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Italy, Florence: Overlooking the Red Roofs of Florence
You get a great view of the majestic Renaissance Filippo Brunelleschi -designed domed Florence Cathedral, the Duomo if you ascend one of the hills around it. The Gothic-styled Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore was begun in 1296 along with it’s Baptistery and Giotti’s Bell tower (Campanile). Ghiberti’s original Baptistery doors are in the museum (the ones outside are copies).
Brunelleschi was commissioned in 1418. The dome is egg-shaped and was accomplished without scaffolding. A balcony by Baccio d’Agnolo was added in 1507. Notice that only 1 of the eight sides was finished by 1515, when someone asked Michelangelo (whose artistic opinion was by this time taken as cardinal law), his thoughts of it. The master reportedly scoffed, “It looks like a cricket cage.” Work was immediately stopped, and to this day the other 7 sides remain only rough brick.
Italy, Florence: David Statue in Florence
This is one of the more famous copies of Michelangelo’s David statue. You don’t have to pay to go in to see it, it’s on top of a hill at Piazzale Michelangelo overlooking the town of Florence.
Italy, Florence: Sunset in Florence Italy
A sunset is amazing to watch no matter where you are in the world. But this one was Florence, Italy.
US: Florence, SC – Darlington Car Hauler Parade & Festival Kicks off Race Week
Join the excitement of the 14th Annual Darlington Car Hauler Parade and Racefest featuring NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Teams transporters making their way through cheering fans from the Florence Civic Center to the Darlington Square and into the track that’s “Too Tough to Tame” – Darlington Raceway.
There is plenty of FUN for the whole family, beginning at the Florence Civic Center with entertainment and live music. Kids play all afternoon for FREE on the KidsZone inflatable ride and games. The Game Truck will bring a wide selection of games for Xbox360, Wii and PS3 and can accommodate up to 16 players at one time. There will be refreshments for purchase with the proceeds supporting Camp Pee Dee Pride. 
The main attraction continues to be the NASCAR transporters, which fans can take photos with with their favorite team’s hauler and driver before the haulers take off. This year famous former drivers are back such as Hut Stricklin, former champ of NASCAR’s Dash Series, and Donnie Allison, who won ten races in the Cup Series.
Fans will enjoy the exciting silent auction full of great NASCAR items and race memorabilia. Proceeds benefit local charities.
At 7 p.m. the parade of NASCAR haulers leave the Florence Civic Center and make the 12-mile trek to RaceFest on the Darlington Square, where there will be more entertainment, food, a car show and an incredible fireworks display. The transports will continue through Darlington until they reach the track Darlington Raceway where they can park, unload and begin preparation for the Bojangles’ Southern 500 race taking place on on September 2nd.
As if it could not get any better, admission to the Darlington Car Hauler Parade is FREE.
Location: Florence Center, 3300 W Radio Dr , Florence, SC 29501
Date: Thurs, Aug 30, 2018
Time: 4pm – 7pm
Tel: 800-325-9005
darlingtoncarhaulerparade.com
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: visitflo.com
US: Florence, SC – Go Nuts for Pecans in Florence and Snag some Free Swag
April is National Pecan month so why not celebrate by following a culinary trail dedicated to the pecan.
Florence is home to the South Carolina Pecan Trail, showcasing 17 local restaurants and specialty shops offering pecan dishes or products, putting pecans in the spotlight. From pecan-encrusted grouper to pecan pie martinis, those venturing on the trail will experience a variety of originality.
Pick up a passport at the visitors center, 3290 W. Radio Drive, or any of the participating restaurants to start the journey. Earn a stamp in the passport by feasting on the featured pecan item at each establishment.
Return your passport to the Visitors Center in person or by mail for some sweet Pecan Trail swag. Show up with four stamps, and receive a charming metal nutcracker. Eight stamps will get you a drawstring bag and the nutcracker. Present a fully stamped passport and walk away with a T-shirt, drawstring bag and the nutcracker. 
