The Wandering Disciple

A willet wades through the surf at Manasota Beach looking for it's next meal. Willets and other shorbirds can be found along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. (Photo: April 6, 2014)

Located along the Savannah River just outside Savannah, Old Fort Jackson was the last line of defense in protecting the city of Savannah from an attack by the sea. The fort began construction in 1808 at the spot of a Revolutionary era earthen battery. The fort saw action in the War of 1812 and the Civil War. The fort was eventually restored in the 1970’s and opened to the public under the operation of the Coastal Heritage Society. (Photo: March 15, 2014)

The partial roundhouse and fully functional turntable are the heart of the Georgia State Railroad Museum in Savannah. The museum is the most complete antebellum railroad complex in the United States. Operated by the Central of Georgia Railway, the Savannah shops opened in 1836 and remained in operation until 1963. It was purchased by the Coastal Heritage Society who opened a museum in 1989. (Photo: March 15, 2014)

A welcome sign greets visitors to Tybee Island in coastal Georgia. The three mile island is a resort town for beach-goers and is home to the first hotel in what would become the Days Inn hotel chain. (Photo: March 13, 2014)

A statue of Eliza Wilhelmina sits atop the tomb of Confederate Private Thomas Theus and his devoted wife Eliza Wilhelmina. The statue is one of many spectacular tributes located in the 160 acre cemetery outside Savannah. (Photo: March 14, 2014)

After a long process of trying to secure a B-17 Flying Fortress for their collection, the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force was able to obtain one from the Smithsonian Institute. Today, the aircraft is being restored to its full glory as the “City of Savannah”, the 5,000 B-17 processed at Hunter Field in Savannah. The restoration work can be seen close-up as the aircraft sits on display at the museum. (Photo: March 15, 2014)

A locomotive from the Central of Georgia Railway sits on display at the Savannah History Museum, spotlighting the city’s rich railroad history. The #4603 was built in 1905 and remained in operation for over fifty years for four railroads. (Photo: March 13, 2014)

Osprey, Florida: As be get closer to Halloween, our tour of historic haunts continued with a ghost tour in our own backyard. We have been looking forward for the Spanish Point Ghost Hunting Tour for over a year. After our experiences last year, which you can read about here , we could barely hold back the anticipation for this year's tour. Historic Spanish Point is a thirty acre historical preserve located along Sarasota Bay.  The grounds feature over 5,000 years of history dating back to the Native American, through the pioneers of the late 1800's and eventually ending with the Palmer family in early 1900's.  With so many era's living on the property, it is only fitting that Spanish Point would be rich with paranormal activity. We booked the middle tour at 7:30.  The sun just set over the bay and the bats were flying overhead, setting the stage for a great tour.  We met our group of thirty people at the gazebo and set out for the tour. The first stop ...

The Olympic Torch Monument on the Savannah waterfront plays tribute to Savannah’s role in the 1996 Summer Olympics. While the games were hosted in nearby Atlanta, Savannah was home to the yachting events. (Photo: March 15, 2014)

A Florida Scrub Jay sits in the brush at Oscar Scherer State Park.  The Florida Scrub Jay is a threatened species found in scrub habitat throughout Florida.  Development throughout Florida is causing destruction of the scrub jay habitat, resulting in their threatened status.  (Photo: March 8, 2014)

A rescue vehicle from the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport Fire-Rescue sits on the ramp at the terminal.  SRQ Fire-Rescue is responsible for aircraft firefighting and emergency medical calls on airport property.  (Photo: May 19, 2014)

A Cooper's Hawk sits on a tree on the bay side of Blind Pass Beach. The diverse park is home to shorebirds on the beach side and wading birds and raptors on the bay side. (Photo: January 5, 2014)

A seagull flies over Tampa Bay near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Shoreline bird, sea life and much more can be seen from the roadside parks along the causeway. (Photo: October 18, 2014)

The Flori de Leon Apartments as seen on the St Pete Ghost Tour. This historic apartment building was once the home of baseball greats Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. (Photo: October 18, 2014)

St. Petersburg, Florida:   Halloween is right around the corner and cool weather is in the air so we decided to take a ghost tour.  We originally wanted to take one in downtown Tampa but it was full so we decided on their sister tour in St. Petersburg.  The tour we took was called the Ghost Tours of Historic Haunted St. Petersburg. We headed north to Pinellas County right after dinner and I was hoping to get some photo time at Tampa International Airport.  But I misjudged my time and didn't have enough time.  As we were crossing over the Sunshine Skyway, my wife noticed a Carnival cruise ship coming towards the bay.  So we decided to pass some time by waiting for the ship to pass under the bridge.  Its amazing how little room remains, at least from our angle, from the ship to the top of the bridge. After watching the ship clear, we continued in to the bayfront in St Petersburg.  Boy was it hopping downtown.  The closest parking spot was...

A Carnival cruise ship passed under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge near the mouth of the Tampa Bay. With only 182 feet of clearance from the bridge to the water below, cruise ships have very little margin of error as they squeeze below the bridge.  (Photo: October 18, 2014)

A brown pelican scans the surf at South Brohard Beach looking for its next meal.  Pelicans and many other shore birds can be found along the coast throughout the year.  (Photo: January 5, 2014)

Thousands of shoppers pack the Grand Court for the grand opening of the University Town Center Mall in Sarasota.  The 880,000 square foot mall opened today featuring over 100 stores and 4 restaurants.  (Photo: October 16, 2014)

An alligator lays in the sun along the banks of the Myakka River at Myakka River State Park. Since the alligators are cold blooded, they can be seen sunning themselves along the banks of the river to help regulate their body temperature during the colder months. (Photo: December 31, 2013)

