I'm vacationing Fla. - tell me an historical place I can visit

[Sycorax]

I'm going to Fla. end of Feb. for 3 weeks. We have a week with nothing planned for it so far. I want to visit an old city with historical sites, museums, artifacts, and an archeological dig would be nice too. I visited Jamestown, Va. a few months ago and it even had an archeological dig going - loved it -- got anything like that in Fla?

[aha]

St. Augustine.. has the world's oldest something..building or town or something. Also is very quaint and beautiful.

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"I'm the best there is Fats. Even if you beat me, I'm still the best."
(Paul Newman in The Hustler)

[Sycorax]

Sorry, shoulda mentioned - been to St. Augustine. I'm thinking of southern Fla. or the gulf coast.

[Ukulele Ike]

Go driving down to Key West. GORGEOUS ride, and lotsa history on that little island. You can stop in Key Largo and practice your Edward G. Robinson accent...check out the Bat Tower on Little Deer Key...do the Hemingway thing in Key West.

I'm also fond of the Everglades, but that's more of a nature trip than a history one.

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Uke

[NickyLarson]

Key West also has the cemetery in the center of the island where you'll find the gravestone of B. P. Roberts in the family mausoleum. B. P. was a well-known hypocondriac until his actual death in 1979. His epitath reads 'I Told You I Was Sick'
Also the great old highway that runs along the one you drive on. Didn't they film part of 'True Lies' there?

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Then we'll turn our tommy guns
on the screaming ravaged nuns
and the peoples voice will be the only sound.
-P. Sky

[tomndebb]

Try browsing these sites:
http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/flafacts/
especially
http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/museum/

And this site has a load of links:
http://www.apex-ephemera.com/FloridaHistory/

This museum aspires to document pre-Columbian Caribbean culture:
http://www.historical-museum.org/



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Tom~

[Random]

I agree. Key West is the place to go. I was there last spring and stayed at Truman Annex, which is a new development build on decommissioned Navy property near President Truman's Little White House. There's also an interesting Civil War fort, and (although it's overcommercialized) Mel Fisher's Treasure museum. (If you're in the right mood, though, his short introductory film is hilarious, because it's presented at about a 2nd grade level.) The artifacts are worth seeing, though.

[Ukulele Ike]

And when you get down to Key West, DO ask about Count Karl von Cosel and his Very Special Relationship with Elena Milagro Hoyos back in the '30s. The natives will be DELIGHTED to tell the story.

If they're not, they should be. *I* would be.

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Uke

[Alphagene]

Celebrities buried in Florida:
Jackie Gleason (http://www.findagrave.com/pictures/1596.html) in Miami
Meyer Lansky in Miami
Rocky Marciano (http://www.findagrave.com/pictures/667.html) in Ft. Lauderdale
Jaco Pastorius (http://www.findagrave.com/pictures/1995.html) in North Lauderdale
Charles Ringling (http://www.findagrave.com/pictures/2700.html) (the circus guy) in Bradenton
Charles Whitman (http://www.findagrave.com/pictures/5921.html) in West Palm Beach
Various dead Lynyrd Skynyrds all in Orange Park
Many many Baseball Hall of Famers

Famous dead people in Florida (http://www.findagrave.com/state/11.html)

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Marge: Your father is... resting.
Bart: "Resting" hung over? "Resting" got fired? Help me out here.

[SanibelMan]

Ahem...

You could always make a stop here in Southwest Florida. Punta Rassa is 5 minutes from my house, and it's the site where the cable from Havana ended - and where the telegram with news of the sinking of the Maine first came in.

Granted, there's no historical marker there that I know of. But it's still interesting. And Sanibel itself has much history. If you get a chance, E-mail me and I'll see if I can find the website for the Sanibel Historical Museum.

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SanibelMan - My Homepage (http://members.macconnect.com/~jonkleinow/)
"All right. Have it your own way. Road to hell paved with unbought stuffed dogs. Not my fault."

[Bluepony]

Not much on the Gulf Coast where I live, just some old Civil War forts around Pensacola Bay. Their only claim to fame is that they were constantly occupied by the Union all the way through the war. Not that a lot of fighting was done this far South. It was pretty much over after Sherman hit Atlanta.

There's some Indian temple mounds around the Panhandle. Don't ask me what tribe, but the local high schools are probably named after one of them.

Not too historical around these parts, but the fishing's good and the water is clear. Plus you are never far from a Wal-Mart Superstore. We are, obviously, not the cultural center of the state.



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...send lawyers, guns, and money...

