Tag: Florida

I Can’t Believe I Almost Missed That!: On nearly skipping the Kennedy Space Center and why you shouldn’t

(c) ABR 2017

This December I took an epic road trip through Florida, during which I drove from Jacksonville, all the way down to Key West, and then back. I was focused on seeing the state’s national parks (and I saw all but two!), so the Kennedy Space Center was originally an extra attraction that I slapped into my itinerary at the end of one particularly long day of sightseeing.

When I found myself sitting on the beach in the Cape Canaveral National Seashore after waking up early, visiting two different forts maintained by the National Park Service, and walking around in the historic city of St. Augustine, I realized that I wouldn’t make it to the Space Center in time to see it. It didn’t help that tickets were $50 and parking was $10- if I’m paying $60, I’m going to take my sweet time. So, I gave up on the idea, feeling disappointed that I hadn’t managed to get it into my packed schedule.

(c) ABR 2017

At that point, I figured that I simply wouldn’t visit, and I didn’t think about it again until I was staying in a hotel outside of Orlando. I was planning on spending my last day in one of the Disney parks, but it ended up making me feel too sad, since it is a family tradition to visit Disney together. Dismayed that I was feeling unenthusiastic about one of my favorite places, I eventually came to the conclusion that I should spend the day at the Kennedy Center instead. It is unique to Florida, and I wouldn’t feel too guilty about visiting without my folks.

In retrospect, I am so grateful that I made this decision. I would not have known what I was missing, but it would have been very unfortunate to not visit here. When I first got into the park, I wasn’t sure how things worked, but it turns out that there are two main things to do on an average day here, take the bus tour, and explore the visitor’s center.

(c) ABR 2017

The bus tour takes you to see launch pads, the massive building where shuttles used to be built, and a museum that houses an Apollo ship as well as some very amazing relics. I have to say, this little tour was very emotional for me; getting to see so many places that I had seen in movies and read about in American history was amazing. There is also a recreated space ship launch experience, in which you get to sit in the old launch control room.

(c) ABR 2017

Once you get back to the main park, things are a bit more immersive, but no less amazing. The shuttle experience is extremely well done, from the movie covering the story of the shuttle program’s creation, to the reveal of the Atlantic, and the shuttle experience ride. Seeing the Atlantis may be one of my favorite memories from Florida; it is such a marvel of human ingenuity and imagination.

I would highly suggest visiting the Kennedy Space Center, whether you love history, space, or just a great time. It isn’t to be missed and it is nowhere else in the world.

(c) ABR 2017

The Nature of Florida

So, I’ve established two things about Florida so far (1) the Florida Keys can be a destination for hikers, and (2) this state has a lot of forts. As much as I love Disney, I didn’t see a single theme park while I was there. So, yes, there are a lot of off-the-beaten-path destinations in Florida, and there is hiking to be had for those us of that love seeing nature. But just what IS nature like in the home of Disney World? I imagined lots of swamps, with beaches on the edges, but it turns out (unsurprisingly), that the nature of Florida is really complex, with a variety of ecosystems (or groups of plants and animals associated with certain environmental conditions) to enjoy. Here are some of the ecosystems that I got to explore in Florida.

Ecosystems of Florida

Sea Island Flatwoods in Fort Caroline NM, Jacksonville

(c) ABR 2016

(c) ABR 2016

Palmetto Forests in Cape Canaveral National Seashore, Titusville

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(c) ABR 2016

Hardwook Hammock on Windly Key, Florida Keys

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(c) ABR 2016

Sandy Beaches in the Dry Tortugas NP

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(c) ABR 2016

Cypress Forest in Big Cypress National Preserve

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(c) ABR 2016

Bay Head in a Grass River of the Everglades NP

(c) ABR 2016

(c) ABR 2016

Pinelands of the Everglades NP

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(c) ABR 2016

Mangroves of the Everglades NP

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nature of florida

Forts, Forts, Forts: Florida Has a Lot of Them

Fort Jefferson (c) ABR 2016

Fort Jefferson (c) ABR 2016

We all know that Florida is America’s crowning jewel of theme parks, and has some of the best beaches around, but what you may not know is that Florida is home to some serious icons of American and Caribbean history. So far I have visited Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean, and so far, the one thing that I have found in all of them are forts. It was a mainstay of the Caribbean back in the day when Europe was fighting over who would control the “new” world. Turns out, you don’t need to leave the mainland in order to get a taste of this history, as Florida is home to some impressive French, Spanish, and American forts.

