The Wandering Disciple

Transportation in the early days was difficult, in order to cross the country you needed to take a risky wagon ride across the rugged countryside.  But it would all change in the the late 1800's as the country was introduced to a new form of travel, the railroad.  Before long, the country was connected with a series of rail lines making it easier to move people and goods across the nation.  The America on the Move exhibit at the National Museum of American History allows you to follow the journey of transportation in the country from horse back to the present day. (Photo: February 14, 2009)

A giant gypsum crystal sits on display at the Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of Natural History.  The museum boasts a large collection of gem stones like this crystal.  It seems like it would take a large time for a crystal this large to materialize however with the right nutrient rich soil and ideal temperatures a big crystal can develop pretty quickly.  (Photo: February 14, 2009)

This little saloon in downtown Washington DC was the spot where one of the nations darkest moments began.  April 14, 1865 would start like any other day for Peter Taltavull as he worked at his Star Saloon next to one of DC's prominent theaters.  He served patrons including a famous actor but little did he know, the nation would change in just a few short hours.  After finishing his whiskey, John Wilkes Booth went next door to assassinate President Lincoln. Following the shooting, the saloon was the first choice to bring the ailing president but they chose the Peterson House across the street instead.  The saloon never recovered from the events surrounding the President's death and it closed.  Today it is part of the Ford's Theatere National Historic District.  (Photo: February 14, 2009)

Tampa, Florida:    Took a morning trip to the zoo and traffic worked in my favor for once so I was able to squeeze in a little plane watching action at Tampa International Airport before the zoo opened.  For a busy airport, Tampa is very easy to watch at as the parking garage sits between both runway.  Today Runway 1 was in action so I parked on the south side of the 8th floor of the parking garage and watched a few planes come in.  Since its the holiday season, I got to watch a little cargo action today.  Here is a look at what I saw today: Boeing 737-800 - N17245 Boeing 767-300 - N331AZ Dassault Falcon 2000 - N25KZ Saab 340 - N435XJ Airbus A321 - N167US Boeing 737-700 - N448WN Boeing 737-800 - N940NN Airbus A321 - N708FR Saab 340 - N341AG Boeing 737-700 - N283WN Boeing 737-700 - N941WN Boeing 767-300 - N149FE Frontier Airlines - N317FR

Fort Myers, Florida: The cooler Floridian weather means the outdoor adventures continue, this time with a return trip to Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve. This local hike is one of my favorites, a raised boardwalk with plenty of wildlife to see. Although today was pretty quiet, it was still an enjoyable walk and who really doesn’t enjoy a day of outdoor adventures. On today’s hike, I saw: American Alligator  Black-crowned Night Heron  Double-Crested Cormorant   Eastern Gray Squirrel  Great Blue Heron  White Ibis   Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve is located at 7791 Penzance Boulevard in Fort Myers, Florida. It is open daily from dawn to dusk. Admission to the park is free however Lee County charges a parking fee of $1 per hour/$5 max per day.  Click on the photo above to view the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve photo gallery .

Cape Coral, Florida: Tucked away in the shadows of the mid-point bridge, the Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve is a hidden gem in a bustling city. One part nature preserve, other part tribute to our nation’s heroes, the Ecological Park has something for the whole family. The 365 acre preserve is the second largest preserve in Cape Coral. It was designated by the State of Florida to be preserved at the City of Cape Coral was being developed. Today it stands as a nature preserve allowing visitor to take a break from city life and enjoy the natural beauty that was once Florida. A trip to the park begins with a stop at the nature center. This small nature center gives you a glimpse at what you will encounter on your hike through Four Mile Cove. From there it is time to hit the trail. Here the trail is a 1 ¼ mile raised boardwalk through forest of mangroves. Along the way, there are information signs to tell you a little more about the park, its residents and the fauna that m...

