Category Archives: florida history

Florida Is Losing Its Old Landmarks

Posted on June 8, 2015 by floridatraveler

The destruction of the Belleview Biltmore, the largest and oldest wooden hotel in the United States, is another reminder to me that if you can’t preserve a historic structure as a new beginning, it will probably be lost for future … Continue reading →

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New Resorts and Renewed Resorts Headline Florida’s Summer

Posted on May 31, 2015 by floridatraveler

As a preservationist, I am pleased when developers renovate an older hotel up to modern standards, but I really get excited when the strip down and rebuilding results in awarding winning new hotels.  Miami Beach has two new resort hotels in … Continue reading →

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Florida’s Best Beachfront Bed and Breakfast Spots

Posted on May 25, 2015 by floridatraveler

May and June are great months to spend on Florida’s beaches – the water has warmed up and the summer crowds, dominated by families, have not descended upon the Sunshine State.   Here are some of my favorites: Fernandina Beach, in … Continue reading →

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The Legend and Myth of the Highwaymen

Posted on May 19, 2015 by floridatraveler

There are two historic buildings in Fort Pierce that pay tribute to Florida’s most popular impressionistic landscape artist – the Albert Ernest “Bean” Backus House and the Bean Backus Art Gallery, dedicated to his work. Bean Backus: Dean of Florida … Continue reading →

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New Disney Food Palace Is Great Boat Museum

Posted on May 12, 2015 by floridatraveler

When one visits WDW’s new Disney Springs (Downtown Disney) Boathouse Restaurant, one might wonder if it is an amazing boat museum attached to a great restaurant or vice-versa. It is the latter.  Disney and the design team of Steve Schussler … Continue reading →

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The Orlando Eye Shows Florida Tourists Still Like It “Big”

Posted on May 4, 2015 by floridatraveler

Today, Orlando Eye, a 400-foot observation ferris wheel opens on Orlando’s International Drive just off I-4 down the road from Ripley’s Believe It Or Not and the huge Lockhead Martin plant.    The Eye is the fifth largest in the world … Continue reading →

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Last Days of Rebel Florida: Confederate Gold, Suicide, Escape

Posted on April 20, 2015 by floridatraveler

150 years ago the Civil War was ending and events in Florida were starting to get dramatic, even though much of the state was still in Confederate hands. On April 1, Governor John Milton, worn down by the stress of … Continue reading →

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Florida Has Largest “World Football” Stadium Now

Posted on April 13, 2015 by floridatraveler

In Florida – the land of college and professional football – it might be difficult for state sports fans to discover that the new Orlando City Soccer Team of the MLS is playing in the Florida Citrus Bowl (70,000), giving … Continue reading →

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Apalachicola’s Great American Botanist Lived A Wild Life

Posted on April 6, 2015 by floridatraveler

Dr Alvan W. Chapman was born in Massachusetts in 1809, educated as a physician at Amherst, and came to Quincy, Florida, at the age of 26.  A few years later he moved to the booming, port village of Apalachicola, where … Continue reading →

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Florida’s Most Challenging Public Golf Courses

Posted on March 30, 2015 by floridatraveler

There are 1,481 golf courses to choose from in Florida if you have the time and money, but a lot of vacationers assume that the best golf courses are private bastions of the rich.  Here are some famous public courses where … Continue reading →

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