Friday, January 8, 2016

Longboat Key, Fl to Sarasota, Fl

Friday
Miles Traveled 12.5
Total Miles Traveled 1808
Day 121

We had a short cruise from our anchorage to Sarasota Florida this morning.  This is the view from our stern crossing Sarasota Bay, it’s hard to believe all of this water and the entire bay is ten to twelve feet deep.



Today we visited the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.   The Circus Museum, established in 1948, is the first museum of its kind to document the history of the circus. The museum has a collection of handbills, posters and art prints, circus paper, business records, wardrobe, performing props, circus equipment, and parade wagons. The adjacent Tibbals Learning Center contains the Howard Bros. Circus model.  Built by Howard Tibbals, this ¾-inch-to-the-foot scale replica of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus from 1919–1938, is the "world's largest miniature circus"
The property also includes the  d'Zan, (Venetian for "House of John"), it is the waterfront residence built for Mable and John Ringling.  It is designed in Venetian Gothic style. Overlooking Sarasota Bay, the mansion became the center for cultural life in Sarasota for several years. 





Nice Boat dock….



This is the courtyard surrounded by the art museum containing over 10,000 objects.


It was very interesting how the circus moved all of the people, equipment, and animals from town to town, setting up, and then taking back down again to move to the next town.  They also fed everyone 3 times a day and fed the animals, which some required special food.  Amazing for the era in which they lived.

                

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