Tampa, Fla.-(2/12/12)-It's Florida State Fair time again.  The 2012 Florida State Fair is being billed as bigger and better than ever before, so I had to investigate.

I took Tattoo Lady, First Daughter and her friend, Deanna, to check out this year's edition of the fair.  The cold front had just passed through and it was in the low 40s and windy when we pulled through the Orient Road gate at 9:30 in the morning.

The two girls headed off to the midway for rides and games.  The Florida State Fair boasts the largest midway in the Southeast, so I knew the girls would be busy.  I had my priorities, we headed for the Expo Hall to warm up.  We were quickly ushered back out as some BOZO had set off the fire alarm.

I didn't have to think too hard as we headed straight for the nearest Fiske french fries stand.  After downing the large size fries, we ducked into the warm arts and crafts building.

Once we thawed out it was on to Cracker Country.  Cracker Country is full of restored old buildings from Florida's past.  There's even old crafts and music.  The girls took a break from the rides to make old fashioned candles.

After phoning in some updates for the radio news and interviewing fair spokesman Rip Stalvey, we ate some more.  All the walking and eating eventually had us headed home.

The Florida State Fair is a bunch of fun.  Click Here To See My Fair Pics

Webster, Florida (2/5/12)-My friends Terry and Tony wanted to take a little ride up to Webster, north of the Bay Area.  Webster is a small town famous for a giant flea market each Monday.  It's like a giant fair.  Webster also holds a big motorcycle swap meet the first Sunday of each month.

You may recall that I did a blog on a visit to Webster with my son.  That time we took the car to sell my old Harley parts. I was up for a ride this time around.

We skirted around the backroads north of Lakeland.  We hit North U.S. 98 to a road that cuts up through the Green Swamp.  Nice scenic ride out of the swamp, through Terrytown and into Webster.

Admission to the swap meet is $5.00, but you get a free beer or soda.  There's only one booth with the free stuff and it was hard to find  Free admission may have been a better deal.

The swap meet is stretched out over many acres and there are hundreds of vendors.  There are old and new Harley parts, old Harleys, collectors stuff, tires, leather goods, saddlebags and fair food.  Also ran into my old pals Buddy and Clyde.

I looked, but did not buy.  It was just a good day for looking and riding.  After a pit stop along the Swampway, it was on back to watch the Super Bowl.  I think I'd rather be riding since the Bucs aren't in the BIG GAME.  Click Here To See My Pix

Tampa, Fla.-(1/22/2011)-WOW IT'S 2012!!! I can't believe that we are into 2012 already.  It just seems like we were all anticipating the turn of the century yesterday.

Florida's population had stopped adding new people for a few years, but the Sunshine State is having another growth spurt as people burn out on cold weather and move here.  I was in sleepy little Mulberry the other day and the traffic was thick as flies over honey.

Maybe we should put up a fence at the state line and say "go back."  Florida looks like a little place when you see a shot from space.  How are we cramming all these people into this small space?

There are new stores and shopping centers going up everywhere.  Rural Pasco County has stores popping up all around.  I read that there may be an Ellenton style outlet mall going up in the Wesley Chapel area.  There's already the big Wiregrass Mall there.  I remember when the only thing in W-Chapel was the Saddlebrook Resort.

Florida's ecosystem is pretty delicate.  Will the Florida peninsula fall into the water if we keeping adding people and new buildings?  I hope not, but it is 2012 when some people think we're doomed.  Millions of Floridians are all in this together, so in the words of Rodney King "can't we all get along?"  Here's hoping for a great 2012.  PEACE BRO.