Tag: Florida
A Trip to Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens
I finally got a chance to visit the Morikami in Delray Beach, Florida.
The gardens are named after Sukeji “George” Morikami a Japanese immigrant who arrived in the U.S. on May 3rd, 1906, to live in the Yamato Colony. It was called Yamato after the ancient name for Japan.
Immigrants were encouraged to come to the area by investors like Henry Flagler, with the help of The Florida Bureau of Immigration, to start farming the land and create economic activity. The farmers were primarily groeing pineapples but blight destroyed the crop in 1908 and they found it difficult to compete with Cuba’s cheaper pineapple imports. The community eventually failed and the land was seized by the U.S., during WW2, to create an Army Air Corps training base and is now home to Florida Atlantic University and the Boca Raton Airport. Morikami eventually purchased more land and farmed it for almost 30 years. In 1973 he donated his 200 acres of land to Palm Beach County to be used as a park. He died in 1976. A year before the Morikami opened.
The museum offers rotating exhibitions, on certain Saturdays there are tea ceremonies offered at the tea house, and the Food Network voted the Cornell Café one of the top three museum dining destinations. There are also lectures and annual festivals to enjoy.
But the main attraction is the gardens and the grounds.
The Museum is open Tuesday -Sunday 10am-5pm.
The Cornell Café Tuesday-Sun 11am-3pm
Closed on Mondays and major holidays.
Blood Orange Margaritas and Dog Friendly Dining
If you find yourself in Titusville, with a dog or two and feeling famished stop by Third Culture Kitchen for grinds and cocktails. It is an Asian-Mexican fusion restaurant serving tacos, tapas, curry and bao. Everything I have had there was delicious. Especially the tequila battered grouper tacos.
Best of all, they have outside covered dining, so if you want to take your dogs, they can come chow down with you. The only drawback is the location is directly on SR 50, so you are right by a busy road. But the food quality more than makes up for that.
Why Lakeland Should be Your Next Florida Day Trip.
Lakeland is just an exit off of I4 between Orlando and Tampa, to most people. The next time you are in the area, you should take a few hours and check this gem out.
You can start with a trip to The Polk Museum of Art, is a small, non-profit museum. There is always an exhibition worth checking out. They recently had Chagall and Degas on display.
If you are into architecture Lakeland is a dream come true. Florida Southern College is home to the world’s largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture. The campus has twice been chosen Most Beautiful Campus in the Country, by The Princeton Review.
The group of buildings designed by Wright are called, Child of the Sun. On March 2, 2012 they were designated a National Historic Landmark. You can tour this collection, which Wright called one of his favorites, daily. Check the website for times.
You can also drive around and admire the many 1920’s Arts and Crafts Bungalows and Mediterranean Revival homes.
Lakeland is also unofficially known as, “Swan City”. Lake Morton is home to descendants of The Royal Flock of Swans on the Thames and were gifted to Lakeland in1957 by Queen Elizabeth II. Make sure to bring change so you can feed the many White Mute swans, Australian Black Swans, White Coscorba Swans, Black Neck Swans, pelicans, ducks, and geese.
There is also a fabulous farmer’s market on Saturday mornings, in their thriving downtown area. Pick up your veggies, cheese and kombucha then grab lunch and a drink at on of the many restaurants and bars.
If you are still around in the evening pull into one of the last drive in theatres in the U.S., Silver Moon. They have 2 screens and show first run movies. During the day on Saturday and Sunday, they also have a Flea Market.
As you can see there is plenty to do in this land of lakes.
Trek with Kim 
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