Weekly Tails From Southeastern Guide Dogs

Celebrate Southeastern Guide Dogs' 30 Years

The Saturday open house offers a tour, a blindfolded walk with a guide dog and a chance to play with puppies.

Southeastern Guide Dogs opens its campus five days a week for volunteer puppy huggers and dog walkers, but this Saturday, May 12, is a great opportunity to learn all about Southeastern and their superb dogs because it is open house. How is open house different from any other time you can come to the Palmetto campus? There are a number of activities happening this Saturday that don’t normally occur. Volunteers will be leading guided tours, filling guests in on the history and inner workings of Southeastern.  While readers of this column have gotten an inside look at what Southeastern does, the tour will give you a chance to see the training grounds and kennels for yourself. You’ll also get the chance to interact with the adorable bundles of…

• Photos (3)

What's the Best Museum in the Tampa Bay Area?

From Sarasota to Tarpon Springs, there are plenty of excellent museums just a day trip away.

School is almost out for the summer, and parents in the Tampa Bay area are in luck: There are plenty of esteemed museums within an hour's drive of the Tampa Bay area. Which local museum is your favorite? Here's a rundown of art, science and history destinations across the Bay area — just follow the links for hours, directions and upcoming events. Cast your vote for your favorite museum in the poll below. Did we miss your favorite? Please let us know in the comments. About Readers' Choice: Voting is open from 9 a.m. Monday to 9 a.m. Friday. Any ties will be broken based on reader comments and reviews. Poll choices represent a sampling of local businesses and are not intended to be all-inclusive. Would you like a free business listing in the…

•  11 Comments
• Photos (7)

Mote Aquarium Is Best Place for the Kids

The marine aquarium wins the weekly "best of" poll that asked readers for their favorite spot to bring the kids in Sarasota.

Well, that was easy. Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium handily won this week's poll that asked readers for the best place to take the kids. The aquarium's mission is to reaserach and preserve marine life. But it also is a learning adventure for children, often hosting special exhibitions, talks and programs. The aquarium has on display more than 100 species of aquatic life. Congratulations, Mote Aquarium, for winning this week's best of poll in Patch.

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Charles Schelle

2:57 pm on Friday, March 23, 2012

Congrats to Mote! I'll be taking my family there when they come into town this week. The penguins will soon be gone! Check out this farewell event for these birds: Register Now: Bye, Bye Birdie Event on April 14 What: Mote will bid a fond farewell to our six black-footed penguins during our annual Party on the Pass, which will be themed “Bye, Bye Birdie.” Guests can dine, dance and spend a little…   more ›

Where Is the Best Place to Take the Kids?

Sarasota offers some spectacular options for families, from the Mote Aquarium to Almost Heaven Kayak Adventures. Vote on your favorite place.

Sarasota offers some one-of-a-kind adventures where children can burn off energy, experience nature or just, well, be kids. Parents always appreciate discovering favorite places where children are not only welcome but also are encourged to be creative, play and have fun. Here are some of our choices: Mote Aquarium Almost Heaven Kayak Adventures Ringling Museum Stardust Skate Center Ed Smith Stadium Lunar Golf Vote in our poll below or add your suggestions in the comments, and we'll include them. The weekly Readers' Choice poll closes Friday. Meantime, take the kids out and have some fun.

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Weekly Tails From Southeastern Guide Dogs

Spring Break is a Family Affair at This Campus

Southeastern Guide Dogs’ campus has been abuzz all week with Spring Break visitors. Here’s how you can bring the Spring Break fun home all year.

With Spring Break come big crowds for Puppy Hugging and Dog Walking on Southeastern Guide Dogs’ campus. Southeastern is the only guide dog school that opens its campus five days a week to the general public to enlist their help in socializing the puppies and exercising the dogs-in-training and people come in carloads to the picturesque campus. While this socialization and exercise is very important, there are also other ways the whole family can get involved with Southeastern Guide Dogs. One major way would be to become puppy raisers.  These selfless folks bring a cuddly bundle of puppy energy into their homes, love it, teach it basic obedience and expose it to the wide world. Then once the pup has become a well-behaved dog, they return it…

• Photos (4)

Toy Lab Wins Best Kids' Shop

The Toy Lab takes the No. 1 spot for best kids' shop in the weekly Patch Readers' Choice Award.

Congratulations, Toy Lab! The kids' shop wins this week's Readers' Choice award. Toy Lab has the kind of toys not found in the large box stores that specialize in plastic. From puzzles to science toys, the Toy Lab sees learning as a fun adventure. "It's wonderful to make people happy, laugh, smile, and we're told over and over again what a great store it is," said owner Lynn Archibald. The store has been open on Main Street since 1999. Archibald believes it's the employees and mix of merchandise that keeps bringing people back. "The staff is so enthusiastic and knows what we have and knows how to sell it," Archibald said. And you're never too old to visit the toy store, she added. "We have a great variety — an ecclectic mix — for older …

• Photos (1)

What's the Best Kids' Shop in Sarasota?

This week's poll asks readers for their favorite place to buy things for the kids. Vote for your favorite.

Shopping for the kids can be a challenge, especially if you're unsure where to go. Fortunately, Sarasota has a number of family-friendly retailers that cater to the little ones. Here are some of our favorites in Sarasota: First cast your vote in our Reader's Choice poll below. Then send some extra love by clicking on the store name above and adding stars and reviews directly to the business listing. The stars and reviews will help us reach our decision, especially when there's a tie. If you have a favorite shop for kids that we did not mention, search for that business on Patch and rate and review them to tell everyone how much you love them, too.  The weekly Reader's Choice poll closes at 9 a.m. Friday, with the winner announced at noon. …

• Photos (1)

Weekly Tails From Southeastern Guide Dogs

Come Join the Guide Dog Family

Southeastern Guide Dogs’ Walkathon is not only a great fundraiser, but a terrific way to be a part of a fantastic community.

The 26th Annual Southeastern Guide Dogs Walkathon is set for March 3. Walkathon is Southeastern’s biggest fundraiser and this year looks like it will surpass all the previous years with record attendance expected.  “We outgrew our previous locations, so this year we are moving the walk to St. Pete’s Vinoy Park,” said Stacey Price, Special Events Manager, “and the city of St. Petersburg has welcomed us with open arms.”  The new location has allowed Southeastern to expand the activities of the day to include something for the whole family. This year’s Walkathon is shaping up to be a fun-filled morning for everyone, two-legged and four-legged alike.  Obviously, dogs are more than welcome at the walk and there will even be a dog masseuse on …

• Photos (3)

Weekly Tails From Southeastern Guide Dogs

Get Ready to Walk!

Southeastern Guide Dogs’ biggest fundraiser of the year is set for March 3, but people are getting ready for it now, here’s why.

Every year Southeastern Guide Dogs’ Walkathon draws supporters from all over the country.  Some are volunteers, some graduates, some sponsors and others just want to get out and walk with their best friend. This year’s Walkathon looks to bring the biggest crowd yet with the location being shifted to St. Petersburg’s Vinoy Park.  The gorgeous location along with a street fair vibe complete with food vendors and fun things for the whole family are sure to bring crowds in droves. What makes Walkathon different from all other charity walks?  It’s dog-friendly, of course!  Not only are dogs welcome, but expected to join in on the fun – and with the dog’s registration fee comes a dog bandana.  You’re likely to be walking alongside dogs from …

• Photos (4)