Hi! Welcome to the story of my third trip to Florida. This trip was taken in 1974. I hope you will enjoy this trip again with me.
In order to really enjoy this trip though, first we need to know the meaning of the word "magic".
"A Trip To A Magical Land"
What is Magic?
Magic is the pretended art of producing effects by means of supernatural forces; the exercise of this art; the effects produced; the power exerted through this art; and any extra-ordinary influence.
As an adjective magic adds an A L and becomes anyone or anything employed in magic or that is mysteriously enchanting.
This is why I call this a "Trip To A Magical Land," because Florida holds a supernatural, mysterious, enchanting influence, you can't describe, it is only a feeling you get when you go to this state that has a "Magic Kingdom" within its borders.
Florida is not only "The Sunshine State," it is also a state where dreams come true. This state has been "A Dream Come True" for so many people that it truly has to be "A Magical Land".
Some of the Dreams that have come true in this "Magical State" are the dreams of Ponce de Leon and his Fountain of Youth. Although he did grow old, he did find his 'Fountain'. The dream of Henry M. Flagler, who dreamed of building a 'Railroad' to Key West, in order to connect the Keys with the mainland. His dream came true in 1912, and although the 'Railroad' was destroyed in 1935, by a hurricane, he lived to see the 'Railroad' finished. Today, however, his dream lives on, not as a 'Railroad' but as an "Overseas Highway".
Another dream that came true was the building of a fabulous city out of a swamp, the city of Miami.
Still another dream was that of Dick and Julie Pope, who found a beautiful lake in central Florida and made it into one of the most popular tourist attractions of Florida, the beautiful Cypress Gardens.
Another dream that came true was the dream of a man who always thought of others and wanted to make a place where everyone could laugh, play, and learn together. This man was and still is the "world-loved" Walter Elias Disney. He never lived to see his dream come true, but I know it has in his fantastic Walt Disney World -- "Magic Kingdom".
I am sure these are only a few of the many dreams that have come true in this "Magical Land", because of the enchantment that Florida gives to anyone who goes there.
For instance, in 1971, Florida was a dream come true for me; my aunt, Mary Dimmick; my uncle, John Cleveland; and my girlfriend, Sharon Ranich.
In 1973, it was "A Dream Come True" for my mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Hoover.
And today, June 28, 1974, it becomes a dream come true for Mrs. Eunice Hubbell; Miss Dianne Brown; and Mr. Robert Smith; as well as being the third trip for my aunt, Mrs. Mary Dimmick, my uncle, Mr. John Cleveland; and yours truly, Mrs. Elizabeth Fitzgerald.
So, if you believe in 'Magic', don't ever forget to "Wish Upon A Star" for "Dreams Are Wishes Your Heart Makes", and dreams do come true in Florida, "A Magical Land".
Now my Friends, as a magician would say, "Abracadabra -- And away we go!"; to the "Magical Land" of Florida, where the Palms are Kings and the Sun their Crowns.
Today, Friday, June 28, 1974, my aunt, Mrs. Mary Dimmick; her girlfriend, Mrs. Eunice Hubbell; my girlfriend, Miss Dianne Brown; my uncle, Mr. John Cleveland; my fellow co-worker, Mr. Robert Smith; and I left for two glorious weeks in the beautiful state of Florida.
We left my home in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, at 10:30 AM and followed Routes 309, 29, 118, and 407 to Bloomsburg. At Bloomsburg we joined Route 11 to Shamokin Dam, where Route 15 joins Route 11, which we followed to Wormleysburg. At Wormleysburg, which is directly across the Susquehanna River from Harrisburg, which is Pennsylvania's state capitol, we left Route 11 and continued on Route 15 to Gettysburg.
Gettysburg is a small town in south central Pennsylvania and is known for the famous three-day Battle of Gettysburg that was fought here on July 1, 2, and 3, 1863. It is also known as "The High-Water Mark of the Confederacy".
Upon arriving at Gettysburg we left Route 15 for a short while and followed Business Route 15 through the "heart of Gettysburg". We rejoined Route 15 just South of town. We would now follow this Route to Virginia.
As we left our 'home state' of Pennsylvania and entered into the state of Maryland we crossed what is known as the Mason-Dixon Line.
