Conference Update: Host Committee

Beverly Waldron

In the last issue of the ACN we provided some information about the 1999 IPMAAC Conference including when (June 6 - 10, 1999), where (TradeWinds Resort, St. Pete Beach, Florida), how to get here (Tampa International Airport or drive), and what there is to do at the hotel (lots). In this issue we will provide a sampling of things to do in the Tampa Bay area and in Florida (for those of you who are planning on taking advantage of the conference to see more of the state).

Tampa Bay... Florida's SunCoast

It's hard to know where to start so why don't we just jump in. . . .

Boats

If being surrounded by so much water means you have to get on a boat and the Suncats and paddleboats at the hotel aren't exactly what you had in mind, don't despair, choices abound. There are cruises on the Intercoastal and out into the Gulf for dinner/dancing or sightseeing. There are dolphin watching trips, sunset sailing, charter fishing, party boat fishing, charter sailing or cruising, and cruise ships which take 6 hour cruises out into the Gulf with dining, entertainment, and a full casino. Whether you like sails or iron sails (motors) you should be able to find something to meet your desires to get out on the water. Jet skiing, parasailing, and windsurfing are also options.

Museums

The area is not just water and sand. A number of excellent museums are also available to add to your enjoyment of the Tampa Bay area.

Florida International Museum. This museum has hosted exhibits such as Treasures of the Czars; Splendors of Ancient Egypt; Alexander the Greek; and Titanic, The Exhibit. The current exhibit is Empires of Mystery: The Incas, the Andes, and Lost Civilizations. This exhibit is scheduled to be here through the spring so we are not sure if it will still be here in early June for the conference. The exhibit includes 300 artifacts including three mummies (one a 1500 year old sorceress wrapped in hair over eight feet long) gold ceremonial objects, ornate nose rings and 1500 year old human skulls with evidence of successful brain surgery. (www.floridamuseum.org)

Salvador Dali Museum. Located in downtown St. Petersburg this museum houses the world's largest collection of Dali's works. It includes approximately 100 oil paintings, 200 watercolors and drawings and over 1000 graphics and sculptures. (www.daliweb.com)

Holocaust Memorial Museum & Educational Center. This museum in St. Petersburg has a permanent exhibit on the Holocaust and World War II and hosts traveling exhibits. April 5 - August 14 the traveling exhibit will be "Stealing Home: How Jackie Robinson Changed America," an exhibition from the Museum of Tolerance focusing on this giant of baseball's achievements on and off the field. (www2.sptimes.com/Holocaust_museum)

Museum of Fine Arts. Located in St. Petersburg this museum has 20 galleries with paintings by such artists as Fragonard, Vigee-Lebrun, Monet, Moriot, Renoir, Cezanne, Gauguin and Georgia O'Keefe; sculptures by Rodin, MacMonnies and Barye; an entire Steuben crystal gallery and a Tribal Arts gallery. It also recently acquired the largest photography collection in Florida.

Great Explorations. This museum in St. Petersburg that is great for kids (and adults!). It is a hands on museum that invites visitor participation.

Museum of Science and Industry. MOSI, located in Tampa, is the largest science center in the southeast and home of MOSIMAX domed theater. Located here you will find over 450 "minds-on" activities, planetarium, space simulators, hurricane chamber , and butterfly gardens. When the conference is in town the IMAX movies available will be "The Living Sea" and "T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous". If you've never experienced the 82 foot high, wrap-around screen of an IMAX theater it is definitely worth the trip. (www.mosi.org)

Ringling Museum. A short trip down to Sarasota will take you John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. The Art Museum contains one of the world's most important collections of Baroque are and Rueben's "Triumph of the Eucharist" series. The Circus Museum holds a memorabilia collection from "The Greatest Show on Earth." You can also tour Ca'd'Zan, the Ringling residence and one of America's few private palaces. ( www.ringling.org)

Other museums are located in the area but the above list should give you some ideas about your options.

Parks/Attractions

Fort DeSoto Park Located about 10 minutes from the hotel are 900 acres of natural beachfront surrounding a once active U.S. fort. The beach at Ft. DeSoto Park has been voted one of the top ten in the continental USA.

The Pier This is an inverted five-story pyramid that stretches a half-mile into Tampa Bay. The Pier contains indoor and outdoor eateries, bars and shops , an aquarium, observation deck and a restored trolley system. (www.stpete-pier.com) Also located at The Pier and open for tours is the U-484, a Soviet Juliett Class Guided-Missile Submarine which was decommissioned in 1994.

