The Wandering Disciple

The Tybee Island Light stands tall on Tybee Island, helping navigate boaters through the waters off Savannah. (Photo: March 14, 2014)

Spring flowers like these add color to the backdrop of Bonaventure Cemetery. Ancient oaks and wild flowers fill the ground of the historic cemetery making it one of the scenic spots in the city. (Photo: March 14, 2014)

The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum pays tribute to the unit of the military that was a game changer during World War II. Air crews from the Mighty Eighth had a pivotal role in both the eastern and western front of World War II. (Photo: March 15, 2014)

Venice, Florida: Accessible only by private ferry, South Venice Beach is a quiet tropical oasis distant from the hustle and bustle of busier beaches. The remoteness off the beach is a glimpse back to the coastline before development. A trip to South Venice Beach begins at the ferry launch on the mainland. Here the captain departs with up to 22 passengers every half-hour on a quick seven minute sail across the intercoastal waterway to the island dock. Once the ferry docks at the island, a short walk down the boardwalk will take visitors to the beach. Where the Gulf of Mexico meets the deserted sands of South Venice Beach. Here you can look for shells and sharks teeth, sunbathe or take a swim in the Gulf. When you have had enough of the Florida sun and sand, the ferry will be there every thirty minutes to transport you back to civilization on the mainland. South Venice beach is only accessible via the South Venice Ferry. Yearly passes can be purchased at the dock and is good...

What better way to explore the historic city of Savannah then on a carriage tour. Carriage rides like these transport riders through the streets of the city much like they did before cars filled the streets. (Photo: March 14, 2014)

A scrub jay stands on guard at Oscar Scherer State Park. The park is one of the few places where you can get close to a colony of Florida Scrub Jays, a species in the decline due to the development of scrub habitats in Florida. (Photo: March 8, 2014)

A great blue heron chows down on a fish it caught in the Myakka River at Myakka River State Park. Hundreds of birds can be found along the banks of the river looking for food and many alligators lie close to the banks waiting for their meals as well. (Photo: December 31, 2013)

A wooden fishing shack like this is a common sight in the Everglades, but this shack is not in the swamp but actually in the atrium of a Central Florida hotel. At Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, the sights of sounds come to life under the glass atrium of the hotel. The Everglades, St Augustine and Key West are some of the regions represented at the resort. (Photo: December 27, 2013)

The quiet waters of the Myakka River flow through the Myakka River State Park in eastern Sarasota County. The river starts near the Hardee-Manatee county line and flows 68 miles southward, emptying into Charlotte Harbor. Twelve miles of the river passes through the state park and much of it remains undeveloped leading to it be designated as a Wild and Scenic River. (Photo: November 30, 2013)

Climb these stairs on a journey to the center of the Earth.  Well not really the center of the Earth but the center of  a former sinkhole turned geological landmark.  At Devil's Millhopper State Park, hikers can climb 120 feet into the tropical oasis of the crater caused by a sinkhole.  (Photo: November 9, 2013)

A small conch shell washes ashore at Don Pedro Island State Park. Hundreds of conch shells can be found along the shores on this secluded state park beach. (Photo: June 21, 2015)

Cape Haze,Florida: Today we decided to kayak to Don Pedro Island State Park following an article we read in a local newspaper recently. My parents have always gone to Don Pedro but I never went with. Something about spending an entire day at the beach had always kept me at home. But after reading the article, we decided it was a must go. Don Pedro Island State Park is a barrier island state park only accessible by boat. There is a daily ferry that transports guests to the island or you can bring your own vessel. In our case, our vessel was our kayaks. We launched from the Don Pedro Island State Park Land Base along Placida Road in Cape Haze. There is a $3 per car fee to enter the park payable in a drop box on the honor system. The kayak launch is located at the end of the road. We got lucky and the park ranger was there and opened the driveway so we could drop our kayaks off at the launch. Otherwise it is about a quarter mile portage for your vessels from the parking t...

It may be quiet and empty now but on Saturday afternoons in the fall, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium comes to life with thousands of screaming Gators fans. More commonly known as the “The Swamp” the stadium is rated as one of the toughest places to place because of the crowd noise. (Photo: November 10, 2013)

An Indian boy carries a shark over his shoulder, demonstrating early hunting techniques of Florida’s earliest residents. The Florida Museum of Natural History has an extensive collection of Indian History as well as other exhibits showcasing the natural history of the state. (Photo: November 9, 2013)

Just outside of downtown Gainesville lies a wide open prairie resembling the vast open plains of the Midwest. But we are not in the Midwest, we are in the heart of Gator Country. And this plain is home to wild bison, horse, gator and much more. (Photo: November 10, 2013)

The Guptill House overlooking the bay at Historic Spanish Point was the home of one of Sarasota County’s pioneer family. At Spanish Point, you can explore the history of the region from American Indian, to pioneer, to socialites in a relaxing walking trail along the bay. (Photo: November 3, 2013)

A baby gator blends in with the brush, a great defense against predators. Baby gators feature light color stripes helping them to camouflage against the lakeside brush. As the gator grows, these colors will darken. (Photo: October 25, 2013)

An antique fire truck sits on display at the Tampa Firefighters Museum, offering a glimpse into the rich history of the Tampa Fire Department. The museum, housed in a historic fire house, covers the history of the department from its inception through present day. (Photo: October 19, 2013)

