Post on 28-Jun-2020
May 2019
Email: editor@plantcityguide.com (813) 610-7336
Tacos Piki Brings Authentic Mexican Food to Downtown
Hearing about new delicious
restaurants that pop up around Plant
City is news that will never get old for
me.
Tacos Piki officially opened its doors at
115 E. Reynolds St. on April 18 and
has already been gaining a reputation
for providing authentic, delicious
Mexican dishes at a very reasonable
price!
The tacos should prove to be popular
with anyone seeking a quick and
inexpensive, yet savory, lunch. The
corn tortillas are priced at $1.75 each
and come with steak (regular or
shredded), pork (seasoned or shredded),
chicken, broiled barbacoa beef or tripe,
and are topped with cilantro, onion,
avocado and cheese.
On their menu, you will find a full
collection of classic Mexican favorites,
including everything from fajitas,
tostadas, burritos and quesadillas.
Another thing on the menu that stood
out to me is the fresh guacamole, which
is always a fantastic way to start your
meal.
Owner Omar Gonzalez, an electrician
by trade, had a dream of opening his
own restaurant. He started by
cooking in his mother’s house. He
did well enough to move to 4303
McIntosh Road in Dover within six
months. Now, he and wife Adela
Duenas Gonzalez want to give you
a true taste of the culture and
authentic food of Mexico!
Hours for Tacos Piki’s downtown
Plant City location are 11:00 a.m.
to 9:00: p.m. Tuesdays through
Thursdays, from 11:00 a.m. to
10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays
and 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Sundays. The restaurant is closed
on Mondays.
For more information, call 813-
652-8134.
Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide
May 2019 ~ Page 2 ~
Just a Thought… By: Christine Wynne-Andrade Editor
Until I moved down South from New
York City fourteen years ago, I had
never heard of Plant City. I had never
uttered the word “y’all,” and I had no
idea what grits were. People I didn’t
know were happy to smile at me, and I
was shocked when I ordered iced tea
and received a drink so sweet my teeth
hurt.
It didn’t take long, however, for me to
adjust to the Plant City way of life,
where everything moves a little slower,
and winters are filled with festivals and
strawberries.
I may not be Plant City born and bred,
but I’m so thankful I was adopted into
this passionate, dedicated community
that cares for its neighbors and its
environment.
The one thing I am still getting used to
is that the town seems to go into
hibernation over the summer.
Parkesdale Farms and Maryland Fried
Chicken shut down for several weeks.
As Editor of the Guide, I’m eager to
continue covering what impacts the
people in the place I call home. To best
do that, we need your help. Have
thoughts or events? Send them our way
at editor@plantcityguide.com
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Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide
May 2019 ~ Page 3 ~
FLORIDA’S TALLEST LAUNCH COASTER TIGRIS OPEN AT
BUSCH GARDENS TAMPA BAY
Just in time for summer, Busch
Gardens® Tampa Bay has officially
opened Tigris, a triple-launch steel
roller coaster, as of April 19, 2019. The
new attraction is Florida’s tallest
launch coaster and the ninth coaster in
the park’s collection, solidifying Busch
Gardens Tampa Bay as Florida’s thrill
ride leader.
“We are proud of the legacy we’ve
built as we have welcomed millions of
thrill-seekers from around the world to
the Tampa Bay area,” said Stewart
Clark, President of Busch Gardens
Tampa Bay and Adventure Island.
“Tigris is the perfect addition to our
unrivaled collection of adrenaline-
pumping attractions.”
Tigris will catapult riders through an
exhilarating array of looping twists
with forward and backward motion,
breath-taking drops, a 150-foot
skyward surge, and an inverted
heartline roll, reaching a top speed of
more than 60 miles per hour. Tigris
will race riders along more than 1,800
feet of steel track designed to mimic
the awe-inspiring agility of the world’s
largest and most powerful cat –the
tiger.
Tigris joins a top-rated list of favorites
for coaster enthusiasts, including
Cheetah Hunt, the park’s longest
coaster, SheiKra, a 200-foot tall
floorless dive coaster, Falcon’s Fury, a
335-foot freestanding drop tower,
Montu, an inverted coaster, Kumba,
and Cobra’s Curse, to name a few.
