The Wandering Disciple

Gone With the Wind is one of the greatest films of all time. This timeless classic follows the life Scarlett O'Hara and her pursuit of love in the Civil War south. Based on the 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell, the film was released in 1939 at a premier in Atlanta. The film has become a prized classic and one of the greatest movies of our generation. Today you can get a glimpse inside the movie and see some memorabilia from the set at the Marietta Gone with the Wind Museum. The museum houses the vast privately-owned collection of Dr. Christopher Sullivan. (Photo: April 30, 2021)

For decades we have fought for freedom and equality. While the battle may have started with a colony seeking freedom from monarchy, it continues to fight strong on many levels and for many causes. One of the biggest fights that continues through this day is the fight for civil rights and civil justice. This journey can be seen at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Here you can follow the footsteps of some of the civil rights leaders and learn what inspired them to fight for change. (Photo: April 29, 2021)

While we awake from out turkey inspired food coma, thousands flock to the store to begin Christmas shopping on Black Friday. Stores entice shoppers with big deals and try to bring their budget from the red back into the black. While online shopping has changed the face of Black Friday, there are still plenty of shoppers that can't wait to hit the stores the day after Thanksgiving. In honor of Black Friday, today's photo of the day comes from a historic cash register on display at the Marietta Museum of History. (Photo: April 30, 2021)

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours. As we pause from our daily lives to enjoy time together with our family, be sure to remember those who are working hard to keep us safe this holiday and every day of the year. In keeping with the turkey day tradition, enjoy this photo of a wild turkey seen during an airboat ride at Billie Swamp Safari at the edge of the Florida Everglades. (Photo: February 1, 2018)

With a skull the size of an average human, the Gigantosaurus was a massive carnivore that lived during the early Cenomanian age of the Late Cretaceous period. Approximately 99.6 to 97 million years ago, this "giant lizard" was found in present day Argentina and believed to have been even bigger than the Tyrannosaurus Rex. The Fernbank Museum of Natural History has a full sized skeleton of the Gigantasaurus in the atrium of the museum. But to put it to scale, they also have a replica of the skull down low so visitors can get up close to the six foot skull and see just how massive these beasts were. (Photo: April 28, 2021)

For decades the secret recipe of America's favorite cola has been locked up inside a secret vault. The vault has been relocated from the bank to a new exhibit at the World of Coca-Cola in downtown Atlanta. While you still can not see the recipe, in the Vault exhibit you will be the closest to the recipe as anyone outside the company can get. The Vault exhibit is just one of the many exhibits at the World of Coca-Cola that tell the story of the Coca-Cola empire. (Photo: April 29, 2021)

A hammerhead goes fishing at the Georgia Aquarium. Hammerheads are aggressive hunters, ambushing schools of fish for their meals. Their unique shaped head spreads out their visual field, helping them locate prey better. They also are equipped with sensory organs called Ampullae of Lorenzini which help them sense electric fields produced by their prey making them one of the best hunters in the sea. (Photo: April 29, 2021)

An anhinga dries out its wings along a pond at the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Fort Myers, Florida. Anhinga lack oil glands in their wings so after swimming, they must dry their wings in the sun before they are able to fly. That is why its quite common to see them stretched out in the Florida sunshine. (Photo: April 10, 2021)

A colorful Taveta Golden Weaver sits in a tree in the aviary at Zoo Atlanta. Found in the African savannah, the Taveta Golden Weaver is a true weaver and makes elaborate nests by weaving together strips of plants. These birds are known to build multiple chamber nests for their colony. In the wild, Taveta Golden Weaver can be found in Eastern Africa, Kenya and Tanzania. (Photo: April 28, 2021)

Located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, the corporate headquarters of CNN is right in the middle of the busy city. Founded in 1980 by Ted Turner as a 24-hour news channel, CNN has grown to a multi-national news platform that reaching almost 600,000 viewers a day. Combined with CNN International, CNN brings news to over 212 countries from its headquarters in Atlanta. (Photo: April 29, 2021)

