Chinsegut Hill Manor House and Conservation Center - Brooksville, FL

 

On our way to check out the Yulee Sugar Mill and Homosassa Springs state park we stopped off and looked at something that has been around the Brooksville area for many years, however most people do not know it even it exists.  Currently you can take a picnic up to the area and have a nice lunch and look around but there is not much to really do here.  However down the street there is the Chinsegut conservation center that is open on Friday and Saturdays. 

If you are interested in finding the manor or more information on its past check out this website - http://www.hernandohistoricalmuseumassoc.com/chinsegut_history.html

to get the schedule of events, maps, hours, etc - click here - http://myfwc.com/chinsegut/

Homosassa Springs State Park - Homosassa, Fl

 

I decided awhile ago that I wanted to visit all of the state parks in Florida and I had heard that the Homosassa Springs State Park was unlike all of the other state parks as it actually had animals on display.  After a day of looking at other places in the area Chinsegut Hill and the Yulee Sugar Mill we decided it was time.  Only 5 minutes from the old sugar mill we arrived at the parking area for the state park.  The parking is free and to the left of the street is a tram that will take you free of charge over to the Visitor Center.  The right side of the road is the entrance.  Upon entering there is a gift shop and café to explore.  The prices for the exhibit is very reasonable $13 for adults and $5.00 children 6-12.  Once you pay you walk through the doors and the adventure begins.  The good thing is that it is laid out in a circle so you can begin to the right and not miss anything.  They also have a boat ride that you can ride for free that tells about the area and the animals.  It runs from open to an hour before closing.

 

 

Upon entering the loop you start off with some animals that we don't often get to see that close up

 

 

This Nile hippo was enjoying some of the nice sunshine and beautiful weather

 

The American Alligators were hanging out across the path

 

And so begins the wildlife walk.  Most of the animals here are being rehabilitated and are unable to survive in the wild. 

 

The Red Wolf was very active

 

compared to the Florida Fox

 

The screech owl

 

The Barn owl

 

Bald eagles - I can't even believe how close we were to these beautiful and majestic creatures

 

There were many different species of birds when you walk through the bird wildlife walk

 

The Florida black bear

 

The Florida Panther - he was having a blast with a ball in his cage

 

The Florida Bobcat was on high alert

 

they were in the process of building a surrounded warm area for the manatees

 

one of the main attractions of this state park back in the day was the fact that it was one of the first places you could walk under the water and see the wildlife in its natural state

 

to find out more information - hours - directions - please click here - http://www.floridastateparks.org/homosassasprings/

Painting with a Twist - Orlando, FL

Recently my husband and I joined another couple for a date night.  I have heard about this place from a few others and thought let's give it a try.  The funny thing is that none of us have paint or do anything creative, but I thought how bad can it be and we should give it a try.  I went on the Painting with a Twist's website and perused through the calendar to see what types of paintings were on the horizon. 

They have 2 different types of classes "singles" which means that everyone paints the same picture and "couples" where each of you paint a canvas that when put together forms a large cohesive painting.  The cool thing is that the "couples" paintings can also stand on their own so you don't have to live together to take that class. Upon searching I found a couples class that had a beach scene that looked like it could be an easy task for a few artistic beginners.

The class was about 3 hours long and the instructor was great.  You get all of the paint, canvas and utensils to create your work of art as well as a smock to wear to cover your clothes.  During your painting they have a bar that sells wine and beer to get you in the creative mindset.  The 2 hour classes are $35/per person and the 3 hour are $45/per person.  It seems a little pricey, but dinner can cost just about that much and you have nothing to hang out your walls to remind you about the experience at a later date.

Check out our finished products!!!

Here is a group picture from everyone that participated that night

I highly recommend trying this place out with either your spouse, girls night out, they even have kids classes.  They also have a private room for parties.  Regular classes are 15 and up.  Kids' and family classes are 7 and up.

https://www.paintingwithatwist.com/orlando/