Category Archives: florida history

Florida’s First Controversial Film Is 100 Years Old

Posted on June 21, 2014 by floridatraveler

The Florida Enchantment (1914, Vitagraph Company), Florida’s first controversial motion picture was distributed across the nation one hundred years ago. Variety announced that “The picture should never have been put out.” Virginia Woolf loved the movie. The film, based upon … Continue reading →

Posted in florida history | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

St Pete’s Home Shopping Network Started With 112 Can-Openers

Posted on June 15, 2014 by floridatraveler

In 1977 Lowell “Bud” Paxson, owner of WWQT 1470 AM Radio in Saint Petersburg had a problem – an advertiser dropped out leaving the station with 112 avocado green-colored can openers. Paxson assigned his top on-air personality Bob Circosta three … Continue reading →

Posted in florida history | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ride And Drop Bike Riding Comes To Tampa and Orlando

Posted on June 8, 2014 by floridatraveler

Central Florida has recently joined a popular trend of recreational biking: bike sharing where people rent the use of bikes by the hour or have a monthly membership and pick up the bikes at hub locations thanks to a unique … Continue reading →

Posted in florida history | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Webb’s Candy Factory Has Had The Sweets For Central Florida

Posted on June 1, 2014 by floridatraveler

A few miles south of I-4 on US27 in Davenport stands Webb’s Candy Shop and Ice Cream. It is a real candy factory, featuring products that tourists were enjoying eighty years ago. The store is actually the result of the … Continue reading →

Posted in florida history | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Uncle Charlie’s Ghost Still Working For Florida’s Oldest Saloon

Posted on May 25, 2014 by floridatraveler

It is appropriate that the Fernandina Beach’s Palace Saloon, the oldest continuous bar in Florida, should be haunted. It seems most of Florida’s oldest buildings have their ghost stories and guiding tourists on nightly spook walks has become a profitable … Continue reading →

Posted in florida history | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Bill Kitchen Florida’s Thrill-Master Robbed By Three Ninjas

Posted on May 18, 2014 by floridatraveler

Bill Kitchen, founder of U.S. Thrills of Windermere, Florida, has given millions of people the thrills of their lives with his amusement rides, but two weeks ago he had his own surprise when three men dressed as Ninjas robbed Kitchen … Continue reading →

Posted in florida history | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Florida Folk Festival Serves Up The Best of Sunshine State Culture

Posted on May 12, 2014 by floridatraveler

Every Memorial Day weekend thousands of people head to the Stephen Folk Center State Park in White Springs, Florida, just off I-75. It’s time for the annual Florida Folk Festival featuring three days of music, dance, folk tales, arts and … Continue reading →

Posted in florida history | Leave a comment

Triton Subs Puts Florida On The Underwater Map

Posted on April 25, 2014 by floridatraveler

Who cares about powerboats and kayaks when you can cruise the oceans with your own personal submarine. Better yet, place it on your big yacht and cruise the world’s oceans both above and below. TRITON SUBMARINES (http://tritonsubs.com), located at 90015 … Continue reading →

Posted in florida history | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Redneck Yacht Club – No Boats Allowed

Posted on April 21, 2014 by floridatraveler

When my father was Sports Editor of the newspaper in Punta Gorda – it was fishing, hunting, and football …. then fishing, hunting, and football. Not anymore. Charlotte County has the Redneck Yacht Club – one of the largest and … Continue reading →

Posted in florida history | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Disney FastPass+ Causing Lots Of Controversy

Posted on April 11, 2014 by floridatraveler

Unlike a lot of Disneyphiles the idea of being able to book a FastPass+ in advance and sticking my “blue MagicBand” into the system doesn’t bother me. I’m an old cuss and I hate rushing across Disney parks to book … Continue reading →

Posted in florida history | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments