If a quaint, picnic-style lunch is what you’re in the mood for, then plan a visit to The Back Porch Restaurant at The Barn in Lake Alfred. The Back Porch makes a great place to hold a luncheon, celebrate a special occasion or spend a day with family and friends.

When walking into the restaurant, you are greeted by friendly employees and instructed to take a paper menu with you to your table. It is your choice where to sit. Decide on one of three indoor dining areas with hand-painted tables or choose outdoor patio seating overlooking a nature pond. Once seated, choose from a selection of soups, salads, sandwiches and desserts. Make your choice from weekly specials or from the Wales’ favorite items that can always be found on the menu such as the Back Porch Vegetable Soup or the Turkey D’lite sandwich. Not to mention, the food at The Back Porch is fresh and prepared daily using the Wales’ family recipes.

If the kids are joining and are not interested in the traditional menu options, then the Teddy Bear Picnic (a peanut butter & jelly sandwich or a hot dog with chips and a cookie) is just the choice for them.

The process of ordering and delivering is unlike other restaurants. After looking over the menu, grab a pencil (found on the center of the table), and check off the menu items you have decided on. Once you mark your selections, jot down your table number along with your name on the sticky note attached to the top corner of your menu. Then, take your menu to the counter and check out.

Be sure to decide on a flavored tea or try the sample dips at the front of the restaurant while you wait for your tasty picnic-style lunch. Once your food is prepared, a server will deliver your lunch in a charming, wooden picnic basket using the information you wrote on the sticky note to locate you.

Make a day out of your visit, since The Back Porch is found at The Barn which includes shops such as The Barn Antiques, The Stable, The Seasons Gift Shop and The Back Yard Garden Shop.

Owned and operated by the Wales family for over 43 years, The Barn is the epitome of family tradition. Whether you are hunting for antiques, shopping for home accessories, searching for garden and lawn accessories or just browsing for gifts and seasonal décor, The Barn offers it all.

To check for weekly specials and other updates at The Back Porch, find them on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Back-Porch/98495488931

Or visit The Stable on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Stable-Home-Decor/114550385225034

The Wales’ family just celebrated the 43^rd opening day of The Barn which is located on Highway 557A in Lake Alfred. While the shops at The Barn are only open October-May, The Back Porch Restaurant is now open year-round.

Reaching the entrance from the main road, I followed several cars through the main gate, and immediately saw signs for parking.  Somewhat surprised by this I continued on along the long entrance driveway, past fruiting citrus groves , seeing yet more signs for parking and even stops for a shuttle.   It was becoming obvious, even to me, that Bok Tower was expecting a lot of visitors.

Tentatively, I continued on, not really knowing what to expect, and was greeted by smiling traffic marshalls, indicating that I should park on the grassy bank beyond the normal car parking  area. Happy to follow their instructions I  parked and got out of the car.  Looking around I was amazed at the numbers of people carrying plants, or walking among the display booths.

I walked down to where the booths were distributed and came to a stop at the first one ;  there was a beautiful eye-catching shrub in its full glory right there in front of me.  Chatting to a couple of bystanders, I found out that it would probably need a little more care than I would be able to give it, so I moved on .

I really should have brought a lot more money and some way of carrying plants, I realised, watching people who obviously knew more than me, rolling their little shopping trollies around, filled to the brim with their purchases.   Passing many of the displays, I made a mental note to myself to get back to them later.

One of my gardening ambitions was to have an olive tree, and slowly, stopping every few feet to look at yet more exotic and beautifully displayed plants, I made my way to where the Olive Trees were for sale.     Luckily I happened to get there just at the moment when the owner of the nursery was explaining to other purchasers how to care for their tree, so I shamelessly eavesdropped.

Having learned that if I bought my tree it really didn’t need a huge amount of care, I satisfied my desire  and bought a four year old olive tree.   As I was wondering how to carry it back to the car, a Boy Scout materialised at my side and made an offer I couldn’t refuse.   Handing him my beloved tree, I led him back to the car where we were able to set it in the back safely.   A couple of dollars tip and off he went to help other buyers.

I meandered back to the displays and flitted, like a butterfly , from booth to booth.  I had such a great time, seeing plants I’d only read about, learning  about them from experts., and buying some of them!   Roses to herbs, exotics to orchids, bamboos to bonsai, everything was there for me to admire, and buy!    It was so difficult to restrain myself.

Music started up from the bandstand, and I saw happy smiling faces everywhere.   I met a gentleman with his little Peek-a-poo ( that’s a  pekingnese/poodle mix) who had been trained as a Therapy Dog.  All the children swarmed around that little pooch.   More and more people were arriving.  Boy Scouts were running errands back and forth.  Folk were having fun.

Having completed my purchases, delighted with the items I had bought, I packed them into the car  and made my way to the food and drink vendors for a well earned snack.   Many people were by now sitting in the stands listening to some fabulous music, while for me, my morning was almost over, and it was time to head home.

Carefully, I drove back onto the exit road, while yet more visitors were still coming in to take advantage of the lovely weather and fantastic day out  offered by Bok Tower.   I shall be back later on this year, and again at Christmas , to visit Pinewood House, one of my Holiday traditions.  And next year, there is a Winter Dog Day in the Park, and I’ll definitely be there with my little Jack Russell for that.

Thank you to everyone who made the day such a success for me, and see you soon.

The new Downtown Lakeland App is FREE, and available for both Apple and Android mobile devices. More than half of all cell phone users will have smart phones this year, and those that download this app will be available to keep you up to date on all events and activities without having to be at your computer desk.

