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@Matlacha, FL. - Old Florida Art and Fishing Village

10/26/2021

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"If you want to experience the colorful charm and laid-back lifestyle of turn-of-the-century Florida, the old fishing village of Matlacha is the place to visit. With a population of under 800, this waterfront community of artisans and fishermen is located on a tiny island in Matlacha Pass on the road between Cape Coral and Pine Island.

Matlacha, pronounced Mat-la-SHAY, means “Big Warrior” in Seminole, and the history and heritage of this community extend over many centuries. Sign up for a walking tour of the island’s unique and eccentric homes, bars, galleries and gift shops or just park beside the road and make your own discoveries. It’s like nowhere else!"

                          - - - - - - - - - - personal notes & photos - - - - - - - - - - - 
Matlacha is a slice of Florida's old fishing villages with a twist, it is also an artsy center for crafts and artists. I have been there twice - one time for sunset and night photos with photo bud Eddie and again more recently with the Fronstin's. An interesting fishing town on the way to Pine Island (which is one of the largest islands in Florida). Fishing boats, casual dining with great seafood is available in several pubs and restaurants. One pub Eddie and I stopped into with outdoor dining on covered a patio had the patrons dining and  playing Bingo.  So we walked into the center of the game and ordered dinner and everyone continued to play.

Photo Ops:
  • Daylight & nighttime photos of the art and craft shops
  • The main bridge highlighting locals fishing and the Bridge House at night (lighted)
  • Colored pilings at Bert's Bar & Grill - waterside
  • Sunset from the Bridge and moored vessels
  • Side canals highlighting water proximity to homes

Resources:
Florida Back Roads Travel - Matlacha and Pine Island
Must Do - Visitor Guide and Drone Overview by site
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@Sopchoppy, FL.

10/12/2021

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Photo OpsSopchoppy is a small yet unique town located near the gulf coast; 45 minutes southwest of Tallahassee. Nestled in the heart of the Apalachicola National Forest, we are a haven for the outdoor enthusiast.  From hiking, fishing, canoeing, hunting and camping, we have it all.  In addition to that, it is a great place to call home!  

                             - - - - - - - - -  personal notes & photos - - - - - - - - - -
Sopchoppy ... just the name makes us interested in visiting this town/location. As it turns out, Sopchoppy is a small, yet unique town located near Crawfordville and 45 minutes southwest of Tallahassee. And, as we came to learn, there wasn't much to see and do in Sopchoppy. However, there was a unique one-man business - a pottery and ceramic craft, that is tucked away in the woods. George (the owner/artist) shared with us that there really is no street address, and he doesn't have a website. We pulled into the town and politely asked some locals - the local grocery owner and street maintenance guys "hey, what's to see in town"? Their answer "Griffin's ... down the road a piece". So traveling down Main St. we turn onto a dirt road which brought us to George Griffin Pottery.

George's marketing approach is simple - word of mouth - he has no website, cell phone, or email ... he relies solely on visitors sharing their visit on TripAdvisor, Yelp, and TripAdvisor. (update: I just received a note from our neighbor stating "In the 50's when my dad was a salesman for the Mennen Company, he actually called on the one small grocery store in Sopchoppy.") ... it's a small world.

​PS: No, George didn't change his shirt for the photo ops - photos taken a different occasions.

Photo Ops:
  • Entry Sign and Road to George's
  • Studio
  • Workshop
  • Yard Sculptures
  • Selfie with George

Resources:
wiki ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopchoppy,_Florida
Town Website ... www.sopchoppy.org/
George's ... www.facebook.com/pages/Griffin-George-Pottery/166269426723457
Wakulla Griffin Pottery - https://www.visitwakulla.com/blog/a-wonder-of-wakulla-george-griffin-pottery/
Trip Planner: Griffin Pottery - https://is.gd/DWjoZV
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@Tallahassee

10/10/2021

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home was Tallahassee was incorporated in 1825. It was chosen as the capital of Florida long before Florida became a state, due to its central location between Pensacola and St. Augustine.Tallahassee is a college town, home to Florida State University, ranked the nation's 18th-best public university by U.S. News & World Report;[6]. It is also the location of the only Frank Lloyd Wright designed residential home in Florida - called Spring House.

                                              - - - - - - - - - - personal notes & photos - - - - - - - - - 
Our original visit to Tallahassee was to find and photograph a Frank Lloyd Wright designed home. After locating the general area and exploring access I found an opening between a locked gate and security fencing that allowed me to 'inadvertently' gain entry to the property. Now within telephoto distance I shot several photos to add to my collection of unique captures.

Ginger was the 'bank get-a-way' driver - cruising the street so no one knew I was entering private property, she was at the ready for the get-a-way, car running, ms!both hands on the wheel and phone on. No Problems! ... However, returning home and processing the photos I learned the home was occupied and upon cropping the image, I had captured the owner walking the grounds - Oops!

We continued on and came across the Goodwood Gardens ... just happened to be closed but the gate was open to let contractors into the property. We are wanna be contractors so we entered and casually walked the grounds undisturbed, taking photos or the property grounds.

Our follow-up trip(s) came as we wanted to grab a few historic photos in Tallahassee and see FSU.

​Photo Opportunities:
  • Florida State University - Founded in 1851; FSU is the oldest site of higher education in Florida
  • Goodwood Museum and Gardens - National Register of Historic Places and serves as museum on 20-acres of land  with centuries old live oaks and gardens.  Must see: main house, and 20 structures dating from 1835 to 1925.
  • Mission San Luis - the mission was the western capital of Spanish Florida from 1656 to 1704. 
  • Frank Lloyd Wright Spring House - Designed and constructed in 1954, the Spring House is the only built private residence designed by Wright in the state of Florida.
  • Old State Capital - Since 1845, the Historic Capitol has symbolized Florida state government. 

Resources:
Wiki ... 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallahassee,_Florida​
Goodwood Gardens ... visittallahassee.com/partners/goodwood-museum-gardens/
Check out Visit Tallahassee ... 
https://visittallahassee.com/​
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