The Mason - Dixon Line is the boundary between these two states. It was surveyed by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in the years 1763 to 1767, and found by them to lie at 39 degrees 43 ft. and 39 degrees 44 ft. 17.6 in. North Latitude. Later measurements by U.S. government surveyors have set it at various points between 39 degrees 43 ft. and 39 degrees 44 ft.
After long disagreement between the Penns and the Calverts over the boundary of their respective grants, in 1750, the line was ordered run by the Court of Chancery in England. The Privy Council ratified the proceedings in 1769. In popular usage, the line was extended westward to the Ohio River and down that stream to the Missouri River. It then followed the eastern, northern, and western boundaries of Missouri to 30 degrees 30 ft. North Latitude, and the Missouri Compromise Line, and came to represent the boundary between the free North and the slave South.
Since we had crossed that controversial boundary line at 3:07 PM, we were now in that beautiful "Land of Dixie" as well as the state of Maryland.
Maryland was one of the original thirteen states of the Union. The colony's Latin charter, dated 1632, provided the name 'Terra Mariae', or "Mary's Land", after the English queen, Henrietta Maria. The state's various ways of life has earned it the title "America in Miniature". Another nickname, "The Old Line State" came about because its 'troops of the line' won special praise from George Washington, for gallantry, during the Revolutionary War. It is also here at Fort McHenry, where the "Star-Spangled Banner" was written by Francis Scott Key.
Maryland also played an important part in the War Between the States, with such battlefields as Antietam and Frederick.
Since we only crossed the neck of Maryland we crossed the Potomac River into Virginia at 3:52 PM.
Virgina was the scene of the first permanent English settlement in the New World. Many of the democratic principles on which the United States was founded matured in the colony begun in Jamestown in 1607.
Virginia was named for Queen Elizabeth I of England, the "Virgin Queen". Because so many presidents were born here, Virginia has earned the nickname "The Mother of Presidents". It is sometimes called "The Mother of States" because eight states have been carved out of the territory once claimed by it. These states include, Ohio; Indiana; Illinois; Wisconsin; that part of Minnesota east of the Mississippi River; Kentucky, West Virginia; and Virginia itself. Virginia is also called "The Old Dominion State", because many famous writers referred to it by this name in the early years.
Virginia was litterally torn apart by the War Between the States. This state, more so than any other, can be called "The Battleground of the Confederacy". Most of the major battles of the War were fought here, battles such as, Manassas; Fredericksburg; Richmond; Petersburg; The Wilderness; and Spotsylvania. Virginia also housed the capitol of the Confederacy here in Richmond, which is still the capitol of Virginia. It was also here in Virginia where the final surrender papers were signed by General Ulysses S. Grant and General Robet E. Lee, at Appomattox Court House.
We left Route 15, which is called the James Madison - James Monroe Highway, just south of Gilbert's Corners, where we joined Virginia Route 234, which took us pass one of the major battlefields of the War, the Manassas Battlefield, better known as "Bull Run".
We followed Virginia Route 234 until we reached Dumfries - Quantico where we joined the oldest route in the United States -- U.S. 1, known in Virginia as the Jefferson Davis Highway. We followed Route 1 to Ashland, Virginia, where we stopped at the Palm Leaf Motel at 7:00 PM. We had traveled 330.5 miles since we left home. We ate our supper at the Days Inn Tasty World which was located just .6 of a mile from the motel. We then called it a day.
On Saturday, June 29, we were up and on the road at 3:40 AM. After leaving Ashland we traveled through the city of Richmond; crossing the James River into Petersburg where we left Route 1 behind and joined Route 301, which we would now follow to Florida.
At 6:00 AM we left the state of Virginia and entered the "Tarheel State" of North Carolina. The name "Carolina", originally "Carolana", was given to the region in 1629 by Charles I of England; it is a Latin word meaning "Land of Charles".
North Carolina is commonly known as "The Tarheel State" because it was for more than a
producer of tar, pitch, andturpentine. It is also called "The Old North State", because it once formed the northern part of the vast region in America known as Carolana or Carolina.
