Now if you want to drink at Sloppy Joe’s and soak up the Hemingway experience, you have a choice. You can take a road trip down the east side of Florida via the Florida Turnpike. This is a 390 mile trip (one way) and will take the best part of seven hours if you don’t want a break. You will, however, have the opportunity of having a look at such places as Palm Beach and Miami. After Miami you take US 1 down the Keys starting with Key Largo, (a good place to break your journey overnight), and taking in Islamadora, Long Key, Marathon, and Seven Mile Bridge to name only a few, before you get to Key West,the home of Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville

If you do fancy the road trip through the Keys on US 1 (sometimes called “The Overseas Highway”), you should go during the week and avoid the very busy weekends. The road is only two lanes in places, and being stuck in a traffic jam is not the best way to see the Keys.

Some people love the long car ride down the Keys, and across all the bridges, but there are those who do find it all a bit “samey”, and tiring.  

There is, of course, an alternative which will allow you to combine a shorter road trip down the Gulf coast with a trip to Key West.

200 miles from Orlando, and a much shorter three and a quarter hours away, at Fort Myers Beach, just south of Sanibel Island, you can take the “Key West Express” – a high speed ferry which will get you there in a leisurely three hours. You can go just for the day, and spend from 11:30am to 5pm in Key West, or spend a night or two drinking in the atmosphere.

The ferry, with air conditioned interiors and outdoor sun decks, will cost around $145 return. You will have to leave your car in Fort Myers (car parking is free) but you can well do without a car in Key West anyway.

So, go on - Join the nightly sunset celebrations at Mallory Square, and choose which way you would like to get there.

Andy Brownlie

The Florida Aquarium is probably one of the finest aquariums in Florida.  It has been ranked by Parents Magazine as one of the top five child friendly aquariums.

This very large aquarium consists of more than 200,000 square feet of exhibits and about 20,000 aquatic plants and animals from around the world, in particular Florida.

Recognized by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, The Florida Aquarium sits in Tampa’s Channelside District.  It opened in 1995 and last year welcomes around 675,000 visitors a year.

Galleries and Exhibits

The aquarium itself is divided into four “galleries” with many exhibits within each of those galleries.  Each gallery has a different theme for your enjoyment.

Wetlands – this section of the aquarium is very much Florida orientated.  Here visitors can explore fish, animals, and birds of the state’s marshes, streams, rivers, swamps, and mangrove forests.  Children will love the adorable river otters and be awed by the alligators.

Bays and Beaches – visitors to this gallery get the opportunity to observe the sea life typical of nearby Tampa Bay.  Exhibits show what is at the bottom of the bay as well as fish that typically attract recreational fishermen to the area, like snook.  The beach display presents a cross section of the sea life found at a typical Florida beach.

The Coral Reef – this colourful gallery brings guests close to the waters of the Florida Keys with a look at the sea life that inhabits the coral formations of the Dry Tortugas, near the Keys.  Guests can walk under a virtual tunnel to find out what’s inside a coral cave or peer through the Panoramic Window and watch one of several daily dive shows held at the site.  Visitors will also want to check out the Coral Farm, where biologists experiment with techniques used in coral reproduction.

Ocean Commotion – the Florida Aquarium’s newest gallery, Ocean Commotion invites visitors to explore the depths of the world’s oceans.  Very much an interactive, hands-on gallery, children can pick up phones and learn about their favourite creature and even play with a virtual dolphin.

Several additional and noteworthy exhibits also keep guests entertained and educated as they make their way through this excellent facility. They include:

Aquariumania – this fun exhibit tells guests how to go about setting up their own home aquarium at home and educates them about Florida’s fish farms, which grow more than 95 percent of all aquarium fish grown in the U.S.

Dragons Down Under – part of the Coral Reef Gallery, this exhibit provides the opportunity to view real Southern Australian sea dragons and fascinating dwarf seahorses, which are native to Florida. Absolutely awesome!

No Bone Zone – geared towards younger children, this section of the aquarium focuses on invertebrates.  The piece de resistance for little hands is the touch tank but there’s also an addition 400 gallon tank featuring more boneless sea creatures.  Children also love crawling in and out of human sized hermit crab shells.

Year of the Frog – not one but four exhibits outline the plight of the frog in hopes of encouraging amphibian conservation.  Visitors will view frogs native to Florida as well as their sisters and brothers from around the world.

Activities

No one is ever bored at The Florida Aquarium.  Aside from galleries and exhibits, there are plenty of scheduled activities and additional attractions to keep visitors of all ages busy.

