describes Monaco as its “own animal” during surprised to find there’s a fee to gain entrance to the internationally renowned Formula One the elaborate gaming rooms. And then I remember: race, like a “beehive waiting to explode.” He This small price of admission (about $14) is like paying should know; he has not only raced but enjoyed victory for a backstage pass to another planet. We walk in, in Monaco once, winning the Formula 3000 series. “At order Champagne, look around, and feel intimidated the age of 23 I was the toast of Monaco,” he laughs. by the grandeur. But the feelings come roaring back of “Now I prefer to live in St. Petersburg with my family and “anything is possible” — I had my share of pretending to compete here in Florida during our more family-friendly be a James-Bond-girl-in-the-casino back in my New York Grand Prix car race.” City days —and I sat down with my son and fell in love Worth noting: St. Pete’s Firestone Grand Prix, held again with the fast-paced, exciting game of blackjack (aka each March, is also a street race. But in St. Pete the track twenty-one). What a high: I eventually walk away winning is flat, hugs Tampa Bay and weaves through downtown. 350 euros. My son won almost 500€ at the craps table — In Monaco, drivers deal with dramatic elevation changes his first time gambling here. Voila! Love this place! www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com 51 www.duPontREGISTRY.com 51
TRAVEL: Monaco along the course, including a tunnel and dramatic views of the water. Another difference: “In Monaco, you have huge sums of sponsorship money and the biggest movie stars in the world adding a circus-like atmosphere to the event.” Sebastien won the race in St. Pete twice. Also worth noting: Peter Sontag’s Tampa Bay-based Fast Lane Travel offers a way to enjoy Monaco while driving your favorite Porsche. “It’s one thing to enjoy watching a race where fast cars are competing. It’s another thing to be in a fast car enjoying a beautiful car the way it was meant to be driven.” His company offers all-inclusive tours to Monaco.
Glamour all around Car lovers swoon any time of year in Monaco, especially in the residential and resort area of Monte Carlo. Just observe the drive in front of the Casino (known as the heartbeat of town) to find the most exotic cars and their drivers politely jockeying for position. A few steps away, the outdoor Cafe de Paris is the place to sit, watch, and indulge in the best people-watching in the world. Casino Square is always humming with the sound of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Rolls-Royces, Aston Martins and more. The Hotel de Paris is next to the Casino, and world-renowned for extravagant fine dining on the 8th floor at Le Grill, with its retractable roof for dining under the stars. The Monaco vibe is right out of a Hollywood movie set: an actual royal family, led by Prince Albert II, sets the regal tone. Visitors have a genuine rococo palace to visit with a Changing of the Guard taking place daily at 11:55 a.m. on Place du Palais. Monaco rocks the international financial world, too; it’s home to about 40 international banking institutions. The small principality on the Riviera is drowning in glamour, beautiful people and scenic beauty, surrounded by the Alpes-Maritimes. Once you get over the breathtaking vistas, all the fashionable offerings you can imagine are steps away. The destination is so sensual,
bathed in the unique light and colors of the Mediterranean, that it’s easy to see why it has attracted visitors for centuries.
Grand tours My two-day Monaco jaunt with my adult son and his best buddy Cam was a way to create another loving family travel memory, but this time with a sophisticated grown-up adventure. Parents shouldn’t just say “life is short”; we need to show that we can also just go. We booked passage on the SeaDream yacht (starting in Rome) to explore the best of the Côte d’Azur with 48 hours in Monaco. The all-inclusive cruise offered full-time pampering, and we left our schedule in the capable hands of Anna Fell, activity manager for SeaDream Yacht Club: “Our guests have many options when they arrive in Monaco.They can take a helicopter ride over the city or drive their very own luxury super car for the morning.” So we booked the land tour — “Monaco by Ferrari Super Car” ($399 per person) — to enjoy being a front-seat passenger with a professional driver in command of the car or as a pilot with a professional trainer beside us. We also booked “Aerial views of Côte d’Azur and Monte Carlo” ($309 per person) with this outing promising a breathtaking view of the French Riviera from the air via helicopter. The morning we arrived, the weather didn’t cooperate. Heads up! Uber is actually banned in Monaco. You have to walk past Casino Square and up the stairs, then cross the road so that you are technically no longer in Monaco but in the French town of Beausoleil, where Uber will now work. My son and I had to quickly change our Monaco Day Trip “Plan A” (race car and helicopter ride ) to a “Plan B” (tour of the Aquarium with 350 species of fish) called the Musée Océanographique de Monaco. It was pouring rain upon arrival, but getting a taxi from the port was relatively easy as there is a tourist information desk right in the terminal. We also wandered around town, not caring that the rain forced us to enjoy a leisurely lunch of fettuccine al pesto recommended by the locals at Tres Scalini in the harbor district, where the coast is particularly built up and erected over water in an area called Fontvieille.
Photo by Cameron Barbas
Getting there
YACHTS, A LOT: Bumper-to-bumper boats in Monaco’s harbor. 52 52 www.duPontREGISTRY.com www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
Though we decided to splurge and arrive by yacht, Monaco is close enough to the Italian border to be reachable via an easy train ride from Nice airport or a scenic taxi from the Picasso Museum in Antibes. One year, I escaped the Cannes Film Festival madness and boarded a bus for a pleasant 30-minute trip, hugging the coast and ending up in the heart of Monaco. Visiting this glam part of the world is good for the soul; it’s a slice of heaven in the Mediterranean. We plan to return — after saving up more euros.
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GOLF
The LPGA in Tampa Bay After a dramatic makeover, Belleair’s Pelican Golf Club hosts a roll call of top players. STORY BY ERIC SNIDER PLAYING IN MAY: LPGA stars Brittany Altomare (left) and Nelly Korda.
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he 1-year-old Pelican Golf Club in Belleair is having Biltmore Golf Club, a Donald Ross-designed course that the a coming-out party — a big one. It hosts the Pelican Town of Belleair owned and ran as a public facility. In 2017, Women’s Championship from May 11-17, marking the Belleair residents Daniel Doyle Sr. and his son, Daniel Jr. first LPGA tournament to take place in Tampa Bay since the — founders of Dex Imaging, the tournament’s top sponsor — last St. Petersburg Women’s Open in 1989. purchased the property for $3.8 million. Some of the biggest names in women’s golf are expected to The new owners have spent extravagantly, with the aim compete in the 144-player field, among them Lexi Thompson, of making the Pelican Golf Club a high-end, invitation-only Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel, Natalie Gulbis, Lydia Ko, private club that rivals those in Miami and Naples. They Brittany Altomare and Brooke Henderson. Also slated brought in esteemed Beau Welling Design to give the to participate are St. Pete native Brittany Lincicome course an extreme makeover. While the existing This will be the and Nelly Korda of Bradenton. layout remains mostly intact, the course got new “I don’t know why a new LPGA tournament grass, and more than 800 red maples and live first LPGA tournadidn’t happen here sooner,” says Kyle Draper, oaks, along with thousands of shrubs. “The ment in Tampa Bay vice president of partnerships for Eiger since the St. Petersburg course is absolutely pristine, stunning,” Draper Marketing, which is promoting and running the effuses. The 18-hole, 7,000-yard course — Women’s Open event. “The Bay area has grown so much, and Florida flat with some undulations — opened for in 1989. it’s so golf-conscious. We’re getting a lot of sponsor play in March 2019. A new restaurant and lavish interest, and the Pro-Am is selling well.” 60,000-square-foot clubhouse are on pace to be Pro-Ams, which are part of many LPGA events, allow completed by March. fans up-close access to the pros. On the Wednesday of Pelican All of this should make for a terrific fan experience, which Bay tournament week, 56 threesomes will join tour players Draper says is goal No. 1 for the debut Pelican Women’s in an 18-hole scramble. One pro will play the front nine, Championship. and another will jump in for the back nine. Sponsors receive allotted Pro-Am slots and trios can get into the swing of things Pelican Women’s Championship for $13,500. May 11-17, Pelican Golf Club, Belleair On Thursday, LPGA competition tees off, with players vying Tickets are $20 daily; admission to the climate-controlled for $1.75 million in prize money, with a first-place purse of Tampa Bay Lightning Luxury Skybox on the 18th hole is $262,500. $225 per day. All four days of competition will be shown Pelican Golf Club is not actually a brand new course, but live on the Golf Channel. More info at pelicanlpga.com. a dramatically renewed one. It was formerly the Belleview 56 56 www.duPontREGISTRY.com www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
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AUTO
One Swede Ride
Volvo’s best-seller is still its versatile, roomy and moose-resistant XC90 SUV. The latest 2020 version is better than ever. STORY AND PHOTOS BY HOWARD WALKER
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AUTO
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olvo takes mooses — or maybe that’s meese — very seriously these days. As you might imagine, the average moose is huge. Between 700 and 1,300 pounds. And Poppa Moose can stand over 7 feet tall. If one of these walking Mack trucks trots in front of your car — as they do with monotonous regularity in Sweden — bad things tend to happen. Take comfort in the knowledge that Volvo, being the safety obsessors they are, test for moose collisions when developing every new model. Over at the Volvo safety center in Sweden, they have a Bullwinkle lookalike — we’re presuming it’s called Sven, or Lars — that weighs 790 pounds and is made up of 114 rubber discs to mimic the density and flexibility of Mr. Moose. The test involves driving every new Volvo prototype into it at between 43 and 56mph, and seeing what happens. It usually ends up messy, but designing a roof structure and I-beam-stiff windshield pillars out of super-highstrength steel reduces the severity of the crash. Thankfully there are no mooseys on the Howard Frankland today as we point the redesigned nose of our 2020 Volvo XC90 T6 AWD south toward St. Pete. While the current-generation XC90 has been around for maybe five years, it’s still the hot seller in the Volvo lineup. Cool Scandinavian looks, available three-row seating, a ton of space and a single-minded focus on safety keep loyal owners coming back. And for 2020 the XC90 got a mild makeover to keep it looking fresh. Nothing too radical: a new concave grille, new lower front bumper and new wheel designs — I love the eight-spoke 21-inchers on our refrigerator-white XC90 T6 AWD Inspiration tester. The T6 sits midway in the XC90 lineup. It’s powered by a 2.0-liter, direct-injection four-cylinder that’s both turbocharged and supercharged. It cranks out 313 galloping Swedish horseys, along with 295 lb-ft of torque. You can opt for a T5 version with just turbocharging, or the technology-overloaded T8, with turbos, a supercharger and an electric motor. That packs a whopping 400hp and
472 torques. For me, the T6 with all-wheel drive and the top-of-theline Inscription trim — base price $57,295 or $66,190 very nicely loaded — is the best all-round XC90 your krona can buy. The 2.0-liter motor packs plenty of punch and has no shortage of mid-range muscle for safe, speedy passing. And it works superbly with the quick-shifting 8-speed automatic. The variable-assist electric steering is as precise as a hipster barber’s razor, while all-wheel drive adds to the athletic feel of this tall-riding people mover. And move people it does. Our Inspiration model offers the terrific, new-for-2020 six-seat layout, with two center-row captain’s chairs, rather than a three-across bench, and two individual third-row pews. The XC90 has always boasted a benchmark cabin design, and for 2020 it gets even classier, with new colors for the wood veneers and upholstery. There’s even the option of wool-cloth for those who prefer not to have hide in their ride. While I was heading south on I-275, I took a detour to have a quick look at Tampa Bay’s coolest new Volvo dealership, the newly opened Crown Volvo store on 34th Street in St. Pete. This new 24,000-square-foot building is the epitome of Swedish cool. I love the milky white etched glass on the exterior, which floods the showroom with soft, diffused light. Step inside and it’s like walking into a ScanDesign store, with a cosy “living room” filled with stunning Scandinavian leather-and-wood furniture. Fancy an espresso? There’s a cafe serving Lavazzo. Sorry, no meatballs on the menu. Crown has also gone all out to go “green,” with lots of recycled materials in the construction and easy-on-the-eyes, low-voltage LED lighting. I’m betting Bullwinkle would feel right at home here. Just make sure those antlers don’t scratch the furniture. Test drive the latest 2020 XC90 T6 at Crown Volvo, part of the Crown Automotive Group, at 6001 34th St. N, St. Petersburg. Look for Howard Walker’s online column, “Weekend Wheels,” every Friday at dupontregistrytampabay.com.