Upon crossing the state line we had entered into the state where "Tobacco" is "King". Also in North Carolina is the largest military installation in the United States, called Fort Bragg, and the largest United States Marine Amphibious Training Center called Camp Le Jeune.
We crossed the state line into South Carolina at 10:25 AM and decided to stop and see Pedro at South of the Border.
South of the Border has a leetle beet of everything; souvenir shops, restaurant, circus, amusement park, and motel. As Pedro would say it, "Ees onlee wan South of ze Border, Amigos, where Pedro has put eet all together to make ze mos' exciting
vacation stop between Maine and Florida."
Pedro's Circus Mexicanus! The Kiddie's Shoping Arcade! Includes the TOY CIRCUS and the LOST TRIBE, Pedro's INDIAN SOUVENIR and ARTCRAFT SHOP.
South Carolina is the southern section of an area which was granted to Sir Robert Heath by King Charles I of England in
1629. The entire area was called Carolana in honor of the king. Charles II declared the original charter void and in 1663, issued a new grant for the same land to a group of noblemen, calling it "Carolina". In 1729 the colony that resulted from this charter was divided into the two royal provinces of North and South Carolina. South Carolina is often called "The Palmetto State", because of the palmetto trees which grow in large numbers along its coasts, and because of a gallant incident which occured during the Revolutionary War.
On June 28, 1776, a handful of Americans, commanded by William Moultrie, defended Charleston harbor against the fire of eleven British warships. The group made their stand in a half-finished fort made of palmetto logs and sand. The soft, spongy palmetto logs held firm as the cannon balls sank harmlessly into the sand. The Americans fired shot after shot and won a brilliant victory when the British fleet was forced to retire.
Just South of Santee, South Carolina, is the beautiful Lake Marion. This area is famous for its fresh water fishing, and is
the home of the land-locked striped bass.
Before crossing into Georgia, we stopped for a while at the Old Southern Trading Post where we did a little shopping. We bought a few souvenirs and then crossed into Georgia at 5:00 PM.
Georgia was the last of the original thirteen English colonies to be founded. The colony was named in honor of George II of England. Georgia is often called "The Empire State of the South" because it is one of the South's chief industrial states. It is also called the "Goober State", since it leads the nation in peanut production. A once popular name for Georgia was "The Cracker State". The Crackers were a class of people living in colonial Georgia. The name came from early Scottish settlers who used it to describe idle boasters. Another popular nickname for Georgia is "The Peach State", because it is one of the country's leaders in peach production.
This state has formed the setting for many songs and stories. Near Waycross, is the source of the Suwannee River, which was made famous by Stephen Foster's song, "Old Folks At Home", which has been accepted by Florida as the official Florida State Song.
We stopped in Claxton, Georgia, at the Miami Motel at 7:05 PM. We ate our supper at the C & J Restaurant, just over the hill from our motel. We had traveled 517.4 miles since morning.
We left Claxton at 4:45 AM on Sunday, June 30, and continued on Route 301 to Folkston, which is the last town in Georgia. Once in Folkston, Routes 1 and 23, join 301. We would now follow these routes across the St. Mary's River at 7:05 AM into Florida.
Florida was named by Ponce de Leon, who claimed the land for Spain in 1513. He landed on the coast of the Florida country on Easter sunday, which in the Spanish language is Pascua Florida (flowery Easter). Because it was Easter, and also because of the many flowers that were in bloom, Ponce de Leon gave the region the name it bears today. Florida is commonly known as "The Peninsula State". This is because it juts out into the sea for more than four hundred miles between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. The marshy grasslands of the peninsula have given rise to another name, "The Everglade State". Florida is also called "The Sunshine State", because of its unusual number of sunny days.
After eating breakfast at the Horne's Restaurant at Callahan, Florida, we left Routes 301, 1, and 23 behind and joined Florida Route A1A to Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island.
Fernandina Beach was formerly the domain of the Timuquan Indians, and the area was settled by the French in 1562. In 1950, Fernandina and Fernandina Beach were consolidated as one city.
At Fernandina Beach we made a right-hand turn and followed the Ocean all the way to Fort George Island where we had to take the Buccaneer Trail, which got its name simply because it was used by the buccaneers in the early years, to the St. John's River. Once we reached the St. John's River we went by the ferry, Blackbeard, across the river to Jacksonville Beach and Saint Augustine.
