Where else can you find snails, urchins, brittle stars, anemones, bubble coral, mushroom coral, tongue coral, various shrimp, and a gazillion different types of brightly-colored and intricately-designed fish (freshwater and saltwater)? I’ve been to pet stores, but they don’t have nearly as much variety in such a small space. I got distracted for several minutes just watching them swim back and forth when I was supposed to be looking for a story. I even got distracted again just now by my memories as I was writing. As it turns out, the store has been in business for ten years, but only two years ago was taken over by the current owner who now continues the fishy traditions by handpicking the livestock from local breeders. At the Aquarium And Fish Store, you can buy an aquarium, all the supplies needed to maintain or decorate it, and all the fish needed to fill it. They will even install your aquarium for you. How can you not love that face? 710 West Lumsden Road, Brandon, Florida TheAquariumAndFishStore.com Facebook.com/theaquariumandfishstore Written by Daniel Noe, InkDoodler.com
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Danny’s All-American Diner is a hidden treasure in Tampa occupying a small lot away from the well-travelled roads. It has outdoor seating only. Parking is across the street where massive trees will protect your car from the sun. This is always a plus. They serve ice cream and chili dogs but are best known for their burgers, each named after baseball players. It was even featured on the show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. The burgers are made using a special family recipe going all the way back to mid-nineteenth century Philadelphia. Fortunately, the family realized how awesome Florida is and came here. 4406 N Falkenburg Road, Tampa, Florida DannysAmericanDiner.com Written by Daniel Noe, InkDoodler.com
Smaller than a stand-alone restaurant, but roomier than some hole-in-the-wall places, La Cubanita Café is the perfect compromise between cozy and crowded. They have empanadas, fries, rice, crab, and more. They make their Cuban sandwiches with added lettuce, tomatoes, and will stuff a ham croquette inside to make them a combo. The one I got was very filling. They even have a sandwich called the Alex, which is basically a Cuban with extra ham. 723A Lumsden Road, Brandon, Florida Written By Daniel Noe, InkDoodler.com
The pharmacists at Live And Learn Pharmacy are masters (wizards?) of customization. They are able to provide medication, vitamins, or other supplements in precisely the dosage desired so one does not have to choose between too high and too low among the mass-produced versions. It’s a local treasure Goldilocks would approve of. They are also capable of making the tiny doses needed for pets and children or of making liquid or flavored products for ease of swallowing. They can customize for people the inactive ingredients, leaving out the dyes or fillers if the people have an allergy or sensitivity to one of them. They are even capable of producing bio-identical hormone molecules, as opposed to the often slightly-different artificially-created hormone molecules that are mass produced elsewhere. Apparently, they can do anything except make love potions (as far as I know). Live And Learn Pharmacy will even host events and classes to learn more about common problems, living healthy, and the benefits of various vitamins, antioxidants, amino acids, and more. More information can be found at the website. 13224 Boyette Road, Riverview, Florida LiveAndLearnPharmacy.com Written by Daniel Noe, InkDoodler.com
Written by: Tom Noe
Last week I took my family to Goodson Farms for Cuban sandwiches and strawberry shortcakes. Every year we feel pulled back to the place. Almost every time we see some of our neighbors there also. The food is so good and sharing it with loved ones makes it even more special. Goodson Farms is a real local treasure. I took a few pictures to share with you. Goodson Farms is located at 12405 Balm Rd in Balm, Florida. Balm is an unincorporated town in Hillsboro county just south of Riverview. To drive there go east at the intersection of Hwy 301 and Balm Rd. Written by: Tom Noe
I decided to take a walk down Central Avenue in St. Petersburg the other day. I passed many restaurants, a hair stylist, a chocolate and coffee place, a cupcake and ice cream place, and an olive-oil and vinegar place – not quite all the major food groups, but close enough. Long, long ago, Central Avenue used to be lined with green-colored benches so tourists and locals could sit in between shopping. Today, these benches have gone the way of the dinosaurs, but one of them can still be sighted inside the Green Bench Flowers shop near the intersection of Central and Fourth, somehow surviving the mass extinction of the others. Green Bench Flowers has a long, complex history intertwined with many of the people, places, and businesses of St. Petersburg. I found it all bewildering, but what I was able to remember is that it actually spun off from the Maas Brothers Department Store after it was merged with Burdines. Today, the flower shop sells plush toys, picture frames, cards, flowers (surprise!), ceramic and glass fixtures, and even imitation vegetable arrangements. I began to imagine all the different ways these items could be combined to decorate for some event. Their tagline is “We send emotions.” I looked around on the shelves for these emotions, but I didn’t see any. They must be kept out back. 10 Fourth Street North, Saint Petersburg, Florida GreenBench.com Written by Daniel Noe, InkDoodler.com
I had heard of a place in Sarasota, Florida called the Marietta Museum of Art and Whimsy and so I decided to check it out. It was pretty cool and I wrote an account of my adventure for you, but I was in a goofy mood that night......