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ST. P E T E R S BUR G – P IN EL L AS PAR K - C L EAR WATER
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The Riverside Retreat: Page 40
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REAL ESTATE
Timeless Beach Park Estate 415 S Royal Palm Way, Tampa $10,900,000
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ustomized to perfection, the elegance and grandeur of this Beach Park estate combines superior craftsmanship that reflects impeccable taste and sophisticated architectural details. Timeless in appearance this 2009 gated residence is situated on almost 3/4 of an acre. An impressive entrance to the foyer that has onyx floors and bronze staircase opens to the formal two story living room, dining room and mahogany walled den. A chef’s dream kitchen boasts top of the line appliances and finishes. A breathtaking vestibule of Barrell Vault stone in a Herringbone pattern leads to the downstairs master suite. Downstairs also offers the family room, another bedroom and bath, gym, laundry room, half bath and a second staircase. Upstairs are 3 bedrooms with private baths and a second laundry room. Two of the bedrooms have private balconies offering serene views of this magnificent property. There is a state of the art in-home theater room. Amenities of the home include: four car AC garage, five AC units for the home, 4 mini split AC units for garage and storage area, Weather Shield Lifeguard windows, Icynene attic installation, four tankless water heaters, central vac, Crestron control system for the entire home which operates the lights, drapes, security system and locks. There is also a whole house 100KW generator, landscape lighting, gas lanterns and 16 exterior security cameras. The grounds include an outdoor fire pit, putting green, outdoor shower, pool bath, and mosquito misting system.
Anne Mullis and Cindy Richards | 813-624-5739 813-839-3800 | Smith & Associates Real Estate
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REAL ESTATE
Stunning Contemporary in Harbor Bluffs 108 Harbor View Lane, Belleair Bluffs $2,995,000
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n abundance of natural light greets you in this 2003 stunning five bedroom, five bath contemporary home that offers privacy and peaceful water views. The house sits high on a .93 acres lot in desirable Harbor Bluffs. Walls of sliding doors open to the spacious walk out balconies to create the perfect setting for entertaining large or small. This great outdoor living space overlooks the pool and spa and the park like setting of this Frank Lloyd Wright style home. The kitchen opens to the great room and the living and dining area are all positioned to take in the views while entertaining or relaxing. Enjoy preparing meals in your gourmet kitchen with island, cherry cabinets, granite counters, Thermador gas cook top, double ovens, Sub Zero refrigerator and wet bar. This well designed home has all the luxury finishes you are expecting and a wonderful floorplan with extra rooms that offer multiple uses as well as concrete block construction throughout. Guest bedroom, bath and study are on the first floor. A custom wood and wrought iron staircase leads upstairs to a bedroom suite and two more bedrooms. The master bedroom suite has 2 walk-in closets and bath with dual vanities and walk-in shower and opens to the second floor private balcony that gives you the feeling of being nestled in the treetops overlooking the intracoastal waterway. A dock with 2 boat lifts with boating access at all times of the day. This Harbor Bluffs location offers nearby shopping and dining and the Belleair bridge to beaches. www.108HarborViewLane.com
Martha Thorn with The Thorn Collection | 727-432-9019 Coldwell Banker Realty www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com www.duPontREGISTRY.com 63
REAL ESTATE
Style & Sophistication in Harbor Bluffs 203 Palm Dr. Largo | $839,000
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tyle and sophistication describes this beautiful Harbor Bluffs home. An executive property that is set on a large corner lot and has gorgeous curbside appeal. Inside, you will enjoy over 3,400 square feet of living all on one floor. The foyer opens to a spacious and welcoming living room. Your living area features walnut flooring and has plenty of room for elegant or casual entertaining of both family and friends. Kerryn Ellson | 727-408-4888 | www.HarborBluffsForSale.com
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MOVING TAMPA BAY FORWARD
SINCE 1969
HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST 446 16th Avenue NE 5 Bed | 6 Bath | 4,634 SF | $1,399,999 Kevin Petelle & Lea Newman 727.430.2576
BEACH PARK ESTATE 415 S Royal Palm Way 5 Bed | 7/1 Bath | 9,269 SF | $10,900,000 Anne Mullis and Cindy Richards 813.624.5739
HYDE PARK HOUSE Starting in the $900s | 1,835 - 5,057 SF The Hyde Park House Sales Team 813.649.3700 HydeParkBayshore.com
WATERCHASE 14604 Mondavi Court 4 Bed | 3 Bath | 2,907 SF | $540,000 Amanda Siftar 813.857.9093
INDIAN ROCKS BEACH 2406 Gulf Boulevard #202 2 Bed | 1 Bath | 1,112 SF | $399,900 Nancy Marra Perron 941.224.9124
HISTORIC NEW SUBURB BEAUTIFUL 2426 W Sunset Drive 6 Bed | 4/2 Bath | 5,734 SF | $2,999,000 Sarah Weaver 307.203.9419
ST. PETERSBURG 216 15th Avenue SE 3 Bed | 2/1 Bath | 2,260 SF | $650,000 Jacki Fabrizio 727.776.2976
PINELLAS FARMS 5824 115th Avenue N 6 Bed | 4/1 Bath | 6,332 SF | $895,000 Melinda Pletcher 727.455.6633
LAKE OSCEOLA 13704 Plainview Road 4 Bed | 4/1 Bath | 3,975 SF | $899,900 Laura Baccarella 813.624.7903
SALTAIRE Starting in the $800s | 1,663 - 6,182 SF The Saltaire Sales Team 727.240.3840 SaltaireStPete.com
PLACIDO BAYOU WATERFRONT 998 Lake Placido Court NE 4 Bed | 3/1 Bath | 3,858 SF | $1,099,000 Janelle Chmura 813.380.5465
WATERSIDE INDIAN SHORES 19915 Gulf Boulevard #708 4 Bed | 3/1 Bath | 2,430 SF | $925,000 Melissa Stiles 727.348.6340
ISLAND ESTATE OF CLEARWATER 837 Harbor Island 5 Bed | 5/2 Bath | 8,548 SF | $8,500,000 Sophia Vasilaros 727.430.0141
LOCAL ♥ GLOBAL REACH
ALTURA BAYSHORE Starting in the $1.1Ms | 2,176 - 3,575 SF The Altura Sales Team 813.492.2420 AlturaBayshore.com
OurGlobal Global Partners Our Partners
TAMPA | ST. PETERSBURG | CLEARWATER | BEACHES | LONDON | 813.981.7410 | SMITHANDASSOCIATES.COM
14275 SIESTA ROAD, LARGO
Gracefully gated, this 2010 Italianate Style estate, custom-built to the highest quality with no detail overlooked. An exceptional Architectural experience awaits you. Stylishly set on a 4.5 acre parcel on the intra-coastal waterway of the Central Coast of Pinellas County, this 17,599 square foot home has amenities including a private guest suite, outdoor playground, pond, boat lift and dock, pool, outdoor living space/kitchen and so much more! Offered at $11,900,000 | 14275SiestaRoad.com
Proud Supporters of:
and
The Thorn Collection | 727.432.9019 | www.TheThornCollection.com
OVER $146
MILLION SOLD IN 2019!
108 HARBOR VIEW LANE, BELLEAIR BLUFFS
This house is a work of art! This stunning five-bedroom, five bath contemporary home, built on a bluff, features peaceful waterfront views, boat dock and pool and spa. Copious windows bring the outside into the bright open plan with two living areas, study, breakfast area and kitchen with granite and stainless. NO FLOOD INSURANCE. Offered at $2,995,000 | 108HarborViewLane.com
1 SEASIDE LANE #802, BELLEAIR FL
This modern 3/3.5 penthouse features unbelievable views of Clearwater Harbor and Sand Key. Located in a gated mainland development including Belleair Country Club and a marina, this condo features kitchen granite and stainless, breakfast bar, two living areas, dining room, master his and her baths and walk-in closet, study, laundry room and covered terraces. Offered at $1,797,000 | SpectacularSeaside.com
204 PALMETTO ROAD, BELLEAIR FL
Charming Belleair, this 5-bed/6.5-bath home has curb appeal with well-manicured landscaping. Open floorplan showcasing unique & functional space; gourmet kitchen located in the heart of the home and master retreat. Incredible outdoor living space includes sparkling pool, covered lanai, outdoor kitchen & backyard with privacy walls and lush greenery. Offered at $1,498,000 | 204PalmettoRoad.com
7893 BAYOU CLUB BLVD, LARGO FL
Located just along the 9th and 18th fairway of the Bayou Club golf course, this impressive two-story home features lower level master, saltwater pool/spa (pool has jets), a spacious floor plan with new interior paint, 14 foot ceilings & attention to detail throughout. Offered at $1,247,500 | 7893BayouClubBlvd.com
The Thorn Collection | 727.432.9019 | www.TheThornCollection.com
RANKED TOP
10 COLDWELL BANKER TEAM IN THE NATION!
Š2018 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker logo, Coldwell Banker Previews International and the Previews logo are registered and unregistered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The property information.
