Maryland - Wish List - Part 1

In my last two posts, I’ve shared with you my favorite places to visit and some good things to know before you visit Maryland.  In today’s post, I’d like to share the 1^st half of my top 10 wish list of places I still want to check out (in no particular order).

1.  I haven’t explored western Maryland at all.  One way of seeing the far west would be to take the Historic National Road (Maryland Post #2) to Cumberland and take a ride on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.  They have various excursions that take you through the spectacular scenery of the Allegheny Mountains and provide you with information about the scenery, history, and culture along the trip.  The regular excursion even provides you with a 1 ½ hour layover in Historic Frostburg (the town turns 200 years old this year) for you to explore that town’s Main Street area before the return trip to Cumberland.

 

2.  While in western Maryland, I’d like to visit Oakland and the Swallow Falls State Park because I love waterfalls and these aren’t that far away from the Washington, DC metro area.  Within the Swallow Falls Park, there are four waterfalls, of which the Muddy Creek Falls at 53-foot tall is the tallest (great pictures that are copyrighted).  Aren’t they beautiful?

3.  Back in May, I had plans to visit one place on my wish list, Catoctin Mountain, while exploring three of the Maryland Covered Bridges (Maryland post #2).  However, I quickly discovered that the United States Presidential Retreat, Camp David, was located in the Catoctin Mountain Park and they had shut down the entire park because of an international summit being held at Camp David that weekend.  Thus, it remains on my wish list.  I had plans to drive along the Catoctin Mountain National Scenic Byway, which is a 38.5 mile road that takes you from the Virginia boarder to the Pennsylvania boarder through quaint little historic towns, and past museums, memorials, and even the Monocacy Battlefield (Maryland Post #2).

One state park I’d like to visit within the picturesque Catoctin Mountains is the Cunningham Falls State Park.  Within the park, you can swim, hunt, hike, fish, canoe, and camp.  But, I would be there to see the 78-foot Cunningham Falls (or McAfee Falls as some may call it), which is the largest cascading waterfall in the state. 

The park’s trails vary in distance and look very serene.  So, if you’re ever headed up to Catoctin Mountain, you might want to check ahead and see what the President of the United States is up to that weekend.  He might be planning a relaxing weekend in the mountains just like you!

4.  South Mountain is a 40-mile long state park along the South Mountain Ridge from the Pennsylvania line to the Potomac River.  The Maryland’s portion of the Appalachian Trail is situated along this ridge and it’s beautiful.  This area features several impressive scenic vistas, including: 

Annapolis Rock

High Rock



Washington Monument

 

 Weverton Cliffs 

 

5.  While Maryland has 28 lighthouses/light stations/lightships on the Chesapeake Bay, I have a few favorites that I’d like to visit more than others.

 

The Concord Point Lighthouse is at the entrance to the Susquehanna River in Havre de Grace and was in service from November 1827 until it’s decommissioning in 1975.  It is one of the oldest lighthouses in continuous operation on the East Coast.  It is open to the public on weekends from April to October.  I think it looks so well kept and pretty.  Plus, my grandmother spent a few years in Havre de Grace growing up so I’d like to see what the town is like.

 

Thomas Point Lighthouse is 1 ½ miles offshore in the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the South River.  The lighthouse was completed and commissioned in 1875 and was manned until 1986 when it was automated.  It is one of nine lighthouses in the country that are designated as a National Historic Landmark.  It seems to be a popular lighthouse and arguably the most recognized Maryland lighthouse amongst Marylanders; however, not many have been to it because of its location.  The Annapolis Maritime Museum’s Barge House offers just a few boat tours out to the lighthouse each summer.  These three-hour tours are said to involve “physical exertion” because you’ll need to climb up a steep ladder and through a small hatch on the lighthouse deck.  Also, there are no toilet facilities on the tour.  So, please be sure to get more information before planning this trip.

