Thursday, Jan 24, 2013, Manatee, Bird Sanctuary in Tampa - Dali in St. Petersburg, FL

We were out and about Tampa, FL, for the whole day. First, we watched the Manatees at the Tampa Electric Manatee Center. We saw lots of manatees. They are slow enough that algae grow on them which the fish happily nibble - kind of a fish smorgasbord.

Next, we went to the John's Pass boardwalk. It took us a while to find a restaurant with outdoor seating (Sam-friendly). Sat outside and ate fish, fries and the biggest onion rings we have ever seen. I ate two onion rings, Joani ate one - we took the rest home.

Then we visited the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary. There were lots of rescued birds who did not mind having their picture taken.

Next, we went to the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, FL. Very nice - very strange building which housed the very strange paintings of apparently a very strange painter. Once you entered the galleries, no pictures allowed. The rest of the building was fair game. The central spiral staircase and triangular glass panels were a few of the unusual features of the museum.

My favorite was his painting of Lincoln (I snapped this in the gift shop, not the gallery!)

We really liked downtown St. Petersburg. It was very relaxed and uncrowded.