Luxury Collection
1560 GULF BLVD #205 | CLEARWATER BEACH | $3,000,000 Belinda Bishop | 727-967-2303
470 PALM ISLE NE | CLEARWATER | $2,729,400 Debbie Garrigan & Bridget Breland | 727-434-3322
11 BAYMONT ST #901 | CLEARWATER BEACH | $2,650,000 Jeanne O’Brien | 727-365-1818
418 8TH AVE | TIERRA VERDE | $2,590,000 Dan Harrington | 727-460-3839
1778 OCEANVIEW DR | TIERRA VERDE | $2,395,000 Denise Reilly | 727-458-6161
17000 GULF BLVD #7B | REDINGTON SHORES | $2,250,000 Susan Gaddis | 727-403-9070
854 BAY POINT DR | MADEIRA BEACH | $1,385,000 Kristi Phillips | 727-430-0782
5884 HAWKS CORNER | PALM HARBOR | $1,340,000 Katie Gawel | 813-966-7397
W W W.COASTALPGI .COM B E L L E A I R | C L E A R W AT E R | C L E A R W AT E R B E A C H | D U N E D I N | E A S T L A K E / P A L M H A R B O R | I N D I A N R O C K S B E A C H | I S L A N D E S TAT E S 70
N O R T H R E D I N G T O N B E A C H | O Z O N A | S T. P E T E B E A C H | S T. P E T E R S B U R G | TA M P A | T I E R R A V E R D E | T R E A S U R E I S L A N D www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
Real Estate
Sister Knows Best
The powerful advice that led to Dania Perry’s stellar career as a Realtor. STORY BY DAVID WARNER
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ania Perry has been Century 21’s #1 Realtor in the world in gross commissions seven times and the company’s #1 Realtor in the United States eight
times. But that success — powered by more than $1 billion in sales of Tampa Bay luxury and waterfront homes since 2009 — might never have happened if it hadn’t been for Perry’s late sister, Dr. Solange Pendas. In fact, without the encouragement of Pendas, Perry might never have become a Realtor at all. Her sister, a surgical oncologist, pushed her to enter the field. “She wanted me to help people the way she helped people, and she wanted me to be passionate about it,” recalls Perry, who graduated early from high school to attend USF, where she received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in electrical engineering (the latter while working at GE). “You don’t understand me,” she remembers telling her sister. “I’m an engineer!” But Sissy (her nickname for Solange) knew best. Perry did go on to find her passion in real estate, entering the field in 2006 and discovering that she could apply her skills in analytical thinking and help others at the same time. And Sissy was with her all the way, attending Century 21 conventions and encouraging her in 2015 when Perry was certain there was no way she could achieve the top sales award. “Oh, you’ll figure it out,” Pendas assured her — and she was right. Perry squeaked by with a win (“I called in a lot of favors”) and Sissy made sure the whole family came to the ceremony in Orlando in 2016 to watch her accept the honor. A month later, Pendas died suddenly from a brain hemorrhage at the age of 48 — six days before Perry turned 50. “She was my best friend,” says Perry. “I miss her dearly.” Her sister’s spirit still informs her work. She talks movingly about a sale she made for a man with Stage 4 cancer who called her in a panicked state because the contract had just fallen through on his Florida waterfront home and he just wanted to get the sale over with and spend his final days in North Carolina with his wife. He wanted to offer $310,000. “I said, ‘No, we’re going to get as much money as we can,’” and sold it for $590,000 in a matter of days. “I thought his wife deserved to get a lot more for that home.” She comes from tough stock: Her parents emigrated from Cuba to Spain to Costa Rica and finally to the U.S. when Perry was 4. Arriving with nothing, they worked hard, took no vacations and saved enough to send two children to college.
SIBLING REVELRY: Dania Perry (right) with her sister, Dr. Solange Pendas, at a Century 21 awards event.
Family continues to play a big role in her life; her business partner, Rick Perry, is also her husband. “My husband handles marketing and written media,” she says, “and I handle market analysis, meeting with homeowners, showings… He does all the stuff behind the scenes and I get all the credit. Isn’t that a beautiful thing?” But her talent for analytics is paramount. Asked about the issues involved in sales of waterfront homes, she quickly lists a number of points — a home’s proximity to the Gulf, the depth of the water at low tide, the size of the seawall, nearby bridges that may limit boat size — that would likely not occur to the layman and reflect her deep knowledge of the market. She prides herself on her use of data, as well as her ability to negotiate and her personal touch: She never goes the lockbox route when it comes to showings. And she remains a powerful booster of Tampa Bay’s waterfront real estate market, which she feels has the best values of any major metropolitan area in the country. “Look at our beachfront compared to California or Miami!” Her sales record would seem to back that up, with over $27 million already under contract this year as of this writing. And if she winds up getting another of those #1 Realtor awards, she’ll know who to thank: her highly perceptive little sister. “I’ll always be grateful for her undying belief in me.” www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
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Dania Perry
Luxury & Waterfront Specialist MOBILE: 727-215-2045 dania.perry@gmail.com www.DaniaPerry.com
Dania Sold $112M+ in 2019 and more than $1B in residential real estate throughout Tampa Bay
REDINGTON GRAND – REDINGTON BEACH
SUNSET BEACH – TREASURE ISLAND
One of the most spectacular beachfront luxury condominiums available anywhere in Tampa Bay! This 4 bedroom, 4 bath, 5200 sqft residence boasts magnificent coastal contemporary finishes, a sublime gourmet chef’s kitchen and a dazzling 1000 sqft (mol) oceanfront balcony with separate dining and sitting areas, large wet bar and an astonishing, oversized mini-pool/spa! Beautiful and rare. Offered for $2,100,000.
Toes in the sand in just 10 seconds! Beachfront luxury & versatility with spectacular views. Feel the sweet Gulf breezes & gentle rolling waves! Block construction home offers 4BR, 3+2 half baths as a single family, or 2-family with 2BR, 1.5BA & 2BR, 2.5BA. Entire interior has been wonderfully updated with elegant coastal contemporary themes. Offered for $1,775,000.
BELLEAIR BEACH
BAYSHORE DR NE – ST. PETERSBURG
Virtually flawless in its finishes, updates and design, this stunning 5743 total sqft, 5 bedroom executive residence rests on a beautifully landscaped 2 ½ lots and 200ft of pristine waterfrontage. Gorgeous, elegant living spaces, superb private pool compound, large dock with 2 lifts. Just one block from the beach! Offered for $1,750,000.
Magnificent sweeping panoramic water views! Brilliantly updated 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, 3,028 sqft top floor residence boasts a sophisticated cosmopolitan appeal. Sumptuous gourmet kitchen, posh executive office, luxurious living areas, elegant private verandahs, exceptional world class amenities, easy access to beaches and Tampa Airport. Offered for $1,350,000.
The Dania Difference • The Professional Difference • The Real Difference in Real Estate 72
CENTURY 21 www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
JIM WHITE AND ASSOC. • 10645 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island, FL 33706
#1 CENTURY 21 Realtor in the World for the 7th time!
Dania Perry
Luxury & Waterfront Specialist MOBILE: 727-215-2045 dania.perry@gmail.com www.DaniaPerry.com
KIPPS COLONY – PASADENA Y & CC
MARINA BAY – ST. PETERSBURG
This spectacular and luxurious 10,769 total sqft executive estate enjoys miles of dazzling open water views! Towering ceilings, grand open living spaces and brilliant craftmanship give this remarkable home a plush, lavish appeal. Huge master suite, wide covered balconies, pool/spa, updated seawall/dock and 2 boat lifts. Offered for $2,850,000.
Magnificently finished 4-bedroom waterfront estate located in a beautiful community. Huge open gourmet kitchen. Deep water dock with dual boat lifts and rapid access to the Gulf. The best waterfront commuting location in Tampa Bay! Just 5 min to the beach, 8 min to downtown, 25 min to Tampa Airport, 30 min to Sarasota. Offered for $2,440,000.
Und er C ontr a
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CAPRI ISLE – TREASURE ISLAND
THE VITTORIA – TREASURE ISLAND
A True Rarity – The Essence of Zen in Coastal Luxury. Remarkable 4 bedroom, 4 bath, 6830 total sqft open waterfront floorplan of masterful design and function. Towering ceilings and extraordinary finishes throughout. Impressive list of superb features and amenities. From your dock to the Gulf in four minutes! Offered for $2,380,000.
An uncommon find! This luxurious, private, direct beachfront penthouse residence is secluded and set back on a quiet side street. An exceptional 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath, 4503 total sqft residence that enjoys beautiful, wide balcony views of the Gulf of Mexico and plush, contemporary finishes throughout. Easy walking distance to shopping, dining and entertainment. Offered for $2,150,000.
Independently Ranked one of Florida's 10 Best Real Estate Agents CENTURY 21 JIM WHITE AND ASSOC. • 10645 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island,www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com FL 33706
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STYLE
Forecast Sunny In-style fashions for outdoor living
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BY MICHELLE CAPPELLI GORDON
ere in Florida, a day spent outdoors is like a day on vacation. A morning dip in the pool (properly accessorized, of course). Brunch, alfresco. Yoga in the park or a bike ride on the trail. And what better way to end the day than to enjoy a sunset cocktail? All looks curated by Michelle Cappelli Gordon of Love Michelle Style. To shop these looks or more visit lovemichellestyle.com.
