A Welcome Escape From Winter - Part 3

     Sanibel Island and Captiva Island are resort communities in Florida just off the west coast from Fort Myers and connected by a toll bridge.  The official tourism slogan is: "250 Kinds of Shells, 230 Kinds of Birds, 15 Miles of Beaches, Zero Traffic Lights".  There are many things to do, including beachcombing (searching for unique shells and sea glass), a wildlife refuge, all manner of water activities and more.

     We chose to do a Segway tour.  Neither of us had ever been on one before.  The tour began with an orientation in the parking lot in which we are taught how to mount it, move forward and back, stop and turn.  We did some practice before heading out on the sidewalks and trails of the island.  Our guide was very informative and we learned a lot about the history of Sanibel Island and saw some of the historic sites and some very scenic viewpoints.

     After a time, when our guide was confident that we were comfortable controlling the Segway, he unlocked the "child mode" on each of our machines so that we could go faster.  These machines are quite thrilling and you could get up to the speed of a person running (about 12 m.p.h/20 km/h). I had a great time "bombing around" open areas.

     None of our group had any mishaps and the weather was beautiful during our tour.  One place we stopped was a mobile home park that had an aviary in the centre.  There were many exotic birds that were cared for by some of the residents.

     We had a great time on this tour and we would highly recommend it if you have a chance. Be adventurous!

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     John and Mabel Ringling (of Ringling Brothers circus fame) commissioned an architect to build their winter estate in a Gothic style as seen in Venice, Italy.  At the time, he was one of the richest men in America.  It was completed in 1926 and was named Ca' d'Zan (Venetian for "House of John").  The Ringlings lived in another house on the property and during the years, Mabel built a magnificent rose garden.

     I found it interesting that a lot of the furniture and fixtures were purchased from hotels in New York that had gone out of business in the 1920's.

     The mansion is 36,000 square feet and had 41 rooms and 15 bathrooms.  It cost $1.5 million to build, which was a staggering cost in the 1920s.  Soon after the completion of Ca' d'Zan, John built a 21-gallery museum to house his treasure trove of paintings and art objects.

     In the 1930s, the Depression took its toll on the Ringlings.  By the time he died in 1936 (Mabel had died in 1929), the grounds were in a state of disrepair and there were insufficient funds from his estate to maintain it.  The state of Florida eventually took it over in 1946 but did not spend much money to maintain the property.  In 2000, the state passed on governance of the property to  Florida State University.

     A dedication to "Weary Willie", a memorable
clown figure that was a fixture in the circus.

Fine detail on the top of a wall surrounding a patio

     Statues in some of their gardens.

The Ringling Brothers circus (known as The Greatest Show on Earth) began in 1871 and ran until 2017.  Its biggest competitor in the early years was the Barnum & Bailey circus.  The Ringling Brothers purchased the Barnum & Bailey circus following Bailey's death in 1906 but continued to operate the circuses separately until they officially merged in 1919.

     The winter headquarters of the circus was moved to Sarasota on the grounds of Ca' d'Zan in 1927.  New acts were developed and rehearsed in preparation for the next season.

The famous "human cannonball" launcher.

The circus band played throughout the parade as 

it was going through town

The organ car

There was always a clown on stilts

     Between the circus museum, art gallery and residence, the property made for a fascinating place to visit.