Mobile media apps are proving to be a strong marketing tool in reaching demographics and this technology is becoming more popular. DLP members can use the app to keep in touch with ther existing customers and reach new ones by posting information about events and activities.

This app is great for visitors also, as “it’s a great way to quickly find out where to eat, shop and what to do,” says Julie Townsend, Executive Director of the DLP.

This FREE Downtown Lakeland app is now available and keyword search is: DLPAPP.

The Central Park Stroll will take place on Thursday, May 5  from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and will coincidently have a “Cinco de Mayo” theme. There will be music by the Marcus Brixa Jazz Trio and free art activities for children. The stroll will be a celebration of the selected art and “stollers” will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite sculptures in order for a People’s Choice Award to be given. For more information on the Stroll, click here.

“We created this app as a service to SUN ’n FUN attendees,” said Sporty’s Vice President John Zimmerman. “All of us pilots who love our phones and iPads will be able to put them to more good use with this free app from Sporty’s.”

After downloading the free app, pilots can use it to buy advance tickets for SUN ‘n FUN and shop for supplies or charts for the trip. Of course, the complete SUN ’n FUN NOTAM is included for smooth arrival procedures. It’s perfect for in-flight reference and does not require an internet connection. Once at the show, the SUN ‘n FUN app has maps, maps and more maps: the convention grounds, the campgrounds, an aerial map, Splash-in map and even the tram route map. The daily schedules will be right in your pocket too. Sporty’s SUN ’n FUN app includes the schedule of forums, workshops, the daily air show and the evening programs to help make your visit even more personal and productive.

The SUN ’n FUN app also contains a database of all SUN ‘n FUN exhibitors. With this handy app, you won’t wander around looking for a particular company since the location of every exhibitor will be at your fingertips. You can even mark favorite exhibitors you want to visit.

“SUN ‘n FUN  is grateful  that our friends at Sporty’s took the initiative to work with us to develop this first generation app for a  very important segment of our attendees,” said John Burton,  SUN ’n FUN President and Convention Chairman. “We look forward to continuing our great relationship with Sporty’s in this and other projects that will enhance the value and availability of the app for all smart phone users attending this and future SUN ‘n FUN annual events.”

It was an exciting day here at Sunny Central Florida headquarters as Mosaic announced their plans for a brand new golf resort and spa that will be coming to the area in just a few years.

More than 16,000 acres of formerly mined phosphate land in Polk County are being transformed into Streamsong, a resort and conference center being developed by The Mosaic Company, the world’s leading producer and marketer of phosphate based crop nutrients. One of Central Florida’s largest landowners, with approximately 250,000 acres under direct ownership, Mosaic is launching its first‐ever venture into real estate development. The company had a unique opportunity to take a large parcel in Florida’s heartland and develop the property to maximize the vast natural attributes of the land. It is taking advantage of the undulating hills, dunes, dramatic contours and lakes created during the mining process to build two highly distinctive 18‐hole golf courses. The goal is to offer an authentic Central Florida experience along with the amenities that meeting planners and tourists expect in a first‐class resort.
Streamsong’s plans include approximately 140 guest rooms (with the potential to expand to more than 200 rooms), five villas (each with four private guest rooms adjoining a common gathering area), more than 20,000 square feet of meeting space, three restaurants and two lounge areas, a full‐service spa, and two golf courses designed by renowned architects Tom Doak of Renaissance Golf Design and Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw of Coore & Crenshaw. This will be only the third location in the world boasting golf course designs by both the Coore‐Crenshaw and
Doak teams, following highly acclaimed projects in Oregon and Tasmania, Australia. Guests will enjoy personal enrichment classes and programs, indoor and outdoor wimming pools, unparalleled Florida bass fishing and other outdoor activities such as croquet, birding tours, hiking and nature trails and a sporting clay range.

But, we still have a month to go, so Polk Outpost 27 is showcasing a preview of the festival, next week, October 11-17, 2010. Quilts will be on display throughout the visitor’s center, there will also be samplings of tea sets, and vintage teddy bears. The gift shop will also offer 10% off all tea pots, cookie jars and mugs, tea cups.

So now that you know the secret, pass it along…

Of course, the game is inspired by the aviation wonderland, Fantasy of Flight, and the aviation themed-children’s book, All of Life is a School, written by the attraction’s owner Kermit Weeks, the game is a fun way to allow users to learn about the game’s vintage aircrafts in a hands-on and imaginative way. The app is $1.99 and can be purchased by visiting the Apple iTunes store.

Well, I’m glad you asked!

Last Saturday, Florida Southern College celebrated the future home of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Tourism and Education Center, which will be located at the northeast corner of Johnson Avenue and McDonald Street. The Tourism and Education Center will be built using plans for a Usonian house that Mr. Wright designed as part of the campus master plan. Wright designed 18 structures for the campus, 12 of which were built over two decades from 1939 to 1958.

The Tourism and Education Center will provide a dedicated space for an introductory film on the history of  Wright’s career and 20-year relationship with Florida Southern College; a gift shop with a full inventory of Frank Lloyd Wright-related books, apparel, and souvenirs; a tourism kiosk with information on other Polk County attractions; exhibitions and conferences; and self-guided and docent-led walking tours.

Among Wright’s plans left on the drawing board was a Usonian house design meant to serve as economical faculty housing. Designed to control costs, Mr. Wright’s Usonian houses – which he intended to be built in a distinctly American style that was affordable for the middle class – had no attics, no basements, and little ornamentation. “Usonian” is an acronym for United States of North America. Keep checking back here and we will keep you updated on the progress of the building and when it will be ready to start welcoming visitors to the largest one-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world.