 

Blackistone Lighthouse is on St. Clement’s Island, which is the site of Maryland’s birthplace.  In 1634, 140 English settlers landed here to establish America’s fourth British colony.  The 40-acre island offers not only tours of the Blackistone Lighthouse, but also pier and docking facilities, a sandy beach, and picnic areas.  You can take a water taxi over to the island from the St. Clement’s Island Museum in Colton’s Point.

 

Today’s post is just half of my top 10 wish list of places I still want to check out in Maryland.  Come back soon for part 2.

* Pictures found online.

Maine - Acadia National Park

So far, I’ve talked about the places in Maine I went to in October 2007 and the places I’d like to go and visit in Maine minus one:

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

 

It’s a vacation all on its own.  It’s that big and there is so much to do there.  It will celebrate its 100^th anniversary in 2016.  It was the first national park east of the Mississippi River, and is located on more than 47,000 acres along the rugged coast of Maine.  Its home to many plants and animals, and the tallest mountain on the US Atlantic Coast.  You can hike, bike, or relax and enjoy the scenery.  But, their visitor center and some of their roads are only open from April through October every year even though they are a year round park so plan your trip accordingly.

There are two scenic byways in the area that shows the beauty of Acadia.  One is the Acadia All American Road.  It’s a 40-mile road that takes you from the shorelines, to the top of granite-capped mountains, past lakes, and through forests. 

Acadia All American Road

Also, there is the Schoodic Scenic Byway.  Along this 29-mile road, you’ll be enchanted by the mountains, local birds, coastal islands, historic buildings, and lighthouses.  Brilliant views await you at every bend and turn on both byways.

Schoodic Scenic Byway

Two lighthouses in the Acadia National Park are the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse and the Bear Island Lighthouse.  The Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse was built along a cliff in the Tremont area back in 1858.  There is free parking to view the lighthouse from different viewpoints. 

 

Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse

The Bear Island Lighthouse was constructed in 1889 in the Somes Sound area, which is the only fjord on the east coast of the US.  This lighthouse is closed to the public and is best viewed by boat.

Bear Island Lighthouse

The carriage roads and stone bridges within the park is a 57-mile network of woodland roads free of cars for hikers, bikers, horseback riders, carriages, cross-country skiing and limited snowmobiling.

 

Also, you can schedule a boat ride to go to the islands just off the coast to see some Atlantic Puffins (often mistaken as penguins).  Here is one such cruise.  In 2008, the Atlantic Puffin population on Eastern Egg Rock eclipsed 100 nesting pairs of puffins to view on such tours.  Many of these tour companies also offer seal cruises, lighthouse cruises, and fall coastal cruises along the shores of Maine.

 
These are just the places I visited or would like to go and visit in Maine.  If you know of anywhere else in Maine we should check out, please leave a comment below.  Next, we’ll explore what’s just round the corner in the state of Maryland.

**All photos were found online.**

Maine - Wish List

In my last post, I noted the places I visited in 2007, but I’d love to go again and visit quite a lot of places on my next trip to Maine.  Here is a shortened version of that list.

While in Maine, I visited two lighthouses, however Maine has 65 lighthouses!  Every year in September, Maine hosts an Open Lighthouse Day.  It’s a fun family event intended to increase awareness of the rich history of its lighthouses and lighthouse keepers.  Along the shores of Maine on this day, companies provide excursions to show lighthouses that are only accessible by boat, lighthouses and museums are open for tours, and some lighthouses host live music.

In the town of Prospect, about 118 miles north of Portland, is the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory.  It’s the only bridge observatory tower in the US, and there are only four bridge observatories in the world.  It also has Maine’s fastest and tallest passenger elevator taking you up to the observatory.  The 360-degree view from the observatory is so beautiful.  But, the observatory is only open from May 1^st through October 31^st every year, so make sure to plan your trip accordingly.

 

While on the subject of bridges, I also love covered bridges.  We saw quite a few in New Hampshire on our New England road trip, however, we didn’t stop to see any of the nine covered bridges in Maine that are beautiful as well.

Babb's Bridge

With Maine being the US’s largest blueberry growing state, I might be able to find my chocolate blueberry latte at one of the state’s wild blueberry festivals, one of which is the Machias Wild Blueberry Festival in Machias.  They have a ball, fun runs, pie eating contests, crafters, farm tours, and even a blueberry musical.

