“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 is not a luxury but necessity of the human spirit.” – Edward Abbey
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.
King Henry’s Feast was a popular tourist attraction on International Drive in Orlando that operated from 1986 to 1999. According to a 1987 Orlando Sentinel article, “Down on tawdry International Drive, which enjoys a certain notoriety in these parts, the tourist-trade establishments blend together in one neon blur. But one of them stands apart, at least in terms of architectural novelty: King Henry’s Feast is a gargantuan fortressy affair with pink and white turrets. The self-proclaimed ‘Entertainment Banquet Attraction,’ which went by the name Shakespeare’s Tavern when it was housed in downtown Orlando, moved to International Drive in early 1986.”
“Tourists aboard the river steamboat ‘Okeehumkee’ – Silver Springs, Florida”
Source: Florida Memory (State Library & Archives of Florida)
The brainchild of “Dr.” John Vedder (1819-1899), the Vedder Museum, which opened in the 1880s at the corner of Treasury and Bay streets in St. Augustine, may very well have been Florida’s first “tourist trap.” In addition to an impressive collection of snakes and alligators, The Vedder Museum drew in customers with an assortment of “natural oddities and curiosities.” Following Vedder’s death in 1899, the St. Augustine Historical Society, purchased his entire collection (however, the Vedder Museum building itself burned to the ground in 1914). By the way, seven-foot-wide Treasury Street itself was billed as “The Narrowest Street in the United States.”
Best known for a huge concrete alligator (with a safari jeep clenched in its jaws and guide hanging on a rope for dear life!) at its entrance and the highly publicized escape of a 450-pound lion named “Nala” during the late 1990s, JungleLand Zoo first opened along U.S. 192 in Kissimmee in 1995 (an earlier attraction named Alligatorland Safari Zoo previously occupied the site) and featured more than 300 “exotic animals” on display (including African leopards, Bengal tigers, African caracal, a Siberian tiger and orangutan named “Radcliffe”), as well as a big cat show, “Bushmasters” Gator Show, “Magic of the Rainforest” magic show and other attractions. Nala’s brief adventure was documented in an article, “10 Weirdest Zoo Animal Escapes,” by CNN: “The declawed lion prowled the area, much to the chagrin of residents. Thankfully, no one was hurt. After a few days on the loose, Nala was found by a search team and returned to her pen.” JungleLand Zoo was also the home of “Stinker the Monkey.” Animal rights activists brought the heat on JungleLand Zoo for the alleged mistreatment of animals, but the owners and employees vehemently denied the claims. The Zoo was also reportedly cited by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for several violations. Regardless, JungleLand Zoo, facing a steep drop in attendance due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, closed its doors for good in 2002.
“Spook Hill is located at Lake Wales, Florida, near the Singing Tower Mountain Lake Sanctuary. Stop on white line, take out of gear, and let the car roll back. Seeing is Believing.”
Wandering Florida 