September 2009 - On Top of the World Communities Info

34 The World News® September 2009Sunken GardensBy Bo b Wo o d sWo r l d Ne w s Wr i t e rSunken Gardens in St. Petersburg isa place where one can enjoy peace andtranquility while leisurely walking beneathplants and trees that have been inplace since the gardens originated back inthe early 1900s.When entering the gardens you leaveall the noise and sights of the city behind.Walking under a canopy of tropical plantsand trees, one can get the feeling of walkingin a jungle; only the pathways in thisgarden are hard surfaces.The garden started attracting visitorsback in 1924 and has been a favoriteamong those who visit. There are areaswhere bananas are growing, all types ofcitrus and even papayas.During the winter months, heaters,such as those used in the citrus groves,are brought in to protect the sensitivetropical plants.While walking with my wife, Bev, andMaggie Richards a huge lai tree droopedover the walkway cascading gorgeous petalsin the surrounding area. At one pointin our adventure, we noticed enormousbougainvillea plants flowering and hugeRoyal Palms.We stopped at one of the many pondsin the gardens and read a sign, whichstated that this pond is the lowest pointin the garden being some 15 feet belowsea level. In this pond, moving extremelyslow was a gigantic alligator and snappingturtle.There are many ponds within the gardens,several with plants and others withwater lilies and big koi fish. There are alltypes of little gardens such as an orchidarbor, bromeliads, Japanese, cactus, andthe list goes on. There are benches scatteredthroughout the garden to either restor take in the lush foliage.Does this garden sound interesting?Well Travel Toppers has a trip scheduledOct. 15, including a box lunch from Panera’s,at a very reasonable price. Drivingby automobile from On Top of the Worldit is a two-hour jaunt with no stops. Thecoach will make a rest stop going andcoming. Call Linda Hein at 861-9880.The gardens have some exotic wildlifewithin the four-acre sanctuary, namely alot of parrots in cages and a small groupof flamingos at a picturesque pond. Severalponds have small waterfalls thatbreak the silence in the garden area witha little rumbling sound of water cascadingover rocks.The Sunken Gardens is a great destinationand highly recommended. You won’tbe sorry or disappointed.Photo by Bob WoodsOne of many water lilies situated in one of many ponds locatedwithin the Sunken Gardens of St Petersburg.Photo by Bob WoodsView from the Visitors Center in Colorado’s Rocky MountainNational Park showing wild flowers being grown in the tundrawhile snow capped mountains loom in the background.ColoradoRockiesPart One of TwoBy Bo b Wo o d sWo r l d Ne w s Wr i t e rIt was just an awesome trip! I am referringto a recent trip by residents from onTop of the World who ventured on a tripto the “Trains of the Colorado Rockies.”It all began when we arrived in the“mile high city” by non-stop air fromTampa. The adventurous group decidedto utilize the city’s transit system andhead for Denver’s downtown area forlunch and sightseeing.Arriving at the Grand Railroad Station,the group started traversing 16th Street,which is a non-vehicular street except forelectric powered buses that are free-riding.The street is loaded with nice shopsand plenty of eating establishments. Atthe far end, sits the gold-dome of Colorado’sState House.The next day started our Rockies tourby ascending the mountains to a villagemade famous by the local Rocky MountainsNational Park. The village, EstesPark, is situated at the park’s eastern entranceand also made famous by the mysterywriter, Stephen King.In the village perched a little higherthan the village’s main street is the famousStanley Hotel. It was at this hotelthat King wrote most of “The Shining;”reportedly in room 216.Entering the National Park, our coach’sengine was revving as the road climbedhigher and higher. Eventually we reachedthe famed Trail Ridge Road, which by allreports, is the highest continuous highwayin the United States. At its highestpoint, the road reaches the height of12,183 feet. We finally reached the “Roofof the Rockies” with such glorious viewsof mountains, some snow capped. At thisaltitude, breathing became a little difficultand moving quickly would make one dizzysince no one in our group was altitudeacclimatized. We were at the Rocky MountainNational Park’s Visitor’s Center.Descending the mountainous roadstowards the park’s western entrance wereturned to Denver for the evening afterseeing a few deer, elk, and one moosealong the way.The next day our tour took us westwardto the scenic and historical GeorgetownLoop Railroad. This narrow gaugerailroad was completed in 1884 to transportsilver in and out of this particularregion, just west of Denver. During itsheyday, this railroad was an engineeringwonder with its horseshoe curves and thespectacular “Devil’s Gate High Bridge.”Heading further west towards Vail, weencountered a severe thunderstorm as wewent through the storm’s clouds. Here itis in the middle of July and all of the suddenwe encountered all types of weatherincluding heavy rain, sleet and snow.Reaching Vail under light rain, thegroup entered the famous ski resort,which resembles a picturesque Alpine Village.The actual downtown area is off limitsto all motor traffic with some uniqueshops and eateries.The next awesome area on our trekwestward to Grand Junction, which islocated next to the Utah state line, ourcoach entered Glenwood Canyon. Thiscanyon, which is 26 miles in length, travelsalongside the rushing, cascading ColoradoRiver. Our tour manager told us thatwe were traveling on the most expensivehighway in the world.It seems 16 miles of this roadway wasconstructed at an astounding $500 million.Every rock, bush, tree could not havebeen disturbed, if it was, it had to be putback in the exact spot. There is one sectionthe eastbound lanes go under thewestbound due to the narrowness of thecanyon. We took a break in the canyon atGrizzly Creek, a rushing, cascading creekspilling into the Colorado. All along theColorado, we witnessed rafting at justabout every turn.Part two of two to be printed in the Octoberissue of the World News.