I bet I could also find another good Maine lobster meal at the Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland.  They have a pancake breakfast, cooking contest, lobster crate races, fun runs, and a big parade.  Along with lobsters, they also have clam festivals such as the Yarmouth Clam Festival in Yarmouth, which hosts the Maine State Clam Shucking Contest.  WOW!  It also has a canoe/kayak race, parade, fun runs, crafters, and even a diaper derby (a fun race for crawlers and toddlers).

 

My friends from Maine told me that Maine has a desert.  I thought they were either lying or I had heard wrong and they were saying DESSERT!  But, nope, I heard right and they weren’t lying.  The Desert of Maine is Maine’s famous natural phenomenon in Freeport.  It has nature trails, sand dunes, and a barn museum.  But, they are only open from May through October every year so keep this in mind when planning your trip.  It used to be fertile grassland in the 1700s that eroded away to show the glacier desert that was always underneath the grassland.

Also in Freeport is the LL Bean Flagship Store.  Throughout the summer, they offer outdoor activities at their Discovery Park such as farmers’ markets, festivals, concerts, and games.  Throughout the year, they offer indoor events around the topics of birding, kayaking, navigating, hiking, camping, etc.

There is one place in Maine I’m not sure about visiting because I’m not that much of an outdoors person, but I sure do love to look at pictures of it.  That’s Baxter State Park in Millinocket.  They describe it as rustic, unpaved, and no electricity.  They have 215 miles of trails that offer all kinds of hikes from short easy day hikes to difficult long hikes.  It’s 209,501 acres and includes Maine’s highest peak, Mt. Katahdin, which is also the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail that starts in the Amicaloloa Falls State Park in Dawsonville, Georgia (Georgia’s Blog Post).

Mt. Katahdin

As I’ve mentioned many times, you should go tour the state capitol buildings when you’re traveling, especially in your home state.  Most of the time, there are free tours available.  Maine’s state capitol in Augusta is no different.

 

There’s one HUGE and MAGNIFICANT area of Maine I’m leaving out of this post and saving for my next post – Acadia National Park.  So, watch for that post in the next couple of days.

**All photos were found online.**

Maine - New England Road Trip

I visited Maine in October 2007 on a New England road trip with three other women (mentioned in my Connecticut Blog Post).  Now, if you’re from Maine, like two of my friends (Molly and Julie), you probably would agree with them that I didn’t visit “true” Maine because we only visited the southern point where all the “rich snobs live” (not where the “true Maine people” live).  However, I loved what I did see of Maine and I’d go back again.

In a previous post (Delaware Blog Post), I mentioned the EZ Pass.  Maine has tollbooths throughout the state that take the EZ Pass.  So, if you’ll be traveling through the Mid-Atlantic / Northeast along I-95, you might want to think about getting an EZ Pass to save time.

Our first stop in Maine was the Nubble Light (or Cape Neddick Light Station) in York.  I love lighthouses and this one didn’t disappoint.  The lighthouse itself is not accessible to the public, but it can be photographed from Sohier Park that overlooks this picturesque lighthouse.

From there, we drove north and visited the seaside town of Kennebunkport.  We put our feet in the freezing cold water on one of the nearby beaches.

We checked out the quaint shops and cafes.  One such café had a chocolate blueberry latte called the Mainer that was DIVINE!  It was SO GOOD!  Have I ever found another chocolate blueberry latte as good?  NO!  Have I been looking for another chocolate blueberry latte ever since – ABSOLUTELY!  Yummy!  While in Kennebunkport, we ate lunch at the Clam Shack.  I remember getting a little of everything and everything was wonderful! HOWEVER, word to the wise: do not eat a lot of the fried stuff no matter how good the clams are, okay?!  I made myself sick.  I just couldn’t take that much fried food all at once.