Warren Zevon

[Crystalguy]

On the way to Key West, you pass Pigeon Key. It is worth a visit. Pigeon Key was the headquarters, I believe, for the company that built the railroad that used to run down to Key West. It was also a stopping point on the "Underground Railroad" I think. It has been a while since I was there. Though it was mostly wiped out in a major hurricane, most of the buildings have been restored and one or two may be original. Mote Marine has a small research facility there and if the people there are not too busy, they will usually explain their site to you. A tram ride is available from the "gift shop" to the Key but my recommendation would be to park your car and walk. It is about a one mile hike over a part of the old, abandoned highway. The water beneath is usually very clear so that the floor of the bay there is easily visible. I have seen several fairly large sharks, tons of big tarpon, and rays beyond counting. Other sea life as well, but those guys are big enough to be memorable. Plus, it is just a nice walk or bike ride, if you bring your bike. There is a fee but I think it is relatively nominal (I don't remember the amount) and the visit to the Key is worth the price. Very historical, museum, lots of photographs, models and artifacts.

[Crystalguy]

I forgot: www.pigeonkey.org (http://www.pigeonkey.org)

[Spoke]

Don't know of any digs, but I do know a couple of historically interesting places.

1. Wakulla Springs- South of Tallahassee. This is a huge spring out in the middle of nowhere. It was once a great tourist attraction and is now a state park. There is an old luxury hotel there dating from the 20's or 30's (now showing its age, but still very cool). The spring itself is crystal clear, with a constant temperature, year round. It's like swimming in an aquarium with all the fish around (take a mask). This is where they filmed The Creature from the Black Lagoon, as well as one of the "Airport" movies. The spring emanates from a cave, which (IIRC) during the last ice age was apparently above the water level. They have found Mammoth bones, and other prehistoric critters, as well as Indian artifacts there. There is also a boat ride you can take downriver from the spring to see all manner of Florida wildlife. It's a very interesting place, and somewhat undiscovered (or perhaps forgotten is the better word).

2. Apalachicola-- This town, on the Gulf coast (also south of Tallahassee), used to be the busiest cotton port on the Gulf Coast, prior to the Civil War. It is one of the few remaining towns along Florida's coast which still retains some of its old Southern, small-town charm. While there, stay at the old Gibson Inn, a victorian era hotel, which has been restored beautifully. (If you can't stay, at least drop by the bar). Apalachicola is also the leading oyster-producing area in the Southeast (and possibly in the nation) if you are a fan of that delicacy. You might also visit the Gorrie museum, which is dedicated to the inventor of refrigeration, John Gorrie, an Apalachicola native.

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"Every time you think, you weaken the nation!" --M. Howard (addressing his brother, C. Howard).

[Earl Snake-Hips Tucker]

Hey, Uke, is that the guy who kept the woman's body for years and years?

[Ukulele Ike]

mj:

That's our boy! Thank you for asking!

I clipped the following from the Detroit News:

"The harbinger of stranger things yet in the cemetery, at the corner of Graveyard Alley and Passover Lane, is a "sausage tree," named
for its large, sausage-shape fruit. The purple flowers, which bloom only at night, have an unpleasant odor, like something mouldy.

"It was near there where Count Carl Von Cosel stole a body one night in 1933.

"Von Cosel, who was a tinkerer and an inventor, became a radiologist at a now defunct Key West hospital. In 1931 he did chest X-rays of a beautiful young woman, Elena Milagro Hoyos, who had tuberculosis and an unhappy life. She had married at 18 and her husband left her soon thereafter for another woman.

"Von Cosel fell in love with her, but she died two years later at the age of 22. He was 56 then. For two years he visited her grave daily and could be seen talking as if she were alive, waiting patiently as if he were
listening and then talking, gesturing as he tilted his head this way and that.

"Then the pain of the separation became more than he could bear. One night he stole her body and took it home. He dressed her in a wedding dress and placed her in a bed he had bought in hopes that she would someday marry him. He played music on a small church organ alongside her bed.

"The scheme was discovered seven years later, and the woman's family had her reburied secretly in the cemetery, under one of its
paths it is rumored, so Von Cosel could not find her again.

"Von Cosel was never prosecuted, and he died a few years later in Zephyrhills, Fla., writing his memoirs while seated in the cabin
of a wingless plane he bought before Elena died to take her to a South Sea island.

"There are various monuments and historical headstones in the cemetery, but none to remind people of the dreadful Von Cosel story."

For the full story, see UNDYING LOVE by Ben Harrison, available on Amazon.

One thing not mentioned here is the Key West authorities allowed a local funeral home to PUT THE BODY ON DISPLAY during the trial. The tens of thousands of curiosity-seekers who drove down the brand-new Keys Highway to check Hoyos out are credited with establishing the Keys as a prime vacation spot.

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Uke

[Eve]

Well, you know what I always say—"necrophilia means never having to say you're sorry."

[Raza]

If you happen to be driving through Jacksonville, I'd suggest stopping into Fort Clinch State Park. (http://jacksonville.about.com/local/southeastus/jacksonville/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.ameliaisland.com/ftclinch.htm%23DIRECTORY) Fort Clinch is of the Civil War era, and the experience is much different than Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine. You are pretty much free to wander everywhere, unlike San Marcos' roped-off approach. Its also a neat park. Plus, the drive down A1A through Amelia Island and across the Ferry (if it is still running) is quaint and picturesque.