The expansive atrium of the Renaissance Concourse Atlanta Airport as seen from the upper floors during our stay earlier this year. The interior of the hotel feels much like the Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World without the monorail. The hotel is located on Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and features guest room with balconies that overlook the airfield. This is a must-stay for aviation enthusiasts as you can watch one of the busiest airports in the world right from your hotel room. (Photo: April 28, 2021)

Check out the shades on this United Airlines Boeing 757. For the second day in a row, United Airlines has sent a Her Art Here livery aircraft into Southwest Florida International Airport. Her Art Here is a promotion from United Airlines which spotlights female artists by showcasing their artwork on the aircraft. Created by San Francisco artist Tsungwei Moo, Her Art Here California features the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, palm trees and sunglasses. (Photo: November 17, 2021)

New York is proudly represented on a United Airlines Boeing 757 on approach to Southwest Florida international Airport. Part of the Her Art Here art initiative by United Airlines, the artwork created by Corinne Antonelli features the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge and New Jersey's Red Mill. The aircraft is one of two aircraft designed by women artists to spotlight women in the arts. (Photo: November 16, 2021)

For years, the Lady in Black has been pushing NASCAR stars to their limits on one of the toughest tracks on the circuit. Darlington Raceway features a unique egg shape thanks to a neighbor who refused to relocate a pond when the track was built. This configuration has given crew chiefs the difficult task of setting up a car that can handle both ends of the race track. Each year this challenge proves the Lady in Black is just Too Tough to Tame. (Photo: November 3, 2021)

This Ford Thunderbird helped NASCAR star Bill Elliott win a $1 million dollar bonus from the RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company during the 1985 Winston Cup season. Elliott won eleven races that season including three of the big four earning him the Winston Million bonus. Today the car sits on display at the Darlington Raceway museum, site of where he won the Southern 500 to collect his big payday. (Photo: November 3, 2021)

Cotton, the cash crop of the South from the late 18th century through the 20th century. Fields of white cotton like this on in South Carolina can be found throughout the Cotton Belt. The money from the cotton industry fuel the South but this came an a heavy expense to the slave labor used to manage the cotton plantations. The Civil War and the abolishment of slavery combined with crop damage from boll weevil and soil depletion, the cotton industry suffered a major loss in the 20th century. While you can still find cotton fields throughout the South, many of the former fields have been replaced with other types of agricultural farming. (Photo: November 3, 2021)

Winter the Dolphin was a star of the Tampa Bay Area. She entertained thousands of visitors each year at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and inspired the world with her rescue story that was the basis of a book which later became a Hollywood film. In 2005, Winter was found trapped in a crab trap off the east coast of Florida. The injury resulted in the loss of her tail and later she would receive a prosthetic tail. The story of rescue and rehabilitation became the premise for the book and movie Dolphin Tale. Winter lived happily at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium where she spent time playing with her trainers and showing the world how she wasn't letting her disability hold her back. Winter became ill this month and despite the best efforts of her staff, she died Thursday night in the arms of her care team. In honor of this amazing 16-year old dolphin who was an inspiration to people with disabilities, today's Photo of the Day is in memory of Winter the Dolphin. (Photo: May...

Today we celebrate Veterans Day and give a giant thanks to the brave men and woman who served our nation's armed forces and protected us with a blanket of freedom. The federal holiday established to honor our the veterans, falls on November 11 and marks the Armistice Day that ended World War I. To honor our Vets, today's Photo of the Day features the US Air Force's Heritage Flight, the demo unit of the air force designated to honor our nation's armed forces and veterans. (Photo: October 17, 2021)

When you think of a squirrel, the first vision that comes to mind is the bushy tailed gray eastern squirrel. The fox squirrel is another common squirrel species found in the United States and it is has a variety of color combinations (gray, black and brown). This black fox squirrel was found in rural South Carolina. Black fox squirrels make up a quarter of all the fox squirrels found in South Carolina. Even rarer is the brown fox squirrel which accounts for 2% of the population. (Photo: November 3, 2021)