Venice, Florida: As we get deeper and deeper into playoff football, the field of teams gets smaller and smaller as we enter the Regional Playoffs, or the final four. The Venice Indians hosted the Bloomingdale Bulls in the Class 7A-Region 3 final on Friday night at Powell-Davis Stadium. The first half was a shoot out with both teams evenly matched with the Bulls heading into the locker room with a slim three-point lead. But halftime adjustments gave the Indians the edge with 28 unanswered points in the second half, leading the home team Indians to a 57-32 win. The Bulls got on the scoreboard first with a pick-6 interception by Levi Williams. A quick pass from Jon Catala to Quinton Mccoy on the PAT gave the Bulls 8-0 lead. Venice answered with a 70-yard drive capped by a seven yard touchdown run by Brandon Gregory, the Indians also completed a two point conversion to tie the game 8-8. Bloomingdale later forced an Indian turnover on a fumble marched the ball down the field, ca...

Tampa, Florida: When people think of wild animals, most people think of African safaris. However some of the most exotic animals in the wild can be found in Asia. But if you want to save money on travel and shots for your body, take a trip to Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park and walk through Asian Garden. Asian Gardens is one of the oldest sections of Zoo Tampa. It is located left of Zoo Boulevard near the entrance to the park. Here you will find the entrance to the boardwalk and the exotic animals you can encounter here. Komodo Dragons, Malayan Tiger, Sloth Bears, Indian Rhinoceros, Clouded Leopard and Malayan Tapirs are just a few of the residents of Asian Gardens. If birds are your thing, Asian Gardens is home to one of the zoo’s free flight aviaries that looks like its straight from Indonesia and filled with mandarin ducks, muntjac deer and more. Zoo Tampa is also starting to offer more and more interactive animal experiences which bring guests closer to the animals and one of ...

Largo, Florida: The sunshine state, a state of perpetual tropical weather. The lack of cold winter and freezes makes it an ideal place to grow a garden and because of its location in the tropics, the gardens support a wide array of flora and fauna. That is what you will find at the Florida Botanical Gardens. Here you can find bright colorful flowers, thriving fruit trees and even a succulent or two…who doesn’t like a good succulent. The Florida Botanical Gardens was established to help educate both residents and visitors about the natural resources in our environment. In addition to enjoying or in my case photographing the gardens, you can also learn how you can plant and sustain a beautiful Florida friendly yard. Visitors to the garden can get lost in the over 10,000 plants found within the garden. The gardens are quite large, thirty acres to be exact. It is separated into two sections, the east gardens and the west gardens with McKay Creek separating the two. The west gar...

Port Charlotte, Florida: While cold winter weather has taken hold of a good chunk of the country, it was still baseball season in South Florida where the boys of summer faced off for a late fall exhibition match-up at Charlotte Sports Park. On Sunday evening it was the USA Baseball 18U National Team hosting the University of Florida Gators. The USA Baseball team is currently playing a series of exhibition games in Florida to evaluate their players and prepare themselves for upcoming tournament play. Tonight they put their unbeaten streak on the line against a tough Gators team. Click on the photo above to view photos from the USA Baseball/Gators photo gallery .

Punta Gorda, Florida: On the way back from Fort Myers, I checked Flightradar24.com and saw there were a few Allegiant flight movements at Punta Gorda Airport as I passed by on I-75. Runway 4 was in use so I found a spot at the end of Challenger Boulevard with a clear view of departing aircraft on Runway 4. Here is a look at what I was able to photograph: Airbus A320 - N257NV PT-22 Recruit - N47210 Airbus A320 - N262NV Airbus A320 - N260NV

Fort Myers, Florida: On a trip to Fort Myers, I managed to squeeze in some planespotting time at Southwest Florida International Airport. Here at RSW, there is an official observation area located along the north side of the airfield off of Air Cargo Lane. From here you have a view of the runway area, which is a single runway making it easy for spotting. Today Runway 6 was active, making for landing traffic in front of the observation area. Here is a look at what aircraft arrived or departed during my time at the airport: Boeing 717-200 - N893AT Airbus A320 - N329FR Embraer Legacy 6000 - N600LP Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-200 - N155MW Beechcraft Beechjet - N61GB Airbus A319 - N808AW Airbus A320 - N422UA Boeing 757-200 - N690DL Airbus A320 - JetBlue N643JB Airbus A320 - N402UA Embraer 190 - N296JB Boeing 757-200 - N696DL Airbus A319 - N831AW Boeing 737-800 - N970NN Boeing 767-300 - C-GHPE ...