Explore a Shore – at two acres in size, this outdoor water zone provides plenty of room for the kids to run around and cool off.  It features slides, geysers, water guns, and more, the Explore a Shore is a welcome break for little ones with short attention spans.

Penguin Promenade – a few times each day, guests can get up close and personal with resident penguins as they promenade across a red carpet lined with eager visitors.  Guests are asked to sit calmly around the carpet as the penguins travel through, often stopping to greet their visitors.

Behind the Scenes Tour – these fascinating one hour tours take guests to parts of the aquarium that cannot otherwise be explored, like the quarantine areas and the kitchen that prepares the meals for all the Florida Aquarium residents.

Dive with the Sharks – certified SCUBA divers age 15 and up are invited to experience close encounters with the aquarium’s sharks in hopes of dispelling the myth that sharks are man eaters.  Dive masters accompany each diver.  An additional fee is charged and reservations are suggested.

Wild Dolphin Ecotours – climb aboard the Bay Spirit, a 49-foot catamaran, for a 90-minute journey to view Tampa Bay’s bottlenose dolphins.  Ecotours run daily, with extra tours available during the weekends.

Prices are very reasonable and reservations are recommended.

Coral Castle is one of the most amazing structures ever built. In terms of accomplishment, it’s been compared to Stonehenge, ancient Greek temples, and even the great pyramids of Egypt. It is amazing, some even say miraculous, because it was quarried, fashioned, transported, and constructed by one man - Edward Leedskalnin who was a 5 foot tall Latvian who weighed just 100 pounds.

Many men have single handedly built their own homes, but Edwards choice of building materials is what makes his undertaking so incredible. He used huge blocks of coral rock, some weighing as much as 30 tons, and somehow was able to move them and set them in place without assistance or the use of modern machinery. And therein lies the mystery.

Edward Leedskalnin and Coral Castle history

Coral Castle is a stone structure that was created by the Latvian-American eccentric Edward Leedskalnin.  It  can be found  south of Miami in Homestead City, Miami Dade county in Florida.  The location is at intersection of US 1 (South Dixie highway) and Southwest 157th Avenue. The structure comprises numerous megalithic stones (mostly limestone, formed from coral), each weighing several tons.

Edward Leedskalnin was a young man living in Latvia, when he was jilted by his 16 year old fiancée Agnes Scuffs just one day before their wedding.  Feeling heartbroken, he left Latvia and went to live in Canada.  After moving around Canada and America for some years, he finally settled in Florida.

During his time in America, he came down with allegedly terminal illness tuberculosis but this was spontaneously healed.  Edward stated that magnets had some effect on his disease.

Edward spent over 20 years building the Coral Castle, refusing to allow anyone to view him while he worked. A few teenagers claimed to have witnessed his work, reporting that he had caused the blocks of coral to move like hydrogen ballons. The only tool that Leedskalnin spoke of using was a “perpetual motion holder” – whatever that is !!

Edward originally built the castle, which he named Rock Gate Park, in Florida City in about 1923.  He bought some land from Ruben Moser whose wife had helped him when he had been ill with tuberculosis.  Florida City, which borders the Florida Everglades is the southernmost city in the United States that is not on an island. It was an extremely remote location with very little development at the time. The castle remained in Florida City until about 1936 when Edward decided to move himself and so wanted to take the castle with him.  It is thought that he chose to move in order to protect his privacy as there were discussions going on that the land around him was to be developed.  Another theory is that he wanted to move to an area with more people as it was reported that he had been badly beaten up one night by hooligans looking to rob him.  He spent three years moving the Coral Castle structures 10 miles north from Florida City to its current location in Homestead.

Edward carried on working on the castle right up until his death in 1951. The coral pieces that are part of the newer castle, not among those transported from the original location, were quarried on the property only a few feet away from the southern wall.

He charged visitors ten cents a head to tour the castle grounds. There are signs carved into the rocks at the front gate to “Ring Bell Twice” and a second sign just inside the property that says “Adm. 10c Drop Below”. He obviously trusted people to pay their entrance fee.  He would come down from his living quarters which were the second story of the castle tower and are close to the gate and conduct the tour. If anyone ever asked Edward how he had made the castle, he would never tell them.  He would always reply “It’s not difficult if you know how.” If he was asked why he had made Coral Castle, then he would answer quite vaguely that it was for his “Sweet Sixteen.”

