Category Archives: florida history

Santa Claus Has A Great Time in Florida

Posted on December 19, 2015 by floridatraveler

Growing up in Framingham, Massachusetts meant it was a great shock when I was a small boy to learn that my parents decided to spend Christmas each winter in Florida. It wasn’t just that I was going to be separated … Continue reading →

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All Hail To Florida’s Historic and Funky Restaurants

Posted on December 14, 2015 by floridatraveler

Last weekend I suffered a typical Christmas time male punishment – a three hour excursion of shopping at the Tampa IKEA store.  I’m sure all the arrows and signs are designed to rescue male visitors from spending the rest of … Continue reading →

Posted in attractions, Florida Food, florida history, florida vacations, Restaurants, travel, Wierd Florida | 1 Comment

HYDE PARK: TAMPA’S VICTORIAN ERA SUBURB STILL GROWS

Posted on December 7, 2015 by floridatraveler

Hyde Park was Tampa’s first Western suburb, stretching southward from the mouth of the Hillsborough River down the east side of the Interbay Peninsula. In 1886 O. H. Platt of Hyde Park, Illinois, purchased the Robert Jackson farm on the south side of the river in anticipation of … Continue reading →

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New Port Richey: Tampa’s Northern Neighbor

Posted on December 1, 2015 by floridatraveler

  PORT RICHEY AND NEW PORT RICHEY, West Pasco’s dual coastal communities, are best known today as booming retirement centers, but both towns had more basic origins. PORT RICHEY was started in 1883 by Missourian Captain A. M. Richey, who homesteaded on … Continue reading →

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The First Thanksgiving: St. Augustine, September 8, 1565

Posted on November 23, 2015 by floridatraveler

I grew up in Framingham, Massachusetts, so I always viewed the first Thanksgiving in America was at Plymouth Plantation in 1621. Then I moved to Florida. Forty two years before the English successfully cultivated a community in Jamestown, Virginia, and … Continue reading →

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San Marco: A Little Europe In Jacksonville

Posted on November 18, 2015 by floridatraveler

SAN MARCO is a small and mainly upscale neighborhood south of downtown Jacksonville across the Saint Johns River. Developed in the 1920’s the San Marco neighborhood is diverse but mostly popular with young professionals due to its trendy look.   The … Continue reading →

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Florida: Home of the 13,000 Year Old Art Work

Posted on November 9, 2015 by floridatraveler

Most of us were taught in school about the migration from Asia across the frozen Bering Straight of the ancestors of today’s American Indians (the Clovis Theory).  In Florida there are two archaeological sites that may challenge that as the … Continue reading →

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Lake Wales Is Scenic Florida Beyond Bok Tower

Posted on October 26, 2015 by floridatraveler

Chalet Suzanne closed last year when the Hinshaw family retired, leaving beautiful Bok Tower on 289-foot Iron Mountain as Lake Wale’s lone super attraction. But if visitors stop by downtown Lake Wales, they will be impressed with a small town … Continue reading →

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Halloween Is A Creepy Big Business In Florida

Posted on October 19, 2015 by floridatraveler

In recent years Halloween has become a big fund-raiser for organizations and non-profits from zoos to parks.   In Florida Halloween has become a big business. Considering the fact that October was once considered a between time for vacationing in Florida, … Continue reading →

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Brooksville Preserves Its History Well

Posted on October 12, 2015 by floridatraveler

BROOKSVILLE, located 50 miles north of Tampa, is a wonderful city of hills, ranging in elevation from 175 to 274 feet. Coupled with its condensed area (2.77 square miles) and its long history of successful planters, growers, and cattlemen, Brooksville … Continue reading →

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