Despite having a storied history dating back to the American Revolution, it was the railroad that helped put Greensboro on the map. By the late 1800's the train tracks of Greensboro provided a gateway to the East and West. This helped give the city it's nickname, the Gate City. This is the historic Greensboro Depot, built by Southern Railway in 1927 and later reopened in 2005 which still serves travelers to and from Greensboro. (Photo: November 3, 2021)

On July 4, 1984 Richard Petty edged Cale Yarborough by a bumper to win the Firecracker 400 at the Daytona International Speedway. A packed house including President Ronald Reagan witnessed history as the King recorded his record breaking 200th win. Today his 1984 Pontiac is on display at the Petty Museum located on the grounds of his boyhood home and birthplace of Petty Enterprises in Randleman, North Carolina. (Photo: November 1, 2021)

As the British and American troops descended on a skirmish at Guilford County Courthouse, the British came upon the Hoskins Plantation. The 150 acre plantation purchased by Joseph and Hannah Hoskins in 1778 became in the middle of the chaos as the Battle of Guilford Courthouse took place in March of 1781. Today replicas of the original structures stand as part of the Tannenbaum Historic Park. (Photo: November 2, 2021))

A battery of canons protects the third line during the Battle of Guilford Courthouse during the Revolutionary War. The fire power of the canons was a critical defense weapon for the troops during this pivotal skirmish in which the British defeated the Americans at this battleground. While the Brits may have won the battle, the casualties suffered here would result in them losing the war and the Americans gaining independence. (Photo: November 2, 2021))

A sand cat grooms itself at the Greensboro Science Center. This small solitary cat can be found in the deserts of Asia and Africa, far away from water sources. It has adaptations like long fur to protect it from heat and light coloring to help it blend in with its surroundings to avoid predators. (Photo: November 2, 2021)

 At the segregated lunch counter of this Woolworth's in downtown Greensboro, four brave men from A&T collided head on with segregation with a non-violent sit-in that would fuel the civil rights battle.  From this lunch counter in Greensboro, the sit-ins expanded to 55 cities in just a few months and would eventually lead to the desegregation of lunch counters in Greensboro.   (Photo: November 2, 2021) 

  A playful Chimpanzee poses for a picture and interacts with guests at the North Carolina Zoo.  Chimps use facial expressions, body postures and vocal sounds to help them communicate with other chimps in the troop.  The North Carolina Zoo has a large troop of chimpanzees and as you can see from this one they are not shy.  (Photo: November 1, 2021)

Greensboro, North Carolina:  As we wake up from sleep, we enter into the final day of our Fall road trip.  This is mainly a travel day, but we had a few things planned on the day as well as that daunting 11 hour drive home.   We packed up the car and checked out of the hotel and began our day. It was a chilly 41 degrees this morning, the coldest day of the trip.  The remaining two items we had on our list of things to do were outside attractions.  Based on the drive before us, the fact that one of them did not open for another two hours and we didn't have time to let it warm up a bit before going hiking.  We decided to pass on them and conduct a quick driving tour of downtown before hitting the road south. Greensboro was a great city.  For being the third largest city in North Carolina, it never felt like it.  You were not overwhelmed with people or traffic, felt out of place as a tourist and there was tons of things to do.  We filled o...

  When the sun sets on the Gate City, the paranormal activity picks up over the Gate City.  Home to activity in two wars, Greensboro has quite a haunted history.  We got to listen to stories of the ghostly haunts during our recent ghost tour hosted by Carolina History and Haunts.  The 90-minute Nightmares Around Elm Street brings the haunted history to life on the night streets of Greensboro.  (Photo: October 31, 2021)  

Greensboro, North Carolina : Hello and welcome to day three of our Fall road trip to North Carolina.  This is our final full day in NC before heading home to the Sunshine State in the morning.  We still have a bunch of stuff to do on our to-do list however we are running out of time.  Today's day of exploration will take us to the International Civil Rights Museum, the Greensboro Science Center and Gilford Courthouse National Military Park.   The day got started with a hearty breakfast at Carolina's Diner.  We had dinner here last night and vowed to return so we decided to head there for breakfast this morning.  The breakfast was just as good as the dinner.  My wife had her usual ham and cheese omelet, I had the Diner Sausage Skillet and our son had French Toast.  Just like dinner last night, the food was delicious and you got a lot of food for a good price. Our first stop of the day is the International Civil Rights Center and Museum, but we...

