Here is a great shot of the Stetson University football team sometime between 1898 and 1910. Stetson University dropped football in 1956, but reinstated the sport in 2013. Today, the Stetson Hatters compete in the Pioneer Football League and play their home games at 6,000-seat Spec Martin Stadium in DeLand. In 2018, the Hatters finished their season 8-2, which was their first winning record since renewing the program.
The 175-foot Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse in Ponce Inlet served as inspiration for Stephen Crane’s famous short story, “The Open Boat”? First published in Scribner’s Magazine in 1897, “The Open Boat” was based on Crane’s ordeal of surviving a shipwreck off the coast of Florida earlier that year. Crane and three other survivors used the lighthouse to navigate their small boat to shore: “A singular disadvantage of the sea lies in the fact that after successfully surmounting one wave you discover that there is another behind it just as important and just as nervously anxious to do something effective in the way of swamping boats.” According to none other than H. G. Wells, “The Open Boat” was “beyond all question, the crown of all [Crane’s] work.” Originally known as Mosquito Inlet Light Station, the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in Florida and the third tallest lighthouse in the United States.
“I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do.” – Willa Cather, O Pioneers (1913)
We had planned to start the New Year off right with a nice hike at Lake Jesup Wilderness Area in Sanford, but it was partially flooded and muddy. So we headed to Big Tree Park in Longwood instead. I will be back!
Hike #35: 52 Hike Challenge: Lake Harney Wilderness Area, Geneva. A hidden gem, the Lake Harney Wilderness Area is way off the beaten path, but well worth a visit. It was a foggy day, but I took the Flagler Trail to the River Loop, which took me up to the St. Johns River. Then I walked back to the parking lot and found the Floodplain Loop Trail, which took me to a very cool observation tower overlooking Lake Harney (which I could barely see due to the fog). Unfortunately, I took photos with my new camera and I have yet to figure out to transfer them, but will add some images soon. Wildlife Sighting: Bald Eagle. Distance: 2.4 miles.
I found this fascinating aerial view of the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale taken in 1967 at www.floridamemory.com. If you’ve ever driven by this area recently, you know how much things have changed! The pool itself was dedicated on December 27, 1965. I used to swim here as a kid in the early 1970s. Lots of good memories …
Hike #34: 52 Hike Challenge: Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, Fort Myers. Just about anyone would enjoy strolling leisurely along the 1.2-mile boardwalk at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve. It’s a fascinating glimpse of a cypress slough (pronounced “sloo”) and the premises also include an Interpretive Center. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any wildlife this time out, but I will definitely be back! Distance: 1.2 miles.
Hike #33, 52 Hike Challenge: Koreshan State Park, Estero. I had a great hike at Koreshan State Park on a cool and breezy Friday morning. I parked near the campgrounds and took the nature trail along the Estero River that includes a spectacular bamboo forest. The trail winds its way to the ghost town of a bizarre, 19th-century religious sect known as the Koreshans that was founded by Dr. Cyrus R. Teed, who believed “that the universe existed on the inside of the Earth.” I was the only one out there except a park ranger picking up wind debris – an amazing (and sometimes creepy!) experience to wander through this former thriving community. Distance: 3.2 miles.
“Weidman … has this style down pat. The book, which includes a bibliography and index, is breezy, fun and handy. It’s also exhaustive. Weidman goes deep into the woods, spotlighting the history of the Hollywood dives, strip clubs and hangouts the band frequented in its early days, singling out the more notorious shows on various tours, detailing bands that influenced them – Nazareth, AC/DC, Queen, New York Dolls, etc. – and bands influenced by them …” [Read the Full Review]
Wandering Florida 