Get your stamps and enjoy tasty pecan offerings at these restaurants and specialty shops:
Block and Vino: Seasonal praline pecan cheesecake; candied pecan brie-stuffed chicken
Clay Pot Coffee Shop: Signature BIG cookie: Southern Maple Pecan Oatmeal Cookie
Dolce Vita: Double chocolate chip pecan muffin
Freeman’s Bakery: Assortment of baked goods, including cakes, Danish pastries
Julian Belle’s: White Russian pecan pie
The Library: Bourbon pecan pie
Rebel Pie Wood-fired Pizza: Danish pizza
Red Bone Alley: Chicken salad with pecans; apple crisp; chocolate chip cookie pie
Seminar Brewing: Pecans Gone Wild smoked brown ale
Struttin’ Turkey: Turkey salad with cranberries and pecans
Top Hat Special-Teas: Top Hat Pecan Scones
Town Hall: Braised oxtail ravioli, local sweet potato puree, espelette-spiced pecans and sage oil
Tubb’s Shrimp and Fish Co.: Sweet potato cheesecake
Venus Restaurant and Catering: Pecan (Belgian) waffle, Southern pecan pancakes
Victors: Pecan pie martini
Wholly Smokin’: Goat cheese salad, features warm goat cheese patty encrusted with local pecans
Young Plantations: Variety of flavored pecans
Location: Visitor Information Center, 3290 W. Radio Drive, Florence Center Upper Level, Florence, SC 29501
Time: Daily 9am – 5pm
Tel: 800-325-9005
visitflo.com
US: Lake City, SC – Make Your Own One-of-a-Kind Print Silk Scarf
Nestled among fields of corn and soybeans, this dynamic 65-acre garden is set in the rural Pee Dee region near Lake City, South Carolina. Moore Farms Botanical Garden is the perfect learning environment. They also host classes and professional workshops.
Join Caroline Harper at Moore Farms Botanical Garden on Thursday, September 28, 2017 for an artful day in the garden at a workshop creating Eco Print Scarves.
Eco printing is basically a direct contact printing method, drawing out pigments from plants to make interesting and often surprising marks on protein (silk) fibre. In this class accomplished artist Caroline Harper will show you how to create 2 silk scarves with foraged leaves, flowers, vegetable skins and other objects found from the garden.
The unique colors and shapes that occur from these materials will make your scarf a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Silk and organic material will be provided but please bring anything you would like to add to embellish your dazzling scarves. Registration is limited to 20 participants. $60 per person
Location: Moore Farms Botanical Garden, 100 New Zion Road, Lake City, SC 29560
Date: Thurs, Sept 28, 2017
Time: 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Tel: 843-210-7582
moorefarmsbg.org
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: lakecitysc.com/visiting visitflo.com
US: Florence, SC – Play Me, I’m Yours – Brings Pianos and Music to Florence Streets
Florence, SC Exit 160: No, you’re not seeing things, those randomly placed pianos throughout Florence are part of Play Me, I’m Yours, an initiative of a worldwide street piano project, geared to interconnect people in the community by “expressing themselves” by bringing pianos to the people and music to the streets.
Dozens of Pianos will be located all over Florence and Lake City, and will remain available until May 7, positioned for everyone to play and enjoy on streets, in parks, squares, markets and other public places. Play Me, I’m Yours invites the public to engage with, participate and take ownership of their urban environment. Decorated and personalized by local artists and community groups, the street pianos create a place of exchange and an opportunity for people to connect.
Touring internationally since 2008, Play Me, I’m Yours was created by British artist Luke Jerram. More than 1500 pianos have now been installed in over 50 cities across the globe, from London to Lima, bearing the simple invitation Play Me, I’m Yours. The project has already reached more than ten million people worldwide.
An opening-night festival will be held April 21 in the Willcox Plaza on West Evans Street. The event will include a dueling pianist team and a “Paint a Piano” tent for young artists. Don’t miss the featured noon concerts on various instruments by local pianists.
