Founded in 1906, Havana was initially driven by shade tobacco’s economic engine, as was much of Gadsden County, Florida. Today Havana is bursting with more than 30 specialty shops that are stocked with everything from new furniture and vintage collectibles to some amazing art. There are cafes and restaurants worth a try in this quiet town
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St. Augustine is the oldest city in Florida, it is also the oldest continuously occupied settlement of European origin in the United States. The city was originally founded as a Spanish colony in 1565 by admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, who became the first colonial governor of Florida. Under Spain’s rule, St. Augustine served as the base for Spain to continue its colonial expansion and it was eventually designated as the capital of Spanish Florida. St Augustine is a wonderful location for daytime and night-time photo shoots. We recommend that you consider taking the 1-2 hours Trolley Tour around the town. In addition to the individual locations below, walking Saint Georges Street at night offers a plethora of photo ops. The best time to start is around 9:30 pm at the city gates (across from Castillo de San Marcos} and proceed to walk to the end taking photos of all the shops and stores at night - after the crowds have thinned out. Most of the lights in the city are left on all night so you never run out of interesting things to shoot. Suggested Photo Ops: * (a must) The tower entrance to Old Town and the Oldest Schoolhouse in America * Use Trolley (on and off) for interest scenes throughout (or note announcers 'best' sites) * St George Street - daytime activity and nighttime lights * Lions Bridge - the Lion and the Lions Bridge all lit up at night * Castillo de San Marcos - take the exterior at night and interior during the daytime * San Sebastian Winery (if you like interiors, production facilities and wine tasting) * Flagler College at night Ona is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Hardee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 199 as of the 2020 census. Although such a small town, is it known by Florida explorers as the home of Soloman's Castle - a unique, art gallery and home worth a trip to visit and explore unusual yet beautiful art. Its population was 199 in 2020. Ona has a post office with ZIP code 33865, which opened on October 11, 1897 Notes: At first, an unimpressive "okay, a shiny castle, somewhere out in God's country, with nothing around". In my mind, one word was sounding "boring!". But then upon taking the tour we learn interesting facts. The artwork was all created by one individual. Most of the 'raw' material used in the artwork was scrap yard quality, discarded materials: mowers, plows, engines, 55 gallon drums - you name anything metal and Solomon could use it. Even the exterior siding of the handmade castle was from used and discarded printing plates. The tour was very interesting and worth a return trip to see. A side note, a good friend of ours had the opportunity several years ago to meet and talk to Harold Solomon - the owner/originator. What my friend learned and shared with me from his conversation (that is NOT shared on tour) was that Harold and wife were drawn to the area during the 'Florida cheap land days', only to learn that this property was purchased unseen was actually marsh and swamp. Mr. Solomon then decided he had to do something more than just build his home - so he used his skills and created the Castle. (Cameras were not allowed inside the Castle/home, however the 3 interior photos included in the gallery below are credited to Florida Backroads Travel (a website that posts photos I share with them on Florida destinations Ginger and I explored). See link below for more information). Photo Ops:
Resources: Solomon's Castle http://solomonscastle.com Florida Backroads Travel - A Magical Place ... www.florida-backroads-travel.com/solomons-castle.html |
