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 ~