The Cypress Springs water park is a great way to take a break from the Central Florida heat. The water park is the main feature of the pool area at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando. (Photo: December 26, 2013)

Take a walk with the birds in the Canopy Walk at Myakka River State Park. Suspended in the tree tops, the Canopy Walk provides a birds eye view of the park. At the end of the bridge, you can climb even higher and view the park from the top of the 76-foot observation tower. (Photo: November 30, 2013)

This little cottage in rural Cross Creek was once the home of prized writer Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. From it’s porch, Rawlings wrote many of her classics. (Photo: November 10, 2013)

236 wooden steps take visitors over 120 feet into a prehistoric sinkhole. You can take a trip down to the bottom to enjoy the cascading springs and the dense foliage or you can marvel at the sinkhole from the half mile hiking trail that surrounds the rim. (Photo: November 9, 2013)

Sarasota, Florida: How can one top walking a tightrope across the Grand Canyon? Well that is what Nik Wallenda is trying to do. The King of the High Wire has done it all, slowly pushing the bubble a little further. But after the Grand Canyon, it didn't seem like he could get any more daring. That was until he announced his latest walk. Wallenda is planning a two-stage challenge in the Windy City of Chicago. The first walk will be a a 15 degree incline walk across the Chicago River. From there he will then walk blindfolded from one tower to another. From the steepest incline he has ever walked to walking blindfold across the wire, this will be one of the most difficult walks he has accomplished. To prepare for this feat, Wallenda has been training in his home town of Sarasota. Every day, hundreds of visitors are coming to Nathan Benderson Park to watch Nik as he prepares for the dangerous walk. He will be training at the park for three week, practicing daily through O...

Englewood, Florida: The quiet grass strip of Buchan Airport roared to life with the sound of piston engines for the eighth annual Buchan-Dearborn Aviation Day and Fly-in Breakfast. Pilots from throughout the area left their aircraft on display for the spectators while they enjoyed a hot breakfast.  The event had a wide range of aircraft spanning the World War II era with the PT-17 Kaydet through the modern era and the many variations of experimental aircraft. Mid-way through the event, the crowd was treated to a three plane fly-over as the formation buzzed the airfield with several tight formation passes. In addition to the aircraft on display, many vendors were also on hand to showcase local aviation services. The annual event helps to fund an aviation scholarship. Click on the photo above to view my 2014 Buchan-Dearborn Aviation Day photo gallery .

Saturday’s roar to life at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium when almost 90,000 fans pack the stands to watch the Florida Gators take the field. The stadium, also known as the Swamp, is the twelfth largest stadium in college football and is consistently rated as one of the best college game day experiences. (Photo: November 10, 2013)

Sarasota native Nik Wallenda trains at Nathan Benderson Park for his upcoming high wire act in Chicago.  In November, Wallenda plans on walking across the Chicago River on a wire stretched between the Leo Barnett building and Marina Towers at a 15 degree incline.  From there he will then walk another wire stretched between the Marina Towers in which he will be blindfolded for that portion of the walk.  Wallenda will be practicing these walks at Nathan Benderson Park for the next three weeks.   Click here for more photos from the training session.  (Photo: October 9, 2014)

A political ceremony is recreated inside the Calusa Leader's House at the Florida Natural History Museum on the campus of the University of Florida.  The home is one of the many scenes depicted in the museum's South Florida People and Environment exhibit.  (Photo: November 9, 2013)

The prairie stretches to the horizon from the observation tower at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. The 21,000 acre park outside Gainesville is home to many animals including a herd of wild bison. (Photo: November 10, 2013)

Cock's Footbridge spans Webbs Cove at Historic Spanish Point in Osprey. Historic Spanish Point is a 30-acre environmental, archaeological, and historical site located along Little Sarasota Bay. (Photo: November 3, 2013)

Fort Myers, Florida: The first cold front of the year past through the region yesterday, dropping the usually balmy 90 degree temps down to a manageable upper 70's to low 80's. So we decided to take advantage of the cooler weather and hit the trails for a hike. We headed south to Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Fort Myers. We visited the park last year and really enjoyed the hike so we decided to revisit the park today. The park features a long elevated boardwalk that passes through many different ecosystems filled with a variety of plants and animals.  It didn't take long to encounter some wildlife. At the first observation deck, we found six baby gators with momma gator lurking in the cattails nearby. In all, it was a pretty busy day for wildlife. We saw many species of birds including thrushes, woodpeckers and hawks as well as turtles galore. Seems like the animals were enjoying the cooler weather too. Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve is a 3,400 a...

A turtle sits on a log to catch some rays on a sunny Sunday afternoon at the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Fort Myers. (Photo: October 5, 2014)

A baby gator hides in the brush along a creek at the Babcock Ranch in eastern Charlotte County. (Photo: October 25, 2013)

A water fountain welcomes visitors to the Henry Plant Museum on the campus of the University of Tampa. The Plant Museum is housed in the historic building that was once the Tampa Bay Hotel. Built by rail tycoon Henry Plant, the Tampa Bay Hotel was the social hotspot of a fledgling city of Tampa. (Photo: July 27, 2013)

Orioles slugger Chris Davis gets some reps at third base in the instructional league as he prepares for a return to the majors after his suspension is over. (Photo: October 2, 2014)

Sarasota, Florida:  The Fall Instructional League is in full swing as the Orioles hosted the Twins at a sunny Ed Smith Stadium.  Today's game featured a big league surprise as Orioles slugger Chris Davis started at third base for the Orioles.  The fall instructional league is winding down with about a week left before camp breaks for the year. Click on the photo to view my Orioles/Twins photo gallery .

A rain squall sits just off-shore of Lido Beach in Sarasota. The heat and humidity combined with tropical moisture makes Florida a hot spot for summer storms. (Photo: August 30, 2013)