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19_BP_004_2020_04.04_DupontRegistry_7.625x5_CHARLOTTE_AD_v1_jm_PRESS.pdf
T HE P O S S IBIL I T IE S
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2/27/20
10:56 AM
BE R K E L E Y P R E P. OR G
An Independent Episcopal Day School for Boys and Girls in Pre-K to Grade 12
CHARLOTTE CLASS OF 2021
Featuring over 100 studies for production designs by noted artists of the nineteenth century to the present day, such as Henri Matisse, Giorgio de Chirico, Natalia Goncharova, Pablo Picasso, Louise Nevelson, David Hockney, Robert Indiana, and Lesley Dill. During the run of this exhibition, the Museum of Fine Arts’ galleries will be animated with dance, music, theater, and opera performances. Art of the Stage: Picasso to Hockney is organized by the McNay Art Museum.
Alexandra Exter, Costume design for Salomé in Salomé, 1917, Gouache and graphite on paper, Collection of the McNay Art Museum, Gift of The Tobin Endowment
The Man Behind Doc Ford
Talking with author Randy Wayne White about Yucatan shrimp, his latest novel, and his Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille, opening soon on the new St. Pete Pier. INTERVIEW BY HOWARD WALKER
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ou’re going to want to try the Yucatan shrimp. Steamed peel-’n-eat morsels of tanginess, they’re slathered in a dressing of butter, cilantro and garlic with mild Colombian chilies and a squeeze of Key lime juice. They’re the best. “It’s my favorite thing on the menu, and our signature dish. Just make sure you order it with extra sauce.” The culinary recommendation comes from none other than Randy Wayne White, adventurer, author of the beloved Doc Ford series, and partner in the laidback Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille restaurant chain. Expect Yucatan shrimp to be the must-have dish at its newest outpost, the Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille on the brand new St. Pete Pier.
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Opening this spring, it’s going to be big. Literally. There’ll be seating for 450 in a 9,000-square-footplus space beneath that ski-slope roof, with more seats outside on huge covered decks. You’ll find this bright, airy eatery-on-stilts on the south side of the new 26-acre, $90 million Pier, occupying the site of the former Pelican parking lot. With views across to the city marina and Albert Whitted Airport, it’s a primo spot. Inside it’ll have the same Old Florida look and feel of the other Doc Fords on Captiva, Sanibel and Ft. Myers Beach. That means plenty of Randy Wayne White framed book covers, posters, t-shirts and memorabilia, along with local art and stuffed-and-mounted fish on the walls. Good Buffett-style live music, too.
Howard Walker
LOCAL TIES: White, a Rays fan, once almost took a job in St Pete and has a son living in Tierra Ceia.
DINING
Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille
We catch up with the prolific writer at his sprawling Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille on Sanibel island, perched on a barstool in an upstairs room, signing copies of his newest Doc Ford romp, Salt River. It’s his 26th book since his first, Sanibel Flats, hit the bookstands in 1990. “I’m really excited about opening a Doc Ford’s in St. Pete. I love the city. Something big has changed there; it’s now so vibrant compared to a few years back. Mayor Kriseman has done a fabulous job of changing the image. “And is it me, or does everyone in St. Pete these days look younger, healthier, better-looking and seem to be having more fun?” he jokes. White explains how he came close to becoming a St. Pete resident back in the late1980s, when he got a call from the editor of the St. Petersburg Times (now the HIS FAVORITE THING: The Yucatan shrimp is a must at Tampa Bay Times). any Doc Ford’s, says White. “I think it was 1983 or ’84. I was a full-time fishing guide spending my spare time writing stories for working in St. Pete. Who knows, it may have turned magazines like Outside and Rolling Stone. The editor out better?” called me and said the paper had an opening for a Pity he didn’t get the job, as White, who’s just columnist. checked off his 70th birthday, would have had “I drove up one Sunday and we talked some amazing stories to tell. Born in Ohio “While someone about the job. Sounded pretty interesting. might come in once in 1950, he moved to Florida in his early But then we got around to money. I wasn’t twenties — “when I had a full set of hair because they like my making much as a fishing guide, but his and thought beer was a food.” books, we want them to offer was about half what I was earning. He earned himself a captain’s license keep coming back.” in 1974, bought a flats boat and began I said he really needed to come up by at least $20 a week. a career as a light-tackle fishing guide, He passed. averaging over 300 charters a year — more “To this day, I never cross the Sunshine Skyway than 3,000 in 14 years — fishing the skinny waters bridge without thinking how close I came to living and around Captiva and Sanibel.
OPENING SOON: The first St. Petersburg outpost of Doc Ford’s, under construction at the new St. Pete Pier. 77 www.duPontREGISTRY.com 77
DINING
BEST YET: That’s how White regards his latest novel.
He’s also been deep-sea diving with Soviet divers in Cuba, took a 55-foot grouper boat to Cuba during the Mariel Harbor boat-lift ferrying 147 refugees back to the U.S., got stabbed in Peru, started a business importing hot sauce from Colombia, and swam across Tampa Bay on his 50th birthday to raise money for the SEAL Foundation. That was in January 2000, on a day when the weather was 35 degrees and sleeting. How did he manage to add “author� to his resume? He tells the story about when, back in 1988, the government closed Sanibel’s Tarpon Bay, where he was based, to all powerboat traffic. It essentially put him out of business. While he continued chartering out of local hotels, by night he furiously tapped away at an old Underwood typewriter and tried to make a living as a novelist. With two young sons to support, failure was not an option. “I’d been working at the craft of writing throughout my fishing career, and I’d had some luck. I’d sold a few articles to major magazines, and wrote a bunch of potboiler thrillers under pen names. “It was a tough time. I remember one prospective literary agent warning me: ‘Don’t quit your day job,’ unaware that I no longer had a day job.� But he persisted, and the rest, as they say, is history. Today he’s a New York Times best-selling author living in Sanibel and married to sultry singer/songwriter Wendy Webb, and he’s sitting at the computer keyboard pretty much seven days a week. In addition to the thrillers based around Doc Ford and his eccentric buddy Tomlinson in Sanibel’s semifictional Dinkin’s Marina, he’s currently penning a series of young adult novels under the banner Sharks Incorporated. The first in the series, Fins, is out this fall. 78 www.duPontREGISTRY.com www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
He reckons his latest Doc Ford adventure, Salt River, is his best yet. “People accuse me of saying whatever new book I come out with is my best. That’s not true. I’ve written some I’m not wild about. But this is one of my all-time favorites. “There are actually three endings spaced throughout the novel. The big one is in the last sentence of the last page, which changes everything.� Interestingly, St. Pete features prominently in the book. He writes about Doc Ford dropping off his boat at O’Neill’s Marina on the north side of the Skyway Bridge. About hanging out in the lobby bar of the Vinoy Hotel. Spending time at Fort De Soto. When it comes to the restaurant side of the business, White is happy to let his partners at Ft. Myers-based HM Restaurant Group take care of the day-to-day running. That said, he does keep an eye on what’s being served up. “The food has to be great, and it is. While someone might come in once because they like my books, we want them to keep coming back. And trust me, once you’ve tasted the Yucatan shrimp, you’ll be back.�
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BENEFACTORS: The Corbetts
Novemember 6-8, 2020 A Full Weekend of Activities Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park • 600 North Ashley Drive, Tampa FL 33602
Friday, November 6th 6-9pm
“Cars-in-the-Park" Cocktail Party and Charity Auction Saturday, November 7th 9:30am-4pm
Gasparilla Concours d’Elegance Sunday, November 8th 9am-1pm
"Nickel Tour "of Historic Tampa
TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW! GasparillaConcours.com
The Gasparilla Concours d’Elegance is a 501c3 non-profit Florida Corporation. All proceeds of this event go to the Shriners Healthcare for Children Tampa. 79 www.duPontREGISTRY.com 79 www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
In It to Win It
The steadfast philanthropy of Cornelia Corbett. STORY BY DAVID WARNER LOVE STORY: Cornie and Dick Corbett at the Tampa Museum of Art’s 2018 Pavilion with Robert Indiana’s LOVE.
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f you look up the address of the Tampa Museum of Art, you’ll notice that the iconic riverfront building in which it’s located is called the Cornelia Corbett Center. That may not be how most people think of it, but you can bet the folks at the museum are fully aware of and immensely grateful for the woman whose name graces their walls — one, because the dedication represented a key $5 million gift made by developer Richard Corbett in his wife’s name toward the construction of the museum’s new home in 2010, and two, because without Cornelia “Cornie” Corbett, the Tampa Museum of Art might not even
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have that new home. The tortuous saga of the museum’s quest for a bigger, better building in the first decade of the 2000s is a familiar one. But I didn’t get to know the whole story until I was hired to edit the museum’s new history tome, 100 Years 100 Works: The Making of a Museum . As I read, I marveled at the extraordinary perseverance of Cornelia Corbett, who as board chair was on the front lines through this ordeal, during which mayoral priorities changed, a starchitect’s design was rejected, and ground was finally broken on what would become her eponymous center.
Courtesy Tampa Museum of Art/FotoBohemia
ARTS
BENEFACTORS But when she had her first child in 1973 — she and Dick Corbett married in 1968 — she couldn’t bear to continue. “Because every child I saw from then on was my child.” She has continued to fight the plague of child abuse via support of Champions for Children and the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, where the Corbett Trauma Center provides refuge for anyone suffering from the aftermath of abuse and violence. Whatever organizations she supports, Cornie Corbett is a doer. “One hundred percent, where I’ve given I’ve been involved first. You see the reasons for the need before you make the contribution.” And as she has demonstrated at the Tampa Museum, once she’s in your corner she won’t let a challenge get her down. “It’s like sports,” she says. “You can always come back. You’re down a set, but you can win the next two. The game’s not over yet.”