When Edward became ill in December 1951, he put a sign on the door of the front gate “Going to the Hospital” and he took the bus to a Miami hospital. The doctors discovered he was suffering from malnutrition and he died in hospital three days later.

After his death, and while the property was being investigated, around $3,500 was found among his personal belongings. Leedskalnin had made his income from conducting tours, selling pamphlets about various subjects (including magnetic currents) and the sale of a portion of his 10 acre property for the construction of U.S. Route 1. 

As Edward died without leaving a will. The castle became the property of his closest living relative in America.  This was a nephew from Michigan named Harry.

It is reported that the nephew was in poor health and so he sold the castle to an Illinois family in 1953. However this story differs from the obituary of a former Coral Castle owner, Julius Levin, a retired jeweler from Chicago. His obituary states that Levin had purchased the land from the state of Florida in 1952 and may not have been aware there was even a castle on the land.

The new owners changed the name of Rock Gate Park to Coral Castle and then turned it into a tourist attraction.

In January 1981, Levin sold the castle to the Coral Castle, Inc. for $175,000. They remain the owners today.

In 1984, The National Register of Historic Places added Rock Gate, also known as Coral Castle, to its list of historic places.

The Castle

The grounds of Coral Castle consist of 1,100 tons of stones found in the forms of walls, carvings, furniture and a castle tower. While commonly referred to as being made up of coral, it is actually made of oolite, also known as oolite limestone.  Oliite is a sedimentary rock made up of small spherical grains of concentrically layered carbonate that may include localized concentrations of fossil shells and coral. Oolite is found throughout southeastern Florida from as north as Palm Beach County to as far south as the Florida Keys.  Oolite is often found beneath only several inches of topsoil such as at the Coral Castle site.

The stones are held without any mortar, they are simply set on top of each other using their immense weight to keep them together. However, the craftsmanship detail is so skillful that the stones are connected with such precision that no light passes between the seams. The eight foot tall vertical stones that make up the perimeter wall have a uniform height. Even with the passage of decades and a direct hit on August 24 1992 by Category 5 Hurricane Andrew, which leveled everything in the area, the stones have not shifted.

Many of the features and carvings of the castle are notable. Among them are a two story castle tower in which Edward lived.  There are walls that consist entirely of eight foot high pieces of coral.  There is an accurate sun dial and a Polaris telescope.  There is an obelisk, a barbecue, a water well, a fountain, celestial stars and planets, and also numerous pieces of furniture. The furniture pieces include a heart shaped table, a table in the shape of Florida, twenty five rocking chairs, chairs resembling crescent moons, a bathtub, beds and a royal throne.

The Thirty Ton Stone

What is most remarkable about the contents of the Coral Castle is the massive size of the stones that have been used throughout its construction.  It is all the more remarkable when you consider that a single man assembled the entire site using only primitive tools. With just a few exceptions, the objects are made from single pieces of stone that weigh on average 15 tons each. The largest stone weighs 30 tons and the tallest stones are two monolithic stones both standing 25 feet high.

A nine ton revolving gate is the most famous structure of the castle and was documented on TV’s In Search of…, and That’s Incredible! The gate is carved so precisely that it fits within a quarter of an inch of the walls on both sides. It was so well balanced that a child could open it with the push of a single finger. The mystery of the gate’s perfectly balanced axis and the amazing ease with which it revolved lasted for decades until the gate suddenly stopped working in 1986. At that time, a team of engineers was brought in for consultation. In order to remove the gate, six men and a fifty ton crane were utilized. Once the gate was removed, the engineers discovered how Edward had centered and balanced the nine ton piece of rock. He had drilled a hole from top to bottom of the eight foot tall gate with no electric tools and inserted a metal shaft. The rock rested on an old truck bearing. It was the rusting out of this bearing that resulted in the gate’s failure to revolve. The nine ton gate, complete with new bearings, and a replaced shaft was lifted and set back into place on July 23 1986.  The gate failed again in 2005 and was subsequently repaired, however it does not rotate with the same ease it once did.  This just goes to show what a great engineer Edward really was.

Controversy surrounding its construction

The structure is considered mysterious by some, mainly because it is said that one man assembled the entire structure. Edward Leedskalnin seems to have gone to great lengths to ensure that he was not observed working.  Edward did much of his work at night by lantern light. The Coral Castle has numerous lookouts along the Castle walls that were designed to help protect his privacy.

There are various theories that believe that Edward constructed the Castle using some unknown form of science. For example, it has been claimed that he left behind the blueprints of nature, a “Secret Knowledge of the Ancients”.  Such theories seem to be discounted by evidence such as photographs which exist showing him working apparently using traditional methods like block and tackle.

