Sunken Gardens In St Pete Florida - Beautiful Roadside Attraction In A Sinkhole / DJ Kitty Overload
Sunken Gardens Roadside Attraction
Transcript
0:02
welcome everyone adam the woo here as
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the recording of this wins as the
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recording of this a little tongue tied
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there
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wednesday august 24 2022
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i'm gonna be while wearing the
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appropriate hat because later in the day
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i'll be going to a raised game with
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tropicana field
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game three of a four game series against
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the anaheim los angeles angels of
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anaheim but i want to get over there
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it's about 1 30. i'm gonna head down i-4
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try to beat the horrible traffic that
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starts to congregate on the interstate
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around 2 p.m 2 30 if i do not leave from
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here to get over to tampa st pete area
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it's kind of a worthwhile cause so i try
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to leave a little bit early and i want
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to go to a roadside attraction by the
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name of sunken gardens i think i can get
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over there in time before they close
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they close i think at 4 30 or 5 should
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be able to get over there document that
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and then pop into the game i'm inviting
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you
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to join me i have my my bag here
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my raised bag good going looking up
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there at the clock it's almost 1 30.
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just about 1 30. i'm gonna wait here
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until the bicycle moves
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got the dog on the hour hand
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bicycle on the minute hand
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it's a race against the clock
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to get on i-4 westbound
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it always is
1:29
all right bike
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there it goes there it goes
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and before the commute need to fill up
1:33
with some fuel
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price of gas right now here at the
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7-eleven 3.
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cents a gallon
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the retro art deco
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7-eleven all-wheel drive and i-4 also
1:50
trying uh a new icelandic spring water
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that i got from the from the sevi i
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guess that's a
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that's what you could call 7-eleven
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skyra icelandic spring water at this
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time frame looks pretty smooth sailing
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85 miles according to what i just looked
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up the sunken gardens i'm on my way wait
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for it
2:09
wait for it
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patience wait for it
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mickey
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powerball
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made it over to saint pete
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check out the landmark motel sign which
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is located just across from beautiful
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sunken gardens
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i love the signage too
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this is a relic
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got here in a pretty timely fashion it's
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now 3 17 p.m
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so got here in plenty of time before
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they close at 4 30. i probably figured
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i'd need about an hour to wander around
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in there so it kind of works out
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perfectly i really like that sign
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that is a relic of the past an antique
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right here along the roadway i was
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thinking maybe i'd have to pull in and
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drive kind of into the woods a little
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bit to get to a place like this but it's
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right here
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on this main thoroughfare yeah just
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right here on the road
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parking is right over behind me
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sunken gardens and their hours are as
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follows
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and it kind of works out it's only 2.1
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miles a little over two miles the
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tropicana field where the tampa bay rays
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play we're trying to coordinate other
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stuff to do instead of venturing over
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here just to go to games when i do go to
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home games for the race try to do other
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local stuff it kind of works out as a
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blessing in disguise because i'm doing
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stuff i probably wouldn't drive out for
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on its own
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but then
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it's in the area so it kind of works out
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i could kind of do two things in one day
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look at this there's a flamingo right
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there there is a placard here that was
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dedicated in back in march of 2003 city
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of saint petersburg by the mayor
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rick baker and a couple council members
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and whatnot here on this little
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this little pillar in front okay i went
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through where the gift shop and front
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desk is
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the charge is 15 to get in which is kind
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of a coincidence because
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this used to be well this
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became because of a sinkhole
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and everything is going to be 15 feet
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below not sea level