The best way to experience Tigris
and all of the attractions at Busch
Gardens as well as more than a
dozen seasonal events throughout
the year is with an Annual
Pass. Guests can choose from four
unique passes for the benefits and
value they want most. Pass
Members will also enjoy exclusive
ride time on Tigris for the first two
weekends in May before the ride
opens for the day to general guests.
To learn more and be the first to
know about new attractions, events
and future announcements, fans can
follow the park’s blog or join the
social conversation using
#TakeOnTigris on Facebook,
Twitter and Instagram.
Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide
May 2019 ~ Page 4 ~
Garden Rocks Concert Series Expands to Every Day of the Epcot
International Flower & Garden Festival, March 6-June 3
New sights, sounds and flavors of
spring will envelop Walt Disney World
Resort guests beginning March 6 when
the 26th Epcot International Flower &
Garden Festival bursts into bloom.
This year’s festival will be chock-full
of lush new topiary whimsy, edible
delights, gardens to play in and an
expanded lineup for the Garden Rocks
Concert Series.
The 90-day event continues through
June 3, featuring dozens of Disney-
crafted topiaries and beds of multi-
colored blooms that will transform the
Epcot landscape into a floral
extravaganza. As just one example of
this metamorphosis, nearly 70,000
festival blooms will surround the lakes
in Future World, while on the water,
hundreds of colorful mini-gardens will
be set afloat.
Garden Rocks Concert Series is back
– every single day of the 26th Epcot
International Flower & Garden
Festival!
For the first time since the popular
spring extravaganza expanded to 90
days, Garden Rocks concerts will play
seven days a week, three times daily,
for a total of 270 concerts spanning
multiple genres across four decades of
chart-topping hits.
Twelve brand-new Garden Rocks acts
include: A Flock of Seagulls,
Ambrosia, Peabo Bryson, War, Eddie
Palmieri, Colin Hay of Men at Work,
TobyMac, Steven Curtis Chapman,
John Michael Montgomery, Magic
Giant, Jon Anderson of YES and
Journey former lead vocalist Steve
Auger. Other new-to-this-festival
acts that have performed at other
Walt Disney World events include
Glass Tiger, Wang Chung, Air
Supply and more.
Guests can dance in their seats each
evening to classic tunes at the
park’s outdoor America Gardens
Theatre overlooking the World
Showcase Lagoon. An eclectic
mix of Flower & Garden Festival
fan favorites includes1960s icons
Herman’s Hermits starring Peter
Noone, ’70s-’80s chart-toppers
Rick Springfield, Dennis Deyoung
and Don Felder, and ’90s hit-
makers Sister Hazel.
Performance times are 5:30, 6:45
and 8 p.m. and are included with
Epcot admission. Guests can enjoy
guaranteed concert seating by
reserving a Garden Rocks Dining
Package and enjoying breakfast,
lunch or dinner at select Epcot
restaurants. For more information
or to book a dining package,
Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide
May 2019 ~ Page 5 ~
call 407-WDW-DINE (407-939-3463)
or visit FreshEpcot.com.
Here is this year’s lineup (subject to
change without notice):
April 1-2: Rick Springfield
April 3-4: Christopher Cross
April 5-7: The Spinners
April 8-9: Dennis DeYoung
original member of the group
STYX April 10-11: John Michael
Montgomery
April 12-13: Sister Sledge
April 14-16: Night Ranger
April 17-19: Sister Hazel
April 20-21: Steven Curtis
April 22-23: TobyMac
April 24-26: Lonestar
April 27-30: The Orchestra starring
former members of ELO
May 1-4: Herman’s Hermits
May 5-7: Don Felder, Formerly of
the Eagles May 8-9: A Flock of
Seagulls
May 10-11: Marshall Tucker Band
May 12-13: Peabo Bryson
May 14-15: Richard Marx
May 16-19: STARSHIP starring
Mickey Thomas
May 20-21: Colin Hay of Men at
Work
May 22-23: War
May 24-27: The Guess Who
May 28-29: Jon Secada
May 30-June 1: Blood, Sweat and
Tears
June 2-3: Eddie Palmieri
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Set to
Open at Walt Disney World
Resort on August 29
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will open
August 29, 2019, at Disney's
Hollywood Studios. At 14 acres, Star
Wars: Galaxy's Edge will be Disney's
largest single-themed land
expansions ever, transporting guests
to live their own Star Wars
adventures in Black Spire Outpost, a
village on the remote planet of Batuu,
full of unique sights, sounds, smells
and tastes. Guests can become part of
the story as they sample galactic food
and beverages and explore an
intriguing collection of merchant
shops.