We spent the night in Saco.  There wasn’t anything special about it, but there was a nice Hampton Inn there with very friendly staff. They told us about a place where locals go for a lobster dinner (you know the places that only have Maine license plates in the parking lot).  It was so YUMMY and came complete with lobster bibs!  Can I remember where we ate?  Nope.  Sorry.  You’ll just have to find your own locals-only place for lobster in Maine.

They also told us of a few places to pick up some wonderful blueberry pie the next morning.  So, the next morning, we headed north with the plan to pick up some blueberry pie along the way, only to find out that all of those places were CLOSED ON SUNDAYS except the last one which had run out by the time we got there.  Be careful to look at the hours and days of operation for any place you want to go to.  Lesson learned.  So, it was off to Portland to check out the Portland Head Lighthouse, which was yet another beautiful lighthouse, but boy the wind was gusting!  Our hair was all over the place.

From there it was time to keep exploring through the New England states and head west to New Hampshire.  The leaves were breathtaking throughout our entire New England road trip.  I’d love to go back in the fall and see the leaves changing again and see a bunch of other places I’ve learned about since then.  In my next post, I’ll list those places that I’d like to go see on my next trip to the majestic state of Maine.

**All pictures taken by me or my friend, Lori.**

Hawaii - The Other Islands

When I visited Hawaii, I explored just one island, O’ahu.  However, there are 5 other islands in Hawaii full of adventure and fun yet to explore.  Here’s my list of places I’d visit and things I’d do by island.

The Island of Kauai (http://www.hawaii-guide.com/kauai)

The Wailua Falls of Kauai (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60623-d546344-Reviews-Wailua_Falls-Lihue_Kauai_Hawaii.html) is a 173-foot waterfall and is used in the opening credits of the TV show, Fantasy Island.  In the aerial shots, the area looks so pretty.

Also, I’d like to visit the Kilauea Lighthouse (http://www.kilauealighthouse.org/about_lighthouse.html), which opened in 1913.  It’s just so cute and I bet it has a great ocean view.  It is said to be one of the island’s most visited site and best loved places.

The Island of Maui (http://www.to-hawaii.com/maui/)

The Hana Highway (http://www.vacationidea.com/maui/hanahighway.html) looks so beautiful and there are so many places along the road to stop and just enjoy the experience and the views.  The Wailua Falls of Maui (http://www.traveltohawaiireviewed.com/maui/Attractions/Wailua_Falls.html) is one such place located at mile marker #45 off the Hana Highway.  That looks like paradise to me.

Another place on the island of Maui I’d like to visit is the Haleakala Crater and National Park (http://www.nps.gov/hale/index.htm).  It’s just so different than what I’ve seen before.  They also have endangered species that don’t exist anywhere else.

The Island of Molokai (http://www.molokai.com/)

I have pictures of me on horses and donkeys at the age of 4-6 years old.  But, I got on a horse in West Virginia a few years ago and was petrified!  I stayed on the horse and rode the whole trail though.  HOPEFULLY I could do this AWESOME 2.9 mile mule ride through Kalaupapa National Historical Park to the Kalaupapa Peninsula (http://www.muleride.com/ and a good review of the ride can be read at http://www.travelviews.aaa.com/post/2009/03/05/Molokai-Cliff-Hanger.aspx).  They’re mules so they’re shorter and maybe the ride wouldn’t be so scary.  They ride along sheer cliffs overlooking the Pacific so it might not help being closer to the ground and the cliff though.  But, look at the view!  AH!  Beautiful!

The Island of Lanai (http://www.gohawaii.com/lanai) (also known as Hawaii’s most secluded island)

I found the Munro Trail (http://www.to-hawaii.com/lanai/attractions/munro-trail.php) to be very pretty.  It’s a popular 7-mile long hike that leads up to the highest peak on the island  This is the only spot in the state of Hawaii from where one can see five other Hawaiian islands (Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Kahoolawe, and Hawaii) but only on a very clear day.  The trail is a one-lane dirt road that is accessible by foot, bike or four-wheel drive – the 4-wheeler sounds fun!

