Author: reweidman50

Hike #50: Price Lake Loop Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway

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pricelake

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

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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.

King Henry’s Feast

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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.”

The Vedder Museum, St. Augustine

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veddermuseum

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.”

Hike #48: Flat Island Preserve, Leesburg

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Hike #48: 52 Hike Challenge: Flat Island Preserve, Leesburg. I arrived early at the 2,300-acre Flat Island Preserve in the Okahumpka Marsh and was the first one there and (briefly) had the whole island to myself. The trail system here is well maintained (and marked) by the Florida Trail Association. Don’t miss a chance to check out the scenic boardwalk. I will be back! Distance: 3.7 miles.

JungleLand Zoo, Kissimmee

reweidman50 Defunct Florida Attractions, Florida History, Forgotten Florida, Uncategorized , , ,

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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.

Jerry Jeff Walker

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jerryjeff

Between the late summer of 1994 and the fall of 1996, I worked as a lowly reporter for a small weekly newspaper, The News of Orange County, in Hillsborough, North Carolina. There weren’t many perks in this rather thankless job, but I did get a chance to cover the concert of one of my favorite singer-songwriters, Jerry Jeff Walker, who took the stage at the Big Barn for one magical evening of entertainment (sorry, I forget the actual date). Above is one of the photos I took documenting the event. I even got the chance to chat briefly with Jerry Jeff after the show. Truly one of the highlights of my brief stint as a reporter!

Hike #47: Kelly Loop Trail, Kelly Park, Apopka

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Hike #47: 52 Hike Challenge: Kelly Loop Trail, Kelly Park, Apopka. Normally Kelly Park would be packed on a Saturday afternoon, but the Rock Springs Run was closed to tubers and swimmers on this particular day, so we enjoyed the park pretty much to ourselves. The scenic Kelly Loop Trail runs along the perimeter of the park and lets hikers get away from it all and delve into a little wilderness serenity. We were told that black bear sightings are common in the area, but we had no such luck. However, just the fact that the whole place wasn’t overrun with visitors was good enough for us. Nice spot! Distance: 2.75 miles.