St. Augustine is the oldest city in the United States. It was founded by Pedro Menendez de Aviles in 1565, to protect the Spanish empire in North America from French Colonizers. Located in northeastern Florida, about 35 miles southeast of Jacksonville, it is the seat of St. John's County. The site is a plain encircled on three sides by rivers or salt-water lagoons; these are the San Sebastian River on the west, the Tolomato River on the north, and the Matanzas River on the east, which separates it from Anastasia Island.
Juan Ponce de Leon made the first landing at Saint Augustine in April 1513, and he was later followed by the Spanish admiral Pedro Menendez de Aviles, who on Septemeber 8, 1565, took possession for Spain. In 1586, the town was stormed and burned by Sir Francis Drake. Later during the American Revolution it was used as a base for British operations against the colonists and provided a refuge for the Tories. After 1783, the Spanish again took possession of St. Augustine and held it until 1821, when it was ceded to the United States.
St. Augustine is noted for its many historic sites, the most famous of which is the great stone fort, called the Castillo de San Marcos. Begun in 1672, and completed in 1696, the fort was the northermost outpost of the vast Spanish empire in the New
World and was never captured by seige. Though the cannons still roar daily from atop the massive fortress, it is no longer against invaders of the city. Rather today, it is a ritual in tribute to the City of Saint Augustine.
Although a serious fire in 1914, destroyed many of the older buildings in the town, some of the old Spanish houses with their overhanging balconies are still in existance. One of these houses was formerly reputed to be the oldest in the country.
Also in St. Augustine you will find the Oldest Store; the Oldest Jail;
the oldest mission, called the Mission of Nombre de Dios;
and the famous Fountain of Youth, as well as many other interesting sites. We saw over seventy of these sites as we rode on the Sight-Seeing Train around Old Saint Augustine.
When we left St. Augustine we continued on Route A1A across the Bridge of Lions
to St. Augustine Beach and the St. Augustine Alligator Farm on Anastasia Island.
The St. Augustine Alligator Farm has been in operation since 1893. This is supposed to be the World's Largest collection of living alligators in captivity. They range from little ones of just acouple inches long
to huge 'gators of 14 to 21 feet long.
Here they have men who will make an alligator come down a slide,
then he will wrestle with the vicious reptile.
After this brief show he will direct your attention to "BIG SAM the SNAPPER", where he will demonstrate how quickly an alligator can chop off an arm and how much power that it has in its jaws. He does this by running a race with the 'gator, by running his arm through the mouth of the alligator. He hopes that he wins instead of the alligator. The man that we saw was named Chris Lightburn.
Also at the Alligator Farm they have some crocadiles, peacocks, ostriches, monkeys, raccoons, and
Galopogos Turtles. When we left the St. Augustine Alligator Farm we started for Marineland. On our way we stopped to take a few pictures of the ocean 
and then went to see the beautiful oceanariums at Marineland of Florida.Although Marineland, Florida, is just a little spot in the road, it is nevertheless an incorporated village, and has a population of thirteen people. Here at Marineland, Florida, is the very beautiful Marineland Motor Inn, the Dolphin Restaurant and Moby Dick Lounge,
the Sandpiper Supper Bar, and the famous Marineland of Florida.
Marineland of Florida is called the "Home of the Denisons of the Deep". Marineland was begun in 1938 by Mr. W. Douglas Burden, a noted explorer and naturalist. Today, it is a center for scientific study of marine biology, as well as an entertainment spot.
The oceanariums here are filled with some of the most unusual creatures in the sea. Here, friend and foe live together unconcerned. These huge tanks have been built on the shore of the ocean, open to the sun, where a constant supply of salt water simulates the conditions of the ocean floor.
Here in the "ocean on land" is the "School for Educated Porpoises and Pilot Whales", which is the result of experiments begun in 1949 to determine the porpoises ability to learn. In the Porpoise Stadium people can see the porpoises playing football, basketball, and even baseball. One porpoise even takes the part of a cheerleader and climaxes her routine with a two and one-half turn somersault above water.
