The Wandering Disciple

To modify a line from the Hollywood blockbuster Forrest Gump, the Lightner Museum is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you're gonna find. As you stroll the galleries of the Lightner museum, you will find elegant glassware and pottery, a collection of player pianos, Tiffany stained glass windows, shrunken heads and an Egyptian mummy. Yep, you heard right, an Egyptian mummy, This mummy is believed to be a child is displayed in a replica burial tomb in the museum.  The Lightner Museum is the collection of publisher Otto Lightner. He chose the historic Alcatraz hotel in St Augustine to showcase his wide ranging gallery. So when you visit, be sure to check out the exhibits as well as the elegant architecture of this historic building during your visit.  Taken: November 12, 2011 at Lightner Museum (St Augustine, FL)

Motivated by gold, glory and God, Spanish conquistadors sailed the globe looking to establish settlements for the Spanish crown. While the riches went to the crown, the settlers who lived in the newly settled areas lived in humble conditions as they sought a new life in the new world.  This is an example of colonial living during the Spanish occupation of St Augustine. The Spanish founded St Augustine in 1565 and established a colony in La Florida. Today you can get a look into what their living looked like at the Colonial Spanish Quarter, a living history museum that brings the past to life. Here colonial life is recreated daily to take you back in time to follow in the footsteps of St Augustine's earliest residents.  Taken: November 12, 2011 at Colonial Spanish Quarter (St Augustine, FL)

A battery of canons overlook Matanzas bay, providing the Old City with its first line of protection against an attack by sea. Castillo de San Marcos is located along the bay just north of the city and along with nearby Fort Matanzas protect the colonists from the enemy.  Built by the Spanish in 1672, Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest masonry structure in the United States. It has been held by four military forces; Spanish, British, American and Confederate. Today the fort is part of the National Parks system and is open for tours giving visitors a look into coastal fortification and early Spanish life in St Augustine.  Taken: November 12, 2011 at Castillo de San Marcos National Monument (St Augustine, FL)

Have you ever wondered what a 400 year old treasure chest feels like? Well you don't have to wait any longer if you visit the St Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum. The museum allows you to get hands on by touching history including this 400 year old treasure chest, a gold bar and more.  The St Augustine Pirate and Treasure museum features one of the largest collections dedicated to pirates. The museum follows the pirate life from Port Royal to the open seas and features over 800 artifacts, some dating back to the 1600's.  Taken: November 12, 2011 at St Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum (St Augustine, FL)

During the Civil War, the Underground Railroad was a network of paths and hiding places to help slaves escape slavery and head to freedom. But did you know that there was a similar set-up during the Colonial period? This field was once the site of Fort Mose and provided a safe haven for slaves escaping the Virginia Colony. In 1738 the governor of Spanish Florida declared Fort Mose the first sanctioned free black settlement and protected those seeking asylum in La Florida.  While the fort no longer exists, the site has been protected as part of the Fort Mose Historic State Park. It is viewed as the premier site of the Florida Black History Trail and viewed as the precursor to the Underground Railroad by the National Park System. A trail takes you through the marsh that once housed the fort and the park features a museum that tells the story about Fort Mose and its mission of freedom.  Taken: November 12, 2011 at Fort Mose Historic State Park (St Augustine, FL)

As you descend from the Bridge of Lions you can see some of the iconic towers of the St Augustine rising above the Old City. From this view you can see the the towers of Flagler College and Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, the dome from Flagler Memorial Presbyterian Church and the city's largest building The Exchange Bank Building.  Founded in September 1565, St Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied city in the United States. As you travel around the city, you will find some of the oldest buildings in Florida located along the streets of the Old City. The four towers seen here from the bridge were built between 1793 and 1927.  Taken: November 13, 2011 (St Augustine, FL)

Believe it or Not! Robert Earl Hughes was the largest man to register for the draft. Wearing a modified size 56 overalls, Hughes weighed in at a whopping 1,071 pounds. When he passed away in 1958, he was buried in a coffin the size of a piano case.  This is one of the oddities on display at the Ripley's Believe It or Not museum in St Augustine. Founded by cartoonist Robert Ripley, it was founded to showcase the oddities of the world that appeared in Ripley's popular cartoon strip.  Taken: November 11, 2011 at Ripley's Believe It or Not (St Augustine, FL)