The Island of Hawaii or “the Big Island” (http://www.hawaii.com/travel/explore_bigisland.php)

The Akaka Falls State Park (http://www.gohawaii.com/big-island/regions-neighborhoods/hamakua-coast/akaka-falls-state-park) looks like a tropical rainforest paradise.  WOW.  Beautiful!  The Hilo Farmers Market (http://hilofarmersmarket.com/) is open year round with a HUGE amount of vendors and different varieties of fruits, meats, vegetables, etc.  It seems like a cool place to go exploring and be adventurous with food.  Also, I hear you have to visit the Hawaii Volcano National Park (http://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm).  It’s a live volcano!  I think it would be an experience you have to have in your life – something we just have to see.

One of my favorite finds was the Coffee Festivals on the Big Island:

Kona Coffee Fest in November:  http://www.konacoffeefest.com/
Kau Coffee Fest in May:  http://www.kaucoffeefest.com
Awesome!  Every six months, another party that involves my favorite drink – coffee!  Yippee!  I’m all onboard with that.

While researching the Hawaiian Islands I discovered that there are more than the 5 islands I set out to talk about in this post.  In addition to Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and Hawaii (the Big Island), Hawaii has two private islands – Niiahu (http://www.aloha-hawaii.com/kauai/niihau/) and Kahoolawe (http://www.to-hawaii.com/kahoolawe.php

These are just the places I’d like to visit on the other islands of Hawaii if I went back.  If you know of anywhere else in Hawaii we should check out, please leave a comment below.  See you next week when we’ll explore what’s just round the corner in Idaho.

Georgia

Being from the south, I’ve been to, and driven through Georgia many times.  My favorite place of all-time in Georgia is the Georgia Pig on the Rt. 17 exit off of I-95 in Brunswick (http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-georgia-pig-brunswick).  The 1^st time I visited I was told it was worth the 45 minute, one-way trip from where I was working to this SHACK!  My coworkers and I never regretted the trip, and we made two other trips later that week to the Georgia Pig for dinner.  My boss even took 5 lbs of BBQ home on his lap in the airplane!  You have got to order the BBQ and their Brunswick Stew!  An old southern saying, “it was so good that I’d smack my momma if she tried taking it away from me!”  It was THAT good.

Another favorite is the Dillard House Restaurant in Dillard (http://www.dillardhouse.com/restaurant/index.php).  The view of the rolling hills and the amazing family style southern cooking is just wonderful!  Please do check it out if you are ever in the area.

Picture of Dillard House from their website

Most people that have been to Georgia have visited the city of Atlanta.  You might have flown or driven through Atlanta.  There is plenty to do there.  I suggest you start your trip to Atlanta with my favorite spot – THE VARSITY (http://www.thevarsity.com/).  It’s the world's largest drive-in that can accommodate 600 cars and over 800 people inside.  It sells more than 2 miles of hot dogs daily, a ton of onion rings, 2500 pounds of fresh cut potatoes, 5000 homemade fried pies, and 300 gallons of chili, all of which are made from scratch daily.  Every time I’ve gone to Atlanta for work or with school, we’ve stopped there.  It’s yummy. 

Next, you’ll need to visit the state capitol building (http://www.sos.ga.gov/archives/tours/about.html), which I’ve already mentioned in previous posts is always a must visit in every state especially in your own state.  A beautiful part of town to walk around is the Centennial Olympic Park (http://www.centennialpark.com/), which was built for the 1996 Olympics.  Atlanta is also home to CNN where you can get the inside scoop during a 55-minute tour inside the CNN Studio (www.cnn.com/tour).  I’ve never done that before, however, it’s on my list of things to check out next time I’m in the area.  Another must is a tour of the World of Coca-Cola (www.worldofcoca-cola.com).  Whether you’re for Coca-Cola or Pepsi, this tour is a must.  One of their exhibits is a tasting station with over 60 different Coca-Cola products from around the world.  YIPPEE!

Picture of 1 of the tasting stations at the World of Coca-Cola.  Picture found online.