There is also a pilot whale that will raise completely out of the water to touch a ball that is 18 feet above water.
Here the American people can see what life is like in the ocean, as well as what man can do with some of the creatures from the sea.
In Whitney Park Zoo, which is a small part of the Marine theater, there are seals, penquins, and a play pool where they train the dolphins.
After coming from the Zoo and Porpoise Stadium, we saw a few flamingos that they have in an enclosure in front of the Stadium.
We then checked into the Marineland Motor Inn at 5:05 PM. We had traveled 227.4 miles and had seen so many beautiful sites. We already had so many happy memories and this was only our first day in this 'magical land' of Florida.
After we had eaten our supper at the very beautiful Dolphin Restaurant we went back to our motel room and sat on the terrace and watched and listened to the sound of the very lovely Atlantic Ocean. While we were watching and listening to the sounds of the ocean, we noticed half of a rainbow,
which only added more magic and charm.As the sun was beginning to set we had a beautiful sunset
and I was remembering a poem I had read. The poem was written by Mr. Theodore H. Rowley and was entitled "I Love To Walk By The Seashore".This was truly a perfect ending of a perfect day.
On Monday, July 1, we were up at 7:05 AM and went to the Dolphin Restaurant for breakfast. While we were eating we were watching the dolphins playing in the ocean. Since we were doing more watching than eating, it was 9:05 AM when we finally left Marineland, for the city of Miami.
When we left Marineland, Florida, we followed Florida Route A1A to Flagler Beach, where we joined Florida Route 100 to Bunnell and then rejoined U.S. 1 which we would now follow to 'the end' in Key West.
Since we were supposed to be in Islamorada on Tuesday, we didn't stop to see anything along our way. We just figured that all of the attractions in between would be an excuse for another trip. Although we didn't stop, we did travel through some very popular cities. Some of these are Daytona, West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, and Hollywood. After leaving Hollywood one enters the outskirts of the city of Miami.
We followed Route 1, through Miami and Coral Gables, which is the home for the beautiful University of Miami, to South Miami and the Quality Inn South, where we would spend the night. It was 7:10 PM when we stopped and we had traveled 309.9 miles. We ate our supper at Chippy's Restaurant, which is connected to the motel. The next day we would be leaving for one of the biggest thrills of our entire vacation.
On Tuesday, July 2, we left Miami at 4:05 AM and started for Key West. We passed through Homestead and Florida City, which is the last town on the mainland. Once leaving Florida City you pass through the outskirts of the Everglades National Park. After passing through the Everglades we crossed Lake Surprise and Jewfish Creek and entered Key Largo.
Key Largo is the largest one in the chain. The small village of Rock Harbor and the largest one of Tavernier are both on this Key. Tavernier is said to have been named for the pirate who used to go in and out from Tavernier Creek.
Once you enter the island of Key Largo you have entered the Florida Keys. Here you cruise in your car, -- surrounded by miles of scenic gulf and ocean, -- over miles of unspoiled charm, historic interest, and romance.
The unspoiled charm lies in the 108 miles of sky, gulf, ocean, bridges, and islands from Key Largo to Key West. Much of the highway travels over forty-two bridges, thirty-seven islands, causeways, and strips of land so narrow that one can feast his eyes on a panarama of water on both sides of the highway -- the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
Usually the ocean waters will range from cobalt blue to sapphire blue, while the Gulf is various shades of aqua-marine. Patches of seaweed beneath the water creates areas that are reddish in the sunlight. On a sunny day the brilliance of these colors is so startling that your first view of one of these vistas will almost certainly take your breath away.
The historic interest lies in the story, "Hurricane Road", of the building of this "Highway that Goes to Sea," which was originally built as a 'Railroad' in 1912. The 'Railroad', which was the dream of Mr. Henry M. Flagler, was started in 1904 and finished in 1912. It was destroyed by a hurricane in 1935 at which time the Federal Government took over the right-of-way of the bridges, and in 1938, opened U.S. 1, "The Overseas Highway" to the public.
Today, as you drive across the Keys you wonder what Mr. Flagler would say if he was alive today and saw a 'Highway' going to Key West instead of his 'Railroad'. Well, my friend, it is all in the way you look at things, because Mr. Flagler's 'Railroad' is still going to Key West, but as the 'rails' of the Highway bridges and not as a regular 'Railroad'. So, I think he would be very satisfied if he was alive today.