The night gives way to to the day as the sun begins to rise over the Atlantic Ocean at Anastasia State Park in St Augustine, Florida. As the sun begins to break the horizon, the dark sky comes to light with the bright colors of the sun.  Anastasia State Park is a coastal park located across Matanzas Bay from historic St Augustine. The park is located on the historic Spanish coquina quarry. From this quarry, the Spanish got the stone needed to build Castillo San Marcos in the old city. Today it is a popular state park with miles of beaches, a campground and hiking trails.  Taken: November 12, 2011 at Anastasia State Park (St Augustine, FL)

If you ditch the hustle and bustle of the highways and interstates of coastal Florida, life slows down a bit. As you cruise the country roads that span the middle of the peninsula, you get a glimpse into old Florida before the development boom.  This is section of road passes through the Ocala National Forest. The forest is the second largest preserved forest in the country and preserves sand pine scrubs, several springs and much more. The park encompasses 430,000 acres in the northern portion of the peninsula outside of Ocala.  Taken: November 11, 2011 at Ocala National Forest (Ocala, FL)

The missions of the US military takes a commitment of each branch of the armed services to support a global reach. While most people recognize the operators and their vehicles, but there is much more behind the scenes operations that enable these warrior to operate outside the wire safely. One of these behind the scenes tasks is to establish effective communications. In a warzone, it may require operations level missions to ensure working radios.  This is an demo of a static line jump conducted by the Joint Communications Support Element of the Department of Defense. This unit made up of members of all branches of the armed services is responsible for setting up communications across the globe and in some instances may need to drop in by parachute behind enemy lines to complete the task.  This demo of the JCSE Static Line Jump was performed during the 2011 MacDill AirFest at MacDill Air Force Base. The air show is hosted by the base frequently to showcase the global reach ...

An alligator catches some rays on a floating dock at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve. While humans lay out in the sun to tan, alligators need to lay out in the sun to regulate their body temperatures.  This dock is located in Gator Lake at Six Mile Cypress Slough Park and is one of the best places to spot gators in the park. The park features a 1.2 mile boardwalk that is one of the best places to spot wildlife in the area. Taken: October 23, 2011 at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve (Fort Myers, FL)

An IAI Kfir departs Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport to rendezvous with the US Marine Corps over the Gulf of Mexico for a series of dogfights. Operated by Airborne Tactical Advantage, the Kfir operates as an enemy bogey, giving Marine Corp fighters a challenging dogfight to keep their skills sharp.  The Kfir is a Israeli fighter built by Israel Aircraft Industries. The Hebrew name Kfir translates to Lion Cub in English. Over 200 Kfirs were produced and operated by the Israeli Defense Force, Sri Lanka Air Force, Columbia Air Force and even a few for the US Navy as trainers. Today six Kfirs are operated by ATAC as adversary fighters like the one pictured here.  Taken: June 15, 2023 at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (Sarasota, FL)

Walt Disney has always loved trains. In fact, his first job was selling newspapers on the Missouri Pacific line. As he entered into the advertising world, the passion resulted in him designing his own backyard railroad named the Carolwood Pacific. When Walt began developing his park, he made sure to incorporated a railroad into the park.  This is the Walt Disney World Railroad at the Magic Kingdom. The narrow-gauge railroad runs a mile and a half around the perimeter of the park with stops in Main Street USA, Frontierland and Fantasyland. The fleet features four steam locomotives and twenty passenger cars. Each locomotive is named after a pioneer of the Walt Disney World resort. Shown here is the Roy O. Disney pulling into the Main Street USA station.  Taken: October 2, 2011 at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World (Lake Buena Vista, FL)

The Florida sun makes for a great day to stroll the boardwalk at Alligator Creek Preserve. The preserve features plenty of wetlands which makes the boardwalk a handy way to get out and enjoy the trails.  Located where the saltwater marsh and freshwater marsh meet, the Alligator Creek Preserve features two trails encompassing almost three miles of hiking opportunity. The park is part of the Charlotte Harbor State Park and is a partnership between the Florida State Parks and the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center.  Taken: October 1, 2011 at Alligator Creek Preserve (Punta Gorda, FL)