A gopher tortoise feeds on the grass along the trail at the Manasota Scrub Preserve.  Gopher Tortoise love the scrub habitats throughout Florida and can be found grazing in the grass or hanging out in the burrows.  (Photo: June 13, 2015)

Venice, Florida:  Our tour of the kayak trails continues with a stop at Caspersen Beach.  Located on the south end of the island of Venice, the kayak trail at Caspersen includes a few lagoons and Red Lake as highlights of the trip. As we crossed over the bridge, we noticed how swiftly the water was moving under the bridge and were starting to second guess our decision, but we pushed forward to give it a try.  Worse case scenario we cut the trip short. The kayak launch is on the east side of the park.  A short series of steps lead you to the water where you begin your journey.  We headed southbound towards the intercoastal waterway.  We passed under a walking bridge and over an oyster bed which almost acted more like a rapids ride at a theme park then a paddling trail. Before reaching the intercoastal, we had to push through a mangrove tunnel that had almost grown shut.  Between the current and the tight opening, it was probably one of the tough...

A white ibis wades through the water looking for a meal.  White Ibis can be found throughout Florida foraging in lawns and ditches as they feed.  (Photo: June 13, 2015)

Venice, Florida:  My wife recently read an article that spotlighted the hobby of Geocaching.  I have several friends that enjoy it, but I have never tried or really had much interest in it.  But after reading the article, we decided to give it a try. We downloaded an app for the Iphone and set out on our way to try and find a cache.  To get out feet wet, we searched for easy ones nearby our house. The first one we punched in was called "Uncle Salty Don't Live Here No Mo" and was located within the Manasota Scrub Preserve.  We hit the trails and tried to find our first cache.  We traveled down the park trails and came to within 100 feet of the the cache but ran out of trail.  My son and I began hiking through the thick scrubby brush and it didn't seem like we were making any headway.  After tearing ourselves up on the saw palmettos and the jaggers, we decided to call it quits. I was really discouraged after our first attempt.  But my w...

A monument in a garden in the middle of a college campus is all that remains from the spot where the Great Bambino hit his longest home run.  It was here at Plant field in April 1919 that Babe Ruth crushed a 587-foot home run, setting a preseason record.  (Photo: July 27, 2013)

Cigar boxes like these are a reminder of Tampa's rich history of cigar making.  The Ybor City section of Tampa was one of the biggest producers of cigars in the US, earning it the nickname Cigar City. Today remnants of the cigar industry can be seen throughout the area. (Photo:  July 11, 2013)

As the sign indicates, slow speed is the way to go in these shallow waters.  Take the time to go slow and enjoy the scenery both above and below the water.  (Photo: July 10, 2013)

The tourism of Central Florida changed forever in October 1971 when Walt Disney opened Magic Kingdom and the Walt Disney World empire was born.  A gallery of history of the theme park and its effect on the region can be seen at the Orange County Regional History Center in downtown Orlando.  (Photo: July 9, 2013)

A couple alligators and a turtle lay on a log in the cypress swamp portion of the NatureWorks exhibit at the Orlando Science Center.  (Photo: July 9, 2013)

A starfish lies on the bottom of the bay in South Lido Park.  A kayak trip through the park will reveal hundreds of starfish below the surface.  (Photo: June 7, 2015)

Sarasota, Florida: After a few weekends of kayaking and trying different places, we decided to return to our favorite spot so far, South Lido Park. The kayak trail here has been the best we have visited so far and today's trip did not disappoint. Last trip to South Lido, we took on a whim without really doing much research about the trails or what to expect. But when I got home and started working on photos, I realized that we missed a good chunk of the trails. So we decided to go back and explore the areas we missed. When looking at the map, we missed an entire mangrove tunnel during our last visit. When we last visited South Lido, it was Memorial Day and it was very crowded as to be expected. To avoid this, we got there really early and pretty much had the place to ourselves for much of the morning. Because of this, there was plenty of wildlife to see. We had osprey fishing near us and a trio of cormorants that swam with us until we hit the first mangrove tunnel. ...

A cow looks up while grazing in a field near Punta Gorda Airport. Not far from the cattle you will find cattle egret, a small bird that lives in harmony with the cattle. (Photo: June 6, 2015)

Located in the heart of downtown Orlando is the Amway Center. Opened in 2010, the Amway Center is home to the Orlando Magic of the NBA, Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League and the Orlando Solar Bears minor league hockey team. (Photo: July 9, 2013)

A macaw skates across the stage at Sarasota Jungle Gardens. The entertaining show helps showcase the unique abilities of these birds as well as inform spectators the importance of conservation. (Photo: July 8, 2013)

The backyard comes to life in vivid colors as the summer flowers are in full bloom. (Photo: July 13, 2013)

The storm clouds building in the skies are a sure sign that summer is upon us.  Like clockwork, storm clouds like these build daily along the collision of the sea breeze, resulting in afternoon thunderstorms an almost daily occurrence in Florida during the summer.  (Photo: June 1, 2015)

The flight decks have changed over the years but the this flight deck of the DC-3 Flagship Detroit is a glimpse back into the history of passenger flight.  The vintage airliner entered service in the early in 1930's and many are still air worthy.  The Flagship Detroit currently travels the country bringing the history of flight to air show spectators.  (Photo: March 24, 2013)