Busch Gardens. About 45 minutes away in Tampa you will find Busch Gardens, a 300 acre African themed entertainment park with rides, shows, and one of America's largest zoological parks. If you like roller coasters this is a place you don't want to miss. In its August issue Amusement Today ranked the world's top twenty-five steel roller coasters. The two big coasters at Busch Gardens Tampa were ranked #3 (Montu, world's largest inverted roller coaster) and #4 (Kumba). (www.buschgardens.com)

Adventure Island Adjacent to Busch Gardens this is a 22 acre waterpark featuring speedslides, bayous, twisting flumes, waterfalls, ocean waves, sunbathing and picnic areas. (www.buschgardens.com)

The Florida Aquarium. Located in Tampa the aquarium displays one of the nations' most comprehensive collections of marine life, ecosystem models and laboratory exhibits. There are a cypress swamp, saw grass marshes, mangrove forests and streams, and a living coral reef exhibit with interactive exhibits throughout. the aquarium. (www2.sptimes.com/Aquarium)

Lowry Park Zoo. Located in Tampa, Lowry Park Zoo is one of the top three zoos of its size in North America. It offers an Asian domain, primate area, children's petting zoo, Florida Wildlife Center, Manatee Aquatic Center, coral reef exhibit, and aviary. (epsilon3.acomp.usf.edu)

Ybor City. This National Historic Landmark District, one of three in the state of Florida, features a collection of former cigar factories and other unique buildings which now house eclectic shops, restaurants and a micro-brewery. (www.ybor.org) If you are into cigars then this is a place you probably don't want to miss. The September '98 issue of Smoke magazine ran article that might be of interest to you. (smokemag.com/0998/city.htm)

Sports

Football season will be over so the Buccaneers won't be playing and I sincerely doubt that the Tampa Bay Lightning will be playing for the Stanley Cup so that leaves out hockey.

Baseball. Spring training will be long gone so the choices will be more limited. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays (www.devilray.com) will be in town against the Florida Marlins on Saturday evening (6/5) and Sunday afternoon (6/6). Unfortunately they then head north to Atlanta and the Braves. However, if you are into minor league baseball there should be several games to choose from. The Tampa Bay area has 5 local A league teams (Florida State League). They include the St. Petersburg Devil Rays, the Clearwater Phillies, the Dunedin Blue Jays, the Tampa Yankees, and the Sarasota Red Sox.

We have a major league soccer team, the Mutiny (www.tampabaymutiny.com), but don't know what there schedule will be at this time. Likewise for the arena football team, the Storm (tampastorm.com).

Golf. The conference hotel has arrangements with one of the area's finest private clubs about 10 minutes from the hotel. Or you can take advantage of one of the other 42 18-hole professional courses located in the Tampa Bay area.

Fishing. Playing with a rod and reel can take many forms. You can wade in the surf, fish from a pier or the old Sunshine Skyway bridge, or by boat. You can charter a boat for a deep sea fishing trip or join others on a fishing party boat excursion. The choice is yours.

Probability Theory and Money. Tampa Bay Downs closes its season at the end of May so thoroughbred racing is out. The jai alai fronton closed, so that's out. For parimutuel wagering the choice is Derby Lane, the world's oldest continuously operating greyhound track (www.derbylane.com) (As the owner of a retired greyhound, take my word for it, a trip to the greyhound track has a lot more to do with luck than skill.) If casinos are more your style you have your choice of a trip to the Seminole Indian Reservation in Tampa or a cruise. The Crown Empress and Majestic Empress offer daily sailaways while the Fun Kruz offers six hour day or night cruises.

The Rest of Florida

As long as you are down here you might want to check out some of the other attractions that make Florida such a popular vacation location. The following are just a few examples of what is available.

Orlando. About 90 miles away you will find the land of theme parks: Sea World (www.seaworld.com), Universal Studios (www.uescape.com/studios), and the Walt Disney World Resort (disney.go.com) including The Magic Kingdom, Disney-MGM Studio, EPCOT Center, and the new Disney's Animal Kingdom. With traffic it is about a two hour drive the beaches where the conference will be held.

The Space Coast. About half way down Florida's east coat you find the Kennedy Space Center. Even though there is no shuttle launch scheduled for the time you will be here for the conference (the closest date is May 18) you can still enjoy a trip to the space center. You can enjoy the Rocket Garden, I-Max movies, space history exhibits, a full-sized walk-through Space Shuttle display, bus tour and the Apollo/Saturn V facility. Nearby you will Space Camp, the Astronaut Hall of Fame and the Astronaut Memorial Planetarium and Observatory. (www.ksc.nasa.gov)

The Keys. For diving, fishing, and just relaxing the string of islands off Florida's southern tip have their own magic. From Key Largo down to Key West it is a different world. (florida-keys.fl.us) For snorkeling and diving Camp Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is not to be missed. Visit the continental U.S.'s only live coral reef. (www.pennekamppark.com). In Key Largo there is even Jules Undersea Lodge, an underwater hotel. (www.jul.com)

Sanibel and Captivia Islands. If shelling is of interest, you might want to visit Sanibel and Captivia Islands. They are locate south of Tampa Bay and just north of the Naples/Ft. Myers area. (www.cybersanibel.com)

There are lots of other options in Florida but I'm running out of room so I'll end it here with the message that we hope to see you at the conference in June.