Fort Caroline

Fort Caroline (c) ABR 2016

Fort Caroline (c) ABR 2016

The first fort that I visited in Florida was Fort Caroline, located in Jacksonville in northern Florida. This is thought to be the site of one of the oldest colonies in the United States. It was the French who settled here in 1564 on the relatively high, dry ground of the area, and had good relations with the native Timucuan people for a time. Unfortunately, the Spanish weren’t too happy with the French setting up shop in the area, so they ended up massacring the people that tried to make Caroline their home only a year after the settlement had been established. The area is currently cared for by the US National Park Service, and it is free to visit. The fort itself has been recreated to some extent, and there is some really lovely hiking in the park as well.

Castillo de San Marcos

Castillo de san Marcos (c) ABR 2016

Castillo de san Marcos (c) ABR 2016

South of Jacksonville in the coastal city of St. Augustine, which claims to be the oldest, colonial city in the United States, is Castillo de San Marcos, another site protected by the National Park Service (sensing a theme here?). Unlike Fort Caroline, the Castillo de San Marcos was built by the Spanish in 1672, and as its relatively in-tact existence indicates, it was a far more successful settlement. The fort held St. Augustine’s bay from the British until 1763 when the area was given to the British by treaty. Any attempts to attack the fort before this, were unsuccessful, in part, due to the special stone that was used to build the fort. The fort provides insight into the colonial history of Florida, but also US history as well, since the fort was eventually used to incarcerate Native Americans. It isn’t all (or even mostly) a happy story, but it represents an important part of our past nonetheless. Once you’re done learning about the Castillo, head to nearby downtown St. Augustine, for a charming place to walk around, shop, and eat great food (for more info on this city see DQ Family Travel’s post).

Fort Jefferson and Dry Tortugas

Fort Jefferson (c) ABR 2016

Fort Jefferson (c) ABR 2016

Fort Jefferson in my opinion, it is the most magnificent of the three (although Florida is home to more than just these). The fort is massive, and somehow located in the middle of the Caribbean ocean, about 70 miles away from Key West on the Dry Tortugas islands. It was built by the American people in order to protect the deep waters of this area, which are key to some of the busiest shipping lanes in the region. The building process itself carried on for almost thirty years (1846-1875), but the building was never actually finished. While the fort was never attacked, it did serve as a symbol of American power, and it also was a strategic location during the Civil War, when the Union used it to blockade Southern shipping and hold prisoners. Now, it is an enchanting spot to spend the day, exploring the past in the long, chambered halls of the fortress, and looking out onto the brilliant blue of the Caribbean sea.

Fort Caroline (c) ABR 2016

Fort Caroline (c) ABR 2016

Seeing Miami on Two Never Ending Layovers

I didn’t really plan on seeing Miami on my trip out to the Galapagos, but I had one overnight layover, and another from 5am to 2pm, so I actually ended up spending nearly two days in the city. Luckily for me, the Miami International Airport is connected to the Miami Metro rail system, which is a great way to get around the city when time is short.

My friend and I had the chance to explore Coconut Grove on our first layover. The area is a little far from the rail station, and we really just happened to find the main shopping area by chance. We were also jeered at by an extremely rude driver while we were traveling from the station to Coconut Grove, so I found myself a little uncomfortable in the area surrounding the manicured shopping area of Coconut Grove.

(c) AB Raschke

(c) AB Raschke

Amid the shops and restaurants we also found the Barnacle State Park, which was a nice little refuge from the heat and relative crowds of Coconut Grove. The state park contained some great historical and biological information about the area as well, and overall it was a really great place to spend some time.

On my second lay over, I went to the Vizcaya station. I had hoped to see the Vizcaya Gardens there, but since I happened to be in the city on a Tuesday, I was out of luck, as the gardens are closed on Tuesdays.

(c) AB Raschke

(c) AB Raschke

However, following cues from some runners and bikers, I wandering into an amazingly beautiful and affluent neighborhood where I was able to check out the Alice Wainwright park (which has some pretty great views of the bay), and the Rickenbacker Trail. I ended up spending about an hour and half walking along the trail with people out to get some exercise in the morning. I walked far enough along the trail to cross the Rickenbacker Bridge to Virginia Key.
(c) AB Raschke

(c) AB Raschke

The views of the city and the bay were wonderful, and there were plenty of beaches along the way as well. After that, I took the train downtown, where I spent some time at the Bayside Market and the Bayfront Park. These were fairly crowded even in the morning, and didn’t compare to my sunrise sojourn. That being said, Miami’s downtown has a lot to offer travelers.
(c) AB Raschke

(c) AB Raschke

There’s still plenty in Miami that I wasn’t able to see, mostly because I wasn’t willing to complicate my trip back to the airport by taking any buses. That being said, of any airport to be stuck at for such long layovers, Miami International is actually pretty great. I would definitely suggest a ride on the Miami Metro for anyone looking for something to do while waiting for a flight out of the city.

(c) AB Raschke

(c) AB Raschke

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