Many of these islands are rich in history concerning the buccaneers, Civil War forts, and on Key West is the Ernest Hemingway home as well as the Southernmost City of the mainland -- U.S.A. -- Key West. You can go no further, the rest is ocean, with Cuba -- ninety miles away.
The romance lies in the warmth and the friendliness of the island people. No place else in Florida will you find the southern hospitality that is shown by these people. You will truly leave your heart in the Florida Keys.
Further south is Plantation Key. This Key used to have extensive pineapple planting, hence its name.
Windley's Island is next. Here is an important quarry of the beautiful Key Rock. The Federal Building in Key West is built of this rock.
Upper Matecumbe Key and the village of Islamorada follow. Islamorada having been settled and named by the young engineers when they were building the 'Railroad'. Islamorada is Spanish for Purple Isle. It is also called a 'place of sorrow', because 500 men lost their lives here during the 1935 hurricane. There is a monument to these men located here at Islamorada. Lower Matecumbe is next. This is the last of the Upper Keys.
Some of the Middle Keys are Long Key and Grassy Key. Then on to Key Vaca and the city of Marathon.
Marathon is the center of the Keys and the beginning of the Seven Mile Bridge. We stopped in Marathon at Jim and Terry's Restaurant for breakfast before going across the bridge. The Seven Mile Bridge reaches from Knight's Key across Pigeon Key to Little Duck Key.
Then comes Bahia Honda Key, and soon there is the awe-inspiring Bahia Honda Bridge, where from the top, one could look down sixty-five feet into the dancing waters below. Here the foundations of the piers are thirty feet below tide level. When trains ran over this bridge it was a drawbridge. Today, however, it just stands as a memorium to a great man's dream as the NEW Bahia Honda Bridge spans the Bahia Honda Channel with a new four-lane highway.
Once on Big Pine Key you have entered the Lower Keys. Big Pine Key is different from the other Keys. It is because of the pine trees; not the Australian pines, the casuarinas, but ones that are not seen on the other islands. It is also the home of the Key Deer.
Now the little islands come closer together with the channels smaller. The Torch Keys, Ramrod Key, Summerland Key, Cudjoe Key, Sugar Loaf Key, Saddle Bunch Keys, Big Coppitt Key, Boca Chica Key, and the Stock Island Key. From Stock Island Key one crosses the last bridge to the southermost city of the mainland, U.S.A. -- Key West. We arrived in Key West at 8:20 AM.
Key West is the farthest south of any city in the continental U.S.A. It is a little over 100 miles from the Florida mainland, and ninety miles from Cuba from which it is separated by the Straits of Florida. It is built on a coral limestone base approximately four miles long and about one and one-fourth miles wide in the Gulf of Mexico with the Gulf Stream six miles offshore. It is on a line 365 miles south of Cairo, Egypt.
This small coral island's strategic location has played a major role in its history and development. As a part of the treacherous Florida reef, it lies at the gateway of one of the world's busiest sea lanes. The Indians of the mainland visited here enroute to trade with their neighbors in the Caribbean. The legend is that these tribes fought a great battle on this island. Later, when the Spanish explorers found the bones of the victims, they named the island Cayo "Wesso"; the English corruped it into Key West.
The first owner of Cayo Hueso, now Key West, was Juan P. Salas of St. Augustine, who recieved it as a Spanish grant in 1815. In Havana on December 20, 1821, Salas sold the Island to an American businessman John W. Simonton for $2,000. Simonton and associates sent a party of men with supplies to the Island and on January 18, 1822, took possession of it establishing the first permanent community in South Florida.
Key West, today, is just as bustling and conjested as any other city. But, if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle than Old Key West is the place to do so. Here the people take life slow and easy. In Old Key West you may take the Conch Tour Train or the Old Town Trolley to really see the Old Key West.
The Old Town Trolley
is the tour that we took, which covered the Little White House 
, Shrimp Fleet 
, Turtle Kraals, the southermost Point in the Continental U.S. 
