Author Archives: floridatraveler

Kids rush to Disney World to meet Mickey Mouse. Teens floak to Universal for Harry Potter and Super-heroes. Now Busch Gardens has a little celebrity power. (Those Madagascar films netted $1.8 billion in revenue.) Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, … Continue reading →

During the cold winter months, Florida’s wonderful manatee (sea cow) population head up river to warm springs and go to the warming waters of bay power plants. It is the best time for non-divers to get close to viewing manatees. … Continue reading →

The Florida State Fair just opened in Tampa off US 301 and I-4. The Fair contains the usual anusement rides, livestock competitions, and diverse free entertainment. Of importance to history buffs, it is the opportunity to see the historic Cracker … Continue reading →

This weekend is Tampa’s annual Gasparilla Festival when the infamous Spanish pirate Jose Gaspar arrives to turn the city into a Mardi Gras festival. Historians have found no evidence in the existence of Gaspar nor his harem of kidnapped beauties … Continue reading →

The recent death of college baseball coach and legend Ron Fraser reminded me he was my first interview as the sports editor at U. of Miami. Baseball was not a BIG sport at the U, but Fraser said that would … Continue reading →

Some rockclimbing Arizona friends asked me – can you go bouldering in Florida, the flattest state? The answer is YES – in a somewhat odd way. While most Florida climbers work out at gyms or even try some canal walls, … Continue reading →

On January 18, 19, and 20, the 22th annual BROOKSVILLE RAID takes place 10 miles west of town at the Sand Hill Boy Scout Camp on Hwy 50. The battle represents a time in July of 1864 when Federal forces … Continue reading →

The Temple Terrace (FL) Golf Course, designed by Tom Benelow in 1922, was added to the National Register of Historic Places, the first Florida golf site on the Register. Temple Terrace was one of America’s first golf communities. Although the … Continue reading →

This year this blog will feature Ponce de Leon: The Man and the Myth; events of 150th anniversary of Civil War in Florida; My Favorite Hotels, Restaurants, Parks, Historic Sites, and More. Also, special Walt Disney World insider information and … Continue reading →

The three room Be Our Guest Beauty and the Beast restaurant gets mixed reviews from us. It is a huge place where at lunch you get sandwiches and salads “with a French flair.” At night it is a traditional sitdown … Continue reading →