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.

Hawaii - The Island of O'ahu

In January of 2010, I spent four days visiting some friends on the island of O’ahu in Hawaii (http://www.gohawaii.com/oahu).  Hawaii is a 5-6 hour time change from the east coast of the United States where I live and they don’t observe Daylight Savings Time (hence why I say 5 or 6 hours).  In order to keep me awake when I arrived in the afternoon, my friends and I walked Waikiki Beach on the south part of the island where I watched my 1^st Hawaiian sunset – BEAUTIFUL!  

As we walked the beach, we saw surfers, smelt all the delicious smells coming from the various beachfront restaurants, I stuck my feet in the water, and marveled at all the luxurious hotels on the beach.  We ate at a wonderful burger place (can’t remember the name) that had anything you could want on a burger and more.  I got pineapple on my burger and it was pretty good.

The next morning, my friends went to work.  They thought I’d just sleep in and take it easy by their pool.  Instead, I woke up early, jumped into my rental car and was off to explore as much of the island as possible. 

My Sweet Ride!

The island is fairly easy to get around even with the traffic in the city of Honolulu.  My friends live on the southwest part of the island, outside of the tourist area.  My route for the day was interstate H1 east to Rt. 99 north (Kamehameha Hwy).  I drove Kamehameha Hwy around the north part of the island and down the east coast.  Then, I turned back around at Rt. 61 (Paul Hwy) and took interstate H1 back to the house.  I covered a GOOD piece of the island that day. 

During the day, I drove through the quaint town of Hale’iwa (http://haleiwatown.com/), and stopped at various state parks along the north part of the island. 

One of the cute parks

The waves were huge and the surfers were everywhere.  At one park, I saw a small surfing competition so I sat for a while and watched.  It was really cool.

While I was gallivanting around the north part of the island, I saw this food truck with TONS of people flocking to it.  It smelt so good, so I knew I had to stop!  It was called Giovanni’s Original White Shrimp Truck (http://giovannisshrimptruck.com/ and someone’s blog post about their food - http://onokinegrindz.typepad.com/ono_kine_grindz/2004/05/giovannis_shrim.html).  Word of warning: they use a lot of yummy garlic and yummy butter!  It was so good.  Plus, the smells of the beach mixed with Giovanni’s food smell was so wonderful!

Picture from blog post (link above)

For the rest of the afternoon, I just drove along with my windows rolled down listening to the Hawaiian music on the radio.  I was in paradise!  Needing to get back for a luau, I decided to cut down Rt. 61 to get to the interstate.  Awesome decision!  On Rt. 61, I found the Nu’uanu Pali Lookout (http://www.aloha-hawaii.com/oahu/nuuanu-pali-state-park/), which has A-MAZING VIEWS!  It was really windy, but I’m so glad I stopped and checked it out.

That night, we went to the Paradise Cove Luau (http://paradisecovehawaii.com/) in the southwest part of the island.  It was a lot of fun.  We started off with drinks, taking pictures with the dancers, getting henna tattoos, paddling a canoe, and seeing a man climb up a coconut tree.  Then, it was time for dinner and watching the Hawaiian dancers.  I highly recommend Paradise Cove.

Over the weekend, we drove all over the island seeing other sites.  In Honolulu, we visited the grounds of the ‘Iolani Palace (http://www.iolanipalace.org/), which was the official residence of Hawaii’s monarchy and was built in 1882.  We also passed the state capital, which replaced the ‘Iolani Palace as the seat of state government 43 years ago last week (March 15^th, 1969).