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but under street level so the road i
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parked on and was just standing in front
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of
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it's going to be a gradual descent
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15 feet down
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that's going to be pretty neat
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i see some bamboo over here
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and it has been a landmark since 1935 it
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officially opened as turner's sunken
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gardens
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1903 a four acre property was purchased
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by george turner who was a plumber and
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he was an avid guard yeah there it is it
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confirms 15 feet below street level
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roadside attraction grew they added the
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gift shop back in 1967
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and made the main
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entrance
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and there's also a little layout of the
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land here
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this will kind of show
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some of the stuff that's in the in the
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area now also
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the
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employee up front that sold me the
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ticket said to keep an eye out for
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something that's not marked over near
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number 12 and 11
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is something called the rainbow tree
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pretty sure it'd be pretty noticeable if
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it's called the rainbow rainbow tree so
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i got the guide map i'm just going to
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head through and everything is numbered
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and over here listed on what certain
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areas are so number three
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which should be one of the first places
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that i'm approaching is known as palm
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plaza
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i'm getting some mad mad mad mad world
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vibes
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it's buried
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under a big w
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it's under a big w
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it's a w it's a great movie and a very
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impressive live oak here
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the trees up top or the branches not the
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tree this is a tree
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put the trees up top there a little
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picnic area if you wanted to bring like
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a picnic lunch or get a little snack
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from the gift shop
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this is an umbrella cockatoo
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hello
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keep in mind that all birds bite do not
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attempt to feed or touch
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the macaws over there
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very beautiful birds
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hello macaws
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gnawing on the the tree branch oh you
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heard me call you
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two of them sitting over there on the
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branch hello
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now might be tough to see it just
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because of the way the sun is shattered
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out over here
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but there's something dangling from the
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tree by a chain
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see the wires
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if you follow the chain up
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it is latched on up top there even
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though it's on the guide map cannot walk
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past this little stanchion area however
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this is designated on the map as the
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original entrance so this was the
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original entrance as i stated when the
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park first opened
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let me just reread that again under mr
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turner
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so this would have been
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the first gift shop that probably opened
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i don't know if it was the 1903 entrance
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probably of the 1924 entrance
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who paid 25 cents to stroll through this
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beautiful and lush garden
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okay i stand corrected
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1940 entrances under renovation will
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become a new history center
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and this is what it looked like kind of
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back when it opened
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so i guess when it first opened and
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things were a quarter they built another
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that was a different entrance but this
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was the one this was the 1940 entrance
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and there's a little marker embedded in
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this rock here dedicated
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to ralph v turner a man devoted 50 years
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of his life to the creation of perpetual
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care
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of this beautiful garden and this was
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designated back in january first
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of 1979
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and now i'm going to be strolling over
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into this
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area here known as the oak amphitheater
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now when you think of amphitheater you
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think of a lot of seats it's really only
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well that's a little stage
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and there really aren't any seats i
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guess they could probably put seats in
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here removable chairs
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and what now underneath this magnificent
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oak and i like that there's all this