Courtesy Tampa Museum of Art
It made me wonder — hadn’t she ever wanted to throw in the towel? “You don’t know me very well,” she replied when I asked her that question during an interview at the Avila Golf & Country Club near her home last December. “First and foremost, I’m a sports nut and an athlete. Therefore, I am a competitor. Therefore, I was gonna win. That’s it in a nutshell.” But she never expected that her name would be attached to the finished product. Her husband sprung that surprise on her during the museum’s annual Pavilion gala in a downtown Tampa high-rise in 2008. “Ray Ifert, who was chair at the time, was speaking,” she recalls, “and all of a sudden he pulls up Dick Corbett and I was like, ‘Oh shit, what’s going on?’” Then her husband started to sing “The Impossible Dream” and the words “Cornelia Corbett Center” were being projected onto a nearby building. “It was quite a moment, I must admit.” The thing is, she doesn’t really like seeing her name emblazoned on buildings. Her philanthropic role model was her grandmother, who was “extremely generous but always gave anonymously. Her name was never on anything — I was always very admiring of that.” So for years Cornie Corbett refused offers to have her name enshrined anywhere she was a donor. But a few institutions very close to her heart do carry the Corbett name. As owner of the Tampa Bay Rowdies from 1986-93 (taking over from her husband, who had owned the team with two partners), Cornie fell in love with soccer. Her passion for the game informed the Corbetts’ donation of $1.5 million toward the Corbett Soccer Stadium at USF, which opened in 2011. (She’d wanted to call it the Rowdies Memorial Stadium in honor of her former team’s glory days, but USF said no.) Then there’s Corbett Prep (formerly Independent Day School and renamed Corbett Preparatory School of IDS in 2012), a preK3-through-8th-grade school in Carrolwood where the Corbetts sent all four of their children. Cornie Corbett is a strong proponent of its innovative educational methods, particularly its emphasis on emotional intelligence. But she only acquiesced to having the Corbett name attached after her children had graduated. “I was basically persuaded because it set an example for other people to be generous.” Her interest in helping children is “kind of in my DNA,” says Corbett. Her great-great-grandfather Elbridge Gerry founded the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in 1884, and Corbett herself worked for the society as a case worker in child abuse prevention in the early 1970s. “We were called peace officers,” she says. “I still have my badge — I was #7.”
YOU DIG? Corbett, Pete Karamitsanis and Ken Rollins at the 2008 groundbreaking for the new museum building. www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
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Springtime Is Playtime The fun is inside and out in the playful town of Gulfport.
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or a small coastal city, Gulfport sure has a lot going on. An artists’ mecca, Gulfport hosts two monthly art walks on first Fridays and third Saturdays. The centrally located Gulfport Public Library is abuzz with activities, from Mommy and Me Yoga to a ukelele group, from Coffee Talk Book Club to an LGBTQ Film Series. And the town’s waterfront centerpiece, the Historic Gulfport Casino Ballroom, is the place to meet up for dance lessons in swing, Latin, ballroom and more, plus monthly Sock Hops and Soul Nights. Listed below are signature events taking place this spring. For a full calendar, go to mygulfport.us.
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COMING UP IN GULFPORT: MARCH/APRIL 3/17: O’Maddy’s Bar & Grille Annual St. Patrick’s Day Street Party. O’Maddy’s famous bash is back on Tues., March 17 at 11 a.m. Expect corned beef & cabbage, green beer, live music and, of course, lots of shenanigans! This event is a fundraiser for the Michael J. Yakes Foundation, a local non-profit whose mission is to help underprivileged children and seniors in the Gulfport area. 3/21: Best Seat In The House: Chair-ity Auction with a View A fundraising auction benefiting the Gulfport Senior Center Foundation. Ten local artists are putting their one-
of-a-kind spins on 10 Adirondack chairs, and six more are embellishing vintage windows (hence the View). Chairs and windows will be auctioned during the Third Saturday Art Walk on March 21, 5 to 7 p.m., on the Village Courtyard Stage. 3/27-29: 4th Annual Grand Prix of Gulfport Two full days of racing action on the Boca Ciega Bay area of the intercoastal just off the beach, plus pleasure boat displays and vendor booths lining Shore Blvd. Proceeds benefit the Michael J. Yakes Foundation. Fri. 3/27, 8 a.m., to Sun. 3/29, 6 p.m., Downtown Waterfront District, Shore Blvd. between 58th St. S. & 54th St. S. grandprixgulfport.com. 4/4: BCYC Fun Day An annual spring event for the public to tour the Boca Ciega Yacht Club and learn about its activities and its impact on the community. Activities include free sailboat rides, free hot dogs and sodas, youth sailing and more. Sat. 4/4, 1-4 p.m., 4600 Tifton Dr. S., sailbcyc.org 4/11: 15th Anuual Fun in the Sun Day A free children’s event featuring an egg hunt for children ages 8 and under, a raffle for baskets, children’s activities, music, food and fun. Children will also have the opportunity to climb into the driver’s seat of their favorite vehicle: police car, police boat, fire truck, ambulance, garbage truck and many more. Sat., 4/11, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Gulfport Recreation Center, 5730 Shore Blvd. S. 4/16-26: Gulfport Community Players Present “Are You Out There, Mr. Right?” An original musical by the popular local playwright and composer Gil Perlroth. Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 2 p.m. Catherine Hickman Theater, 5501 27th Ave. S., gulfportcommunityplayers.org 5/2: 26th Annual Springfest: Garden Art & Faerie Festival 10 a.m-5 p.m., Gulfport Waterfront District, Beach Blvd. Information courtesy Justin Shea, Cultural Facilities Events Supervisor for the City of Gulfport.
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Courtesy Catherine Woods
STORY BY JULIE GARISTO
OUR TOWN: Catherine Woods’s “Community DNA” outside the new HQ of the St. Petersburg Police. 84 www.duPontREGISTRY.com
THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Public Art
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wildlife, it was shipped to a facility in Washington State for adjustments. (Those changes will be made at no cost to the city, according to Benjamin Kirby, spokesman for the mayor’s office.) Public art consultant Ann Wykell, the former manager Pier review of cultural affairs and international relations for St. Pete, reminds us to take notice of the other works on the grounds Indeed, public art has evolved and splintered into new of the Pier recreation area. forms, such as the luminous Lights on Tampa that Nigh championed, returning in November with a new installation “I’m really impressed with Nathan Mabry’s red origami- at the traffic tunnel connecting Platt Street to the Tampa like, 13-foot pelican sculpture, a great representation of Convention Center. St. Petersburg’s colorful murals St. Petersburg’s official bird,” she said. have become a major PR hook for the city, A committee made up of citizens and city “Public art remarked upon in every tourist brochure and officials unanimously voted in favor of the connects people magazine article about the city’s renaissance. California artist’s “Myth (Red Pelican),” which with places, creating will serve as a welcome to visitors at the Pier’s Starring soon in those brochures: The new St. Pete Pier, which will be home to a wealth identity,” says sculptor entrance plaza. Other works include Xenobia of public artworks. The most hotly anticipated Bailey’s “Morning Stars,” a 23-foot-wide Mark Aeling. of these is the $15-million “Bending Arc.” An and 7-and-a-half-foot high mosaic made up of aerial sculpture by Boston-based artist Janet mandalas in different sizes, shapes and colors, Echelman, the Arc is slated to billow above the and Belgian artist Nick Ervinck’s “Olnetopia,” a Pier complex and change shapes in the wind like an astral, water-like bronze sculpture with a patina finish that will be psychedelic jellyfish. Echelman, who grew up in Davis installed near the Pier Point. Islands, has expressed in past interviews that she creates her Mark Aeling, whose MGA Studio has created pieces at large-scale net sculptures to engender a feeling of connection multiple locations locally and nationally, is working on a and the enchantment of being a part of something bigger. life-sized replica of the Benoist Airboat that will be installed Installation of the sculpture has not been without problems, at the base of the Pier. The sculpture commemorates the however; work began in January, but when Echelman’s first commercial flight, originating in St. Petersburg in 1914, team discovered potential problems related to birds and piloted by Tony Jannus.
Rendering courtesy Janet Echelman/City of St. Petersburg
ublic art has the power to change how we experience an outdoor landscape, and today more and more examples of this unique mode of expression can be seen around Tampa Bay.
LOOK UP: Janet Echelman’s “Bending Arc,” soon to billow above the St. Pete Pier. www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com 85 www.duPontREGISTRY.com 85
THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Public Art In total, says spokesman Kirby, St. Petersburg set aside nearly $2 million for public artwork at the Pier.
Art every day
Mark Aeling was among the artists who took part in the recent exhibit Inside the World of Public Art, curated by Ann Wykell at the downtown St. Petersburg gallery of Florida CraftArt. Both Aeling and Catherine Woods, another artist featured in the exhibit, have created stunning works of public art outside the new St. Petersburg Police Department building. Woods’s “Community DNA” outside the police department includes lines and shapes originating from photos of the city. The work incorporates elements that resonate with locals. “Visiting the site, learning the historic development of a place, taking photos of the area often informs my artwork,” Woods shared, adding that she aspires to create environments that enhance the daily life of the public. “The egalitarian nature of public art appeals to me,” she added. “It is a way to bring truth and beauty into the everyday life of people, allowing those who might not get the chance to visit galleries or museums an opportunity to interact with art. This is especially important for children. A positive experience with art early on in life could change their lives — as it did mine —broadening their world view.”
Ready to launch
Some public art projects include but don’t necessarily revolve around the skills of an individual artist. Some are meant to inspire, educate and break down social barriers through a forum of ideas and collaborations. The forthcoming SPACECraft by Carrie Boucher, Mitzi Gordon and Bridget Elmer is one such example. The winner of Creative Pinellas’s touring exhibition contest repurposes
two full-size cargo shipping containers into a modular network of creative, interactive spaces that feature programming on the themes of “Make/Play” and “Read/Grow.” SPACEcraft, the founders say, will reflect each community it visits, tailoring experiences to each location with support from local teachers, artists and more. The first installation will debut in the bayside bedroom community of Oldsmar. “We thought, ‘Oh, they might come back with a few recommendations,’” Boucher shared during a recent phone interview. “But the comprehensive lists that they came down with revealed the richness of the cultural offerings in little tiny Oldsmar.” Gordon is looking forward to the diverse offerings at the March 14 launch event, which will take place at Oldsmar’s City Hall and feature everything from a cross-stitching class to a performance by ukulele players. Future SpaceCraft “deployments” include Clearwater Beach, Dunedin and John R. Chesnut Park in Palm Harbor.
He’s a natural
The integration of the arts with nature has yielded fascinating ways to encounter public art. Creative Pinellas merged Florida greenery with contemporary dance when they staged “Our Trail: Performances on the Pinellas Trail.” The nonprofit arts agency is escorting us outside again — this time, right outside their Largo headquarters — to display works by St. Petersburg sculptor Donald Gialanella in the Florida Botanical Gardens beginning March 5. “Gialanella in the Gardens” will feature welded steel assemblage sculptures interspersed among the fronds and blossoms. “Preserving our natural surroundings in terms of not causing environmental damage is of primary importance to me,” Gialanella shared. “I try to use non-polluting,
Rendering courtesy SPACEcraft/Creative Pinellas
COME ON IN: A container car transformed by SPACEcraft into an interactive art space. 86 86 www.duPontREGISTRY.com www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
Courtesy Don Gialanella
THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Public Art
GATOR AID: Don Gialanella’s RECYCLIGATOR, made with discarded steel.
permanent materials whenever possible — stainless steel, corten steel, stone, and glass.” An impressive example: The city of Pompano Beach has commissioned Gialanella to create a sculpture that will be installed at the bottom of the ocean and attached to the deck of a shipwreck as part of an artificial reef in late 2020. Gialanella has also been creating interactive projects for the cities of Fort Myers and Clearwater, based on recycling awareness. “Visitors insert their empty single-use water bottles into the sculptures to complete the design.”