There is skepticism as to the success of the traditional methods of tripods equipped with pulleys and chains that are in the photographs of Edward working. Some point out that the tripods appear to only rise about 20 feet while the largest stones are 25 feet long and stand vertical. They claim that tripods that are made from wooden telephone poles could not support the larger stones. There are not enough pulleys to lessen the weight of the stones enough that a 100 pound man could exert enough force to lift the stones. The three eights inch thick chains that can still be found in the Tool Room of the Castle Tower and which are seen in the photographs are only rated with a 3.5 ton workload and may not be able to support the weight of the stones.  However, these claims have not been rigorously analyzed by either engineers or scientists.

It is claimed that if anyone ever questioned Edward about how he moved the blocks of coral, he would only reply that he understood the laws of weight and leverage well.  He also stated that he had “discovered the secrets of the pyramids”, which of course could be interpreted in either esoteric or engineering terms.

Despite the skepticism of traditional building methods at least one person, W. T. Wallington, has shown that he can produce feats of this nature using only simple tools. Given this type of construction method, the statements of Edward Leedskalnin and the evidence surrounding its construction this could be the way he built coral castle.

Other bits of information

Billy Idol wrote and recorded the song “Sweet Sixteen” and filmed the video in the Coral Castle. The song was inspired by the story of Edwards former love, Agnes Scuffs, who was the main reason he built the structure.

Contemporary Christian artist Andrew Peterson recorded a song entitled “The Coral Castle” as an unrequited love song from the point of view of Edward. It can be found on his album “Carried Along”.

The New York-based band Pinataland wrote a song about Leedskalnin and the Coral Castle, called “Latvian Bride”.

The Wild Women of Wongo used the Coral Castle for their dragon god temple in the eponymous 1958 film.

The 1961 Doris Wishman film Nude on the Moon used the Coral Castle as the “moon” scene for the moon people’s home.

Cuban American author Daina Chaviano has dedicated a whole chapter to Coral Castle in her novel The Island of Eternal Love.

Coral Castle was the subject an episode of Leonard Nimoy’s program In Search of…. The episode, The Castle of Secrets (aka Coral Castle) was episode 16 of season 5; it included a re-enactment of Edward Leedskalnin magically moving the stones.

One of the trips I would like to recommend to anyone going out to Florida is an air boat ride. We picked the one on the Boggy Creek road as it is only 19 miles away and an easy 25 minute drive and you don’t have to book either.

The cost per ticket is $25 for ½ hour and slightly less for kids but do look in the attraction tickets booklets in Wallmarts for money off coupons for this and others.

We only waited a short while for our time slot and the waiting area was under cover which as the temperature that day was over 100’ was very welcome. There was an area also that you could look into that held quite a few young crocodiles.

Our number was called and we picked up our ear defenders before boarding. These are necessary as the noise from the engine fan at the rear is quite loud. The boat holds approximately 30 people and we were lucky enough to get the first 2 rows.

The boat goes quite fast and twists and turns before slowing down and moving into a small inlet with reeds and shallow water. All of a sudden we saw a croc and edged closer to it. It was about 4 foot long and was only about 18 inches from the side of the boat. All of a sudden he opened his mouth and we all edged away although it wouldn’t have been able to get near anyone on the boat.

We then went to another inlet and saw another croc but it scuttled away before we could get some more pictures.

The boat then picked up speed and for the next 10 minutes we were flying all through the weeds and across the water, zig zagging as we went along. The kids loved it.

All too soon it was time to go back to shore but the highlight of the day was to get to hold a small croc and have your photo done with it. I’m very glad to say that his jaws were firmly taped together.

Kissimmee Old Town, on the shores of Lake Tohopekaliga (Lake Toho, to you and me) is well worth a visit. And if you want to impress the locals, do pronounce their city’s name correctly, with the stress on the second syllable - “Kissimmee”.

Kissimmee (previously known as Allendale) was incorporated as a city in 1883. It was the heart of cow country and the sound of the men “cracking” cow whips led to them being called “Florida Crackers”. Ranching and citrus packing remained an important part of the local economy until the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971. After that, tourism took over, although cattle ranches still operate nearby.

