“The Fyre Festival was billed as a luxury music experience on a posh private island, but it failed spectacularly in the hands of a cocky entrepreneur.”
Year: 2019
Epcot International Festival of the Arts
It was a cold and cloudy Saturday afternoon when we descended upon the Epcot International Festival of the Arts at Walt Disney World Resort. I didn’t know anything about this relatively new Disney World festival (it debuted in 2017), but it is billed as “the Ultimate Celebration of Art, Entertainment and Food!” We had a fairly decent time, although most of the art I could see was Disney related and the food and drink seemed way overpriced. We thoroughly enjoyed strolling around the World Showcase, but the whole thing seemed like kind of a diluted version of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, which we look forward to each fall …
Hike #38: Pine Lily Preserve, Orlando
Hike #38: 52 Hike Challenge: Pine Lily Preserve, Orlando. The weather was perfect although a little chilly (48 degrees!) as I headed out to 409-acre Pine Lily Preserve near the community of Bithlo. If you are driving from western Orange County like me, simply take the 408 to 50 East and turn right onto County Road 13. I actually missed it and ended up turning around at the Orlando Speed World Dragway. As usual, I had the entire preserve to myself and the wildlife that call it home (I spotted a total of seven deer during the hike, a record for me!). The trail itself was mostly dry except for one area that was slightly flooded. I recommend taking the entire red trail (although the small loop at the end of the trail is kind of rough) and the short blue loop as well. Hal Scott Preserve lies just to the south. Distance: 3.5 miles.
Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960)
“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” – Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937)
Panther Key John
“Generally known as Panther Key John, a brother-in-law of the Pirate Chief Gasparilla and a member of his crew, who died at the age of one hundred and twenty years, at Panther Key.”
Orange County Regional History Center
“The Orange County Regional History Center, housed in a historic courthouse in the heart of downtown Orlando, offers four floors of exhibits exploring 12,000 years of Central Florida’s rich heritage. A Smithsonian affiliate, the museum also offers visiting exhibitions and a wide range of programs for families, children, and adults.”
The Essence of Existence
“Nothing in the world is permanent, and we’re foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we’re still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it. If change is of the essence of existence one would have thought it only sensible to make it the premise of our philosophy.” – W. Somerset Maugham, The Razor’s Edge (1944)
Hike #37: Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake
Hike #37: 52 Hike Challenge: Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake, Orlando. It took us about 10 years to get back to Bill Frederick Park for some reason. It’s a nice park with plenty of scenic views. We picked up the nature trail behind the Carter Center and strolled over to the farm to see the horses. The nature trail is pretty cool back there, but you can hear a lot of traffic from the Florida Turnpike on the western edge of the park. As we approached the park entrance, the nature trail kind of disappeared, so we picked up the paved bike trail and hiked alongside Turkey Lake (there’s a lot of new development on the other side of the lake since we were last here). Oh yeah, it cost us a $4 entry fee. All in all, a good outing and we won’t wait another 10 years before returning! Distance: 2.1 miles.
Old Fort Park
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the mysterious “Turnbull Ruins” are located within Old Fort Park off Riverside Drive in New Smyrna Beach. Constructed of coquina, the foundation features walls five-and-a-half feet thick. Some historians believe that the ruins may have once served as the foundation a Spanish fort that predates the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, while others claim they are simply the ruins of a mansion belonging to Scottish physician Andrew Turnbull (1718-92), who established the colony of New Smyrna in 1768.
A historical marker at the site reads: “This coquina foundation rests within a shell midden from the Timucuan Indian era. Mystery still surrounds the origin of this foundation. Jane and John Sheldon built a large hotel on this mound circa 1859. During the Civil War, the structure was destroyed by cannon fire from Union ships. After the Civil War, Jane Sheldon built a smaller structure that served as a pioneer general store, port collector’s office, boarding house and print shop, which published The Florida Star, one of the region’s early newspapers. Structural problems forced the building’s removal circa 1900.”
Old Fort Park also serves as the home of the historic New Smyrna Beach Free Library, which today houses the New Smyrna Beach Community Redevelopment Agency. In addition, the New Smyrna Museum of History can be found at 120 Sams Avenue, just one block from Old Fort Park (115 Julia Street).
Wandering Florida 