Modern day fire engines are so technologically advanced it can be hard to imagine a simpler time.  But thanks to the Greensboro History Museum, we got to take a glimpse into the early days of firefighting via The General Greene.  Built by American LaFrance in 1886, the horse powered pumper was capable of pumping 375 gallons of water onto a fire.  While its a far cry from the 1,500 gallons per minute capacities of modern day pumpers, it was light-years ahead of the bucket brigades that were the norm during this time.  (Photo: October 31, 2021) 

 Ashboro, North Carolina:  Good morning from the Piedmont.  Welcome to the second day of our fall foliage road trip to the Piedmont region of North Carolina.  After grabbing a quick grab and go breakfast from Chick-fil-a, we hit the road for our day of exploration.  Today we are visiting the North Carolina Zoo as well as the Richard Petty Museum. Our day kicked off with a short drive south to Ashboro and a visit to the North Carolina Zoo.  For those of you who follow the site, you know our family's love of the zoo and our mission to visit as many as we can.  We learned about the North Carolina Zoo thanks to the Nat Geo show Secrets of the Zoo.  From watching that show we instantly knew we had to visit the zoo and today was the day. The zoo was absolutely huge!  The drive into the zoo showed just how much land the zoo owned, it was pretty much a city all to itself with a great network of roads in and out of the zoo.  We got to the zoo sh...

Greensboro, North Carolina: We have been planning a fall road trip to the Smoky Mountains for a couple months, however in the past few weeks our plans have taken a turn.  While we are still headed north to check out the fall foliage, our plans have migrated from Tennessee to neighboring North Carolina.  While don't get me wrong we love the Smokies, we decided to focus on some new towns and chose to visit central North Carolina. We planned on hitting the road at zero dark thirty, however with the excitement of the trip no one got much sleep so we ended up leaving even earlier.  We pulled out of the drive way at 1:30 am and headed north to North Carolina.  We drove under the cover of darkness until we stopped for breakfast outside Savannah, Georgia.  On road trips, we typically skip chain restaurants with the exception of travel days.  Since it was Sunday, our usual favorite of Chick-fil-a was not an option, so we settled on Huddle House in Savannah.  M...

Each year as the weather dip cooler, the northern forests come to life with colors.  Like an artist with with a palate of colors, Mother Nature paints a masterpiece filling the forests with oranges, reds and yellow creating a magnificent masterpiece.  (Photo: October 31, 2021)

Tomorrow we will be heading north for a fall adventure as we seek cooler weather, fall leaves and new experiences. We will be spending the week in North Carolina with visits to Greensboro, Ashboro, Boone and maybe a few more surprises. Be sure to follow the site to see more photos from our visits throughout North Carolina. (Photo: June 6, 2016)

As the air traffic increases at the Punta Gorda Airport, commercial airliner delays during the Florida International Air Show have become a part of the shows. For the past few years, the show featured arrivals and departures carefully choreographed between the aerobatic routines. This year’s show featured the debut of a new airline to the FIAS, Sun Country Airlines. Sun Country recently began serving Punta Gorda with flights to Minneapolis-St Paul. With the addition of Sun County, PGD now provides service to over fifty destinations. (Taken: October 15, 2021)

While the aerial demonstrations may highlight any air show, the static display on the ground has just as many cool things to see. Along the static line you will find a variety of aircraft ranging from home-built aircraft to massive military transport aircraft. Here is a radial engine from the PT-17 Stearman, a bi-plane trainer used by the military for pilot training in the 1930’s and 40’s. (Photo: October 17, 2021)