The John and Mabel Ringling Estate and Museum, Sarasota, Florida

This is going to be a picture tour, for the most part.  We picked a cloudy, rainy morning to visit Sarasota and the Ringling estate.  It was raining cats and dogs when we arrived.  By noon the sun came out and it was gorgeous, as you'll see in the following pictures.  This was an amazing day, full of circus history.   I don't have memories of going to the circus as a child.  I do have memories of taking my sons to the circus.  Not sure they would remember it but I remember doing this when we lived in California.

The Ringlings liked to entertain, and dancing was among the favorite activities of the day.  Here is the dancing room...check out the ceiling in the two pictures that follow.  They depict dancers from different ethnic groups, framed in gold in the ceiling.

Once thru the dancing room, you enter the living room ~ complete with baby grand piano, crystal chandelier, amazing two story room with another unbelievable ceiling.

The next room had an interesting "twist" to it.  It's the breakfast room, where visitors were invited to share coffee and morning treats.  If you were on the "good" side of Mr. Ringling, you were seated looking out on the beautiful view, which is the Gulf.  If you were not on his good side, you were seated looking at the picture on the wall behind the chairs pictured here...and it was a painting depicting a not so pleasant scene of angry men fighting!

Next is the Valet's Pantry.

Then the kitchen.  It appears Mrs. Ringling was fond of dishes - like me!

The dining room table had an ungodly number of leaves that fit in the table, to seat about 30 guests...the room was paneled - too dark for my taste...but check out the ceiling!

We were told the heads come off the ducks, and she would use them as a vase, putting flowers in them.

Pretty crazy, eh?

Next we went upstairs.  You paid extra to be able to tour the second floor.  It was worth it to me, as this is where we got to see where they lived, their bedrooms and bathrooms.  Each quite special.  There was a third floor, too, that was referred to as the "game" room - but we opted to not pay another additional price to go up there.

First, Mr. Ringling's bed.  Someone asked why there were two beds...and we were told just because they were sold in a set of two.

Okay.

His bathroom caught my attention.  He had a 9 ft carved Italian marble bathtub.  And the walls were marble too!

On to Mrs. Ringling's bedrooms.  Someone asked why the separate rooms?  The guide said they had very different schedules or "routines."  He liked to be up late, pouring over his art books, she liked to go to bed early.  Thus separate rooms.  Nice answer!  (maybe this is why they had no children!)  We were told on more than one occasion how devoted they were to each other.

HELLO!

If you were a guest, you'd stay here, kinda small bed...but beautiful room complete with private bathroom and dressing room.

If you travel to Sarasota make sure you put this on your list of places to visit.  It took the entire day and it was very enjoyable!