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Photographic Destinations

Destinations Posts

8/31/2022

Below are the Florida destinations we have explored and want to share.
Note: the date of the post may or may not represent the calendar date the destination was visited. Most often it does, but as updates are made, the post date changes to the last time post was visited. So this is a great page to just scan destinations visited.

To view specific towns, go to Destinations page here or use Navigation bar at the top of each page. Those options will launch the Towns by Region page. Click the town of interest.

@Pensacola - Old Town, Lighthouse, and the Naval Air Station

7/3/2022

Pensacola is one of the oldest and most historic cities in America, with a settlement that predated even St. Augustine's (but only lasted a short time). Pensacola became part of the U.S. in 1821, and it was officially incorporated in 1825. Its history far predates this time, and it was ruled by five different flags in its history. It is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle.

Pensacola is the site of the first Spanish settlement within the borders of the continental United States in 1559, predating the establishment of St. Augustine by 6 years, although the settlement was abandoned due to a hurricane and not re-established until 1698. Pensacola is a seaport on Pensacola Bay, which is protected by the barrier island of Santa Rosa and connects to the Gulf of Mexico. A large United States Naval Air Station, the first in the United States, is located southwest of Pensacola near Warrington; it is the base of the Blue Angels flight demonstration team and the National Naval Aviation Museum.

Suggestions for Photo Opportunities:
* Naval Air Museum
* Pensacola Lighthouse
* The Historic District
* Fort Pickens
* Pensacola Pass
* Pensacola Beach Pier

@Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island

7/2/2022

Boca Grande is a village in Southwest Florida that most Floridians have never visited. The small town is at the end of the road, just like Key West and Cedar Key, but far less known. (id #1). The town "is a favorite among the rich and famous for good reason: It’s beautiful, unspoiled and preserves an Old Florida world that may be more attractive now than it was when it was a bustling phosphate-shipping center 100 years ago." (id #13).
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Eddie, Linda and I travelled to Gaspariila Island to capture the sunset and see how the 'red tide' may have affected the area. Well, the sunsets were awesome, but the beach was literally littered with dead fish of all breeds and as we walked we could not step more than a couple feet without stepping on washed ashore fish - even a 4 foot grouper. The air was so polluted with dead fish odor and red tide bacteria, it was all we could do to cover our nose and mouth, shoot a few photos and get off the beach. The area is beautiful and definitely a must return.
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Boca Grande www.florida-backroads-travel.com/boca-grande-florida.html
Old Florida Island https://www.floridarambler.com/florida-bike-hike-trails/boca-grande-island/

@Aripeka

7/2/2022

Aripeka, Florida is a place you may not find unless you are really looking for it. It is on the Gulf Coast near Spring Hill about 48 miles north of Tampa and a mile south of Hernando Beach. The road that passes through Aripeka is subject to frequent flooding due to rainfall events and fluctuations in the level of the water and marshes surrounding the town. The population of this unincorporated community is about 300, and there is not much room to grow larger. The village is surrounded by marshes and water.

@Weechi Wachee - anyone for a swim?

7/2/2022

Weeki Wachee Springs is a natural tourist attraction located in Weeki Wachee, Florida, where underwater performances by "mermaids," women wearing fish tails as well as other fanciful outfits, can be viewed in an aquarium-like setting in the spring of the Weeki Wachee River. A waterpark, Buccaneer Bay, river boat rides, kayak and paddleboard rental are some of the other activities offered at Weeki Wachee Springs. (Wiki)

Weeki Wachee, derived from the Seminole name, means “Little Spring” or “Winding River”, is a spring located on the Weeki Wachee River. In 1947, it was converted into a sort of natural aquarium, and a waterpark was added nearby to make this place a water adventure destination. Performances are still offered, and real-live “mermaids”, professional swimmers using fins, continue to delight guests.

Weeki Wachee is a must visit with children and grand children. Besides the aquatic shows by mermaids, the park offers lots to see and photograph, plus exhibits children can participate in. Flamingos, Lu the Hippo, snakes and mermaids make great photo captures.

Photo Ops

The Mermaids
Lu the Hippo
Lots of wildlife

More ..
Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weeki_Wachee_Springs
Trip Advisor www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g34722-d108282-Reviews-Weeki_Wachee_Springs-Weeki_Wachee_Florida.html

@Key West - the Keys

7/1/2022

History: The Keys were originally inhabited by the Calusa and Tequesta tribes, and were charted by Juan Ponce de León in 1513. De León named the islands Los Martires ("The Martyrs"), as they looked like suffering men from a distance.[2] "Key" is derived from the Spanish word cayo, meaning small island. For many years, Key West was the largest town in Florida, and it grew prosperous on wrecking revenues. The isolated outpost was well located for trade with Cuba and the Bahamas and was on the main trade route from New Orleans. Improved navigation led to fewer shipwrecks, and Key West went into a decline in the late nineteenth century.

