Celebrate Earth Day at Bok!

One of our favorite gardens in Florida -- Bok Gardens sent this announcement of their upcoming celebration. I've included a few photos we took on our last visit to the unique sanctuary in Polk County, Fla. It is so beautifully and tastefully maintained. A great place to go when you need a retreat-- Dawn

What: Earth Day Celebration 2009

When: April 16 & 17 from 9 a.m. to noon

Where: Bok Tower Gardens

Bok Tower Gardens’ Earth Day Celebration April 16 & 17

Lake Wales, Fla. – Bok Tower Gardens expects more than 1,700 students to attend its “Going Green” Earth Day Celebration on April 16 and 17 from 9 a.m. to noon. Sponsored by AT&T Real Yellow Pages, Lilly, O’Toole & Brown, LLP, Progress Energy and Ridge Printing, the two-day event will feature hands-on activities offered by environmental exhibitors from Central Florida. Pre-registration is recommended, but everyone is welcome. The $5 fee for students and chaperon's includes general Gardens admission.

Planned activities will include a ladybug release, fossil dig, whale listening and more. In addition to the popular Bok Butterfly House filled with live butterflies and plants, there will be exhibits with live wildlife to demonstrate their role in the balance of nature. “By showing why snakes are our slithery friends and how honeybees protect our planet through pollination, we can engage young minds to take action now so we can all live green in the future,” explains Jennifer Beam, Gardens’ director of Visitor Services and Programs. Other learning experiences include how to raise earthworms for composting, the benefits of organic farming and how to identify animal tracks as well as beneficial insects.

Participants include Archbold Biological Station, Central Florida Ecotours, entomologist M. Lewis Wright Jr.’s display of good and bad bugs, Explorations V Children’s Museum, Florida Division of Forestry, Florida Institute of Phosphate Research, Keep Polk County Beautiful, Keep Winter Haven Clean & Beautiful, Lake Kissimmee State Park, Master Gardeners, Polk County Cooperative Extension Service, Ridge Audubon, Roosevelt Academy’s Horticulture Program, Struthers Honey, Southwest Florida Water Management District, Tibet Butler Preserve and Whale Listening with Paul Knapp.

Gardens’ founder Edward W. Bok was a well-respected environmental activist who was one of the early leaders in the green movement. The Pulitzer-Prize winning author and humanitarian was instrumental in saving Niagara Falls and initiated efforts to preserve Florida’s Tiger Creek, a pristine blackwater stream that runs through the Lake Wales Ridge. Bok’s son, Cary, along with The Nature Conservancy and numerous other groups, raised the funds to purchase and preserve the 4,000-plus acre habitat. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Gardens’ Visitor Center has educational displays on the natural history of the islands of biological diversity that make the Ridge one of the most endangered habitats in the world. Visit www.boktowergardens.org for more information.

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About Bok Tower Gardens:

Bok Tower Gardens, a National Historic Landmark, is located 55 miles southwest of Orlando and 60 miles east of Tampa near Lake Wales, Florida, and is open every day of the year from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., last admission at 5 p.m. The Visitor Center, Café and Gift Shop are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $3 for ages 5-12. Members and children under 5 are admitted free. For more information contact Bok Tower Gardens, 1151 Tower Boulevard, Lake Wales FL 33853; 863-676-1408 or visit www.boktowergardens.org

Tuesday Travel: Hidden Secrets in Central Florida

Since coming to Florida almost three years ago, each day uncovers a new surprise.

The first day we arrived here to house hunt, the day after Hurricane Charley visited, the anoles -- little lizards with detachable tails -- taught me about surviving disasters and going about business as usual.

Mention Central Florida and people think: Orlando. And that leads to Disney World. But Florida is so much more than theme parks. This past February, my husband and I discovered a well kept secret: Polk County.

We felt the breeze freshen and smelled orange blossoms as soon as we crossed the county line. Located next door to Orange County with Disney and theme parks galore, Polk County seems like the country cousin. With 626,634 acres devoted to agriculture, including citrus groves and 554 lakes, much of the land remains under-developed or reserved for pasture. But don't let that country facade fool you. Some of the sweetest treats lurk near those citrus groves.

Lang's Sun Country Groves run a quaint little cafe and gift shop: Taste of Florida which is located halfway between Haines City and Lake Alfred at 5900 U.S. Hwy 17& 92. There they serve the freshest produce, including their own blend of fresh-squeezed orange juice from fruit grown in the family's groves. They ship produce all over the U.S. and we were told that Oprah, and Martha Stewart prefer Langs products. When visiting their cafe, order the grapefruit pie, a recipe perfected by the original owner, Mary Lang, who continues to do the pie baking. She hasn't given the rolling pin over to the next generation, yet.

Sadly the cafe closes in May when the citrus harvest ends, but opens again in October or November.

Davidsons of Dundee, located on U.S. Hwy 27, in Dundee, specializes in unique citrus candy that they make right on the premises. Visitors to their gift shop can watch the candy making process through large glass windows. You may have seen them featured on the Food Channel.

For a special dining experience, make reservations at Chalet Suzanne: 3800 Chalet Suzanne Drive in Lake Wales. The chalet and adjacent motel look like it was built by some architect gnome on hallucinogens. But that's part of the charm. Inside nothing matches -- chairs, tables, place settings -- all mix and match in a romantic setting that has drawn celebrities and plain folk alike. If you get the owner to reminisce, you're in for a treat. Chalet Suzanne also comes with an airfield where guests can fly in for dinner and fly back out again. Expect to spend some serious money at this stop.

And there is more to Polk County than food, although I've barely begun to mention all of the delightful little diners and cafes and country breakfasts....

But when you aren't eating, visit some of their entertain venues: Historic Bok Sanctuary, Cypress Gardens, Fantasy of Flight Museum....

For more indepth information about Polk County and what it has to offer -- at prices much nicer to your pocketbook than the theme parks, check out http://www.visitcentralflorida.org/