If it’s a nice day outside you’re wishing for, then you need to visit Georgia’s #1 attraction.  Fifteen minutes outside of Atlanta is Stone Mountain Park (http://stonemountainpark.com/).  You can either take their skyride up to the top of the mountain or walk the 1.3 mile trail up the mountain to see a beautiful view.  Also, they have a 45-minute laser show on the face of the 825-foot tall granite outcropping (or “stone mountain”) most nights through out the year. 

Lastly, while in the Atlanta area, you should visit the Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthplace and burial site (http://www.nps.gov/malu/index.htm).  You can even step inside of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church that Dr. King, his dad, and grandfather all preached in.

When thinking about the south, some movie fans recall the old classic, “Gone with the Wind.”  If you love that movie, you can immerse yourself in all things Gone with Wind in Georgia.  Last year was the 75^th anniversary of the book being published back in 1936.  You can visit the Gone with the Wind Museum: Scarlett on the Square in the town of Marietta (http://gwtwmarietta.com/), The Road to Tara Museum in the town of Jonesboro (http://visitscarlett.com/), or you can visit author Margaret Mitchell’s, house and museum in Atlanta (http://www.margaretmitchellhouse.com/).

Now, if you’ve been to see one of the major mountain ranges around the world or in the USA, you might not consider the “mountains” of Georgia and South Carolina to be mountains because they’re very old and not that tall comparatively.  However, they are still beautiful, especially in the fall.  Just keep in mind that the leaves’ color peaks in these states later than the rest of the Appalachian Mountain range because they are so far south.  There are two mountainous areas to check out in Georgia.  One is the beginning of the Appalachian trial that starts in the northeast part of the state in Dawsonville at the Amicalola Falls State Park (http://www.ngeorgia.com/ang/Amicalola_Falls_State_Park, http://www.georgiatrails.com/gt/Appalachian_Trail_in_Georgia), and the other is The Lookout Mountain Parkway in the northwest (http://lookoutmountainparkway.org/).  It’s right outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Both places have breathtaking views of Georgia’s mountains.

Picture of Amicalola Falls found online.

One place I would love to go to someday is Savannah.  The pictures of Savannah (www.visitsavannah.com) remind me either of New Orleans, LA or Charleston, SC.  While there, I want to go to Paula Deen’s restaurant called Lady and Sons (http://ladyandsons.com/).  I think she’s like to country cooking as Julia Childs was to French cooking.  I’ve eaten dishes from Paula’s cookbooks that were DELICIOUS, so eating food that was actually made in her restaurant has got to be phenomenal.  

Picture of Lady and Sons found online

Savannah is the home of not only Paula Deen but the Girl Scouts!  Girl Scouts is turning 100 years old this year!  Juliette Gordon Low (founder of the Girl Scouts) was born in Savannah and the first headquarters building was in Savannah as well, both of which you can visit (http://www.juliettegordonlowbirthplace.org/, http://www.gshg.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=135&Itemid=149).  A town near Savannah, Port Wentworth, hosts the Annual Collard Green Festival in March with a collard green n’ cornbread cook-off.  Yummy!  According to the festival’s website, they encourage “Ya’ll come and have a mess o’ greens.”  Can’t get more southern than that!  (http://www.visitportwentworth.com/#self)  I think the best way of seeing Savannah would be either walking along the city market (http://www.savannahcitymarket.com/) or taking in a riverboat cruise (http://savannahriverboat.com/).  There is so much on my list to see in Savannah.

Another area I would like to visit in Georgia is the Golden Isles on the coast.  The pictures of Jekyll Island (http://jekyllisland.com/) are just so beautiful and peaceful looking.  Plus, they have a shrimp and grits festival that I’d love to visit. (http://www.jekyllisland.com/Events/AnnualFestivals/ShrimpandGrits.aspx).  MMMM GOOD!  Also, my love for lighthouses would take me to St. Simons Lighthouse (http://saintsimonslighthouse.org/), a lighthouse that is beautiful and has a gorgeous shore surrounding it.