I had long heard rumors of the Marietta Museum of Art and Whimsy, but I had always held such fanciful tales as nothing more than mere superstition of the lower classes. When I then saw on my medium’s crystal ball (I believe those in the northern kingdoms call it an internet browser) that such a place in fact existed in the kingdom of Sarasota, I knew I had to see for myself if the other tales about it were also true. Finally I arrived in front of a small building with a dolphin statue out front and took the second-to-last parking space at 1:24 according to my electronyc sundial. Opening the door and passing the threshold, I entered a room of fantastic magical creatures never before observed in the civilized world. There were stuffed cloth people and sculptures of coral, birdhouses, cats, and much more that was unidentifiable by me. There were paintings of all sizes and shapes hiding around every corner. A mysterious being soon greeted me and informed me of the Marietta grand law. First, I was told that under no circumstances was I to touch any object for any purpose, nor touch any other mortal such as myself without explicit permission. It seemed an impossible task, but I raised no objection as I feared greatly what unnatural powers this being might posses. Second, I was told that under no circumstances was I allowed to eat any object for any purpose, whether an object I found there or one I had brought in myself. I was greatly relieved that whatever else they might do to me there, at least I would not be on the menu. Still, I prayed to the spirits of art that the being could not sense my extremely edible nature. The being did grant that I was allowed to capture images with my electronyc eye, without which I would have no proof of the existence of such a magical place. (continue) My son and I recently visited the Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach. We both love nature and seeing manatees up close is a real treat. Manatees like warm water, so when the gulf temperature drops below 68 degrees they come to seek a warm place to wait out the cold. They survive by taking advantage of Tampa Electric's warm water discharge canal next to the plant. From the parking lot we took a few stairs (a ramp available too) to the boardwalk-like elevated viewing platform. Rounded manatee bodies filled the little bay like so many potatoes simmering in a pot. A tail flipper occasionally slapped the water as one of them made a shallow dive. Every few minutes one of them raised its snout for air. Mothers with babies half their size floated gently right under the viewing platform. On the day we went, fish that looked like small sharks were leaping out of the water from time to time. It is best to view the manatees at low tide, otherwise they may remain too deep to get a good look at them. Another interesting part of the center is the Tidal Walk. This extends out into the bay crossing a shoreline usually hidden in the mangrove thicket. Signs along the way identify plants and habitat. We saw pelicans, cormorants, and a solitary sandpiper foraging along the shore.
6990 Dickman Road, Apollo Beach, Florida View Website Written by: Lucy Noe
Trains might not be as useful as they once were, but they still hold a certain place in our collective imaginations in the same way old bookstores do for some people. The Florida Railroad Museum brings trains to life with their weekend train rides and other events. This year (2016) there will be opportunities to learn how to drive (operate? pilot? captain?) a train, as well as murder mystery dinner theater. On Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, there are no rides, but the gift shop and exhibits are open. This is when I went. At the time, only the interior of the sleeper car was open to the public while the others had to be viewed from the outside. I was surprised how narrow the hallways were and how small the rooms. Most were just a sink, chair, and pull-down bed. The larger compartments had toilets while the smaller ones shared. Obviously the passenger trains of old didn’t cater to the claustrophobic or those more than a little heavy. I was also told that the windows were never meant to be opened, making me wonder how often they let the place air out between trips and how often they emptied the ashtrays. Outdoors there are several cars exhibited. They do not let humans climb on them (insurance reasons), but do not stop the lizards. Picnic tables are provided under the canopy, though if one doesn’t mind sunburn and ants, one could always picnic in the grass I suppose. There is plenty of parking. The gift shop is full of every kind of shirt, hat, cup, mug, patch, pin, whistle (four-tone and five-tone), model, toy, and book even remotely train-related. Though the facility lacks the space for a lot of information-dense exhibits like the kind you might see at a more traditional museum, the books are rather informative. 12210 83rd street east, Parrish, Florida Frrm.org Written by Daniel Noe, InkDoodler.com
Nestled unobtrusively among the other shops in the Home Depot/Beall’s plaza at the intersection of Cypress Avenue and SR 674 like a panther ready to pounce, Elite Donuts is one of the hidden treasures of Sun City Center. Somehow they have managed to survive in an age when sugar is thought unhealthy and a Dunkin’s lurks just a thousand feet away. I recently went to go check it out. Upon first entering, I was struck with the intense smell of donuts. This is always a good sign. I knew I was in the right place. The interior has a style a bit reminiscent of an oriental restaurant, with the trickling fountain, swirled metal works on the walls, and the small, decorated tree in the corner. There are a variety of seats and tables in the cozy dining room to choose from, allowing one to pick what suits them. On the menu can be found a variety of sandwiches and subs, and below it sits a full donut display, including cinnamon, cream, peanut, apple, and even cronuts – though being cross-shaped makes me wonder if the “cro” stands for cross or chromosome instead of croissant. It’s a quirky place, and that’s why we love it and the friendly staff. 3824 Sun City Center Boulevard, Sun City Center, Florida Written by Daniel Noe, InkDoodler.com
We moved back to the Tampa Bay in 2009 after being away for over 25 years. What we experienced was rediscovery and new discovery of what is special in Tampa Bay. We came to love these things. Often times we would share these things with our friends. Many times our discoveries became news to them. This is what Local Tampa Bay - Hidden Treasures is all about. We share what we know, love and discover, and readers share their own hidden treasures. Together we will discover and rediscover the things that make Tampa Bay great. We will all love Tampa Bay even more. Share your hidden treasure here. Tom Noe, Publisher
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