Imagine

Day 241  |  St. Petersburg  

The sky was painted with pinks and oranges this morning. The surreal glow filtering through our cabin ports urged us to get out of bed and take in the sunrise. A bit later, we bundled up and headed out to our destination of the day -- Imagine Museum. It was just over a two mile walk from the marina and we once again enjoyed the scenery along the way. The metal and glass sculpture in front of Cassis (restaurant) became our landmark for the day. We headed down Central Avenue and marveled at the complexity and variety of the street murals we were seeing for the first time. We met back up with the shark and this time Barry took the cheesy (but required) photo. The Imagine Museum guides visitors through the history of the American studio glass movement with multiple galleries on two floors. The galleries were minimalistic and a clean white with high-intensity lighting focused on the exhibits.

The Red Head was the oldest piece on display, dating back to 1959. There were several paperweights from Paul Stankard. The realistic looking flowers and bees inside the sphere are also made of glass. Vases and bowls from Toots Zynsky featured her trademark feathery edges. The six-foot tall Icosahedron by Anthony James was my favorite piece. It is comprised of 20 individual triangular facets and is constructed of titanium, LED lights, and transparent mirrors. Peering into the structure creates the illusion of infinite depth.

The collection contained a few early pieces from Dale Chihuly, but I found the section devoted to the works of local artists to be equally impressive. A blown and scultped fish, a sculpted sea turtle bowl, and blown egg and vase were highlights. I enjoyed the challenge of art photography with my iPhone.

Working our way back to the marina we spotted even more painted murals. In places it seems that every building has at least one wall painted. The view was totally different coming and going. The creativity on display is amazing.

We stopped for lunch at Ford's Garage, a burger joint themed to look like a 1920s service station, complete with vintage Ford vehicles, gas pumps, and fixtures. Barry was impressed with the shop towel napkins and hose clamp napkin rings. Before we departed, he went to the restroom and came back all excited about the design. "I had to take pictures to show you." The sink is a gas pump nozzle flowing into a wheel, with a single cut-off valve for the handle. The urinal was made from a beer keg. Art is truly open to the imagination of all. Clouds had rolled in and the wind was blowing, making for a chilly walk. We passed Cassis again on the way back to Crossroads in early afternoon. Chris (Miss Utah) and I headed up to the Cassis cafe for an afternoon beverage -- due of the nip in the air, we each had hot tea. We ended our day with a fantastic dinner at Cassis with two couples in the planning stage of the Loop. They came with questions, we shared our experiences, and the evening flew by with lively conversation. A year ago we were the eager planners and even with all our preparation, we could not have imagined what was waiting for us.