Pictures of Jekll Island and Saint Simons Lighthouse found online 

If you’re into golf, then you have heard about Augusta, home of the Masters Tournament held every April (http://www.augusta.com/).  But, they also have a picturesque Riverwalk in town (http://www.augustaga.org/Things-to-Do/Attractions/Augusta-Riverwalk).

Your kids might like the next two places that I found.  First, the Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum in Madison (http://www.microcarmuseum.com/index.html) houses the largest collection of microcars in the world, and most of the cars in the collection were built between the late 1940s and early 1960s in Europe after World War II.  It might sound a little odd, but I bet any boy (or boy at heart) would love to see that collection.

Second, your little girl will love visiting Cabbage Patch Kid’s Babyland General in Cleveland (http://www.cabbagepatchkids.com/visit/).  It’s the only place in the world where you can witness the birth of a hand-sculpted Cabbage Patch Kid and the best part is that admission is FREE.

These are just a few of the great places you need to know about in the peach state of Georgia.  If you know of anywhere else in Georgia we should check out, please leave a comment below.  See you next week when we explore what’s just round the corner on the paradise shores of Hawaii.

Florida

I know a good bit about Florida because my grandparents retired to New Smyrna Beach from New Jersey in the early 90s so over the next decade, my family spent plenty of time on the east coast of Florida.  In addition, I’ve visited other places in Florida with friends or work.

Photo taken by me.

St. Augustine, in northeast Florida, is the nation’s oldest city.  My family visited the Fountain of Youth (http://www.fountainofyouthflorida.com/index.php) and the St. Augustine Lighthouse (http://www.staugustinelighthouse.com/).  While there, you can visit the oldest store, drugstore, and house.  I remember having a great time visiting the oldest city and I love lighthouses.  For more information - http://staugustine.com/visitors-guide.

Just south of St. Augustine is Daytona Beach.  Later this week, March 9^th, it’ll be transformed into the home of one of the biggest biker events in the country, Daytona Biker Week – (http://www.officialbikeweek.com/).  It’s been held every year since 1937!  My grandfather loved to go people watching there.  I think everyone should experience a biker event sometime in his/her life.  I’ve never been to the Daytona Biker Week, but I’ve seen a few in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (they have two biker weekends each May).  Now, if you’re a NASCAR fan, then Daytona Beach is the place to be!  It has been home to the Daytona International Speedway since 1959 - (http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/?homepage=true).  It’s a huge speedway that brings millions of people and millions of dollars to the area every February!

Another lighthouse in the Northeast that my family has visited was the beautiful Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse and museum (http://www.ponceinlet.org/).  It’s the tallest lighthouse in Florida and it’s been around since 1887.

Picture of the Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthoue from the internet.

Also in the Northeast, you’ll find Lake Okefenokee (http://www.fws.gov/okefenokee/).  I think it’s just funny to say!  I’ve never been there, but in my research, I found it to be really pretty.  Okefenokee Adventure Company (http://www.okefenokeeadventures.com/index.html) offers organized boat tours where you can see alligators, bears, and egrets or you can go kayaking on the lake.  I might have to do that the next time I’m in the area.

Picture of Lake Okefenokee from the internet.

Moving down the coast, we come to Cape Canaveral.  This year, the Kennedy Space Center is celebrating 50 years of space history.  Despite there being no more shuttle launches and NASA switching to more commercial type launches, you can still go in the visitor center and take the 2-hour bus tour.  My family went and it was a great learning experience!  They now have an astronaut hall of fame that I don’t remember being there so there is even more to see.  For more info - http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/home/index.html.

My mom at Cape Canaveral

Zooming down I-95, hours later we come to the Miami and Ft. Lauderdale area.  You can do the clubbing and sunbathing there, but the next time I visit the area, I want to visit the World Heritage Site of the Everglades that boasts rare and exotic species (http://www.nps.gov/ever/index.htm).  They offer both boat tours and tram tours of the HUGE park.  When I'm in the area, I like to eat at Pollo Tropical (http://pollotropical.com/default.aspx) – fried plantains are yummy!  I also like to eat at Bahama Breeze - http://www.bahamabreeze.com/ - which has excellent seafood with a Caribbean flair.  Both of these restaurants are Miami area chains.

