Did you know … legendary Doors lead singer Jim Morrison was born in Melbourne, Florida, on December 8, 1943; attended both St. Petersburg Junior College and Florida State University in the early 1960s; was arrested for lewd and lascivious behavior, indecent exposure, open profanity and drunkenness after an infamous Doors concert at the Dinner Key Auditorium in Miami on March 1, 1969; and was posthumously pardoned by the State of Florida in December 2010?
“I went down to Key West because I love swimming . . . It was January, and I had to go someplace where I could swim in the winter so I came down here because it was the southernmost point, and I was immediately enchanted by the place. It was so much more primitive in those early days.” – Tennessee Williams (1911-83), quoted in Pop Culture Florida (2000) by James P. Goss
“Williams chose Key West as the first place to settle down after his newfound fame. A visitor to the island in 1941, he moved there after Glass debuted on Broadway and lived briefly at the La Concha Hotel, where he is thought to have finished the first draft of another highly personal play, A Streetcar Named Desire, set in New Orleans. In 1949, he bought a home at 1431 Duncan Street, the only residence he would ever own outright.” – Florida Artists Hall of Fame Bio
“Tennessee Williams visited and lived in Key West from 1941 until his death in 1983. It is believed that he wrote the final draft of Street Car Named Desire while staying at the La Concha Hotel in Key West in 1947. He established residence here in 1949 and in 1950 bought the house at 1431 Duncan Street that was his home for 34 years. He was part of the literary movement that resulted in Key West and the Florida Keys being recognized as the cultural and historical location it is today.” – Tennessee Williams Museum Bio
Hike #40: 52 Hike Challenge: Lake Apopka Loop Trail. If you’re into birding (and alligators!), you MUST take a hike along the Lake Apopka Loop Trail (or at least plan an outing to the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive). More than 150 species of birds reportedly flock to Lake Apopka during the winter months. Encompassing 30,800 acres (making it the fourth largest lake in Florida), Lake Apopka was targeted for cleanup under the Surface Water Improvement and Management Act of 1987. I reached the Lake Apopka Loop Trail from the Magnolia Park Trailhead, although it also can be accessed from the Clay Island Trailhead, Green Mountain Scenic Overlook and Trailhead, North Shore Trailhead and Wildlife Drive entrance (2850 Lust Road). I saw plenty of birds, but no alligators this time out (perhaps due to it being a rather overcast day). Distance: 2.5 miles.
Wandering Florida 