Bridge View

 

Not just a view of a bridge, this is a view from one of our bridges to another.  Sometimes it really pays to walk in areas most people don't.  This is a place where most people drive by and don't really enjoy the view, in a car you miss it because of the bridge railings as well.  But as you can see the view of the Inland Waterway is wonderful from the bridge.  

Actually I wouldn't recommend for most people to make the walk for this view, but I'm glad I did I can share it with you.

Historic train depot and Legacy Trail

In 1927 the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers built this train depot to bring people in and market Venice.  It was the last stop of the rail line and for many years it also welcomed students from the Kentucky Military Academy and The Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus to their winter homes here in Venice.

Today the depot is on the national register of historic places it also serves as a bus transfer station for Sarasota county transit.  The rail tracks between Venice and Sarasota are a walking and biking path known as the Legacy Trail.  There is a park just west of the depot that features a public boat ramp to the Inland Waterway and there is soon to be a new city park just to the east. 

More information on the depot history can be found at the Venice Area Historical Society web site and through tours, please see their web site for tour times.

The Venice Bridge

As things are really coming together for this site, the thought came to me that I should share the full photo of the bridge that I use in the masthead, on business cards, etc.

This is the south bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway, one of three bridges connecting Venice Island to the mainland.  All three are draw bridges allowing taller vessels to sail these waters. 

It as my hope that this site will also serve as a great connection for people to Venice.

The building at the base of the bridge is the home of Venice Area Beautification Inc. a non-profit with a mission to make Venice a more beautiful place to live, work. and play.

One of their biggest accomplishments the Intracoastal Waterway Park with walking and biking trails that extend along both sides of the waterway for miles.  The northern island side of the park ends around their building with landscaping, benches, tables, a playground, and public restrooms.

More Hibiscus

Unlike yesterdays hibiscus I don't think cold would effect these.  This is a recent find for me, a very large mural on the back of one of the Venice Gondolier's buildings.  Most of it covers Venice history including the air base and the circus.  There is also a time-line on the sidewalk.

I will share more photos of it, but if you want to see it for yourself take Venice Ave to where it ends under the bridge on the island.  Facing the Inland waterway the Venice Gondolier's buildings are on your right.  This is on the further building, closest to the Inland Waterway bike and walking trail.

Contrast

It's the 1st and theme day in the City Daily Photo community. Today's theme is Contrast. Normally a bridges support structure will be in shadow and the water will be bathed in light, so I though the support structure being bathed in light with the water in shadow made for a good contrast.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants in today's City Daily Photo theme day.

Evening Light

Life has kept me distracted from posting much lately, so I am re-starting now. The other afternoon I was down on the Inland Waterway in Nokomis when I got this shot of a restaurant across the way. The early evening light was just about perfect, wonderful ambiance.

As I restart most of my photos will be of the Venice area, but there are a lot more wonderful Florida places within a day of here that I'd like to share as well so they may sneak in some as well. Maybe even a theme park and a big city or two.

Big Waterway

Today is theme day in the City Daily Photo community and the theme for Sept is "BIG" The Inter-coastal Waterway is absolutely the biggest thing in these parts, I mean it's over 3000 miles long! Not our section of course.

The water way was design to provide safe inland water passage along the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast of the United States. Our section was built in the 1960's and turned Venice into an Island. This photo also shows part of the first 10 mile stretch of Venetian Waterway Park this is a trail along both sides of the waterway and another big project for this area.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Inter-coastal View

Taken from the same building as yesterdays photo, here is a view of the Inter-coastal Waterway that the building is built beside. The waterway was built the 1960’s as a safer inland travel route to the open water of the gulf or Atlantic. It made Venice an Island until that time Venice was one of only a few Florida cities situated directly on the coast. Most "coastal" Florida cities are actually separated from the coast by natural barrier islands.

Christmas in July

No I didn't just take this photo, it was actually at Christmas. I just thought July 25th would be a fun time to post a Christmas photo.

Actually Christmas in Florida is a lot like Christmas in July would be up north, it's sunny, warm, even hot, yet there are all these Christmas decorations including snow men around. And people do go a bit nuts for Christmas around here. They don't have to deal with the cold and snow, so I think more people decorate more for the holidays here than they do up north.

If you think this looks like a boat you'd be right. It was taken at the annual Christmas boat parade where people go nuts decorating their boats too!

Swinging Bridge

At the northern end of Casey Key, on Blackburn Point Rd. is a very rare single lane swinging bridge. Most of the bridges over the Inland Waterway are draw bridges, this one pivots on a center access. I am amazed that a single lane bridge like this survives in this area, but I'm thankful it does because I think its pretty amazing.

I also know that area resident have fought to save this bridge. I'm not sure if that's so much because of it's uniqueness or because a single lane bridge cuts down the amount of traffic going by their mansions on the key. Frankly I don't care why, I'm glad the bridge is there and hope it always will be.

Reflections

Good images at night are a bit hard to capture with my camera, although I'm sure a tripod would help. This one though I really like, it's reflections from neon restaurant signs on the Inland Waterway. Just across Roberts and Donna bay from Venice Island in this photo was taken by the bridge at Nokomis Beach.

Kon-Tiki Motel

Set next to a boat showroom and marina and right above the inland waterway, this special little motel feels like it should be on a secluded tropical isle. This motel has a very cool modern tiki retro feel to it. It's actually very hard to capture in a photograph, it is a grouping of bungalows connected by a covered walkway.

The rooms have beautiful wood ceilings and kitchenettes. Unfortunately, it's also very hard to get one of those rooms. There are only nine of them and they are very well booked up from repeat business of people who really love the place. The place has such a great feel to it, that it's very easy to see way it's so hard to get a room there.

If you're feeling lucky though you can contact the Kon-Tiki at 941-485-9696

Blue Heron

This blue heron seems to be enjoying the day down beside the inland waterway. Is it looking for a meal?

Venice Train Station

Built in 1927, the Venice Train Station was the last stop on the Seaboard Air Line Railway. The station was built as the arrival point for people interested in buying Venice property which where attracted by large marketing campaigns.

In November 1960 over 5000 people welcomed the Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus to their their new winter home in Venice at the train station. This winter arrival and departure continued to draw large crowds every year until the circus left town in 1992 when the train tracks were no longer usable.

With the increase of freeway use and the decline in rail travel passenger trains quit running to the station in 1971. After that the station fell into disrepair for a couple decades.

Sarasota County purchased the property from the railroad company that owned it and restored it to its original condition. The newly renovated station opened in January 2005. It is now used as a terminal for the county mass transit system. Tours are available on Saturdays.

The station sits beside the inland waterway across from Venice Island providing very nice views of the island and waterway.

Intracoastal Waterway

Naturally the area Venice sits is part of the mainland, it is in fact one of the few places in Florida not separated from the gulf by barrier islands. However, in the 1960's the US Corps of Engineers turned Venice into an Island by extending the Intracoastal Waterway through the area.

Originally designed as a safer way to move military traffic in times of war the Intracoastal Waterway has largely been a great boon in this area for pleasure boating. This photo is one of three bridges that connect Venice Island to the mainland.

Venice Canals

Venice Florida does not have the extensive network of canals that it's namesake in Italy has. There are none in the downtown shopping area or around any church's that I know of. Yet it still has quite a few in residential areas, especially on the North end of the Island and some off island locations. It can be quite easy to find a waterfront home with boat moorage here, either on a canal or a bay, or lake, etc.

It is in fact a man made canal that made Venice Florida an island, that one is called the Inland Waterway. More on that another time.