Beyond the usual Florida attractions of Disney World and Busch Gardens, I came across a fascinating place close to Ona, Arcadia and Wauchula -- well, not exactly close. At any rate, Solomon's Castle is about 30 miles directly east of Sarasota and about 10 miles from where my daughter, a teacher, lives in Arcadia.

Discovering Solomon's Castle was not easy. As we visited antique shops in Arcadia, the place was enthusiastically recommended by one of the shopkeepers. She said, "Don't leave Arcadia without visiting the castle!" Our trip to the antique shops of Arcadia came about because my sister-in-law had told us that Arcadia was fast becoming the antique capital of Florida. In the old days, Arcadia boasted an opera house, and it was the key connection point for railroads in the state. Antique shops have taken over many of the old buildings, turning them into an organized treasure trove of collectibles and antiques.

Back to Solomon's Castle. The castle was hand crafted by Howard Solomon, an internationally known sculptor who was originally from Rochester. The castle is truly a castle, complete with turrets and a drawbridge. With an exterior of discarded newspaper printing plates, the castle shines brilliantly -- just as does Howard Solomon as he took us on a tour of the castle and his museum. Filled with wit and a twinkle in his eye, we were escorted through his pieces of art -- sculptured mostly from discarded automobile parts and pieces of metal. Hair on several of his museum pieces was fabricated from bicycle gear chains. One wall was called the "plane wall," because it was full of wood planes. A particularly unique sculpture was Solomon's depiction of Florida's bird -- the "Dredging Crane." It seems that phosphate mining with gigantic cranes, has become an unfortunate way of life for many Floridians -- so why not a special type of crane for the state bird?

While I could go on and on about the many humorous aspects of his sculptures, one of them had all of us laughing out loud. Taking us into his private living room, Howard Solomon stated that he had five grandchildren and a special way to discipline them when they visit. He tells them that if they do not behave, they will have to go to the dungeon with a special babysitter. He then reached down to the rug covered floor and pulled up a concealed trapdoor. Here, in the dungeon, was a babysitter waiting for children who had misbehaved!

Outside of the castle was a moat with a galleon, which serves as a restaurant. Complete with cannons along the side, our luncheon at "The Boat in the Moat" was delightful. I can really recommend a visit to the castle if you are ever in the Sarasota area. Remember, it is somewhere between Wauchula and Arcadia, and not too far from Ona.