Immerse yourself Coming up soon on both sides of the bay are examples of what could be called public art theme parks. Fairgrounds, at The Factory in St. Pete’s Warehouse District, will encompass a 12,000-square-foot immersive art exhibition featuring works by local and international artists, performers, writers, musicians, and storytellers. In Tampa’s Seminole Heights neighborhood, the multi-media arts collective Crab Devil is planning to create Peninsularium — “one of the largest, collaborative, multi-disciplinary arts efforts that Florida has ever seen”— in affiliation with the contemporary art gallery Tempus Projects, in 2021. The concept harks back to the roadside attractions of yesteryear and promises to be “a family-friendly cabinet of curiosities ripe with kitsch, bizarre history, and fantastical lore showcasing Florida at its most weird and wild.”
Lively sidewalks
City agencies in Clearwater and Dunedin are spearheading several public art initiatives. Clearwater displays art by locals in its ongoing Sculpture
360 exhibition on Cleveland Street. Funded through a partnership with the Downtown Development Board, the outdoor exhibition displays sculpture, mostly by locals, including Gialanella’s iconic “Gaia” inspired by the artist’s fascination with the human face and named after the Mother Earth goddess of Greek mythology. The Clearwater Redevelopment Agency recently workshopped with Ryan Swanson, founder of Urban Conga, to gain inspiration for future interactive exhibits and installations. Last year, Swanson displayed a three-week installation called “Oscillation,” interactive structures that use light and sound and respond to movement, at Station Square Park in Downtown Clearwater. A few miles north, the city of Dunedin has implemented the Dunedin Public Art Master Plan, a comprehensive document that details goals and guidelines that will enable the city to encourage the growth of arts and cultural life. Dunedin is the first city in Pinellas County to have adopted a municipal and private development public art ordinance under its plan.
Building community
“Art is the soul of our culture, and public art engages the community, connecting people with places, creating identity,” sums up St. Pete sculptor Aeling. “If you think of the Arch in St. Louis, the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Bean in Chicago, these objects become identifiers for communities — they are in essence the soul of that community. They help people connect to each other, and when hitting on all cylinders they help us feel connected to something greater than ourselves. “After all, that’s what community is.” 87 www.duPontREGISTRY.com 87 www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
THE FLORIDA ORCHESTRA Tampa Bay Times Masterworks
Bach’s St. John Passion Leading up to Easter, redemption rises from despair in Bach’s towering choral masterpiece retelling the Crucifixion. Michael Francis conducts, featuring The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay.
Fri, March 20, 8 pm Idlewild Baptist Church Sat, March 21, 5 pm First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks Sun, March 22, 2 pm Mahaffey Theater Raymond James Pops
Rock Concert
Broadway Mar 27 - 29
The Music of The Electric Light Orchestra Apr 24
Tampa Bay Times Masterworks
Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons Apr 3 - 5
Raymond James Pops
Prohibition Apr 25 & 26
With Jeffrey Multer
Tampa Bay Times Masterworks
Tampa Bay Times Masterworks
Beethoven & Paganini Apr 17 - 19
Beethoven’s Fifth: Darkness to Light May 1 - 3
With Augustin Hadelich
With Michael Francis
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WHAT TO SEE IN A&E BY DAVID WARNER
NOTICE RE CANCELLATIONS;
After this section went to press, many of the listed events were cancelled or postponed due to Covid-19 concerns, including the Tampa Bay AirFest pictured here. We advise checking ahead with venues re any events listed to determine whether they are going ahead as planned. www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
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Lenny Agnello, Jim Wicker and Ryan Bernier in 12 Angry Men at Stageworks. UP, UP, UP...
TRUTH & CONSEQUENCES
Ever notice how many of sports’ biggest thrills happen in the air? When a baseball soars into home run territory, or a golf ball flies toward the green, or Stephen Curry shoots a three-pointer? Well, those kinds of thrills are all on tap this spring, some all on the same weekend: The best teams in men’s college basketball meet in the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division 1 Tournament at the Amalie Arena Mar. 19 and 21, and top golfers compete in the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook Mar. 19-22. Spring training baseball continues through Mar. 24 at area ballparks, with Rays Opening Day set at the Trop for Mar. 26 vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates. And for the biggest airborne thrills of all, head to MacDill Air Force Base
Two of Tampa Bay’s professional theater companies are tackling contemporary classics this spring that address the slippery notions of truth vs. lies, guilt vs. innocence. Jobsite Theater has assembled what sounds like the perfect cast for John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Doubt: A Parable (through Apr. 5), led by Roxanne Fay as the relentless Catholic school principal who suspects that a young black student has been molested by his mentor, Father Flynn, played by Jobsite Producing Artistic Director (and crackerjack actor) David Jenkins. At Stageworks Theatre, Reginald Rose’s 1957 jury-room drama 12 Angry Men may seem more timely than ever for 2020 audiences, as 12 white men argue over the fate of a Harlem teenager. Full disclosure: I’m playing Juror #11. (Stageworks, Mar. 20-Apr. 5; Murray Theatre at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Apr. 9-11.) There’s a timely hook in freeFall’s Dear World, too; Jerry Herman’s 1969 musical finds a Parisian “Madwoman” scheming to prevent — wait for it — oil drilling! (Apr. 25-May 24.) Another rebel with a cause, not to mention great dance moves, takes center stage in Footloose, this year’s American Stage in the Park outdoor show (Apr. 15-May 17). And if you still feel like dancing, don your disco shoes and revel in the glories of Summer — Donna Summer, that is, whose life story is the subject of the recent Broadway musical coming to the Straz May 5-10. But it’s not yet summer, it’s spring, so romance — doomed and otherwise — is in the air. The world premiere of the quirky romantic comedy The People Downstairs continues through Apr 5 at American Stage (see p 95), and freeFall’s Lone Star Spirits, a Texas-based love triangle with a paranormal twist, continues through Mar. 29. Not even a helicopter can save the doomed love affair at the heart of Miss Saigon (Straz Center, Mar. 24-29); the dashing swordsman with the unfortunate nose courts his beloved for another man in a new translation of Cyrano (Hat Trick Theatre at Murray Theatre, Apr. 30-May 10); Anna Karenina is reimagined in an Ybor City setting in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Anna in the Tropics (Stageworks, May 1-17); and in a romance which sounds doomed but that might just work out, 74-year-old Ruth falls in love with 23-year-old Rowan in Lab Theater Project’s Skin Hungry (Apr.16-26). And if theater means one thing to you — show tunes — the Florida Orchestra’s “Broadway” has you covered with favorites from Phantom, Evita, West Side Story and more performed by Broadway stars Gary Mauer,
Tampa Bay Rays Opening Day
on Mar. 28-29, when the base will open its gates to the public for Tampa Bay AirFest 2020, featuring sky-high shenanigans by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the GEICO Skytypers Air Show Team, five aircraft flying in tight formation that “type” giant messages via environmentally friendly puffs of white smoke.
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Tina Barney, Father & Sons , 1996. Color coupler print, 48 x 60 inches. Bank of America Collection. © Tina Barney. Image courtesy Kasmin Gallery.
THE FEMALE GAZE Following in the footsteps of last year’s Tableau and Transformation, the Tampa Museum of Art is once again presenting a blockbuster photography show, this one an exhibition of more than 100 images by 20th- and early 21st-century women photographers. Modern Women: Modern Vision | Works from the Bank of America Collection is a who’s who of photographic innovators; as the museum’s curator of modern and contemporary art, Joanna Robotham, points out, many of these women “pioneered new directions and new narratives” in their field — women like Diane Arbus, Margaret Bourke-White, Imogen Cunningham, Barbara Kruger, Cindy Sherman, Carrie Mae Weems, and more. You’ll recognize some of these images (Dorothea Lange’s indelible photos from the Great Depression, Berenice Abbott’s monumental George Washington Bridge) and some you won’t be able to forget once you see them (like the steely-eyed patriarch in Tina Barney’s Father and Sons). Through May 24, Tampa Museum of Art, Cornelia Corbett Center, 120 W. Gasparilla Plaza,Tampa, 813-274-8130, tampamuseum.org.
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2020 Youth International Ballet Competition at the Mahaffey. Debbie Gravitte and Scarlett Strallen (Mar. 2729). Or look at the whole long history of the genre with the latest in Neil Berg’s popular retrospective series, “112 Years of Broadway” at Ruth Eckerd Mar. 19.
PASSIONATE SOUNDS Speaking of the Florida Orchestra, they’ll be climbing some big musical mountains this spring, beginning with Bach’s St. John Passion, to be performed with the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay under the baton of Michael Francis Mar. 20-22. Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” follows Apr. 3-5 (led by concertmaster Jeffrey Multer), then a concert of Beethoven’s 4th Symphony (yup, there’s a 4th) and Paganini’s Violin Concerto No. 1, with violinist Augustin Hadelich taking on that fiendish challenge, on Apr. 17-19. Finally, there’s the big one, Beethoven’s 5th, on May 1-3. The Palladium Chamber Players will be playing Beethoven, too (it is his 250th birthday year, after all), plus Janacek and Brahms, on Mar. 25, followed by “Great String Sextets” by Strauss, Schonberg and Tchaikovsky on Apr. 15 (and won’t that be a nice way to spend Tax Day?). The all-volunteer Tampa Bay Symphony conducted by Mark
Sforzini will play a program entitled “Passion and Romance” April 26, 28 and May 3 featuring music by Wagner, Dvorak and composition competition winner Kevin Wilks Lau. And if it’s passion and romance you’re looking for, you’ll find it aplenty at the Sarasota 2020 Winter Opera Festival, in full swing through Mar. 22, and in Opera Tampa’s staging of Verdi’s Aida at the Straz Apr. 24-26.