,
the Southernmost House
, Birthplace of Pan American Airways, Convention Hall, Audubon House, Aquarium, Lighthouse and Museum, Chamber of Commerce Fish Commission, Cuban Boats, Hemingway House and Museum 
, the U.S. Navy base
,and the Old Key West Cemetery.
In the Old Key West Cemetery
all of the graves are above ground as they cannot dig down more than five feet before reaching water. Here in this cemetery is a monument 
erected in memory of 50 sailors of the U.S.S. Maine. Soon after the U.S. Battleship Maine was blown up in Havana Harbor, Cuba, February 15, 1898, about 50 of her injured men were brought to a hospital in Key West, where they died and are now resting there in peace. This monument was erected by the citizens of Key West to the valiant men of the Maine.Also in Key West we saw the highest hill on the Island. It is called Solarasis Hill and it rises 16 feet above sea level.
Although we hated to leave, time was running out. However, this Tour of Old Key West was the best one and one-half hours and $1.00 that we ever spent.
As you leave Key West you see a sign saying, "You Are Leaving KEY WEST, FLORIDA. The Beginning of U.S. 1 and ending in Fort Kent, Maine."
Yes, friends, U.S. 1 travels 2500 miles from Key West, Florida to Fort Kent, Maine.We left Key West at 11:55 AM and started back across the Keys to Islamorada, where we would spend the night. We arrived at Islamorada at 3:05 PM and checked into our motel, the Islander. After checking in we went to see the Theater of the Sea, which is located at Islamorada.
Theater of the Sea
is seventy-four miles South of Miami, in the fabulous Florida Keys. This is the home for various kinds of ocean life such as sharks, turtles, stingrays, jewfish, tarpon, bonefish, groupers, barracuda, and the "stars" of the show, the porpoises, or bottle-nosed dolphins. There is also two very fine sea lions.The shows at "Theater of the Sea" are continuous. You go with a guide who will put the dolphins and sea lions through their separate feats. He will also tell you about the different kinds of turtles, sharks, stingrays, and game fish that are on display.
After Jeannie does her final jump your attention will be turned to the next pool where you will see some of the smaller sea life.
Here, in the second pool you will see a small green turtle, a small hawk-billed turtle
, a queen and king conch, a horseshoe crab, and a small nurse shark
.In the next pool you do not even think of wanting to 'pet a shark' as these are the full grown sharks
. The guide will attempt to hand feed these beasts. Also in this pool are jewfish, groupers, bonefish, and needlefish.In the next pool are the stingrays
. The guide will try to feed the stingrays by hand. Thus, you can get a real close view of the sea creatures.The next pool contains some of the largest sea turtles
you will ever see. They range anywhere from a few ounces as babies to sea turtles of 200 to 500 pounds. There is barracuda and tarpon also in this pool.The next and last pool that has any fish in it has some of the most beautiful fish I have ever seen. They are called Parrot fish, because they are colored with every color of the rainbow and have a head just like that of a parrot. The only difference between the parrots and the parrot fish is that one has feathers and the other has scales.
The next pool contains another bottle-nosed dolphin called "Sherry". "Sherry's" job is to pull a dolphin-powered pontoon boat.
Her passengers are usually five or six children.The next attraction is the two very fine sea lions, "Mishap" and "Kelpie", who have their own private show
.After the sea lions your guide will take you on a Bottomless Boat Ride
to the shark pit where they have about twelve man-eating sharks and barracuda. The Bottomless Boat has a ring and a bell attached to the sides of the boat so that "Jeannie" can jump through the hoop and ring the bell while you ride to the shark pit.After we left the Theater of the Sea, we ate our supper at the Howard Johnson Restaurant, right next door, and then returned to our motel. It was 6:25 PM when we arrived and we had traveled 234.1 miles.
When we arrived at the motel we decided to take a walk along the beach, and Dianne walked into the ocean to pick some live shells off of the rocks.
On Wednesday, July 3, we were up at 7:55 AM and started for Miami.
