Well, I am in the middle of a wasteland of cars, roads, and shopping malls! It would have been nice to be downtown (I think), but the focus was on getting a place at a somewhat reasonable price. Not that this is . . . there seems to be something happening this weekend, the Gator Nationals, and all the hotels have jacked up their prices. And when I finally had my schedule set and was reserving hotels in advance (more worried about Spring Break than drag racing), I found all of the "cheap" places sold out. C'est la vie.
Well, so far it has turned out OK. I'm inland and near mostly chain restaurants, so I decided on a nice ribeye steak last night at the Texas Roadhouse. Tonight, I'll do Bonefish Grill. Then back to local dining as I head out west tomorrow.
The important thing for me today was getting to the Butterfly Rainforest, housed in the Florida Museum of Natural History. It's about a two-mile walk along what can only be described as something less than a friendly pedestrian environment. Fortunately, along the way was a great breakfast restaurant that perfectly hit the spot . . . Metro Diner. And while crowded with huge lines, I immediately nabbed a seat at the counter, so perfect timing.
This place looks like a heartstopper. Fortunately, I can handle it.
A hearty, filling breakfast. I may come here tomorrow on the way out of town (although it isn't easy to get here by bike either). Alternately, there's a Waffle House across the way from the hotel . . . decisions, decisions.
From there, it was on to the Florida Museum of Natural History and the Butterfly Rainforest. I decided to tour the museum first (which is free) and do the rainforest last (which is $15 general admission).
The rainforest as I approached it from SW 34th Street.
And inside, a madhouse! I'm not sure if this is a typical Saturday or a special event, but lots of kids and lots of great interactive exhibits. I highly recommend you take the children!
They have a neat exhibit that has a lot of potential but comes off a little hokey — life as seen by a fish, with everything exaggerated in size by a factor of twelve!
The release of the butterflies at 2:00 PM . . . a bit anticlimactic but very informative. The average lifespan of a butterfly is two to three weeks; hence, the need to replenish the population on a regular basis.
Then it was time to walk home . . . and the return trip always seems faster than the going. I rested a bit and then had dinner at Bonefish Grill, a chain I'm familiar with and like. Back to seafood. I had cobia tonight, and it was delicious. Tomorrow: Cross City and into the Panhandle (sorta).
