I'm back in Florida once again, handily avoiding the snow, ice and cold back in New England. Although it's been a cool and rainy winter down here, it's still a heck of a lot warmer than back home. I work remotely in my mobile office (a.k.a. the cockpit of my motor home, which I transform into a makeshift desk). I take the dogs for a couple of long walks each day. And most afternoons, I spend an hour sitting in the sun reading a book. It's a simple life, but a good one.
I also like to explore the attractions that Florida has to offer, but most of the time I stay away from the big ones that most people associate with Florida - Disney and Universal. They're fun places, but also crowded and expensive.
Instead, I look for the small attractions. I pick a different spot in Florida each time I come down here, so it's never the same attractions twice. This works well for me because I love the treasure hunt of finding these places. I've got a list of things that I search for in each area, and over time, I've developed a good sense of which ones are worth a visit. I use Google Maps as my primary research tool, and as with all other Internet tools of the sort, you've got to be able to read between the lines to find the good ones. Let me present to you...
Kim's Personal Glossary of Touristy Places on Google Maps:
Attraction: a place that someone in the universe thinks you might like to visit. That person might be the owner of said place, or their mother, maybe. Many of these are free, others will run you a month's salary (I'm lookin at you, Disney). Here's an example of an "attraction" near me right now:
That's right. The "Welcome to Florida" sign is listed as a "Tourist attraction". Don't get me wrong. It's a great sign. But it's not something to plan your vacation around. Always read the reviews of these places, or look for a website to provide additional info. "Attraction" is definitely in the eye of the beholder.
Museum: A collection of items that are at least loosely related to a given topic. There are a host of fabulous museums out there, but there are also a lot (LOT!) of museums that are... well... maybe not your cup of tea. Have you read my blog about the Titanic Museum? Prime example. Museums are one of my favorite things to look for, but I've learned my lesson. Just because it has "Museum" in the name doesn't mean its worth the price of admission. BTW, the Titanic Museum was totally worth the price of admission, but that was a lucky break.
Landmark: A place where a moderately interesting thing happened at some point in human history. Landmarks can be cool. Take this one for example: In tiny Mason, NH you can visit Uncle Sam's house. Sounds fascinating, right? Probably is, too, but... you can't go in the house or even walk on the property. You can drive by and look at it, and if you drive slowly, you can read the sign. That's it. That's the whole attraction. With landmarks, you want to seriously consider how much traveling they are worth, because in lots of cases, the commute takes you longer than you'll spend at the landmark.
Park: A field, usually mowed, sometimes with walking paths, sometimes with playgrounds. Often with nothing but grass. If you're looking for a place to picnic or throw a frisbee around, these are usually great. But before you pack your frisbee, check the park size. I went to one once that was about the size of my bathroom.
Garden: a bit of land where stuff grows. Sometimes its flowers. Sometimes its grass. Sometimes its weeds. Check out this gem:
I thought this had to be a mistake - the garden is probably on the other side of the road, right? Nope. I used Google Street View to look up and down this street, plus across the street. This is it. There's definitely something growing there, but I'm not driving more than 5 minutes to see what it is!
I don't want to put you off from exploring, though, because I've stumbled on a BUNCH of great stuff. Of course I've seen my share of duds too, but still. It's SOOO worth it. Here are some of my most memorable finds:
The International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, ME was totally worth a couple of hours looking at evidence of bigfoot, Loch Ness, Chupacabra, and other fascinating creatures. Totally quirky, totally fun. And hey, it's the only cryptozoology museum in the world, so how can you pass on that?
When I visited the Amtrak station in Bellows Falls, VT, which was listed as a "landmark", my expectations were so low that I told my husband to wait in the car, because it probably wasn't even worth getting out. 5 minutes later I was back at the car, telling him he HAD to come see this place! It's a working Amtrak station with daily trains, but it looks like it just stepped out of 1915. It's got old-fashioned wooden benches, stained glass windows, and an old lunch counter that now serves as a ticket booth. The whole place was a delightful surprise.
The Cattyshack Ranch in Jacksonville, FL is a rescue organization that gives captive tigers and lions a comfortable place to live out their days. I've been to several such rescue organizations, and most of them are sad places where the animals are in little cages on cement slabs. While I appreciate that the animals have been rescued from horrible situations, I sometimes wonder how much better off they are. But not this place. The Cattyshack has gorgeous facilities for the animals, plus they have a knowledgeable staff who understand how to take care of the animals' mental health as well as their physical health. I had a great visit on their weekly "Enrichment Day", when the cats are given toys or treat, or both. Did you know that when you give a chicken leg to a lion, it eats the whole thing, bones and all? How cool is that?
In New Jersey, the Linwood Arboretum claims to be the smallest arboretum in the world. It's about the size of a city block, and sits right in downtown Linwood, NJ, but despite its small size, it's a delight. Trees, shrubs and flowers fill the little park, including an impressive collection of camelias. I got an impromptu one-on-one tour from a volunteer gardener who was a wealth of knowledge. This was an hour well-spent.
I could go on. I love these little adventures, not to mention the enjoyment I get out of the research to find them. We're surrounded by tiny treasures, if only we're resourceful enough to seek them out. And if you keep your sense of humor close at hand, even the duds can be memorable.
Kimba
About the Author
Kimberlee Martin is a free-lance writer with a background in software development. In addition to the miscellaneous musings she posts here, she writes a technical blog on Microsoft Access and Excel at www.northportsolutionsllc.com.
Kim can be reached at kimba1228@gmail.com.
© Kimberlee Martin, 2024. All rights reserved.
Comments