Year End at Bradenton

December 31, 2010, year end at Bradenton, Florida. Well, the 2010 year has come to an end and this will be the final blog of 2010. I will show you some of the hidden treasures in the smaller communities, that many of the people pass by. We got a rent car and drove out to Anna Maria Island, this is only a five mile drive from our marina. We walked out to the resturant on the pier, the food was really good and there was a guitar player/singer on the deck. He was also really good. We then drove down the coast toward Sarasota and went out onto the beaches. Miles and miles of beaches and more sea shells than I have ever seen. People were gathering by the bucket fulls. Much larger than I have seen on the Texas coast. The day before, we had gone to the South Flordia Museum, Parker Manatee Aquarium, and the Bishop Planetarium. The Planetarium did a movie presentation in a surround sound dome of the development of the telescope. The stars and sky were very realistic in the laid back seats and domed screen. Next we went to the feeding and information session in the aquarium wing with the live Manatees. Until this presentation, Nancy and I had not seen an entire Manatee. We had only seen portions of them in the water. Next we walked through the museum with it's different sections with early displays of firearms, clocks, pottery, and other artifacts of the area. One display really caught my attention, not from the area, but considered tourist items from the 1870's, these were the shrunken heads on display. World Tourist would collect these heads and bring back to the States. I guest it is like Alaskans coming to Florida and buying varnished alligator heads. Well maybe not. Also, I now know that Jona could have been swolled by a large fish, looks like I would fit. Well it is the end of the year, I appreciate all of you who have followed this blog. After the first of the year, I am going to write the entire Great Circle Trip in a single blog. I will put as much detail as I can without being boring. Happy and Safe New Year to each and every one of you. Eddie and Nancy Hamilton.