For more than four decades, Star
Wars fans have imagined what it
would be like to blast across the stars
inside the Millennium Falcon or race
through the halls of a Star Destroyer.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will
feature two signature attractions that
turn those dreams into reality.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers
Run, will take guests into the cockpit
of “the fastest hunk of junk in the
galaxy.” They will take the controls
of the Falcon as the ship hurtles
through space.
A second attraction, Star Wars: Rise
of the Resistance will open later.
Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide
May 201 ~ Page 6 ~
Spotlight on Entertainment
Plant City Entertainment Presents……
During WWII, six women gather at the church to
roll bandages and plan the church's 75th
anniversary. Overseeing things is Edith, the
pastor's wise-cracking wife who dispenses Red
Cross smocks and witty repartee to Luby,
whose son is fighting in the Pacific; Mae Ellen,
the church's rebellious organist who wants to
quit but hasn't the courage; Olene, who dreams of
a career in Hollywood; Sammy, a shy newcomer
with a secret; and Vera, an influential Baptist with a secret
of her own. When Luby learns her son has been wounded, she confounds the
others by blaming the vulnerable Sammy.
Twenty-five years later, our "First Baptist Six" reunite. Back to reconcile with
Luby - whose son died of his wounds - is Sammy, whose own son is now in
Vietnam; and Olene, whose flashy show business career will set the town on its
ear. There to welcome them are Vera, her secret still safe; Mae Ellen, still
rebellious and still looking for an escape; and Edith, whose biggest challenge
isn't the church's upcoming centennial but revelations that shake relationships
formed over a quarter of a century. With humor and pathos, these six very
different women find comfort, forgiveness and redemption in each other.
The play features music, in the form of hymns (played on an organ or piano) as
well as other hymns and traditional music song by cast members (used to
advance the story, develop character and entertain).
Show Dates: April 26, 27, 28,* May 3, 4, 5,* 2019
*All performances at 8:00 p.m., except Sunday matinees – 2:00 p.m.
For any additional information please contact Director Coy Permenter at:
813-767-7423, Permentercoy@yahoo.com
Tickets are $18 for adults, $14 for students and senior citizens and $12 for
members or group advance sales. Reservations are recommended and can be
purchased in advance online at PCEShows.com or by calling Frances Hardee at
813-754-4929. Tickets are generally available at the door as well.
The Plant City Entertainment Community Theater is located at 101 North
Thomas Street.
Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide
May 2019 ~ Page 7 ~
Spotlight on Entertainment
Valrico Village Players Presents……
THE STORY: A sinister con man, Roat,
and two ex-convicts, Mike and Carlino,
are about to meet their match. They
have traced the location of a mysterious
doll, which they are much interested in,
to the Greenwich Village apartment of
Sam Hendrix and his blind wife, Susy.
Sam had apparently been persuaded by a
strange woman to transport the doll
across the Canadian border, not
knowing that sewn inside were several
grams of heroin. When the woman is
murdered the situation becomes more
urgent. The con man and his ex-
convicts, through a cleverly constructed deception, convince Susy that the
police have implicated Sam in the woman's murder, and the doll, which she
believes is the key to his innocence, is evidence. She refuses to reveal its
location, and with the help of a young neighbor, figures out she is the victim of
a bizarre charade. But when Roat kills his associates, a deadly game of cat and
mouse ensues between the two. Susy knows the only way to play fair is by her
rules, so when darkness falls she turns off all the lights leaving both of them to
maneuver in the dark until the game ends.