One area of Florida that I haven’t visited yet is the Florida Keys.  If I ever get there, I’m definitely checking out Porky’s Bayside BBQ Restaurant in Marathon, Florida.  I recently saw them on the Travel Channel with conch fritters and deep fried key lime pie.  Those dishes sound yummy!  http://porkysbaysidebbq.com/ 

Picture of Porky's Deep Fried Key Lime Pie from the internet.

The Keys have such an interesting history with Ernest Hemmingway (the author), treasure hunts, Harry Truman’s Little White House, etc.  One site everyone has to check out though is the Southernmost Point in the USA marker.  One site in this area that I had never heard of is the John Pennekamp Corral Reef State Park - http://pennekamppark.com/.  It looks beautiful and I didn’t know something like that existed in the USA.

Picture from the internet.

Heading up I-75 north you'll find Sarasota.  I had never thought to visit there till I saw the Sarasota Jungle Gardens in my research – (http://sarasotajunglegardens.com/jungle/).  You can hand feed their free roaming pink flamingoes and hold the alligators for pictures!  How cool is that!?  I added this place to my must-visit list.

In the center of the state is Orlando, and there are PLENTY of websites that can tell you all about Disney World and specifically the Epcot Center (http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/).  So, I’ll leave that to them. 

Picture of Disney Castle taken by someone in my family

However, nearby in the town of Silver Springs is my family’s favorite theme park in the area, Silver Springs (http://silversprings.com/index.html).  They have glass bottom boat rides, botanical gardens, wildlife exhibits (they now have a white alligator), shows, a play land, plus shopping and dinning all in one park.

Let’s move onto to the northwest part of Florida also known as the Panhandle.  Despite Florida being in the southeast part of the United States, most of Florida does not act like a Southern state.  You might mistake part of Florida for Cuba, a Caribbean island, New Jersey, or New York City for that matter.  The Panhandle is the exception.  They sound southern, they act southern, and the food is southern.  It’s just amazing they are in the same state.

In the Panhandle is the state’s capitol, Tallahassee.  You can visit Florida’s beautiful historic capital museum (http://www.flhistoriccapitol.gov/).  They have plenty of exhibits and have audio tours for a self-guided tour.  Plus, free admission.

Further into the Panhandle is Pensacola.  Pensacola is the home of the US Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron also known as the Blue Angels (http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/).  While in town, there is a good chance you’ll get to see them practice.  I’ve been there twice and both times I saw them in the sky.  It’s a pretty cool awe inspiring sight. 

Picture of a Blue Angel plane at the Pensacola Regional Airport taken by me.

While in Pensacola, check out the Naval Aviation Museum and IMAX Theater (http://navalaviationmuseum.org/).  I didn’t get to check this out last time I was there, however it’s now on my list.  After visiting the museum, head over to McGuire’s Irish Pub (http://www.mcguiresirishpub.com/).  I’ve stopped here both trips to town and have never been disappointed in the Irish cuisine, specifically their mouth smacking Sheppard’s pie.  Yummy!

I do have one note of warning for staying in Florida hotels.  You need to keep track of the weather and know the hotel’s cancelation policy.  Florida does get hit with many tropical storms/hurricanes each year.  If one is on the way to the area that you are going to be staying at, you might want to postpone your trip, but will you get a 100% refund if you do decide to cancel?  A few friends of mine have had problems with this issue so check into it before making a reservation.  Also, if a storm has hit the area you’re visiting in the past year or two, check reviews of the hotel to make sure they were restored correctly and there were no complaints of black mold.  This is a note from personal experience.  I once stayed at a hotel in Florida that had been restored from a hurricane that had hit the summer before, but was full of black mold because they did not restore it correctly.  I came home with a severe sinus infection that lasted for a good two weeks at least.  That’s not a fun souvenir to bring home!

With such a big state, these are just a few of the places you need to know about in Florida.  If you know of anywhere else in Florida we should check out, please leave a comment below.  See you next week when we explore what’s just round the corner just north of Florida in Georgia.