Candid Florida

Saturday was Florida Lighthouse Day, so what a delight it was to revisit the St. Marks Lighthouse and discover it open. It’s only open for visits on special occassions, including some of the festivals held at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge throughout the year.  In full lightkeeper regalia, several volunteers and interpretive specialists recounted the difficult lives that the lightkeepers and their families lived since the original lighthouse was built in 1832. It’s an outpost along the Gulf of Mexico, more than 10 miles from the nearest neighbor, a beacon for navigation and the iconic symbol of the Big Bend.

A tour inside the lighthouse revealed a museum-in-progress to recount the history made here. Quite a crowd attended the event when we visited yesterday morning, the weather just perfect and skies so clear you could see the village of Panacea off in the distance across Dickerson Bay.

Ponce de Leon, it seems, was a short fellow. Or so the folks who crafted the statues (or are they statuettes?) of him at Ponce de Leon Park would have us think.

Now we know people centuries ago were short. Just take a look at antique beds and pioneer cottages. I’d be hitting my head on the lintel every time I ducked through the door! I had that trouble in Nepal, in fact, in every cab, bus, and shop. And I’m only 5’5″. Still. Ponce de Leon Park is Punta Gorda’s secret beach. It’s where everyone goes to see the sunset, to walk the short boardwalk through the mangroves, and to do a little fishing. It’s the home of the Peace River Wildlife Center – where they rehab injured birds and mammals – and a frequent field trip destination for CHEC, for wading out into the harbor to scoop up tiny critters.

But then there are the Ponces. They’re everywhere you look! I counted three, maybe four. All adorably sized, for a would-be conqueror. In 1513, the famed conquistador landed on these shores looking, as one did in those days, for gold. While he didn’t take any home, when he returned in 1521 to establish a colony on this coast, he suffered a wound at the hands of the Calusa, who understandably didn’t like the Spanish Armada snooping around their cities in the mangrove islands. Ponce died far from home in Havana, Cuba, in 1522, from complications related to that injury. And we have these pint-sized Ponces to remind us of his footsteps here.

After a lunch with my brother-in-law Jeff, I headed to the Pensacola Bluffs to see what the fuss was all about. Jeff had strongly recommended the bluffs as a potential site to include in my hiking guides, and after a few moments scramble, I found out why. The trail is only a mile or so long, and it’s mostly boardwalk, but what a boardwalk! Caught up in a dense forest of live oaks, it zigzags up and down the steep slope, with long staircases, straightaways, and steps to drop you down into the forest so you can duck through it, cross the railroad tracks, and head for the tiny beach along the bay. While I only had time for a sample, it’s on my list to examine more fully on my next trip so I can add it to Florida Hikes!

It’s been years since I hung out with friends Tom & Susan Schmidt during their annual winter foray to Summer Haven, a tiny community along the sea south of St. Augustine. Back in the 1890s, Tom’s grandparents had a couple of oceanfront homes built for an escape … in a day when vacation escape meant by steamboat and rail … and thanks to good judgement and good genes, these two historic homes are still in the family and two of the last remaining examples of Old Florida oceanfront property.  (more…)

There is something to be said for the perfect sweet tea: so properly Southern that when it’s done right, you don’t need to think about it. It just is.

That was my tea today, when I stopped in with friends to catch the tail end of the Telford’s always-satisfying buffet in White Springs. This historic hotel dishes up a mean catfish and hush puppies, fried chicken and mac-and-cheese, but it’s the tea that weaves the best magic. Especially quenching a post-hike thirst, but when it’s so good you just can’t turn down another glass … well, that’s the way sweet tea should be.

Telford Hotel & Restaurant
16521 River St
White Springs, FL 32096
(386) 397-2000

When I’d heard (thanks to the Pensacola News-Journal’s Twitter stream) about the fire in downtown Milton, I was very distressed. The historic downtown here is one of Florida’s finest, and the fire broke out in the heart of it, putting the Imogene Theatre at risk. This multi-story theater was also home to the local historical museum. On my drive out to Pensacola, I swung through Milton to assess the damage. The adjoining buildings were a total loss, but the Imogene was saved, thanks to the diligent efforts of the local firefighters. Milton isn’t far off I-10, and is worth the jog on your drive to or from Pensacola to visit the art galleries, antique shops, historic sites, and the riverwalk along the Blackwater River.