Break
PRESENTATION: Sarasota history DVDLunch: Picnic lunch or lunch at hotel.Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: To Historic Spanish Point. Over 4,000 years ago, people lived at what is now Historic Spanish Point. Here these early Floridians fished and hunted, made tools from shell, bone and wood, mended their fishing nets, cooked their food and buried their dead. Learn about the burial mound and two middens or shell mounds, which contain the evidence of lives of these early people. The middens were created from shell, bones and other day-to-day accumulations. The unique archaeological exhibition,
A Window to the Past located inside the midden, presents what archaeologists have discovered about these early inhabitants. See the citrus packing house and Frank and Lizzie Webb Guptill's home, which has been restored to its pioneer era beginnings. See Mary's Chapel and the Pioneer Cemetery where the Webb family and other early settlers are buried. The major plant communities and many plants are identified throughout the site. Stroll through the "Gracious Palmer Era" where Bertha Matilde Honore Palmer was a visionary who in 1910 recognized the subtropical paradise of Sarasota as one of the world's choicest locations. Purchasing a large portion of present-day Sarasota County, this widow of Chicago magnate Potter Palmer set about planning her acreage for real estate development, cattle ranching and citrus groves. At Spanish Point, site of her winter estate Osprey Point, she designed elaborate gardens while also preserving the pioneer dwellings and remains of pre historic life. Enjoy the restored formal lawns and plantings, including her Water Garden, the Sunken Garden and Pergola, the Duchene Lawn and the Fern and Jungle Walk with the scenic aqueduct. Although Mrs. Palmer died in 1918, Historic Spanish Point remained in the Palmer family until 1980 when the site was donated to Gulf Coast Heritage Association, Inc. Dinner: Dinner will be at the hotel.Evening: PERFORMANCE: EntertainmentLodging: Holiday Inn-Lakewood RanchMeals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
PRESENTATION: Preview of what to expect, what not to miss and times of docent guided tours of various museums on the grounds. Lunch: Lunch at hotel or at Mote Marine.Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: To Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium. From its humble beginnings in a tiny shed in a small Florida town, Mote Marine Laboratory has expanded to include a 10.5-acre campus in Sarasota, with field stations and public exhibits in Key West and field stations in Summerland Key and Charlotte Harbor. Florida's extensive coastline and marine and estuarine environments have enabled Mote scientists to build a platform of marine research conducted in the nearshore environment.
From the original focus on sharks, Mote research has expanded to include seven major areas of concentration, organized into seven research centers. While each center focuses on its own specialty, Mote scientists are able to partner with others within the lab to integrate efforts across a number of fields. This approach has led to discoveries that establish Mote as a global leader in many areas of marine science.
Mote recognizes the importance of advancing the understanding of sea science to the general public. To that end, Mote conducts extensive public outreach and operates a public aquarium that serves nearly 400,000 visitors a year. Mote is one of the few organizations in the world that combines marine research with public outreach through a full-fledged aquarium. Mote Marine Laboratory is also one of the world's few remaining private marine research laboratories and, as a non profit organization, is funded through federal, state and local grants and through the generosity of individual donors and foundations. Over the last five decades, the world has learned many things about its oceans. One lesson has remained constant: There is still much to discover. Mote scientists are committed to that process of discovery: Advancing our understanding of the sea and what is needed to sustain it. Dinner: A bus will depart for St. Armands Circle renowned as a continental marketplace for dinner on your own directly from Mote Marine. The Circle is a charming and graceful synthesis of past and present. Relax and enjoy a meal from a plethora of award winning restaurants, from gourmet snacks to candlelit feasts, you'll find it all on St. Armands Circle. Get out of the box and into the Circle.Evening: Continue to explore St. Armands Circle's rich history and architecture.Lodging: Holiday Inn-Lakewood RanchMeals Included: Breakfast, Lunch