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little info here
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so this live oak
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was from
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quercus virginian oh a quercus virginian
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okay i thought maybe it was from
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virginia but it knows quercus virginian
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is the type of the tree
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february 1977 the national arborist
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associated recognizes tree and commends
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those who have the vision and foresight
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for sight to preserve it and when you're
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in central florida you really never know
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how the sun is going to be hitting
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and embedding itself
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into your neck to your head
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there's a lot of shade in here so i'm
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very thankful
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for the shades you never know what
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you're getting into in central florida
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during the summer when you get out of
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your car and go into an outdoor
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attraction so i'm glad a lot of trees
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a lot of trees which is good for me now
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down here the pavement is
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got a little hue to it a little
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formation colored formation through here
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this section does the sidewalk not the
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yellow brick road like wizard of oz it's
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an assortment of different colors
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and i must confess any time
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i see a grouping of flamingos i think a
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three's company
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i think of the intro from three's
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company filmed at the la zoo
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i mean how can you not
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i just love flamingos they haven't see
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world in orlando too i still get the
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threes company but they haven't
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gatorland also
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these are beautiful you get really right
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up close to them
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beautiful animals
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what
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what's that
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those are are you correcting me they're
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not lily pads
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so this is a different angle from that
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1940 entrance over here
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yeah they're just wading around in the
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little splashing
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scratching the cheek
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stop fighting over there stop fighting
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these are so beautiful
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that was unexpected a flamingo tradition
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sunken gardens has maintained a flock of
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flamingos since 1957 is grateful for the
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efforts of the sunken guard sunken
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garden forever foundation
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for continued support in their endeavor
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so it's been going strong for well over
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50 years
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well over
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such beauty to
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formulate out of a sinkhole
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out of a disastrous
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sinkhole
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now over here on the tortoise habitat
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sign
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is a lizard right there
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hello lizard i'm not going to ignore you
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lizard but i want to move over here
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and show not only one tortoise
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down there
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but quite an assortment of other
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tortoises
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a plethora
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of tortoises
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would you say i have a plethora not a
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pinatas
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but of tauruses there's another one over
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here
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looming in the shadows i see over there
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tortoise now this just popped up out of
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nowhere as i'm walking along it's an
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elephant's foot or a ponytail palm and i
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can see where it gets its name as an
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elephant foot because the root system
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looks like an elephant's foot
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yeah
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definitely see where it got his name
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stag horn
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fern
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okay that's a staghorn fern right there
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this also probably a staghorn fern as
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well probably got his name from the
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does almost looks like antlers on like a
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deer or a buck
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oh
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barely see the spider but yeah it's
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right there
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right there in the middle spider there's
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a waterfall that might be the back side
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of the waterfall but there's an
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amphitheater here
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as well which would be number nine
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on the map doesn't appear to be anything
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happening in the amphitheater at this
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particular time frame
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okay now they said something to keep an
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eye out for
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like a wall around the perimeter could
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that be street level up there
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seems like a cinder block