Location: Florence, SC
Date: Fri, April 21 – Sun, May 7, 2017
Tel: 843-260-6210
streetpianos.com/florence2017
For Regional accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: visitflo.com
US: Florence, SC – Monster Jam® – Action-Packed Event on Four Wheels
Monster Jam® brings high-octane entertainment to fans around the country, offering a most action-packed live event on four wheels.
Celebrating 25 years of adrenaline-fueled family amusement, Monster Jam combines spontaneous entertainment with the ultimate off-road, motorsport competition. World-class drivers compete in front of capacity crowds in both monster truck racing and freestyle competitions. 
Monster Jam features some of the most recognizable trucks around including Grave Digger®, Max-DTM, El Toro Loco® and Monster Mutt®, Bad News Travels Fast, Aftershock, Krazy Train and Mechanical Mischief. 
These Monster Jam scenes leave you on the edge of your seat, with competitors performing jaw-dropping displays of gravity-defying feats, thrilling fans with freestyle, racing, donuts, wheelies and exhilarating action.
For the ultimate Monster Jam® motorsports experience, consider the Pit Party which provides unprecedented access to the Monster Jam trucks and drivers – you can meet the drivers, get their autographs, take photos and see the trucks up close. Pit Passes are sold separately in addition to your admission ticket and is available for the Saturday, February 4th 1 pm performance only.
To buy tickets: ticketmaster.com/venueartist/114999/1542376?brand=florencecc&camefrom=cfc_florence_website_MonsterJam17
photo credit: Feld Entertainment
Location: Florence Civic Center, 3300 West Radio Dr., Florence, SC 29501
Dates & Times: Friday, Feb 3rd: 7pm, Sat, Feb 4th: 1 pm & 7pm
Tel: 843-679-9417
florenceciviccenter.com
monsterjam.com
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: visitflo.com
US: Florence, SC – Basically Love at First Bite at Fatz Cafe
At Fatz Cafe, the motto on the menu,“Where everybody is a regular”, is true and that’s because they
get addicted to the warm buttery poppy seed rolls (hint of donut taste to us). Locals come for the fried Calabash
chicken, which is marinated in buttermilk and served with honey mustard, and to enjoy the oldies music and photos of
the Florence/PeeDee area in the 60’s and 70’s. 
A popular starter is the fried green tomatoes on cheese grits with remoulade sauce or the shareable hot Cajun firecracker sticks stuffed with spicy shrimp, andouille sausage, onions, peppers, melted cheese in a tomato/basil tortilla. A hit of the meal was the Edisto shrimps and grits made with crumbled bacon in a mushroom burgundy gravy with Parmesan cheese. You could come in for the mahi mahi, spinach salad, ribs, pork chops, burgers or a sirloin steak marinated in hard cider, but you must leave room for the Carolina peach cobbler, which tastes like your gramma made it (vanilla ice cream and walnuts on top).
Location: 2007 W. Lucas, Florence, SC
Tel: 843-413-9186
www.fatzcafe.com
For Regional Accommodations and Attractions: www.visitflo.com
www.drivei95.com
Cirque du Soleil in South Carolina
Whoa. Who said stopping for the night on I-95 is boring? Next week, if you sleep over in Florence SC, you can catch a fantabulous Cirque du Soleil performance; Alegria is a baroque ode to the energy, grace and power of youth.
Alegria is a classic Cirque du Soleil production that has received international acclaim and wowed over 10 million people worldwide since it premiered in 1994 in Montreal. After 15 years performing under the big top, Alegria embarked on a new journey in May 2009 and is now presented in arenas throughout the United States and Canada.
Alegria is more than a show, much more than a circus . . . it is an exciting and unique experience that will captivate all ages.
Dates: July 13-17
Showtimes: Wed, Thurs & Fri 7:30 pm, Sat 3:30 pm & 7:30 pm, Sun 2:00 pm
Tickets: available at the Civic Center Box Office, Ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000