Author Archives | Brian

An Everglades Alternative

Wakulla Springs Edward Ball State Park, FloridaNestled against the Apalachee Bay where the panhandle connects to the larger Florida peninsula, Wakulla County mixes the wetlands of Southern Florida with the Spanish moss draped grandeur of old Georgia. This isn’t a region that is on anyone’s “must-see” list, but it should be. In fact, had we stopped here on our way south, the Everglades would have been disappointing in comparison. Read More…

Tallahassee Old State Capitol and Museum

Tallahassee Old State Capitol

Someone forgot to tell the good folks of Tallahassee that ‘history is written by the victors.’ At far too many historic sites we’ve seen the unpleasant aspects of our collective past downplayed, marginalized, or covered with a glossy coat of bullshit. But in Tallahassee’s Old State Capitol and Museum they present a refreshingly blunt picture of Florida history. Covering everything from the lynchings that ushered in the 20th Century to the presidential election debacle that closed it, the museum pulls no punches. They even highlight Florida’s failure to ratify the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution in a display headlined “Women Get to Vote (No thanks to Florida).” It’s an honesty that borders on self flagellation but is probably better described as mature self reflection. For our part, we appreciated a place that has the strength of character to admit its mistakes, instead of just extolling its virtues. Here’s to hoping that more places (and people) follow Florida’s lead.

Photo of the Day: Impressionist Suwannee River

Suwannee River, Manatee Springs, FL

The crystal clear water of Suwannee River at the mouth of Manatee Springs lends an ‘impressionist’ quality to the submerged water lilies.

Yin and Yang at Manatee Springs

Manatee Springs State Park ImageSlow and fast are the Yin and Yang of our travels. Oftentimes we have difficulty striking the right balance between the two. Move too fast and we risk burnout. Move too slow and we get antsy.  Four days at Manatee Springs State Park risked staying too long. We covered its most interesting areas in the first couple of hours. But the advantage of spending time with a place is that you can discover things others might miss. By the time we left for good, we had such familiarity with the park that we knew where the deer liked to feed, where the turtles liked to sun themselves, and where the snakes liked to hide. Read More…

Dalí World

Still Life Moving Fast, Salvador Dalí

Five surprising things about the Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida:

The crowds. I never knew Salvador Dalí was so popular. In fact, I didn’t know anyone was this popular. It was a Friday morning and the place was absolutely mobbed. Typically we have museums to ourselves on weekdays, but not here. The crowds were so thick we couldn’t get near the paintings. At one point it got so bad that we considered leaving. Instead, we pulled up a bench and decided to wait them out. Why not? We had all day. Read More…