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center block wall there directly above
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me is this canopy of brush
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you can walk directly underneath it
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there's a bench down here very shaded
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bench
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look at this
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how neat
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i'm underneath
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all these branches
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all these vines
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a few months ago or so i remember my
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friend tampa jay who was a local in the
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area
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he was reminding her he told me about
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this place we were at a raise game
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and he was like you know there's a
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pretty cool roadside attraction just not
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too far from where tropicana field is
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and i always retain that in the back of
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my head
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and that's kind of how i found out about
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it and then today i was searching for
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stuff that was nearby i go oh yeah
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remember tampa j told me about this
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place
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i believe he did a video a year ago or
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so
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it's kind of an
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un i don't say it's an unknown secret
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but you can see there's not a whole heck
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of a lot of people here
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this is pretty neat there is an archival
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photo of circa 1930 taken here at the
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the koi pond also known as ornamental
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carp
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boys have an average lifespan of 30 to
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50 years some reported to live over a
16:08
hundred years old
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so just think you could have one to be
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given one of these at birth
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and it
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could live with you its entire life just
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as long as your life is you could have a
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lifelong cut
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now this is either
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the name of this pine tree
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or
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someone put this sign up because they do
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not like
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pines
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they're anti-pine
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i think it's the name of the pine
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it almost looks like pine cones but it's
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a very different style
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or even like a coconut
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i can't tell what kind of fruit that is
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it's one of those episodes where
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the landscape and the organic noises
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kind of speak for itself so
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kind of trying to hush up here and there
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now i am looking at orchid
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hollow here or orchid holler
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almost appears as if there was something
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else in here at one point maybe some
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other animals or something this does not
17:30
look like it was originally used for the
17:32
orchids
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but you could see like
17:35
just this this the shell of this almost
17:37
like part of like a zoo of some sort
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that hasn't been used in years
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it doesn't say anything on the sign here
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what this area at least i'm not seeing
17:46
anything on there
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but that's just my guess
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and they just converted it probably you
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know a while back into the orchid area i
17:54
could be wrong then
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yeah here's another area which was most
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likely used for something else than what
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it is used for now
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look at that door back there
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i like the serenity of this place and
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how quiet and peaceful it is organic
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sounds okay i found
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the street is up there so that this is
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the brick wall
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they were telling me about when i paid
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the admission to come in i just heard a
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car drive by up there kind of in a
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distance so that's the 15 feet
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so i'm in the base of the sinkhole now
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as i'm standing here
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15 feet down the growing stone
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fossilized limestone rock was originally
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found the center of the sinkhole lake
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which formed the gardens
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legend has it that
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he who sits upon the ancient stone shall
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be granted tranquility
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inner harmony and the talent
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to make
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things
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grow
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and as i was told it's not on the map
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but i would just assume that this you
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know what they say when you assume
19:25
something you make a you know what out
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of you and you and me but
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this is the rainbow tree come on there's
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no
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oh you know what there's a sign right
19:33
down there i don't have to assume it
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says
19:35
rainbow
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eucalyptus right there has that rainbow
19:40
type of
19:41
coloration to it right there on the
19:43
trunk beautiful a great movie
19:46
and was a great roadside attraction on
19:48
highway 192 the zandadoo home of the
19:50
future also this is kind of appropriate
19:53
you know recently a week or two olivia
19:55