TALK TO ME Tampa Theatre’s Limelight Speaker Series continues this spring with three intriguing figures: pioneering African-American astronaut and researcher Dr. Mae Jemison on Mar. 24; Oscar-winning actor and women’s equality activist Geena Davis on Apr. 23; and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, an expert on morality, on May 5. Separate from that series but equally noteworthy: Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat Pray Love fame will be appearing at Tampa Theatre on Apr. 8 in conjunction with her latest book, City of Girls. Is your head in the stars? Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson will help explain what’s up there in his talk, “Astronomy Bizarre,” at the Straz Center on Apr. 7. And another multi-faceted thinker — psychologist/dancer/photographer/collector Claudia Larrain — will give a talk entitled “En Pointe: The Psychological Power of Art” on Mar. 29 at The Studio@620. She’ll be joined in a panel discussion on the creative process with three of the most inspired creators around: artists Steven Kenny and Neverne Covington and dancer Helen Hansen French.
LEAPS & BOUNDS
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Stay on your toes for these must-see dance events this spring. From Mar. 30-Apr. 2, the Mahaffey hosts the 2020 Youth International Ballet Competition, a major destination for pre-professional ballet dancers, who compete for over $250,000 in scholarships, job opportunities and cash prizes adjudicated by representatives of many of the country’s top dance companies and schools. The week’s events, all open to the public, culminate in a Thursday-night gala featuring standout participants alongside alumni, professional dance troupes and guest artists. On Apr. 5 at
The Palladium, look for the 5th annual BEACON performance, an invaluable platform for contemporary dance and multidisciplinary collaborations. This always-wonderful and all-too-rare event is a chance to see the work of some of the best dancers and choreographers around, brought together through the vision of co-producers Helen Hansen French and Lauren Slone. Another important annual dance showcase, Moving Current Dance Collective’s NewGrounds, at USF Tampa Apr. 30-May 3, includes classes, community opportunities and a concert featuring works by both young and experienced choreographers. And on May 2-3 at The Palladium, the St. Petersburg Ballet
Neil deGrasse Tyson at the Straz Center on Apr. 7
Company presents its Spring Dance Concert, featuring students from The Academy of Ballets Arts, now celebrating its 50th year of training dancers under the leadership of Suzanne Pomerantzeff. Her restaging of “Rock Around the Clock” is included in the program.
SING THE HITS Do you have the urge for going to the desert on a horse with no name? Then head to Ruth Eckerd Mar. 20 to hear America and Tom Rush. At the Palladium on Mar. 27, the singer-songwriters who will be playing in area homes all week in the Continued
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OH, MANDY The world first got to know Orlando’s Mandy Moore at the turn of the 21st century, when she was a coquettish teenage pop star (“Candy,” “I Wanna Be with You”) in the vein of Brittany and Christina. She went on to appear in a string of sweet but inconsequential film and TV roles, but finally came into her own in 2016 as the flawed but endearing mom Rebecca Pearson in NBC’s hit series This Is Us (for which she shoulda won an Emmy already). Now she’s getting back to her musical roots with a new album, Silver Landings, that’s notable for its candid, thoughtful lyrics and the gently lilting voice that made Jack Pearson (and the rest of us) fall in love with her. She’ll be singing songs from the album during her tour stop at the Straz, and — good news for fans of her bubblegum years — she told NPR’s Ari Shapiro recently that her set list might just include “Candy.” Apr. 9. 8 p.m., Straz Center, 813-229-STAR, strazcenter.org.
dRTBestBets Living Room Festival come together for one big concert; it’s a blast. Do you believe in life after love? Then Cher is your gal; she’ll be at the Amalie Arena Mar. 26. (And if you’re a twoshows-a-day kind of person, you can fly up, up and away with Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. during their matinee performance the same day at Ruth Eckerd.) Bruce Hornsby explains the way it is at the Capitol Theatre in Clearwater on Mar. 28, and a few days later (Apr. 3) visit the same venue for some passionate kisses from Mary Chapin Carpenter. Motown legends The Four Tops and Mary Wilson of the Supremes play the Mahaffey; reach out, they’ll be there. On Apr. 11, fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Florida Björkestra get to celebrate their favorite day of the year, Buffyfest!, at the Palladium. Leo Kottke, who once described his voice as sounding like “geese farts on a muggy day,” plays the Cap on Apr. 13, followed by the Psychedelic Furs, who’ll be loving our way on Apr. 15, and Christopher Cross, who comes sailin’ in on Apr. 26. And Melissa Etheridge brings her distinctively raspy vocals and passionate fan base to Ruth Eckerd on May 1; you know she’s the only one.
JAZZ, BLUES & JONI Hailed as the future of the blues, young guitarist Christone “Kingfish” Ingram plays the Palladium Apr. 2 in a kick-off concert for the Tampa Bay Blues Festival, which runs Apr. 3-5 in St. Pete’s Vinoy Park; the lineup includes Aaron Neville, JJ Grey & Mofro, Jimmie Vaughan, Ronnie Earl, Mindi Abair and more. Among the jazz luminaries playing the Palladium are beloved local artists Nate Najar, whose sweet guitar stars in a Jazz Samba Celebration on Mar. 20, and La Lucha, whose concert on Apr. 23 celebrates the release of their latest album, Everybody Wants to Rule the World. Another local favorite, Jackson Harpe, plays The Studio@620 on Mar. 19. Well-known as a voice of late-night jazz on WUSF, he’s also an excellent trumpet player, and he’ll be paying tribute to the legendary trumpeter and vocalist Chet Baker. And back at the Palladium, speaking of legendary vocalists, the venue’s new Side Door Cabaret series continues on Mar. 21 with BLUE: Queenie Sings Joni Mitchell, a performance
SPRING 2020 LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION Two of the region’s most important film festivals light up local screens in the spring. First up is the Gasparilla International Film Festival in Tampa Mar. 17-22, which shows its opening night film at Tampa Theatre, then moves to the HCC Performing Arts Center in Ybor. The Sunscreen Film Festival runs Apr. 30-May 3 at various locales around downtown St. Pete. Both festivals can be depended upon for intelligent film selection, stimulating talkbacks, illuminating workshops and the occasional star sighting. The other big news for St. Pete cinephiles: The town is finally getting its own small independent cinema (the kind that used to be referred to as an “art house”). Green Light Cinema is slated to open in mid-April at 221 Second Ave. N. That’s right next to the 2nd & Second 24-hour diner, so expect lots of late-night tiffs about the latest indie darling while consuming late-night snacks.
EYES WIDE OPEN
Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.
by the Australian chanteuse Queenie van de Zandt, and on Mar. 26 with Nellie McKay, an award-winning singer, writer and actress praised by the New York Times as “a sly, articulate musician who sounds comfortable in any era.”
POWERSLAMS, PRIDE & CUBAN SANDWICHES Are you ready to rumble? Then you probably already know about 2020 WWE WrestleMania 36 at Raymond James Stadium on Apr. 5, preceded by a week of wrestling events at Amalie Arena. But if you need some brushing up on the world of pro wrestling, especially in Tampa Bay, check out the Sunshine State Showdown exhibition at the Tampa Bay History Center from through Oct. 18. If you prefer your jousts to be more medieval in nature, the Bay Area Renaissance Festival continues at MOSI through Mar. 29; the final weekend includes Festival Friday, with a masquerade ball at night and three joustings during the day, and the Wonders of the World Weekend, which includes Belly Dancing Championships and a Dr. Who Costume Contest. The costumes should be equally creative at the annual Tampa Pride celebration, which will bring tens of thousands to the streets of Ybor City on Mar. 28. And if your idea of a festive festival is food and plenty of it, check out the Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival through Apr. 26 and the Cuban Sandwich Festival in Ybor on Mar. 29, the centerpiece of which is the attempt to create the Biggest Cuban Sandwich in the World; the 2020 goal is 190 feet. (Once it’s completed and its size duly noted for the record books — we’re comin’ for ya, Kissimmee! — the sandwich is cut up and donated to a homeless shelter.)
A number of excellent shows are continuing through the spring at local museums and galleries. The Tampa Museum of Art’s Modern Women: Modern Vision (see p. 91) through May 24; the Museum of Fine Arts’ Art of the Stage, a joy ride for anyone with even the remotest interest in theater, dance and opera, through May 10; Midnight in Paris: Surrealism at the Crossroads, 1929 through Apr. 9 at the Dalì; Griff Davis and Langston Hughes, Letters and Photographs 19471967: A Global Friendship at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts through Apr. 19; and Let Me Be Myself: The Life Story of Anne Frank at the Florida Holocaust Museum through next January. As for what’s on the horizon art-wise, you can do no better than peruse
Tom Rush at Ruth Eckerd Mar. 20.
the work at the Creative Pinellas Emerging Artists Show on May 14th and the Morean Arts Center’s Fresh Squeezed through Apr. 23. And put this on your calendar for May: The Morean is hosting an exhibition opening May 2 that will focus on St. Pete’s “beloved city bird.” It’s called Pelican Proud.
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Matthew McGee, Allen Fitzpatrick and Sara Oliva in The People Downstairs.
PERFECT MATCH Don’t you love it when the right people find each other? That could describe the storyline of The People Downstairs, an “endearing human comedy” premiering this spring at American Stage in which an aging funeral home custodian tries to match up his lonely middle-aged daughter with an inept mortician named Todd. But it could also describe the play’s production team, which includes (among many other talented folks) three of our community’s most beloved theater folks: Symons, who was the 2018-19 American Stage Playwright-inResidence; the director, Chris Crawford, who’s also associate artistic director at freeFall; and Matthew McGee as Todd. McGee is known for bigger-than-life roles like Mame and Max Bialystock, so it’ll be fun to see him play the romantic (if somewhat nebbishy) lead. Wednesdays-Sundays through April 5, American Stage, 163 3rd St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-823-PLAY, americanstage.org. www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
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WOODSON WARRIORS SCHOLARSHIPS FUND
In 2019 $43,000.00 was raised through the sale of artist Jane Bunker’s paintings and generous donations. 100% of this was distributed by the Dr. Carter G.Woodson African American Museum to 17 college-bound scholars. See the 2020 paintings in the Mahaffey Theater mezzanine during the month of March. Learn more at BunkerScholarshipAuction.com.
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Robert, Shayla, Nick and Katie Sloan (at mic) at the Be Mine 2020 gala. A Heart Gallery family, the Sloans adopted Nick in 2019.
