Erickson, Roy. Lum’s hot dog restaurant – Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 1966.
Color slide, State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory.
Month: March 2019
The Dawn Wall
“In January, 2015, American rock climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson captivated the world with their effort to climb The Dawn Wall, a seemingly impossible 3,000 foot rock face in Yosemite National Park, California. The pair lived on the sheer vertical cliff for weeks, igniting a frenzy of global media attention. But for Tommy Caldwell, The Dawn Wall was much more than just a climb. It was the culmination of a lifetime defined by overcoming obstacles …” [For more information, visit the official Dawn Wall site]
Valley Uprising
“For the past fifty years, Yosemite’s massive cliffs have drawn explorers and madmen to leave materialism behind and venture onto the high, lonesome granite. The larger-than-life characters of Yosemite carved out an extreme bohemian lifestyle in the valley: living in the dirt, clashing with the National Park authorities, and pioneering the boldest climbs on earth. The torch has been passed across three generations of climbers; through rivalries, tragedies and triumphs, the art of Yosemite climbing has advanced beyond anyone’s imagination. Narrated by acclaimed actor Peter Sarsgaard (Garden State, Jarhead, An Education) and produced by Emmy® Award-Winning Sender Films with Big UP Productions, Valley Uprising deftly recounts the history of Yosemite’s bold tradition: half a century of struggle against the laws of gravity, and the laws of the land.” [For more information about Valley Uprising, visit the Sender Films official website.]
Free Solo
“So I could just, like, not do certain things, but then you have, like, weird simmering resentment because it’s things that you love most in life have now been squashed.” – Alex Honnold
Hike #51: Isle of Pine Preserve, Orlando
Hike #51: 52 Hike Challenge: Isle of Pine Preserve, Orlando. I’ve been wanting to head out to Isle of Pine Preserve for several weeks and finally made it last Saturday. The parking lot was located within a neighborhood, but luckily there were several signs leading the way. Isle of Pine Preserve is the kind of place where you expect to see some deer and gopher tortoises, but I had no luck today. Although I hiked mainly on the Blue Trail, I also sampled portions of the Orange and Red trails as well. I will come back another time to hike the remainder of the trails. Distance: 2.5 miles.
Gopher Tortoise, Oakland Nature Preserve
One of our favorite hikes is taking a stroll along the boardwalk to Lake Apopka at Oakland Nature Preserve. This time out we saw a rat snake slithering down a tree, a baby alligator unsuccessfully attempting to eat a baby turtle and this friendly gopher tortoise trying to get some sun. Nice outing!
Braden Castle Ruins
“In the early 1840s, two brothers, Dr. Joseph Addison Braden and Hector Braden, arrived from Tallahassee to what is now the town of Bradenton, seeking to rebuild their lost fortunes … Today, the remnants of Dr. Braden’s once stately manor can still be found in the center of Braden Castle Park, fenced off to the public but clearly visible. The broken slabs of tabby are slowly being reclaimed by Florida’s original occupants: birds, lizards, and mangrove trees.” – Atlas Obscura
Wilderness
“Wilderness is not a luxury but necessity of the human spirit.” – Edward Abbey
Hike #50: Price Lake Loop Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway
Hike #50: 52 Hike Challenge: Price Lake Loop Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway. It was an extremely cold but sunny afternoon as we headed along the Blue Ridge Parkway to one of my favorite North Carolina High Country hikes, the Price Lake Loop Trail at Price Lake Overlook (MP 296.7). We took our time hiking around the lake and enjoying the scenery, as well as carefully navigating around the occasional muddy patch. My phone conked out early on because of the cold and unfortunately I was only able to get the above photo. Afterwards, we headed up to Blowing Rock for a nice lunch at Mellow Mushroom. Not a bad way to spend my 50th hike! Distance: 2.7 miles.
Hike #49: Castle Windy Trail & Beach Walk, Canaveral National Seashore
Hike #49: 52 Hike Challenge: Castle Windy Trail & Beach Walk, Canaveral National Seashore. We parked at Lot #3 since the Castle Windy Trail is located across the street from this parking lot. My first attempt to hike the trail was dismal, since I forgot to apply mosquito repellent and I was immediately attacked by a ferocious swarm of mosquitoes as soon as I crossed the street. I made it about a quarter of a mile and then made a hasty retreat. Fortunately, there was a can of mosquito repellent in our beach bag, so I doused myself with repellent and made a second attempt. The Castle Windy Trail is a straight shot from the beach to the aptly named Mosquito Lagoon. It is a shaded trail and very scenic, but expect to get many mosquito bites! The entire trail is only about 0.8 mile, so I supplemented it with a nice one mile walk along the beach. Distance: 1.8 miles.
Wandering Florida 