Evening performances at 8:00 p.m. on:
Friday, June 14
Saturday, June 15
Friday, June 21
Saturday, June 22
Matinee performances at 3:00 p.m. on
Sunday, June 16
Sunday, June 23
Contact the Box Office for more info:
(813) 480-3147
Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide
May 2019~ Page 8 ~
Torque Makes Wave in Robotics
By: Breanne Williams
** Reprinted from the Plant City Observer – March 28, 2019 Issue **
Michael Wynne had never pictured a
future in robotics when he began to
contemplate where he would go to high
school.
An IB student, he had few options
available for his preferred route of
education and when a friend suggested
he join a robotics program that only left
one school in a local vicinity that could
meet all of his interests. He enrolled at
King High School and began to make the
trek from Plant City to Tampa five days
a week to pursue his new passion.
“What’s great about our robotics team is
most people go in without any
information on how to do stuff,” Wynne
said. “We all have assigned things to do
and as a team we compete with our
robot. I’ve learned how to use the drill
press and have picked up a variety of
skills with tools. There’s 15 students and
three mentors, two of the mentors are
college students… The students pretty
much teach ourselves, we’re building
from scratch and programing ourselves
and we kind of teach each other how to
succeed.”
Each year the team, which is called
Torque, is given a new objective with a
detailed description of the agenda the
robot will have to complete. They then
have six weeks to build the bot and
program it so it can perfectly complete
the new course. During build season the
students work more than 10 hours a
week, filing time on Monday,
Wednesday and Saturday to perfect their
‘bots.
Wynne said he knew “basically
nothing” going into the program
and yet was hooked almost
immediately upon starting his
freshman year. He’s a sophomore
now and has fallen even more in
love with the unique challenges
that come from competing on the
robotics team.
“I was surprised by how little time
we have to build it,” Wynne said.
“I’ve assumed it would take much
longer to do it, but when we’re
working as a team nonstop it’s
really impressive how much we
get done in that time. I work on the
bumper, but we have the mindset
that if any of us finish our part we
go and help somewhere else. We
learn so much that way and we’re
able to really build a lot in a short
period of time.”
Once build season wraps up the
teams are thrown into heavy
competition. Each event is
approximately three days long and
whichever teams win continue to
Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide
May 2019 ~ Page 9 ~
advance day by day. But unlike so
many local competitions, these students
aren’t just up against teams from
Tampa Bay, Florida or even the entire
United States. The competitions are
international and there are designated
districts that teams can travel to
compete in.
Due to the wide range of talents each
competition has monumental odds. Just
a few weeks ago Torque was up against
more than 60 other teams and the
upcoming competition has around 65
teams confirmed to compete.
“There’s a lot of competition, but we
try not to let that get to us,” Wynne
said. “The hardest part of this entire
process is pretty much at competition
when we’re having to fix problems that
emerge. With the strict time limits you
have a lot to do in a little amount of
time.”
Sometimes their drive chain stops
working midway through an obstacle
course. Sometimes there seems to be a
glitch between the messages the driver
is sending and the machine. Regardless
of what pops up the team has to
immediately fix the problem so the
robot can continue the competition.
For a school like King, obstacles come
in an entirely different form as well.
Sponsors and funding continue to be a
hurdle for the group and Wynne said
when these massive international teams
arrive they’re coming with sponsors
like Disney or NASA and “every tech
company you can imagine.” Because of
the financial backing the programs are
much larger than King can provide with
teams sometimes double the size of the
Tampa school.
The students are also relying almost
entirely on their self-taught
knowledge to carry them through the
competition. The three mentors are a
massive help, however, the students
aren’t receiving the guidance of
industry experts like many of the
other teams do during build season.
“We’d love to have someone come
in and work with us during build
season,” Wynne said. “We’re still a
relatively new team and we’re going
up against teams that are a lot older
than us. They have knowledge we
don’t. It would be cool if someone
with engineering or mechanics or
really any helpful experience could
come and talk to us.”
Though the obstacles are many, the
team continues to hold its own at
competition. They’ve become a
family at Torque and the
camaraderie makes learning the
niche skills all the more enjoyable.
