Bob and Kam

Like Kingsley Plantation, this plantation interested me because it was run by four generations of women which wasn't common in the 1800s but there is so much more to learn about over here. For those interested in Brer Rabbit, it is thought that the original tales of Compere Lapin originated at this house among the slaves that worked here. It is one of the only plantations that has original wooden slave cabins and furnishings and it is one of the few plantations where much is known about the owners mainly due to the memoirs of Laura who was the last of her family to run this plantation before selling out as she really didn't want to continue running it. The tour was really interesting and you learn that Creole refers to blood, language and culture. The ... read more

We had a good time in Pensacola, I had a change of plans as I didn't think that Tallahassee was as long of a day trip as it was, but there was plenty to do. We spent a few days going to some local antique stores and one day going to Gulf Shores National Seashore. Another day we went to the Pensacola Naval Museum and the Pensacola Lighthouse both of which were located at the Pensacola Naval Base and I strongly suggest that anyone visiting Pensacola makes time for visiting these sights. Please make sure that you have at least 5 hours available and preferably more. I will write more about the Naval Museum in a seperate post but for the sake of posting pictures I am combining photos of the light house with those from ... read more

More pictures from the area. These are from the Manatee Viewing Center. I am also adding a video from the hurricane experience with Chris at the manatee center and one of the new roller coaster at Busch Gardens that was supposed to debut this summer...as I am way behind in my posts if anyone has seen the new coaster (I believe it was called Cheetah Chase) you can compare it to when it was still under construction... read more

We stopped here on the way to Pensacola, FL and spent several hours exploring the two estates. Thomas Edison bought his estate with 13 acres and two homes that were built. His original plan was to share it with his good friend and business partner Ezra Gilliland who bought the house and 4 acres that were on the south end of the property. Soon after Edison discovered that Mr Gilliland had sold rights to his inventions for far more than he had told Thomas Edison.It was a descrepancy amounting to over $ 100,000 which was a huge amount in the late 1800s. They fought and disolved the partnership. A number of years and several owners later found the south property sold to Henry Ford who was a close friend of Edison and a former worker for ... read more

We spent a full day at this park and then tracking down The African Queen which I hadn't planned on doing but as it was less than 2 miles away I couldn't resist. Its late so I am going to label very few of these pictures but it was a pleasant cruise.. The first photos are from the information center and the boat coming in. Then there are pictures of the mangrove trees which are pretty incredible themselves for their contributions to the Florida coastline and also the fact that they can exist in brackish water....the yellow leaves on the tree are sacrificial leaves which absorb salt from the brackish water so that the rest of the tree can survive. These trees provide nesting for many birds and animals. Lastly we have pictures of coral, fish ... read more