'Iolani Palace

State Capital

My friends and I visited Pearl Harbor, the USS Missouri Battleship Memorial (http://www.ussmissouri.org/), and the USS Arizona Memorial (http://www.pearl-harbor.com/arizona/arizona.html), which are all together.  Some of it was under construction at the time, but it was still a wonderful visit.  I thought it was such a well done memorial to the fallen, and amazingly enough it was really quiet.  I thought they provided a great tour with a great recap of all the events leading up to, what happened during, and what happened after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The USS Missouri (The Mighty Mo)

Inside the USS Arizona Memorial

The USS Arizona Memorial floating over the USS Arizona

Part of the USS Arizona under water

We also visited the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (http://www.fmschmitt.com/travels/Hawaii/punchbowl/index.html) where military and government leaders are buried.  It reminded me of Arlington Cemetery in the Washington, DC area.  It is known as the “Punchbowl” because it’s in the crater of an extinct volcano so it looks like a - punchbowl.  Amazingly enough, this was the only place I saw a rainbow – in the reflection of the sun in water that came from a sprinkler at the cemetery!  That’s horrible!  So many people have left Hawaii, which much cooler rainbow shots.

My friends and I hiked up Diamond Head (http://www.gohawaii.com/oahu/regions-neighborhoods/honolulu/leahi-diamond-head), which is another extinct volcano.  It was a lot of work to get to the top, but it had beautiful views and we had a lot of fun together along the way.

We were warned!

Basking at the top

One of my favorite places was the Polynesian Cultural Center (http://www.polynesia.com/), which is owned and operated by the Brigham-Young University – Hawaii Campus.  The center is on 42-acres, and is divided up into 7 Polynesian villages – Fiji, Hawai’i, Aotearoa, Marquesas, Samoa, Tahiti, and Tonga.  In each village, there are native Polynesians that teach you about the country they come from.  The center also has a canoe pageant daily at 2:30 p.m. where native Polynesians from each of the villages come and dance in traditional costumes on top of canoes out in the lagoon.  It was really neat to learn about the various Polynesian countries.

Fiji

Hawaii

Tahiti

Samoa

Aotearoa

I got a lot of my souvenirs and gifts at the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet (http://alohastadiumswapmeet.net/).  It’s only open Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays though.  My other souvenirs came from the Hawaii ABC stores we passed during the weekend.  In the southeast part of the United States, we have ABC stores that sell liquor.  These ABC stores however sold tourist souvenirs at a good price.  Hehehe.

On Sunday, I visited my friends’ church and afterwards, we went out for brunch but I can’t remember the name of that restaurant either.  However, I do remember having a bowl with spam, eggs, and rice in it.  It was great!  But, Hawaiians are obsessed with it and even McDonalds has it on their breakfast menu!  My friend Terry had some coconut syrup for something he was eating and asked if I wanted to try it.  It was DELICIOUS!  I decided to be a little creative and pour some into my coffee with a little milk.  WOW!  That was YUMMY!  I brought some back home and poured it into my coffee for awhile after that trip.

Right before my flight, I got to see the sunset from the north part of the island.  It was a perfect way to end my wonderful Hawaiian paradise vacation.

These are just the places I visited on the island of O’ahu and recommend you visit.  If you know of anywhere else on O’ahu we should check out, please leave a comment below.  Later this week, we’ll explore some places I’d like to visit on the other islands of Hawaii someday.  Then, next week, we’ll explore what’s just round the corner in Idaho.

** Photos taken by me or my friends unless otherwise noted**

10 States!

We've reached the 10th State - Georgia! 

Just 40 more to go!

If you're just starting to read the blog, no worries.  Check out the post called "Why Start a Blog?" to see why I'm even writing this blog in the first place.  Then, go back and read all that's great about the first 10 states - Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, and Georgia.  Links are on the right side of your screen. 

If you've been keeping up with me, what has been your favorite discovery about these states thus far?  I'd love to hear from you - just comment below.

I'd like to thank the editors for helping the blog get this far.  My friends, Lori H. and Rob R. have been reviewing the blog posts since the beginning of December 2011 when I started preparing to start this blog and they're still going strong 3 months later.  THANKS SO MUCH for making sure the blog look its best!

Well, onto the next state, Hawaii!

**This Post Was Not Edited By Lori and Rob**

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.