newton-john passed so
19:57
there's a xanadu plan here
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not necessarily in honor of her but made
20:02
me think
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great soundtrack to xanadu
20:44
yeah these were all used for other
20:44
things back in the day i kind of wish
20:46
there was a little more information on
20:47
what this exactly was back in the day
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hello there
21:02
hi
21:24
a cactus guard in here a couple ants
21:24
romero around there these are photos
21:26
from the archives as well of the cactus
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blooms
21:30
over in here yeah you get over into the
21:32
on the west coast
21:35
you know the deserts of arizona new
21:36
mexico
21:38
you know even deserts of california a
21:40
lot of cactus and cacti and stuff but
21:43
yeah it's pretty neat to see them here
21:44
in central florida as well
21:47
i've always tried to figure out the
21:49
plural of cactus
21:50
is it cacti
21:52
or is it just cactuses well kind of a
21:54
hidden mickey but not really isn't it as
21:56
an addition on there
22:04
down this rock path
22:04
there is a seat over here
22:08
this little wooden seat
22:15
okay this does not give information on
22:15
why the seed is here but the vine is
22:18
called the caroline
22:19
jesse mine
22:26
know that the gardens vinegar be closing
22:26
in 30 minutes
22:28
we hope you're enjoying your visit
22:30
hey they just made the announcement the
22:31
garden's closing in 30 minutes i'm
22:33
almost done with the route though so it
22:34
kind of worked out time wise
22:39
i'll tell you one thing i really love
22:39
about this place too
22:41
they don't pipe in
22:44
unnecessary music
22:46
to try to boost the ambiance
22:48
i've heard none of it anywhere except in
22:50
the gift shop
22:51
and i like that
22:53
i like that a lot
22:56
just personal note
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and lots of seating areas and lots of
23:03
shade
23:05
i would definitely recommend this place
23:08
for a nice peaceful away you know get
23:10
away from the theme parks get away from
23:12
the crowds
23:13
get away from stuff like that and get a
23:14
little
23:16
get a little beautiful nature
23:18
inside a sinkhole look at the dragon
23:20
tree i mean look at these plants over
23:22
awesome
23:24
and before exiting out there's this
23:25
really large lawn here very well
23:28
manicured almost looks like
23:30
finisher golf course along
23:37
now over here this could have been
23:37
another area that was utilized for
23:39
something else yeah you see over in here
23:41
they had to have had animals
23:43
oh here we go
23:45
well i don't know how the pass was but
23:46
this says coming soon exotic birds
23:49
will enjoy this former animal enclosures
23:51
okay
23:52
so i was correct
24:02
the stone the fake stone structures in
24:02
the 60s were constructed with a secret
24:04
mix of concrete and laundry detergent
24:11
weird
24:11
oh yeah so
24:12
definitely old animal enclosures
24:25
i believe exit out this way got two
24:25
items in the gift shop i already
24:26
finished off the one water when i left
24:28
celebration i was fueling up so i got
24:30
another one here
24:31
and then also
24:33
a magnet for my refrigerator at home
24:36
my refrigerator doesn't have a lot of
24:37
room left there's a little bit of room
24:38
but it's getting pretty full of all the
24:41
roadside attractions that i've been to
24:42
over the years and now i can add
24:44
historic sunken gardens in saint
24:45
petersburg to the list and just parked
24:49
near tropicana field
24:51
walking up it's only about a two two or
24:52
three mile commute
24:54
from sunken gardens over to the trap the
24:56
wind is picking up clouds are rolling in
25:00
looks like there might be a storm on the
25:02
horizon
25:03
and i'm standing over in the shade
25:05
because over in the sun
25:07
it's pretty rough so if there's shade
25:09
i'll be standing in it
25:11
and chris aimless adventures has joined
25:13
the party
25:15
right behind ray's dugout
25:17
the party is right there
25:20
he's the most popular guy in the house
25:22
he's got him right there
25:25
he's just styling and profiling
25:28
oh there he goes
25:35
dj kitty hello
25:35
here comes dj kitty oh i better move
25:42
good to see you dj kitty and dj kitty
25:45
has made his way back up oh
25:48
oh let's drop it in
25:51
dj kitty you're a good luck charm
25:54
dj kitty comes up randy gets a double
25:56
it's all about dj kitty
26:04
and raymond over here looking very
26:04
dapper wanting to know what's going on
26:16
man
26:16
is it going to drop is it going to drop
26:19
dang it
26:38
let me see the plate let me see the
26:38
plate
26:39
there you go
26:40
mixing it up mixing it up
26:43
polishing it up
26:48
getting ready for that post season
26:48
coming up getting ready for that wild
26:50
card
26:55
you're a good luck charm randy got randy
26:55
got a hit when you were like came up
26:57
you're the good luck charm
27:38
no what's raymond
27:38
raymond
27:58
first word first syllable
27:58
first letter
28:12
small
28:27
dog
28:27
he's a dog
28:29
raymond's a dog
28:32
you're a cat he's a dog we just solved
28:34
the riddle right here all right you've
28:36
answered a lot of questions today dj
28:38
kitty
28:39
you've answered a lot of questions
28:41
pony up chris give him some cash
28:43
oh it's a it's a cat it's a cash free
28:45
stadium it's a cash free stadium
28:47
you got a card swiper
28:49
you got a card swiper all right getting
28:51
ready to get that tenth strike out right
29:02
twiddling your thumbs waiting for
29:02
something to stretch
29:04
just waiting
29:05
ready for that 10 strikeouts we might
29:07
get free tacos right now
29:15
yeah when you get the canes furniture 10
29:15
strikeouts you get free tacos at any
29:18
tijuana flats
29:21
tacos two two games ago
29:24
last night was johnny
29:27
and we're about to rock another taco
29:28
action
29:29
what's happening
29:32
it would be graced with the presence of
29:34
sitting next to the one and only dj
29:35
kittens
29:36
he's just chilling
29:48
dj kitty almost got the pop up there a
29:48
little foul ball wow
30:01
there it is 10 strikeouts
30:01
i don't know what's happening up here
30:03
this is like a mascot takeover tonight
30:05
over here by the raised duck i've never
30:07
seen the mascots out here for so long
30:09
raymond there look at that
30:17
take the load off raymond
30:17
take a seat dj kitty take a seat it's
30:19
all yours
30:20
i don't need to see your ticket i don't
30:22
need to see your take i'm not an usher
30:23
i'm not an usher dj kidding
30:25
you left your phone at home right
30:27
oh dad we don't want to hug you bro
30:34
you're getting a little bit of a tussle
30:35
up here up there
30:40
oh dj kitty got in the way of raymond
30:40
raymond's trying to see the game
30:43
oh man we're getting in a little bit
30:45
argument there
31:23
oh trout just crushed one
31:23
gone to left
31:25
mike trout just made it
31:27
one to nothing angels in the eighth
31:49
okay yandy got a base hit and his pitch
31:49
run oh siri's going serious going
31:54
no don't go don't go don't go
31:57
take the second series so fast
32:11
all right now three and two two outs
32:11
and beaks did strike out or timer the
32:13
other night so hopefully they can get
32:14
trout right here
32:15
nope get it first taylor wall
32:19
oh what the heck
32:24
all right into the bottom of the 10th
32:25
radius who made the air first is up to
32:27
bat now
32:29
oh yeah
32:30
go go go
32:33
oh so close
32:35
tagging up though going to third
32:37
dang i thought that was gone
32:39
i thought esau was gonna crush it and
32:41
totally redeem himself all right into
32:43
the 11th no outs
32:45
series the runner at second
32:48
brandon lau was walked
32:50
and she could come in clutch harold
32:52
ramirez right here
32:56
go go go go go go go go go we got this
33:01
walking it off
33:02
well come on
33:05
i thought he had it
33:07
oh my gosh i think he would have scored
33:10
we're about to walk this thing off right
33:11
now
33:13
guy on second third no outs
33:16
even a sac fly wins it now the crowd is
33:18
definitely thinned out cheerleaders are
33:20
down here ready for this walk off
33:22
no else ray's got a guy on second
33:26
and third
33:27
all you need is a pop-up to the outfield
33:29
or home run
33:30
all right david peralta's turn still
33:32
just one out you need to pop up
33:53
ray's win
33:53
and when the rays win they light up
33:55
tropicana field just like an orange up
33:58
and that's going to do it for today a
34:00
very full day sunken gardens and then
34:02
peppered in a little baseball footage
34:04
i'll see you the next video and a lot of
34:06
time tonight with one and only dj kitty
34:09
dj kitty
34:11
in at a very extended top of the seventh
34:13
when they just couldn't get to the
34:14
seventh inning stretch sat next to us
34:16
for like 20 minutes
34:18
just chilling i'll see you the next
34:20
video by the way dj kidd is probably my
34:22
favorite mascot but i'm kind of partial
34:25
the vlog is over