“There’s this stereotype that you
have to have a lot of knowledge and
you have to want to go into robotics
to join the team, but that’s just not
true,” Wynne said. “You learn so
much here and it’s open to
everybody. We teach you, you don’t
have to know much and I promise
you’ll have fun.”
Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide
May 2019 ~ Page 10 ~
Loggerheads on Demand at Juno Beach
By: Christine Wynne
May 1 was the beginning of the sea
turtle nesting season. Hundreds of sea
turtles come ashore in Juno Beach,
Florida each summer on a journey
mapped before they were born. These
loggerheads, leatherbacks and green sea
turtles come onto the beach and lay eggs
by the hundred, then return to the sea.
Thousands of hatchlings emerge a
couple of months later and follow their
instincts across miles of vast ocean, and
possibly back to the same beach to lay
eggs of their own. Juno Beach is now
recognized as one of the most active
nesting beaches in the world!
Florida is blessed to have five out of the
seven sea turtle species that are found
worldwide. The most common turtle in
Florida is the Loggerhead, Green and
Leatherback. The Loggerhead is the
most common in Juno Beach, where on a
9 ½ mile stretch of beach, 16,000 nests
were laid in 2016! The Green and
Leatherbacks are much less common
with only a few hundred nests last year.
If you want to learn more about these
threatened turtles and get up closer and
personal with them, spend an afternoon
at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center.
This is a one of a kind turtle
rehabilitation and educational center
located on Juno Beach in Palm Beach
County. The state of the art center,
which is supported solely by donations,
is the result of a small dream paired with
a grand vision. It began over 30 years
ago when long-time Juno Beach resident
Eleanor Fletcher started what is now the
Loggerhead Marinelife Center. Eleanor
and her husband Robert had a real
estate business in Juno Beach. Eleanor
began to notice the abundance of sea
turtles nesting on the shore in spring
and summer. She was curious about
why so many hatchlings headed
landward after hatching, rather than
back to sea, and as a result, began
some of the earliest research on sea
turtles in the area. Eleanor became
known as “The Turtle Lady”
throughout the area and the
Loggerhead Marinelife Center now
attracts more than 300,000 visitors
each year.
We recently participated in a tour
called “A Turtle Walk,” which is a
unique program that allows visitors to
learn about, and observe, the nesting
and egg-laying process of sea turtles.
We met at the Center a few hours
after it had closed for the day and took
an exclusive, behind-the-gate tour to
meet some of the turtles.
While entrance to the Loggerhead
Marinelife Center is free, there is a
small charge for the tours. Plan on
spending a couple of hours at the
center. Visit www.marinelife.org or
call (561) 627-8280.
Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide
May 2019 ~ Page 11 ~
Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide
May 2019 ~ Page 12 ~
Making Cents
Kids and Money: Plan to Budget
Much like opportunity cost, budgeting
is another concept that comes up quite
naturally during the day. The easiest
example with kids is teaching them to
budget their time. The easiest way is
to backwards plan regarding leaving for
a trip. Have them name all the little
events and tasks that need to take place
before you can leave: making the bed,
changing clothes, eating breakfast,
feeding the pets, brushing teeth,
brushing hair, bringing a book or
gadget, putting on shoes, etc. I will ask,
“How long does it take you to put on
your shoes? Correction: How long does
it take you from the time I tell you to
put on shoes to the time you actually do
it?” Because, that’s two different
values, right? We add up all the times
and subtract it from the time we need to
be in the car and on our way. This is
essentially budgeting. Have the kids
budget their time.
When it comes to including the
condition of money, we have already
heard of great tools out there like the
Give, Save, Live piggy banks. This is a
great and proven way to help a child
understand budgeting. These banks
emphasize in emphasize the importance
of naming every dollar as soon as you
get it. This teaches your kids the simple
concept that “You have to know where
your money is going”. Otherwise, it
will leave and you won’t know where it
went! And when you don’t know where
it went, often you have overspent.
Naming and knowing the destination of
your money makes money your servant
rather than the other way around.
For example, if my daughter receives
$20 total from birthday cards (even if
it’s given through gift cards), I’ll sit
down with her and scratch on a piece of
paper where each dollar may go. The 5
minute conversation ends with her
saying she’d like to give $2, save $2
and spend $16. She has effectively
planned or laid out a budget by naming
every dollar and we did it very soon
after receiving the money. These
conversations go a long way to taking
the mystery out of money for your
children.
