Year: 2020

Blowing Rock, NC

reweidman50 Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina, Uncategorized , , , ,

“Blowing Rock, named for a nearby geological oddity, is an old resort town filled with beautiful homes that once belonged to wealthy early-20th-century industrialists. It’s a small town, but the surprising array of restaurants, cafes and galleries make it pleasant to stroll, window-shop and sit to enjoy an ice cream. Blowing Rock also offers easy access to Moses Cone Manor and other notable landmarks.” – Jason Frye, Blue Ridge Parkway Road Trip, 2018

“The village of Blowing Rock sits on the Eastern Continental Divide at an elevation of approximately 4,000 feet. Its location near the Blue Ridge Parkway is fortunate and provides additional recreational amenities. Unique restaurants, mountain inns and fascinating shops offer a myriad of opportunities to visitors. Ordinary visitors have also been joined by many famous visitors to the town, including Dwight Eisenhower, Pearl Buck, Annie Oakley, Richard Nixon, Margaret Mitchell, Eleanor Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover.” – Donna Akers Warmuth, Images of America: Blowing Rock, 2004

Capt. Tony Tarracino

reweidman50 Florida Bars, Florida History, Key West, Uncategorized , , , , , , , ,

I found the above Capt. Tony Tarracino for Mayor poster (“He Listens To You”) a couple of years ago at my absolute favorite Key West shop, 90 Miles to Cuba, which is located at 616 Greene Street in the Historic Seaport District. A Key West legend, Capt. Tony (1916-2008) served as a shrimper, charter boat captain, gunrunner, proprietor of Captain Tony’s Saloon and Key West mayor from 1989 to 1991. Capt. Tony once remarked, “All you need in this life is a tremendous sex drive and a great ego. Brains don’t mean shit.” He served as the inspiration behind Jimmy Buffett’s 1985 song, “Last Mango in Paris.”  

Thursby House at Blue Spring State Park

reweidman50 Florida History, Florida Parks, Florida Rivers, Florida State Parks, Uncategorized , , , , , , , , ,

“Louis Thursby, one of the area’s first European settlers, came here with his family in 1857. He hoped that being close to the river would help him to grow wealthy, and so he built an orange grove and a pier for passing steamships. The Thursby house is preserved as it looked at the turn of the 20th century, capturing Florida in a momentous period of transition between frontier and modern state.” – www.floridastateparks.org

“Thursby House was built by Louis Thursby, who left Brooklyn to fight in the Mexican War, was discharged in California, then settled at Blue Spring in the late 1860s. He was one of the first on the upper St. Johns to establish orange groves and a steamboat landing so he could send oranges downriver. His activities attracted other orange growers to the Orange City area.” – Michael Strutin, Florida State Parks: A Complete Recreation Guide, 2000

“In 1872 the Thursby family built a big frame house on the top of an ancient snail shell mound. The house and grounds have been restored to look as they did in the 1880s when oranges grew in the yard and the family sent their crops to Jacksonville by steamboat.” – Diana and Bill Gleasner, Florida: Off the Beaten Path, 2003

 

Withers-Maguire House

reweidman50 Florida History, Uncategorized , , ,

“Southern splendor at its finest, charming, and elegant describes the historic Withers-Maguire House located in Ocoee, Florida. Built in 1888, the house is of a Gothic Stick Style with beautiful Florida Heart-pine floors throughout the interior of the home which is encompassed with an inviting wrap-around porch. The house was purchased in 1979 by the City of Ocoee and meticulously restored to its current beauty and charm.”

Wandering Lake Lotus Park

reweidman50 Florida Alligators, Florida Hiking Trails, Florida Parks, Uncategorized , , , , ,

I spent a perfect Friday afternoon strolling the scenic boardwalks of Lake Lotus Park in Altamonte Springs and enjoying some rare Florida fall colors. I didn’t view much wildlife, but – just as I was wrapping up my hike – I spotted this beautiful alligator grabbing some sun on a log along the creek. What a treat!

What I’m Reading …

reweidman50 Book Recommendations, Uncategorized, What I'm Reading , , , , ,

“In the first contemporary book about this American Heritage River, Bill Belleville describes his journey down the length of the St. Johns, kayaking, boating, hiking its riverbanks, diving its springs, and exploring its underwater caves. He rediscovers the natural Florida and establishes his connection with a place once loved for its untamed beauty … River of Lakes weaves together the biological, cultural, anthropological, archaeological, and ecological aspects of the St. Johns, capturing the essence of its remarkable history and intrinsic value as a natural wonder.”

Saturday Morning at Gemini Springs

reweidman50 Florida Hiking Trails, Florida Parks, Florida Springs, Uncategorized , , , , ,

One of my favorite places to wander in Central Florida, 212-acre Gemini Springs Park is located in the charming town of DeBary. It’s peaceful (no swimming in the springs allowed), there are some scenic hiking trails and you will almost always get a glimpse of wildlife here.