Circling the U.S. Chapter 78: Tallahasee

Tuesday, March 10 - Wednesday, March 11, 2020

We took a couple days off in Tallahassee, not so much because we needed the rest but because we wanted to take the opportunity to catch up with old friends. Rick and Rob were in graduate school together. When I met Rob, Rick and Linda were already a couple. As often happens with long distance friendships, after years of sending Christmas cards we'd eventually lost touch. But we ran into them a few years ago at a scientific conference and knew that Rick was still working at Florida State University.

Fortunately the timing worked out as Rick and Linda had been out of town until Monday night. We arrived at their home Tuesday morning and after a short visit Rob and I walked to the free Florida History Museum where we spent a couple hours being surprised by much of Florida's history. Spending most of our lives in the northeastern part of the country, Rob and I have a picture of U.S. history as beginning with English settlements, fighting against the British for independence and then everyone lived happily ever after. (Obviously neither of us are history buffs.) It has been fascinating for us as we travel around the country to learn about all the other influences on American history and how many of the states were bounced around from belonging to first one country, then another, and again another, before becoming part of the United States. (I still think the most fascinating piece of history was learning about the Pig War on San Juan Island.)

When I was growing up my family always vacationed at the same family resort in New Hampshire, only venturing as far south as Myrtle Beach one year during a spring break. I thought Florida only became famous as a tourist destination with the advent of air-conditioning and Disney World, so I was surprised to find out that Florida's tourism industry dates back to the earlier years of the last century.

The original RV was called the Tin Can Camper. Check out the pictures below to see how it opened up to include a bed that sat over the steering wheel

Rick and Linda took us out for a taco dinner Tuesday night at El Cocinero, a short walk from their house. They were truly generous hosts; it was amazing to find we had so much in common after so many years.

On Wednesday, March 11, we drove with Rick and Linda to Wakulla Springs State Park. Edward Ball purchased the springs in 1934 and developed it as a tourist destination with a lodge and swimming area. But he also had the foresight to preserve its natural beauty. The only boat allowed on the river is the tour boat which takes visitors downstream from the spring for about a mile and after that no boats are allowed for the next two miles. The boat ride and the guide were outstanding. We saw about 20 alligators, countless birds and turtles, and two manatees.

This swimming area is located at the beginning of the spring. Supposedly the alligators don't eat the swimmers. At least it hasn't happened yet.

We began our journey heading downstream.

Common Moorhen

Anhigas

Alligator, one of many

White Ibis

Another Anhigas

Another Alligator

Babies

Some scenes from The Creature From the Black Lagoon were filmed here.

We were lucky to see manatees. They generally hang out here in the winter because the water is a constant temperature of about 70 degrees, but in the spring they travel downstream to the Gulf.

The historic lodge. You can still book a room here if you'd like. Inside they have a snack bar with a very long marble counter.

Over dinner Wednesday night we talked about the coronavirus. Rick had gotten the word that once students left for spring break they wouldn't be allowed back on campus and classes would go online. Linda went to a meeting for a spring arts festival that hadn't yet been cancelled. We talked about the likelihood of it happening. [It was cancelled the next day.] Disneyland in California had closed. It still hadn't occurred to us to quit riding.