Florida Festivals

Although the heat wave in the north has been replaced by a cold front which brought in more seasonable temperatures, the unusually warm temperatures continue here in Florida.  We can still get outside and do what we want, but we have to take precautions to remain comfortable and hydrated.

Today we had tickets to BungalowFest 2015, a tour of restored bungalows in St. Petersburg's historic Kenwood district.  We bought tickets with Steve and Chris, and we drove down together to save time and parking spaces.  The temperatures ranged into the high 80's today, so we got there even before the festival officially opened at 10:00 am to try to beat the heat.

The Kenwood neighborhood is a remarkable place filled with bungalows and houses built from the teens to the 1940's.  Each house that we toured today was beautifully restored.  We also saw one brand new home that was built to match the bungalow style and one home that contained an artist's studio.

For added fun, Rick paid $2.00 for two chances to win one of two gift baskets.  In order to compete, we had to find a "hidden" item in selected homes as we went on the tour.  We were able to complete the forms, but since we did not receive any phone calls or e-mails tonight, apparently we did not win anything.  Ah, well, we just contributed to the Historic Kenwood Neighborhood Association. They do a great job of preserving a part of old St. Petersburg.

It was interesting to see the woodwork, the built-ins, the period stone and woods, and the porches and other elaborate systems some of the houses used to keep cool before the days of air conditioning.  Some houses were better restored than others, but all tried to preserve some parts of the by-gone era.  I am sure that most of the houses we toured today were built better than most modern construction today.  They literally have stood the test of time and come out as winners even if people today had to invest vast amounts of time and money to bring them back or to preserve what is there for future generations.  We had a good time, got some great exercise, and worked very hard to keep hydrated as temperatures climbed to 88 degrees. Sunscreen in November was necessary today; however, the great thing about older neighborhoods is all of the wonderful shade trees that fill the yards and line the cobblestone streets.  Without the shade and a slight breeze, being outdoors today would have been intolerable.

After we returned to Dunedin, Rick and I took a side trip to Highlander Park to the Fall Art Fest.  We found a few interesting pieces, but none that we could really afford.  That's OK; we can save our money.  I think we will eventually get a reproduction of a Monet that we both like.  It will go well in our dining room.

By 3:30 this afternoon, the heat became unbearable.  Even though we tried to stay in the shade and drink lots of water, the excess heat just evaporated what was left of our energy.  Coming back to an air conditioned house was wonderful.

Both festivals would have been more enjoyable had we had normal mid-70s temperatures for them, but both were worth spending a little time to see.  Driving  home from St. Petersburg earlier, we passed billboards for the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg that is hosting an M. C. Escher exhibit.  We have been to the Dali about three times now, but I will definitely go back to see Escher's work in person.  The great thing about Florida is that we always have new things to see.