Overseas Railway: The Keys were long accessible only by water. This changed with the completion of Henry Flagler's Overseas Railway in the early 1910s. Flagler, a major developer of Florida's Atlantic coast, extended his Florida East Coast Railway down to Key West with an ambitious series of oversea railroad trestles. Three hurricanes disrupted the project in 1906, 1909, and 1910.
Our Key West travels (several with Ginger, one with Eddie) always has us travel US 1 the "highway tthat goes to the sea". Although each journey had a destination in mind - Key West, the excitement and emotion of traveling this 1-2 lane highway with 'water to the left and water to the right' in many stretches always leaves me with this question "why would anyone live this close to a high probable storm and flood disaster?" Scary but exciting. I enjoyed learning a little more about the history (above when posting this piece). Would I visit again - absolutely! I would consider doing it again in the fall of 2022 and throughly targeting specific sites - especially Dry Tortugas (see below)

Florida Keys & Key West US1 https://fla-keys.com/the-highway-that-goes-to-sea/
Dry Tortugas https://keywest.floridaweekly.com/articles/explore-the-dry-tortugas-and-fort-jefferson/

Dunedin-Honeymoon Island

7/1/2022

Initial photo gallery is located on ...
Google Photos

@St Pete

6/30/2022

@Palm Harbor - Ozona & Crystal Beach

6/30/2022

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6/30/2022

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@Dade City - Pioneer Village, drive-in movies

6/28/2022

A nice afternoon ride to Dade City.
On display are tools of the Florida Pioneer Man, showing how he built his house, made his furniture, plowed his fields, harvested his crops, and did his leather-work and blacksmithing. Also, the Trilby Depot, the Lacoochee one-room schoolhouse, is a 100-year-old building. Methodist Church from Enterprise and the two-story 1864 restored Overstreet House. It was tough to get Ginger out of the car to do a tour, so I scampered around and photographed some of the buildings. It was an interesting visit and went inside and donated - thanking them for allowing me to self-tour.

On the way home we travelled to one of Florida's last drive-in theaters and grabbed a photo - cool.

Pioneer Village https://www.pioneerfloridamuseum.org/
Drive-in http://www.fivay.org/joy-lan.html

@Tampa - Riverwalk, low light, oldest brewery, and panoramas

6/27/2022

@DeFuniak Springs - Florida's highest Elevation

6/27/2022

Lakewood Park - Florida's highest elevation

@Madeira Beach-John's Pass

6/27/2022

@Homosassa-Yulle Sugar Mill

6/27/2022

@Cortez Fishing Village

6/27/2022

@Gainesville -

6/27/2022

@Safety Harbor

6/26/2022

@Daytona Beach - our first ride on the beach (Subaru)

6/26/2022

Our trip and another with Eddie

@ Ponce Inlet

6/26/2022

@Dunedin Causeway - a favorite spot for sun, swim and chilling

6/26/2022

@Dunedin/Honeymoon Island - a perfect sunset location

6/26/2022

@Lake Wales - Bok Tower & gardens

6/26/2022

From Vacation Ideas: Lake Wales is a city in Polk County, Florida, west of Lake Kissimmee and east of Tampa. Lake Wales is surrounded by parks, gardens and wildlife preserves including Bok Tower Gardens or Bok Mountain Lake Sanctuary and Singing Tower is a 250-acre bird sanctuary and a contemplative garden. While exploring the gardens, the visitors can learn about the history of Edward W. Bok and his Singing Tower and tour the historic Pinewood Estate mansion, which offers a glimpse of the luxurious lifestyle of the 1930s.

My photo buddy Eddie and I decided to visit Bok Tower and Gardens to capture the tower and explore the gardens principally to challenge ourselves to photographing subjects with different camera settings - particularly blurry backgrounds using depth of field control (wide open aperture).

See - Bok Tower History (#FBT)

@Brooksvile

6/26/2022

Fort DeSoto, established about 1840 to give protection to settlers from Native Americans, was located at the northeastern edge of present-day Brooksville on Croom Road about one-half mile east of U.S. Highway 41. The fort was also a trading post and a regular stop on the Concord stagecoach line which ran from Palatka to Tampa. (Wiki)

The City of Brooksville was incorporated in 1880. The early economy of Brooksville was based on agriculture - including cotton - and several large plantations were in the area. The area was the scene of many violent racial incidents in the years after the Civil War and on into the 1930s. Read the history of Hernando County. (#FBT)
We visit Brooksvile every year since our accountant is located there. Some often times I bring a camera 'just in case' an opportunity presents itself.

Ideas - Things to do in Brooksville (#VI)
History (Wikipedia)

@Palatka - home of Florida's oldest Diner

6/26/2022

From Wikepedia:
The area was once the domain of the Timucuan peoples, two tribes of which existed in the Palatka region under chiefs Saturiwa and Utina. They fished bass and mullet, or hunted deer, turkeys, bear and opossum. Others farmed beans, corn, melons, squash, and tobacco. However, infectious disease that came with European contact and war devastated the tribes, and they were extinct by the mid-18th century. The last people evacuated with the Spanish to Cuba in 1763, when Spain ceded Florida to Great Britain after the Seven Years' War.

We were interested in visiting Palatka when our friends Rick and Vana moved for New Port Richey to property just outside of Palatka and when searching the area learned that Florida's oldest diner was there ... we 'gotta' see that! (short of photogrpahing this site and the cemetery, the town is an older town in slight decay).