Ringling Estate

 My hometown has some history to explore. You don't think about those things growing up. I just took my Mom to the Ringling Art Museum, Circus Museum, and the Ca D'Zan (home of John Ringling). It is a beautiful estate that skirts Sarasota Bay and holds history of Sarasota and Venice. The Ringling Bros Barnum & Bailey Circus may ring a bell to some people. I grew up knowing that the circus made Venice their home for many years, just a few miles away from my house. The railroad tracks in town used to be functional; the train used to come through Venice, full of elephants, tigers, and all the circus folk. The community embraced the circus and since they chose a small place like Venice, the city must have given them a warm welcome.

All that is left now is the deserted, rundown circus arena and the surrounding land that you drive by once you cross over the Circus Bridge to Venice Island. But back in the circus days there must have been such excitement when the circus came to town. I was so young that I don't really remember. Visiting the estate of John Ringling brought back memories for my Mom, though. In the 1970s my parents would hang out with Gunther Gebel-Williams, who trained and performed with the tigers. Where would they hang out? Venice Beach of course.

The Ca D'Zan is not a huge house, but it is elegant and detailed in Italian style. It is directly on Sarasota Bay, affording all the best views of the water from any west facing window. The windows themselves are all made up of small rectangular insets, each a different color glass. Stunning. Inside, the rooms are spacious and open, letting the sun stream in. The decor is rich in texture and color. Ceilings are exquisitely painted and adorned with carvings. While everything is so elegant, it still has a cozy feel because it is not huge and overwhelming. The beauty is not in the scale, but in the details and location.

A little bit of hometown adventure is a good way to spend the day.