Next, we put this piece of paper into a
folder and simply label it
“BUDGET”. You may even use Excel
or Access or Quickbooks. The lesson
is quite simply the importance of
writing it down. AND you create a
record that can be reviewed. I believe
it is equally important for my child to
be able to tell me where there money
went as it is to decide where it should
go in the first place.
"Give Us Your Ad And We'll
Put Some
Real Plant City Coverage
Around It"
Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide
May 2019 ~ Page 13 ~
Army of Passionate Volunteers Come Together to Help Cleanup
Tampa Bay’s Shoreline During the Great American Cleanup
Last month, a conservation initiative of
The Florida Aquarium and Keep
Tampa Bay Beautiful, the Keep
America Beautiful- Great American
Cleanup provided staff, volunteers,
residents and civic organizations with
the opportunity to rejuvenate shorelines
and create healthier aquatic ecosystems
for people and wildlife, one piece of
trash at a time.
During the two-hour cleanup the
morning of April 27, these dedicated
groups enhanced the overall health and
beauty of Tampa Bay’s natural
environment by removing more than 40
pounds of trash along the coast
of Picnic Island.
Also during the shoreline cleanup, 400
propagules of black, red and white
mangrove were planted to protect
Tampa's shorelines from extreme
weather events and provide important
ecological support for the natural
environment.
"The Florida Aquarium is proud to
participate in this important initiative in
partnership with Keep Tampa Bay
Beautiful. We know how important it is
to keep our shorelines, parks, and lakes
clean to preserve Tampa Bay’s
wildlife," said Roger Germann,
President and CEO. "This partnership
with KTBB is helping us inspire and
engage staff, volunteers and the
community across Tampa Bay to take
environmental action, through activities
like the Great American Cleanup.”
The Great American Cleanup is the
most significant volunteer
community improvement effort in
the nation and serves as a call to
action to volunteers throughout the
country to create more sustainable
communities by focusing volunteer
efforts on activities that impact
individuals in need, aesthetic
community improvements, and
environmental impact. Through this
far-reaching effort, which takes
place from March 20 through June
20, Keep America Beautiful and
its network of more than 600
community-based affiliates and
partner organizations host cleanups,
green-ups and fix-ups in more than
20,000 communities across the
country, engaging more than 1.5
million volunteers and participants.
One of the reasons The Florida
Aquarium hosted this cleanup, as
well as hosting several other local
cleanups throughout the year, is that
any trash that finds its way into the
water can affect the health of
wildlife, people and local
economies. Waste in the water and
on the shore can be mistaken as
food by wildlife, or entangle
animals with lethal consequences.
Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide
May 2019 ~ Page 14 ~
Words of Inspiration Rattlesnake Mountain
By: Mike Johnson
"RATTLESNAKE MOUNTAIN"
To the spectators 3,000 feet below, we
were skilled mountaineers. Clinging to
the south side of Rattlesnake Mountain,
Margie and I rested, two specks of red
just 500 feet below its summit. The
distance prevented onlookers from
detecting what they'd never suspect --
this was our first mountain climb -- and
we were terrified.
It sure had looked easy back in 1996.
Visible from our driveway in Cody,
Rattlesnake Mountain had teased us for
weeks, soaring 3,500 feet over our then
new northwestern Wyoming town.
What a view it must be from the top!
So one Sunday morning, loaded with
too little water and too much
confidence, we nonchalantly headed
off. "We'll be back by lunch," we
shouted to the kids, stepping out the
door and into adventure.
The mountain enticed us by rising
gradually from the road, an innocent
dirt trail leading us like birds following
bread crumbs into its boulder field. The
giant slabs were easy to hike and teased
us with their promise of ever greater
ascension. By the time the boxcar-sized
rocks had faded into the steeper, more
treacherous gravel field, we were three-
quarters of the way to the summit.
We rested, and reflected.
What had begun as a "hike" to the top,
had subtly become a "climb" to the top.