This was a drive we will never forget, because as you drive across the Keys
you have the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other. It's a beautiful sight to see these two bodies of water come together to frame the Florida Keys. It was 8:35 AM when we left the island of Key Largo for the mainland.Our first stop was at 9:17 AM at the amazing "Coral Castle". Coral Castle
has been called the "Eighth Wonder of the World". It is a "Love Story in Stone".Coral Castle was built by a Latvian immigrant whose name was Edward Leedskalin. He started to build his masterpiece in 1920, upon his arrival to this country, about 10 miles south of its present location at Homestead.
He came here after his "Sweet Sixteen" had jilted him on the eve of their wedding. He felt perhaps if he could become famous she would join him here later, but she never did come to America while he was alive. But, he did become famous though with his Coral Castle. However, she is living in America today, at the age of 78, but she has never been to see the castle that was built just for her.
In the early 1930's he moved from Florida City to the present site of Coral Castle at Homestead. He later moved some of the things he made from his original place to this location. All of the other pieces were made from the coral rock that he excavated from here.
All of the work was done in complete secrecy, and as far as is known, nobody ever saw him do the work. He was a little man weighing about 100 pounds, and he lifted huge blocks of stone weighting up to thirty tons, using simple pulleys, winches, levers, and chisels, and many of the tools were made from old automobile parts. Some of the things you will see will seem fantastic for one person, so small, to have accomplished.
When he died in December, 1951, at the age of 64, he died with his secrets, because he had taken most of his tools apart so that no one could know how he accomplished his task. We can only guess.
The stone entrance gate is very evenly balanced on the axle of an old Model T Ford and weighs about three tons. He would keep a block of wood or a cocoanut in a hole at the back of the gate to keep it locked.
One of the most beautiful pieces of furniture is the Dining Room Table
, which he carved into the shape of Florida. He also has a built-in finger bowl, which is in the exact location of Lake Okechobee. The chairs that go with the table are all rocking chairs.He spent a lot of time studying astronomy and made a Polaris Telescope
, which is focused on the North Star. He also had what he called a Moon Fountain 
, which he carved out of three rocks. He had the first quarter, the last quarter, and the full moon.Mr. Leedskalin made a Sun Dial
so that he could tell time by the Sun. It starts at 9:00 in the morning and runs to 4:00 in the afternoon; the first line is 9:00 AM, and each line is a half hour as you go across. The Sun casts a shadow from the indicator, and you take the time from the inside angle of the shadow. Since there is a half hour between the lines, you estimate the distance that the shadow falls between the lines and with a little practice, you can tell time to the minute. It is so accurate you can set your watch by it. The conture of the Dial is actually the curviture of the earth in relation to the Sun, so that when the Sun is low in the sky during the winter, the shadow runs across the top. From December 21st when the Sun crosses the sky at its lowest point, the shadow drops a little each day so that by June 21st, when the Sun is at its highest point in the sky, the shadow runs along the bottom. Then as the Sun gets lower in the sky, the shadow starts up until December 21st, when it's back on the top again. This is supposed to be the only Sun Dial of its kind in the world.At the back of the Castle is one of the most outstanding achievements. It is a gate
that turns on an old automobile bearing, and pivots by a pipe that goes up into the upper stone. Engineers who see this say it is baffling to them as to how he, a man who only had a fifth grade education, found the perfect center point of balance. They say it is quite impossible because the Stone Gate has varying density. But, the Gate is there and will turn at the touch of a finger.I could go on and on about this amazing Coral Castle. But, if you wish to know any more I suggest that you go and see it for yourself, because that is the only way you will believe what I have already told you.
There is one more thing though that is interesting. No matter where you look, the bedroom, the den, or play room, it was made with "Sweet Sixteen" in mind. And as you climb to the top of the tower where he had his living quarters, count the steps. When you get to the top I am sure you will have counted 'sixteen' steps.
Altogether there is approximately 1000 tons of coral rock used in the construction of the walls and the tower alone.
Over 100 tons of coral rock was used in carving the chairs, tables, and other artistic objects throughout the entire castle.Since "Sweet Sixteen" has never seen this fabulous Castle that was built for her, with all of the love that he had for her, they call it a "Love Story in Stone."
After we left Coral Castle we continued on Route 1 North to the lovely Orchid Jungle.
I would like to extend a very special "THANKS" to my Friend, Dale C. Shelhamer, Jr. for all of his help and encouragement.
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