If you are into "ancient" history and you are in Jax, you might also stop by Fort Caroline National Memorial (http://www.nps.gov/foca/), memorializing the 16th century French presence there. Not really that much to see, though.

There were, and may still be, digs in both St. Augustine and in Windover Farms, just south of Titusville. In both cases, ancient remains were found during clearing for construction; construction was halted and excavation undertaken.

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"Psychiatrists have been trying to define normal. personally I think they are crazy."

[Sycorax]

I shoulda said in the OP - we are going to Key West - to Ft. Taylor - my SO is a civil war reenactor and they do a reenactment about this time every year. Fascinating story Ike - I like creepy stuff! Been to Ft. Clinch - the SO did his thing there. Spoke- about Wakulla Springs - when I was in Silver Springs and took the glass bottom boat tour of the lake, the guide said that's where the Creature from the Black Lagoon was filmed. Apalachicola sounds really nice.
I'm going to check out the links. Thanks gang!

[Crystalguy]

If you are going to Key West, you will pass through Homestead. The "Old" (and only) downtown area has been renovated and is worth seeing, particularly if you like Mexican food. There are several Mexican food restaurants on Krome Avenue that are excellent. Most are within a two or three block stretch. Lots of antiques for sale there, too. Also, Homestead is the "gateway" to Everglades National Park. It would be a pity to miss that once you are so close to it.

[Spoke]

Sycorax wrote:


[W]hen I was in Silver Springs and took the glass bottom boat tour of the lake, the guide said that's where the Creature from the Black Lagoon was filmed.

Hmmmm...

Well, someone is telling a whopper, either your guide or all the folks at Wakulla. It occurs to me that Creature from the Black Lagoon had several sequels, so it's possible that the original was shot at one spring, and one or more sequels was shot at the other, but I dunno. Just reporting what I was told. I do know that a lot of Tarzan filming was done at Silver Springs. They didn't lay claim to the Airport sequel too, did they?

If you ever get up to the Tampa/Clearwater area, check out Tarpon Springs. It was the center of Florida's sponge trade in the olden days, when a thriving community of hardy Greek immigrants went out and cut the sponges by hand. There is still a Greek presence in the area (lots of good restaurants), and I believe they have preserved the old sponge market as a tourist attraction.

[Yeah]

Both Pensacola (at the Naval Air Station) and Key West (near Truman Annexe) have well preserved and well maintained old forts with informative visitors' centers, if you are interested in that sort of thing.

[Crystalguy]

Originally posted by aha:
St. Augustine.. has the world's oldest something..building or town or something. Also is very quaint and beautiful.


Not the worlds oldest but the oldest city in North America, I believe. Worth seeing, whatever its age.

[Ukulele Ike]

Re: Tarpon Springs.

Yes, that IS fun...they also do boat trips out and let you watch old Greek divers hunt for sponges.

I would add something here about diving helmets and copper breastplates and lead-soled shoes, but manhattan has all but accused me of sexually fetishizing the stuff.

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Uke

[AlliKat]

While you're in key west, make sure you see the cats. i don't know where exactly they are but there are some cats that put on a show every weekend. this guy has trained them to jump thru hoops, go up to people for donations, and all kinds of funny and crazy things.

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"Life is too short and too long to be unhappy."

[AlliKat]

While you're in key west, make sure you see the cats. i don't know where exactly they are but there are some cats that put on a show every weekend. this guy has trained them to jump thru hoops, go up to people for donations, and all kinds of funny and crazy things.

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"Life is too short and too long to be unhappy."

[thefireswamp]

Originally posted by Sycorax:
I'm going to Fla. end of Feb. for 3 weeks. We have a week with nothing planned for it so far. I want to visit an old city with historical sites, museums, artifacts, and an archeological dig would be nice too. I visited Jamestown, Va. a few months ago and it even had an archeological dig going - loved it -- got anything like that in Fla?

[Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor]

<font size=7>SEX!!</font>


Now that I've got your attention.....


Our nation's Space Program is an important part of our history. The Kennedy Space Flight Center (Cape Canaveral, to the old timers) has a <BLINK>TOTALLY FREE</BLINK> museum of spaceflight. For a small fee, you may take one of several bus tours, one of which will let you enter the old Mercury Program's Command center. The Apollo 13 launchpad is on the tour, too.

The ammount of wildlife you can see on these tours is amazing. The only time in my life that I have seen a Bald Eagle in the wild was on the Kennedy Center Bus tour. I saw 2, a nesting pair.

I recommend the Space Coast wholeheartedly. If you can, time your vacation so that you can see a Shuttle Launch. MAJOR WOW!!! :cool:

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With magic, you can turn a frog into a prince. With science, you can turn a frog into a Ph.D, and you still have the frog you started with.