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trip to sunny Florida

Started by L. Wakefield, December 22, 2002, 03:56:49 PM

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L. Wakefield

   So it's offishul  ::) ...- we have bought de tix to go down to Florida from 1/26 to 2/2. I couldn't get everyone to come- got the husband and the stepson. It's over Mike's birthday, so to get him down there to see his parents was a good sell. Joe will be doing second semester classes, He'll probably take his in cash instead and go snowboarding as he is able (and he is quite able..)

   But we will be in the Orlando/Avon Park area, and I am looking for places to go, people to see (maybe), things to do. With my interest in tropicals, I've already asked on a couple of other groups. One person recommended Bok Tower Gardens, I think it is called. I checked out their website and it looks like a good place. I'm headed for Cypress Gardens as well.

   Tom, what's up in your neck of the swamp? I'd love an excuse to get close enough to just kinda HAVE to drop by..

   We did Highland Hammock State Park once and it was EXCELLENT.

   Mike went ice fishing for the first time today and came home with QUITE a load of crappie- did a tasty batch of french fries and batter fried fish. Hasn't hurt him a bit to have a hard-hearted woman who doesn't do all the cooking... ;)  lw

   We'll be spending some time with the in-laws, but I plan to cover some ground. I already got a rental car set up so's not to inconvenience them. They have a VERY active church and friend schedule most of the time.
L. Wakefield, owner and operator of the beastly truck Heretik, that refuses to stay between the lines when parking

Tom

LW,
Jacksonville is 3 or 3.5 hours Northeast of Orlando.  That may be to much road time with only a few days to allocate.

We don't have many attractions like most travelers would care to see.  

St. Augustine is an attraction in itself, being the countries oldest settlement. There is an old Fort there that is a joy to go through.

Jacksonville has the beaches, a great big Live Oak tree, Fort Caroline and Fort Clinch up toward Fernandina.

We tout our biggest attraction, The Okeefenokee Swamp which is actually west of Folkston, Georgia.

Closer to Orlando is Silver Springs down next to Ocala.  Their web-site will hang you up.  I hate it when these commercial folks tie up your computer like a porn site.

In the same vicinity is Drag Racings Icon, Don Garlits, Museum and Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Baily Circus winter home.

With enough money you will not have enough time in Orlando, trying to see all the Disney sites and competitive entertainment.

Being close enough, Bok tower is a "must see".  You need enough time to allocate at least a half day, more if you can. The fun is sitting under a tree, unwinding, eating an apple and listening to the carillion.

Frank_Pender

LW, you will really enjoy the Tower site.  I was there in '64.  I am sure much has changed since then, however.  It is the highest point in the state if I am not mistaken.  Somewhere around 600' plus.   Some very stately trees were owing there at the time.  You will also enjoy the Gardens and the water shows if those have not been stopped due to seson or the water huggers keeping the boats and people away from being on the surface of the water.   Have a marvelous time on your trip.
Frank Pender

L. Wakefield

Thank goodness, we already 'did Disney' on a previous visit- also Sea World. I am hoping to indulge myself with tropical plants etc. Someone has told me about a manatee refuge and a somethin-or-other over on the edge of Naples. I live not far at all from the DE Lorme map store here, and hope to score a Florida atlas before the trip. Mike just got me some mapping software from there that will be compatible with both GPS and my laptop..we could be so mapped that we have no CLUE where we are. ::)  lw
L. Wakefield, owner and operator of the beastly truck Heretik, that refuses to stay between the lines when parking

Tom

Checkout Mckee Jungle gardens in Vero for a place you might want to visit.  If it is half of what it was when I was a kid it will be worth the trip.

Remember that Florida is almost as wide at the top as it is long and keep your day trips close by.  Distances will fool you and you could spend your day in a car. :)

L. Wakefield

   Checking their website, it looks like technically it's a lot less than half- they'd had 80 acres- now it's mostly condo but they have I think it was 15 acres and it looks like a nice work of restoration recently. I may take a look-see. It sounds like they had a high old time in their salad days. That grill in the Spanish Kitchen is just lovely, and they have one of the old buildings as well. Thank you for the idea.. :)  lw
L. Wakefield, owner and operator of the beastly truck Heretik, that refuses to stay between the lines when parking

L. Wakefield

   We are having a great time this week- both Bok Tower Gardens and McKee Gardens have been excellent! I hadn't realized that they just re-opened McKee last year. Their website was so well-done that it looked like they had been open again for years.

   Lots of work in that place. I got to talk to one of the gardeners- she had noticed that I was really taking my time and examining the plants closely (she doesn't know how near-sighted I am- their plant labels are small print.. :D ) Those of you who have seen my posts on tropicals know I am in 7th heaven seeing my baby plants' relatives on the loose, so to speak- as loose as a plant can get..

   I am off to Highland Hammock State Park this morning. Almost went down to Miami last evening to look at Fairchild Gardens..I had seen it once before but that was previous to learning somewhat about landscape architecture. The same firm did both Bok Tower Gardens and McKee gardens- and Fairchild- but I was just too intimidated by the look of the drive and the size of Miami. Perhaps another trip I'll fly in there and pick up a rental- do the town- horticulturally speaking- and then head for other areas.

   I did go over to the public beach at Vero beach- tide was VERY high, and I was glad to see they had their evacuation route CLEARLY marked- I can just imagine that place in the grip of a howling hurricane.

   Going to/from Vero Beach I traveled Route 60 as well as 360 and 17- very nice country. At one point I had e-mailed Tom cuz I saw he was online- I was actually at that point trying to find my way out of this ##@##** housing development and my laptop wouldn't print- so I asked Tom if he remembered the thread about the topo and aerial photos- I found it- but the streets have no names...Tom did e-mail back, but by that time I had ventured out with the laptop on. If you think driving with a cell-phone is distracting, you should just try a laptop.. It turned out that even the De Lorme software from 2003 (ahem..) didn't name all the streets. I can just imagine doing census enumeration down here (that was one of my more fun jobs in WV back in 1980- learned a LOT about the back roads. I had a motorcycle at the time and alternated between that and a car. Handling census paperwork is easier in a car..)

   But I bludgeoned my way out of the housing development after a few turns into the orange groves- didn't even end up on the Avon Park bombing range, which is probably a GOOD THING.

   Anyway, Tom had mentioned hunting out along Rt. 60 in previous years. Looked like good country for it. Not much for a ways except a little junction of roads which they call 'Yee-Haw'- probably what they expect people will say when they see the signs for cold beer..

   Lots of burns (controlled burns, we hope..)

   Well, I'm off to play again. Mike and Jeremiah are on their 3rd trip after REALLY BIG FISH. So far they have 1 bass apiece to their credit- the biggest as about a foot long, 1 1/2#- so I  hear- they did catch and release. They have high hopes about this trip -going with ONE WHO KNOWS and who also has a REALLY BIG BOAT...I guess this guy is the local loaves-and-fishes rep for the in-law's church- reputed to catch enough fish to feed everyone in the church.. the mother-in-law emphasized to Mike that she wanted some of the fish to come home this time. We shall see what we shall see..  lw

L. Wakefield, owner and operator of the beastly truck Heretik, that refuses to stay between the lines when parking

Frank_Pender

Sounds as though you are having a ball, LW.   That is wonderful.  Like I told you earlier The last time I saw Bach Tower was '63.   If I recall corectly it is the highest elevation in the state, at about 600 and some feet.   That is only half the elevation at which I live here in Oregon.  Continue to have fun.  Perhaps a fish fry soon? ;D  
Frank Pender

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