Fort Myers, Florida: Fall is in the air in Florida and the local parks are starting to show it. The leaves are thinning on the trees and animal migration has begun. Today I decided to take advantage of the cooler weather and take a walk at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve. The park features a 1.2 mile boardwalk which takes you through the 3,500 acre wetland preserve. During today’s hike, I observed a bunch of the usual Floridian wildlife residents including a few legless critters located just off the boardwalk. Here is a look of what I saw during today’s hike: American Alligator  Black Crowned Night Heron  Downy Woodpecker  Eastern Gray Squirrel  Florida Cottonmouth  Florida Watersnake  Great Blue Heron  Great Egret  Peninsula Cooter  Red Shouldered Hawk  White Ibis  Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve is located at 7791 Penzance Boulevard in Fort Myers, Florida. It is open daily from dawn to dusk. There is ...

Englewood, Florida: The Offshore Powerboat Association closed in on Englewood Beach this weekend for the OPA World Championship as part of the 2018 Englewood Beach Water Fest. The annual race closes out the 2018 season for the OPA circuit. The weekend kicked off with a block part in Olde Englewood followed by back to back days of exciting powerboat racing in the Gulf of Mexico between Englewood Beach and Stump Pass Beach State Park. Click on the photo above to view a gallery of photos from the Extreme Class race at the 2018 OPA World Championships .

A jaguar tries to take an afternoon nap at Zoo Miami.  Jaguars rest during the day so they are ready to hunt once the sun goes down.  They use the cover of night and their camouflage patterning to stalk their prey, striking when they least expect it.  (Photo: November 4, 2018)

The sun rises over the Everglades, lighting the skies with bright orange hues and signaling the start of a new day. Known as the Sunshine State, Florida is known for its spectacular sunrises and sunsets like this sunrise seen from Alligator Alley in South Florida. (Photo: November 4, 2018)

Bradenton, Florida: Tucked away in a residential neighborhood in west Bradenton lies a hidden gem. A place where you can get away and enjoy bright colorful flowers and the tranquility they possess. At the Palma Sola Botanical Park, you can spend hours enjoying the smell of fresh flowers in the Florida sunshine. The ten acre park is where “Florida’s Beauty Remains Timeless”. Here you can find bright and colorful tropical plants, rare fruit trees, a succulent garden, a butterfly garden or just relax and watch the birds and wildlife around the lakes. If you want to try your hand at growing a garden of your own, the park features a nursery where you can purchase some of the plants found in the garden. And if yoga is your thing, well they have that too. The Palma Sola Botanical Park is located at 9800 17th Avenue NW in Bradenton, Florida. It is open daily from 8 to sunset however it is a popular place for weddings and private parties, so the schedule may vary. Admission to the...

On this Veteran's Day and everyday, a big thank you goes out to our nation's veterans for all the sacrifices they made to ensure the freedoms we enjoy.  While Veteran's Day is just one day on a calendar, the appreciation goes 365 days a year.  Thank you for answering the call to keep us safe and protect our way of life.  (Photo: November 4, 2018)

Orlando, Florida: On a recent trip to Disney, I was able to get away to Orlando International Airport for some plane watching before heading to the parks. The winds favored Ruway 18 as the active runway.  This is one of my favorite traffic patterns since it allows for viewing from the pier on the lake at Airport Lakes Park.  Here you can watch planes and wildlife at the same time while enjoying the shade by the lake.  It was a slow morning by Orlando standards but here is a list of what I saw today: Boeing 757-200 - N676DL Airbus A321 - N197UW Boeing 737-800 - N8312C Boeing 737-700 - N570WN Boeing 737-700 - N428WN Boeing 737-900 - N39415