The hiking trail at Quick Nature Preserve is a great way to get outdoors and enjoy a stroll along the bay. The trail leads you from the parking lot along New Pass and winds through a few saltwater lagoons before passing alongside Sarasota Bay.  Located on the southern top of Longboat Key, the Quick Point Nature Preserve is a hidden gem. Less than a mile in length, this trail is more about taking in the coastal scenery and the wildlife than logging mileage. It is a great place to observe wading birds feasting on the fish that come into the lagoons.  Taken: July 16, 2011 at Quick Point Nature Preserve (Longboat Key, FL)

One way to get away from the blues of life is to embark in some Vitamin Sea therapy. The clear waters and abundant sunshine of the Sunshine State make for a great way to escape reality and relieve some stress in paradise.  This is Greer Island on the northern tip of Longboat Key. Not really an island, but rather a secluded peninsula that was once only accessible at low tide. Today it is a popular spot to enjoy a day at the beach.  Taken: July 16, 2011 at Greer Island (Longboat Key, FL)

Join Dorothy and Friends as they follow the yellow brick road on a journey to Oz. This iconic movie memory is just one of the many movies memorialized in the Great Movie Ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Here you board the ride and become imbedded in classic blockbuster hits like the Wizard of Oz, Alien, Casablanca and more.  The Great Movie Ride was a part of the Disney Hollywood Studios theme park at Walt Disney World from 1989 to 2017. Billed as the "Spectacular Ride Into the Movies", the Great Movie Ride used animatronics and live actors to bring the movie scenes to life. The ride closed in August 2017 to make way for Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway.  Taken: May 11, 2011 at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World (Lake Buena Vista, FL)

Fort Myers, Florida: The Florida Complex League began their 2023 season this week throughout Florida. The FCL is a rookie level league in the Minor League Baseball system and is typically the bottom level of affiliated baseball in the United States and is played in the spring training homes of the major league clubs in Florida.  On Thursday afternoon, the FCL Red Sox hosted the FCL Rays at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers. After a brief delay due to a quick shower that passed through, the teams got things started in their third game of the season.  The Red Sox jumped out to an early lead on an RBI single by Johnfrank Salazar in the first inning that scored Marvin Alcantara to give the Red Sox a 1-0 lead.  They extended their lead in the second inning by pushing across a pair of runs. Angel Pierre drove home Karim Aybui with an RBI triple to right. Then it was Alcantara picking up an RBI with a single to score Pierre to make it 3-0.  The Red Sox added two more in the b...

I have completed uploading my cards from the 1989 Donruss baseball card collection. While cards from the late 80’s do not hold much value due to overproduction, they hold a special place in my childhood. I was not able to collect the entire set, but I managed to collect 575 cards from the series (including duplicates).  Some highlights of my collection include rookie cards for Sandy Alomar Jr, Craig Biggio, Gregg Jefferies, Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling and John Smoltz as well as other stars of the game from that era like Wade Boggs, George Brett, Jose Canseco, Tony Gwynn, Rickey Henderson, Bo Jackson, Greg Maddux, Dale Murphy, Cal Ripken Jr, Nolan Ryan, Gary Sheffield, Ozzie Smith and many more.  Click on the photo above to see more photos from my 1989 Donruss Baseball Card collection .

The words of Jason Aldean's Dirt Road Anthem come to live as you hit the many dirt roads of Central Florida. While this road may not take you to memory lane, it will take you away from the hustle and bustle of the developed coastal cities and into rural old Florida.  This dirt road leads to one of Florida's most endangered ecosystems, the sand scrub. Rapidly lost to development, the sand scrub is home to threatened species like the Florida Scrub Jay and Gopher Tortoise. This portion of scrub is preserved as part of the Lake June-in-Winter Scrub Preserve State Park, an 845 scrub preserve located on the eastern banks of Lake June-in-Winter.  Taken: February 27, 2011 at Lake June-in-Winter Scrub State Park (Lake Placid, FL)

A family of baby gators hitch a ride on their mama's back as swims across a stream at Highlands Hammocks State Park. It is a tough life for a baby gator. On average, gators lay 38 eggs in one clutch. Of the 38, only about 24 will hatch. About 10 of them will survive the first year and by the time they reach adult, the clutch is down to about 8.  This family of gators was found in a stream along the main park road at Highlands Hammock State Park near Sebring. Established in 1937, the park predates the Florida State Park system and is a product of the Civilian Conservation Corps. The park features a three mile scenic drive as well as nine hiking trails that traverses unique Florida ecosystems.  Taken: February 27, 2011 at Highlands Hammock State Park (Sebring, FL)