Initially relaxed and biting off terrain in
hundred foot sections, we'd
progressively turned tense, unable to
focus farther than the next hand hold.
Noon was arriving and the mid-day sun
had long ago become searing. We'd
consumed 60% of our water and 70%
of our courage, yet the summit
remained 500 of the steepest feet
above. Looking at our current position,
and then at the summit, we saw no way
to traverse the gap between the two.
Yet, we knew the climb down from this
point would be no picnic, and we also
knew if we abandoned our ascent now,
the mountain would forever mock us
every time we glanced up from our
driveway.
What had we gotten ourselves into?
More accurately, what had I gotten
ourselves into?
Margie had originally refused to take
the arduous route I'd selected. "I'm not
climbing up the face of a mountain,
Mike. You always underestimate these
things. I'm just not going to do it."
"OK," I'd rationalized both to myself
and to her, "Let's just take this easy
trail and see where it leads.
- Continued on Next Page-
Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide
May 2019 ~ Page 15 ~
If it gets too spooky we'll just come
back down." Technically that was a fib
- I knew where it would lead all right -
straight to the top. But inspirationally, I
knew if I could just get her started,
we'd both relish the accomplishment.
3,000 feet later - more perspired than
inspired -- we were unable to turn back.
She was right, I HAD underestimated
the thing. Yet, there was only one way
out of our pickle - straight up. So
precarious was our position, we
stopped focusing on the summit and
centered instead on the step
immediately before us. As that footstep
held, the following one appeared.
Isn't that the way life works? We see
someone successfully standing on their
mountain top - perhaps it's an actress,
corporate president or superstar athlete.
I'd like to be there too, we dream. But
then we size up our current position as
compared to our hero's
accomplishment, and see no possible
way to duplicate their level of success.
And surrender before we even begin.
The hidden truth of every goal is that it
actually DOES arrive with a well-
marked trail. Our very desire to
achieve, writes the plan to which we
cleave. The rub is that this road map
only reveals itself one step at a time -
AFTER we've put ourselves on the line.
In order to get to the mountain top, we
have to start climbing the mountain.
Life asks just one thing from us - take
the first step. It then happily rewards us
by exposing the next step. And the
next. One at a time, all the way to the
top.
90 minutes later, after cresting the
summit we'd been reaching for all
morning, we reverently rose to our
feet. Leaning carefully into the
roaring, alpine winds, accepting
their crispness as reward for our
efforts, we scanned our town
thousands of feet below.
Somewhere down there, lay the
driveway where our dream was
hatched. Although we couldn't see it
from our altitude, we knew that
once we returned, its view would be
forever altered.
As we surveyed other landmarks
from our lofty position, our eyes
settled on a new discovery - a rocky
pinnacle that had been invisible
from the ground below. This higher
mountain top lay hidden behind the
summit we'd just traversed.
Margie flashed a grin of recognition
in my direction. I nodded. It was
life, revealing its next step.
Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide
May 2019 ~ Page 16 ~
Social Scene
East Hillsborough Discovery Quest
May 4– 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Plant City High School
National Day of Prayer
May 2– 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
City Hall
Groundbreaking Ceremony – Plant
City’s New Community Center
May 8 – 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
1601 E Dr. MLK Jr. Boulevard
Strawberry Classic Car Show
May 18 – 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Historic Downtown
Capital Coffee
May 22 – 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
HCC Trinkle Center
Entrepreneur/Small Business
Consulting Services
May 30 – 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Plant City Chamber of
Commerce
Live Music
Thursdays – 8:00p.m.–12:00a.m.
1916 Irish Pub
Live Music
Fridays & Saturdays – 6:30 p.m.
– 10:30 p.m.
Keel & Curley Winery
Salon, Nails and Tanning
Services include Facials, Pedicures, Manicures, Gel Nails, Spray Tan and Waxing
**Call Sloan at (813) 393-6417 for new client specials**
1513 James L. Redman Parkway, Suite 102A, Plant City
Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide
May 2019 ~ Page 17 ~
Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide
May 2019 ~ Page 18 ~
Library Corner
Adults:
Mahjong Class: Thursdays from 2:00
p.m. – 4:00 p.m. May 2nd
, 9th, 16
th, 23
rd
and 30th
Whether you’re a first-time player or a
seasoned expert, join us every week to
play American Mahjong!
