The Wandering Disciple

"Give me liberty or give me death!" It is here at the House of Burgess where Patrick Henry exclaimed those famous words in defiance of the crown. History comes alive at Colonial Williamsburg as actors relive the events leading to our independence from British rule. While the capitol standing here today is not the original, restoration crews went through great lengths to ensure the replica matched the original building. The original capitol was built in 1705 and burned down in 1747. It was then rebuilt and later dismantled shortly after the Battle of Yorktown as it fell into disrepair. Then in the early 20th century, an effort to restore these historically vital sites began and the capitol was later restored to its glory.

At just over 90 miles from Cuba, the island of Key West is the Southernmost Point in the Continental United States. In 1983, the City of Key West built a concrete buoy to mark the most southern public portion of the island. Since then it has become one of the most visited spots in Key West. (Photo: April 20, 2010)

Punta Gorda, Florida: At the end of August, the quiet town on Charlotte Harbor transforms into a quaint village with a pirate problem as the pirates invade Punta Gorda for the annual Fishermen’s Village Pirate Fest. The third annual event features a full weekend of pirate themed adventures. In addition to great food, entertainment and shopping the festival also features several unique events. The headline events include the Pirate’s Ball, Pirate Parade, Pirate Flotilla, Pub Crawl, Fire Show and much more fun for the whole family. The event is held at Fisherman’s Village on the south bank of Charlotte Harbor in Punta Gorda. The village is home to many unique shops as well as waterfront dining, all of which is open to enjoy during the Pirate Fest. We visited the fest today, one of the biggest days of the event. We browsed the many vendor exhibits before taking part in the Flotilla and Invasion. From the west docks of Fisherman’s Village, the parade of ships pass by the ...

Bird Gardens at Busch Gardens in Tampa is home to many species of birds like this flamingo pictured here. (Photo: January 2, 2009)

The tall masts of historic ships disappear amongst the skyscrapers of lower Manhattan here at the South Street Seaport in New York City. The popular maritime history museum was founded in 1967 and was designated by Congress as part of America's National Maritime Museum. It features several ships to tour as well as a museum, shops and restaurants. The seaport is part of the much larger South Street Seaport Historic District which is home to 41 acres of historic buildings. (Photo: August 27, 2005)

A honeybee going to work in a flower outside the Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando. (Photo: December 25, 2005)

The white tiger pictured here is just one of the many animals that you can see at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. The 335 acre adventure park in Tampa, Florida is home to over 2,700 wild animals as well as 24 pulse pounding rides. (Photo: March 20, 2004)