FUN RAISERS!
FRISBEES, FIREWORKS, MAD HATTERS & MORE www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com
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HEART GALLERY OF TAMPA’S BE MINE GALA
11 “Be Mine 2020: Believe in the Impossible” was the theme of the Heart Gallery’s Alice in Wonderland-inspired gala at the Palma Ceia Golf & Country Club on Thursday, February 6th. Over 400 guests attended the event, which netted a total of $160,000 to benefit local foster children. Costumed guests clearly got into the Mad Tea Party spirit and enjoyed an inspiring program featuring stories of adoption and the power of love. A committee led by Laura Walsh of Laura Walsh Events designed the whimsical décor.
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1 The Heart Gallery staff: Christie Enderle, Jenny Kassay, Lindsay Hermida, Amanda Page-Zwierko and Christy Lee. 2 Scott Keipper, Molly McKinnon, Eric McKinnon, Lauren Castine, Jennifer Keipper, Gloria Sanchez Birch, Doug Birch and Kevin Castine. 3 Terrell and Joe Clark; Heart Gallery Board Chair Nicole Hubbard; and Eckerd Connects Chief of Community-Based Care Chris Card. 4 Amanda Page-Zwierko, executive director of the Heart Gallery of Tampa, addresses the gala crowd. 5 The Heart Gallery Board of Directors. 6 The scene outside the Palma Ceia Golf & Country Club.
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MARTINIS + MATISSE
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On Saturday, January 18th, Frank & Brenda Crum hosted the Clearwater Free Clinic’s Martinis + Matisse fundraiser. The event drew hundreds of art-loving patrons who enjoy an evening of tasty martinis, specialties from favorite local chefs, spectacular donated artwork and more to benefit the Clearwater Free Clinic’s programs serving low-income, uninsured families. Names in captions listed from left to right. 1 Roz and Dan Doyle. 2 Sandra Nesbit, George Cretekos and Marilyn Cretekos. 3 Richard Murbach, Jaclynn Dimmitt and Peter Dimmitt. 4 Kerryn Ellson, Kelly Nash, Tom Nash, Sandra Nesbit, Greg Willsey and Susan Murbach.
THE MCDONAGH-KILLORN KANCER JAM
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On Friday Feb. 7 at Tampa’s Sparkman Wharf, the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Ryan McDonagh and Alex Killorn hosted a frisbee tournament to raise funds for the Moffitt Cancer Center’s Adolescent & Young Adult (AYA) Program. Inspired by a similar event launched by a former teammate of McDonagh’s on the New York Rangers, the McDonagh-Killorn Kancer Jam teamed up players, fans and families for an afternoon of disc-tossing fun by the Hillsborough River and raised more than $102,000 for the AYA Program. 1 Alex Killorn talks to dRTB roving reporter Zack Sterebin for our video series Giving Back with Zack. 2 The Co-hosts cheer the competitors. 3 McDonagh with his leg propped up on a scooter (he had been injured the night before in a game against the Penguins) with Lightning coach Jon Cooper. 4 The co-hosts with The Mac & Killer Kup, presented to the tournament champions. www.duPontREGISTRYtampabay.com 101
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THE KAROL HOTEL RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY
11 On Thursday, February 6, a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrated the official opening of The Karol Hotel, a boutique hotel in Feather Sound named for Karol “Miss K” Bullard, whose husband, Fred Bullard (CEO of The Bullard Group) is the developer and owner of the property. The first member of Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio to open in Pinellas County, The Karol, located at 2675 Ulmerton Road in Clearwater, features 123 guest rooms and suites; the K Club Bar & Bistro; the Vantage Rooftop Bar overlooking Tampa Bay, which is expected to open the end of February; and a combined 7,340 square feet of event space, including a ballroom and executive conference rooms. Attendees included St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman; Steve Hayes, CEO of Visit St. Pete/Clearwater; and representatives from Marriott and Mainsail Lodging & Development, the Tampa-based hospitality company that will operate the hotel. The event included tours of the property, a light lunch and the unveiling of a memorabilia wall in the lobby telling the story of the Bullards’ life, including Karol’s career as the state’s first TV “weather girl” on WTSP-Ch. 10. Photos by Kimberly DeFalco.
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1 Celebrating the ribbon-cutting at The Karol were (L to R) Joe Collier, president/CEO of Mainsail Lodging & Development; Karol and Fred Bullard; Mayor Rick Kriseman and Steve Hayes of Visit St Pete/Clearwater. 2 Fred Bullard and developer Bill Young. 3 The Karol Hotel exterior (photo courtesy The Karol Hotel). 4 Fred and Karol Bullard with Tom duPont, publisher and CEO of duPont REGISTRY Tampa Bay. 5 A welcome at the door. 6 Tom Haines, Mainsail’s VP of Operations, shakes hands with Fred Bullard as Mayor Kriseman looks on.
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NYE@MFA 2020: FLIGHTS OF FANCY
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More than 400 guests attended the Museum of Fine Arts’ second annual New Year’s Eve dinner and party on Dec. 31, 2019 and on into January 1, 2020. The theme was NYE@MFA: Flights of Fancy to coincide with the exhibition ‘The Grasshopper and the Ant and Other Stories,’ as told by Jennifer Angus. The dinner featured a cocktail hour under the stars and a four-course plated meal in the Marly Room, with entertainment by illusionist/mentalist Mio and master violinist Lemay Olano James. After dinner, DJ Anthony C of Inpulse Entertainment picked up the beat as guests enjoyed desserts, light bites, open bar, champagne and a viewing of the First Night St. Petersburg fireworks over the waterfront. Proceeds from the event support the MFA’s mission through exhibitions, programs and events for the community to enjoy. 1 Meredith Leonhirth, Tash Elwyn and Jay DeGeare. 2 Emily and David Tobin. 3 Dave Wright, Jaren Wright and Emily Elwyn. 4 Dr. Richard Knipe, Sue Knipe, Deann Coop and Timothy Coop.
THE RUSSIAN HERITAGE WINTER BALL 2020
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Close to 300 revelers celebrated the new year, family and Russian culture at the annual Russian Heritage Winter Ball on Jan. 11 at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. A rite of January since its inception more than two decades ago, the Winter Ball is sponsored by billionaire businessman John Catsimatidis, owner of Red Apple Group, and his wife, Margo, whose late mother, Tatiana Vondersaar, helped found Russian Heritage Inc. Funds from the Winter Ball support the Russian Heritage Scholarship Fund, which pays for Russian students coming to America and American students traveling to Russia. Guests at the gala included U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis and Charlie Crist. Photos by Jillian Nelson. 1 U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist and Margo Catsimatidis. 2 Don and Iris Mastry with John Catsimatidis Jr. and John Catsimatidis, along with some wintry royalty. 3 Graceful moves on the yacht club’s dance floor. 4 George Venizelos, Eftihia Pylarinou-Piper, John Catsimatidis, U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis and Margo Catsimatidis.
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Warriors All
A scholarship program powered by the success of its recipients and the dedication of the artist behind it. Story by David Warner | Photos by Mason Morfit
FLOWERING: Amya Ellison, Daniel Sanders and Lauryn Latimer with Jane Bunker’s painting “Stargazer.”
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et’s see. What would be a good way to raise scholarship funds for college-bound African American high school seniors in Pinellas County? A bake sale? A car wash? A fancy gala?” Or how about selling… paintings? That was the perhaps unlikely notion of artist Jane Bunker, whom I interviewed in this magazine last year about her plans to auction off her gorgeous, luminescent paintings of lilies to the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American History Museum in St. Petersburg to fund a new scholarship initiative, the Woodson Warriors Scholarships Fund. Well, unlikely it may have been, but her plan paid off big-time: Through auction sales and donations, $43,000 was raised last year, 100 percent of which was distributed by the museum to 17 college-bound students. And this year she’s doing it again, painting even more lilies and setting an even more ambitious goal: $100,000. You can see her vibrant, intensely colorful paintings throughout the month of March in the Mahaffey Theater’s mezzanine gallery, which is overseen by Galleria Misto of Belleair Bluffs, and in the lobby at American Stage. Then on Sat. Apr. 11 from 5-9 p.m., the Carter Woodson will host a live and silent auction where you can place bids on the paintings and make donations directly to the scholarship fund. And here’s how you’ll know your money will be well spent: the success of the students who won scholarships last year. I spoke with three of them, and was struck by their maturity and potential. For Pinellas Park High grad Amya Ellison, 18, who began her first-year studies at the University of Florida over the summer (she plans to major in environmental
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management), the scholarship meant she was able to afford food and textbooks. Lauryn Latimer, 19, who like Amya is a first-generation college student, graduated from the Center for Advanced Technologies at Lakewood High School and is now studying to be a speech pathologist at USF. Being a Woodson Warrior has helped boost her self-confidence. “I’m a warrior,” she says. “I have the strength to fight through this.” Daniel Sanders, a 19-year-old grad of the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School, is already making a mark at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. He co-founded the college’s first campus radio station; he does the public announcing for home basketball games; and he plays drums for services at the college chapel. Being a Woodson Warrior, he says, is “more than just getting a scholarship. It’s about being able to achieve not necessarily what’s expected of you but going beyond that and showing what you are capable of.” These young people, I can assure you, are capable of a lot.
To see these students and their peers on video, go to bunkerscholarshipauction.com, where you can also learn more about the auction and Jane Bunker’s art. You can donate directly to the Woodson Warriors Scholarships Fund at woodsonmuseum.org. Select “Scholarship” at the top of the screen and select the yellow “Donate” button on the Woodson Warrior Scholarship page. Or write a check payable to “Woodson Museum”: Put “Woodson Warriors” on the memo line and mail to: Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum, 2240 9th Ave. S., St. Petersburg, FL 33712.
A NEW LOOK AT THE BEACH A GRAND VIEW FROM THE BEST BEACH IN AMERICA Welcome to the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach. Offering 343 guestrooms, come experience America’s #1 Beach, as rated by Trip Advisor’s 2019 Traveler’s Choice Awards, with views of the Gulf of Mexico and Intracoastal Waterway. Indulge in the tranquil Pallavi Luxury Spa and waterfront dining at our signature restaurant, Ocean Hai, the only AAA 4 Diamond Asian-fusion cuisine on Clearwater Beach.
100 Coronado Dr, Clearwater, FL 33767