ICYMI….Here are
some of the best-of-the-best articles and posts for this week in The
Environment
What would you like to hear about each week? Pass me the word and I’ll do my best to
bring you exactly what you want to see for The Environment!!
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Science…Week In Review for July 18, 2015
ICYMI….Here are
some of the best-of-the-best articles and posts for this week in Science
What would you like to hear about each week? Pass me the word and I’ll do my best to
bring you exactly what you want to see for Science!!
Saturday, July 11, 2015
The Environment…Week In Review for July 11, 2015
ICYMI….Here are
some of the best-of-the-best articles and posts for this week in The
Environment
What would you like to hear about each week? Pass me the word and I’ll do my best to
bring you exactly what you want to see for The Environment!!
Science…Week In Review for July 11, 2015
ICYMI….Here are
some of the best-of-the-best articles and posts for this week in Science
What would you like to hear about each week? Pass me the word and I’ll do my best to
bring you exactly what you want to see for Science!!
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Science…Week In Review for July 4, 2015
ICYMI….Here are some of the best-of-the-best articles and
posts for this week in Science
What would you like to hear about each week? Pass me the word and I’ll do my best to
bring you exactly what you want to see for Science!!
Friday, July 3, 2015
5 Florida State Parks You Don't Want to Miss in South Florida
Florida is best known for it's white sand beaches and it's spectacular weather....for good reason! Many people will be heading out to Miami Beach and Ft. Lauderdale. What you may not know is that there are a number of Florida State Parks where you can enjoy not only the beaches, but a little taste of Florida history and some beautiful natural scenery as well! You can also enjoy snorkeling, camping and canoeing at most of these parks.
Here are 5 Florida State Parks you don't want to miss:
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Photo from Florida State Parks
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1) Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park - Located on the southern tip of Key Biscayne, this park offers many popular activities, including swimming (at one of the Top 10 Best beaches in America!), camping, kayaking, biking, fishing and more. It's also home to the historic lighthouse. Built originally in 1825, it's the oldest surviving structure in Miami-Dade County.
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Photo from Florida State Parks
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2) Oleta River State Park - Located just east of N. Miami Beach, it's a hidden treasure within the otherwise urban setting of North Miami. Along with swimming, fishing, kayaking/canoeing and camping or cabins, it sports one of the best off-road cycling trails you will find anywhere. Not to mention a chance to hike among the beautiful mangrove preserves.
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Photo from Florida State Parks
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3) Bahia Honda State Park - Located on Bahia Honda Key, just west of Marathon Key, it offers a vast range of outdoor activities. Swimming, fishing and kayaking, as well as scuba diving and snorkeling. This park is also known as an excellent location for watching both wading and shore birds. And did I mention....spectacular sunsets!
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Photo from Florida State Parks
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4) John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park - This park has the distinction of being the first undersea US park. While it does boast mangrove swamps and tropical hammocks, the major draw to the park are the coral reefs! Scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking/canoeing and glass-bottom boat tours all offer visitors a unique view of some of the most spectacular natural scenery in the world.
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Photo from Florida State Parks
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5) Long Key State Park - Located in the Middle Keys, this was the original location of the Flagler East Coast Railway fishing station...which was lost in the 1935 hurricane. The park still promises sensational flats fishing, along with snorkeling, kayaking and swimming, In addition, it's Golden Orb Trail, providing a view of 5 different natural communties, is well known for the bird watching oppotunities it provides.
All of these parks provide natural scenery unlike anything else. Additional information is available for both the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail and Florida State Parks. So get outside....enjoy the natural beauty and activites of all these parks and the spectacular weather of Sout Florida!
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Photo from Florida State Parks
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What's your favorite beach or Florida State Park?
Care to share your special get-away secrets?!
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Historic Downtown Homestead....a Quick Walking Tour
Homestead, Florida...."Gateway to the Keys"
Yesterday I decided to take a short walking tour of Historic Downtown Homestead. So many times we drive past a place and never really take a moment to stop and 'smell the roses' as it were. I'm going to have to do this again soon though. For one thing, I wasn't able to get into the Homestead Museum on Krome Ave! But I did have a chance to see and visit a few other interesting shops and businesses which I'd like to share:
The Town of Homestead dates back just over a hundred years, to the building of Henry Flagler's railroad. Rather than reinvent the wheel, here are two excellent sources of history on Homestead and the Downtown area:
For the most part, these Downtown locations are in no particular order, other than when I passed them in my travels through. Except the first one. It's interesting that I can remember passing this nondescript building so many times, and never realized what it was. In fact, I almost didn't go by on my walk because it's just on the edge of the Downtown and set back off the road. I'm certainly glad I did! The Zafari Art creations were incredible. According to Zeal, the artist, they can do these on virtually anything...walls, trucks, buildings. Seeing the work on his truck, I have no reason to doubt that!
Where my walking tour started, coincidentally, I ran into this sign on the local restaurant window. In case there was any doubt, you can get you daily requirement of Cuban Coffee here. The next thing I noticed, again coincidentally, was the inlaid design for the directions to the Homestead Trolley to the National Parks. During certain times of the year, these trolleys will take to you both Biscayne and Everglades National Parks. An easy, convenient and informative way to see both parks.
And of course, there has to somewhere to kick back and relax, right? Well, side by side on Krome Ave, I found the Fat Monkey Bar and the Dade Country Jail Bar. The Fat Monkey is also a Karaoke joint too...for those that partake. Hey...if Long Island can have a Crazy Donkey, why can't Homestead have a Fat Monkey? The Country Jail Bar is...well...a country bar...duh! And in case it's important to you, the bar is next to...actually attached to....the Homestead Police Department. 'nough said!
The last stops on this walk were at the Seminole Theatre and then the Sanctuary. The Seminole Theatre was severely damaged in Hurricane Andrew back in 1992 (as was much of Homestead!) but is currently undergoing a major renovation. The Sanctuary is the site of the original First Baptist Church, having been built in 1912, then replaced in 1944. Since Hurricane Andrew, the building has no longer housed the church but has seen a number of uses and remains the example of neo-classical architecture in the Downtown.I'm looking forward to my next walk-about in Homestead, and as many other areas as I can manage.
For additional information, follow this link to [Homestead - Then & Now]
Monday, June 8, 2015
Welcome To My Blog...Now, Where To Start?
For all practical purposes, there are an infinite number of places to explore, history to discover and science to investigate. Yesterday though, I remembered something I'd heard years ago. In essence, it had to do with the fact that we know so much about the universe, and yet so much of our own planet was still not fully explored.
Well, I'm wasn't heading out on any galactic exploration anyway. But whenever I think of places to explore, my thoughts are always going to national parks, mountains, the Everglades, South Beach. In other words, exciting, far-away places. Then it clicked. While I hope to do some serious 'exploring' at all of these places, how many things are there, closer to home, that I know very little about. 
So my first post here (well...not counting this one of course) will be about Downtown Homestead, Florida. That's Historic Downtown Homestead by the way! I lived in Homestead for around 13-14 years...way back in the 80's and 90's. Now I'm back again. Although I've driven through the Downtown hundreds (thousands?) of times, and have gone to any number of events there, I never really just took my time to walk through and look at all the shops and stores. And that's what I'm going to do today.
So welcome to my blog!! In time I plan to cover as many different places, historical figures and events and scientific discoveries as I can. I hope you enjoy this and please feel free to comment on anything you like. Thanks for stopping by....
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