Master Gardener - Mushrooms:
Monday, May 13th, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Come learn about the fascinating world
of fungi! You will learn what fungi are,
how they can hurt and help in the
garden, as well as how to grow edible
mushrooms. Presented by the Master
Gardeners of the Hillsborough County
Extension Services. Participants are
invited to bring a plant for the plant
exchange afterwards!
Morning Book Club: A Murder in Time
by Julie McElwain
Tuesday, May 21st, 11:00 a.m.
Join us for our Morning Book Club! We
meet once a month to discuss the club's
book selection for that month. Share
your thoughts on the book and help
select future titles! Get copies of next
month's club pick at this discussion.
Losing half of her team during a raid,
rising FBI star Kendra, finds a mole in
the group and has to quickly react so
she herself will make it out alive. To
hide, she finds refuge in a stairwell.
When she emerges, Kendra finds
herself in the same location, but a
different time. She is thrown into 1815
and has to quickly adapt to the new
time period.
Evening Book Club: A Double Life by
Flynn Berry
Tuesday, May 21st, 7:00 p.m.
Our Evening Book Club is led by Kim
Fields. Share your thoughts on this
month's book and pick up a copy of
next month's selection.
This thriller is loosely based on the
Lord Lucan case. Claire is either the
daughter of a cold murderer or the
daughter of a wronged man. She isn’t
sure what to believe. However, she
will soon learn just how far she will go
to find out the facts about her long lost
father.
Featured artist for May: Alan
Gambrell
Infant to Pre-K
Story Time (Toddlers): Tuesdays, May
7th & 14
th 10:30 a.m.
Stories and interactive activities make
up this engaging 30-minute program
that highlights early literacy skills and
encourages reading readiness and
social interaction.
Story Time (Pre-K): Thursdays, May
2nd
, 9th, 16
th 10:30 a.m.
Stories and interactive activities make
up this engaging 30-minute program
that highlights early literacy skills and
encourages reading readiness and
social interaction.
Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide
May 2019 ~ Page 19 ~
Library Corner
Infant to Pre-K
Bedtime Stories: Wednesdays, May 8th
& 15th 6:30 p.m.
Stories and interactive activities make
up this engaging 45-minute program
that highlights early literacy skills and
encourages reading readiness and social
interaction. For children ages 3-7 years
and their caregivers.
Elementary
Paws for Reading with Bonnie the
Therapy Dog!: Wednesdays, May 1st,
8th, 15
th & 22
nd at 4:00 p.m.
Bonnie loves to snuggle up with anyone
who wants to share a book and rub her
back. You can find her on the couch in
the children’s area. Reading with
Bonnie can help children improve
reading, communication skills and build
confidence. Bonnie is a Shih Tzu
Reading Therapy Dog certified by the
Alliance of Therapy Dogs. For children
of all ages.
Crafternoon:
Monday, May 6th, 4:00 p.m.
Elementary Students and their families
are invited to learn the skill of paper
weaving with a Make and Take craft.
Funded by Friends of the Library.
Crafternoon:
Monday, May 20th, 4:00 p.m.
Elementary Students: Perler Bead
Extravaganza! Create a Make and
Take pixel art creation with Perler
Beads. For families with elementary
school students. Funded by Friends
of the Library.
Teens
Teen Green Screen
Tuesday, May 28th at 5:00 p.m.
TEENS! Bring your favorite book
and share during our book talk. We
will be having a green screen to host
the book discussion in exciting
settings. For teens in Grades 6-12.
Florida Weddings
on the Go
Specialty
Weddings for
Busy Couples
$75 Special for Wedding
Officiating
Florida Weddings on the Go
specializes in creating romantic
wedding ceremonies and vow
renewal ceremonies that are as
unique as each couple. Our
officiants provide a marriage
ceremony full of magic and
romantic memories that will
last a lifetime. For more
information, visit www.floridaweddingsonthego.com
Plant City Dining & Entertainment Guide
May 2019 ~ Page 20 ~