The Kissimmee downtown area is a bit of real genuine Americana, and is pedestrian friendly. Yes - you can park your car and actually walk around streets full of brick buildings, boardwalks, shops and restaurants. Currently the Kissimmee downtown area has several restaurants, an art gallery, photographers, and a number of retailers selling clothing, music, art, antiques, video games, and furniture; plus lawyers, doctors, accountants, architects, printers, beauty & barber shops.

We came across the Farmers’ Market which operates at Toho Square on Thursdays from 7 am to 1 pm. It is modest in size but has lovely fresh produce for sale.

And if you are looking for some good ol’ “down home” cookin’ and a bit of old time service, do what we do, and eat at Joanie’s Diner at 120 Broadway, Kissimmee. You will not be disappointed with the food or the friendly service. It’s where the locals go.

Should you be in Kissimmee in the evening you can also go on ghost walks, and hear tales of the “headless horseman”, the “hanging tree” and the “ghost of the lake”.

A lot of money has been poured into the area for improvements, and a lot of the historic houses in the roads leading down to the lakefront have been renovated or rebuilt and are well worth a look. Also on the road down to the lake is the very quirky “Monument of States”.

Down at the Lakeside, you can walk along a long promenade by the lake which has piers, bait shops, boat slips and marinas. Chill out, watch the fishermen, or take an airboat ride, daytime or night time. There’s also a lot of green space for relaxation down by the lake, with playgrounds, picnic areas and bike paths, all well used by the locals at the weekend.

Do have a look at Kissimmee. It’s well worth it.

Andy Brownlie

Being completely new to this we were unsure what the dress code should be but it sounded like quite a smart affair so we returned to the hotel and showered and changed ready for the evening. We embarked at 4.30, the day was beautiful, blue cloudless sky, sea like a millpond and the sun slowly setting behind us. We took a seat in the middle, quite near to the front and prepared to enjoy the experience, champagne in hand!

The men were enlisted to unfurl the sails, we set off and it was absolutely wonderful. The ship ploughed smoothly through the very light chop whilst we were in the lee of the island then suddenly we were out into the open sea and there was much more movement and as the bow of the ship dipped into the water it sent lots of spray onto the boat, this was all good fun until suddenly a huge wave came over the top, right over us. We were absolutely drenched from head to foot, my hair was soaked, my white trousers had become transparent. I couldn’t do anything but laugh, everyone else was laughing and cheering so I stood up and took a bow to a huge round of applause! I was congratulated for being such a good sport and although i did feel a bit a silly for not being appropriately dressed it was great fun. The only thing to do then was to carry on drinking champagne and not to worry about it.

When we got back into harbour did we go back and get changed? No - we had realised by then there is absolutely no need - in Key West anything goes!

We found flights on the Internet from Manchester airport direct to Sanford airport return for £130 each so we bought the tickets.

We contacted Bob to let him know we would be going over for Joanne’s birthday where upon he informed us that the plans had now changed.

The new idea was to book a 3-day cruise – to the Bahamas.

Bob explained we could use an agent that he new and book the cruise ourselves. To say we were shell-shocked would be an understatement after we had finished talking to Bob all that we could think of was what would it cost us; it was close to Christmas and an unplanned visit to the Bahamas was not on our agenda it was the furthest thought from our minds but we had booked the flights so we were committed to the visit.

We contacted Bob’s agent and to our surprise the cost turned out to be much less than we had anticipated. 

For the same reason as our cheap flights (low demand due to the time of year) we were able to book an all-inclusive, outside birth, 3-day holiday on board a cruise ship including a day stop over in Nassau for £150 each. We couldn’t believe it. We decide to consider the whole visit as an early Christmas present to ourselves.

The ship departed from port Canaveral and being first time travellers on a large ship we were unsure of what to expect, we need not have concerned ourselves, as soon as we boarded we were given our first drink, our luggage was taken to our cabin and were given the key to the door. Apart from having to attend a safety brief the only decisions we had to make for 3 days were what shall we have for our next meal, which show, bar, club, casino or pool should we go to. If we had wanted we could have had all our meals and drinks brought to use were ever we were on the ship, being pampered didn’t come close. The day visit to Nassau was excellent the temperature was around 82f (about 26c) with clear blue skies, better than a summer’s day in the UK and it was December.

Anyone visiting Florida considering a similar venture please remember we booked our cruise in December 2005 but if you have flexibility with your plans I would suggest waiting until the last minute to book. A couple that decided to come along at the last minute booked tickets 2 days before departure and paid $150 each.

Brian Pearson

From the heydays of the 1950’s drive-in movie theatres are nowadays few and far between.

However, within 1 hour’s drive of Kissimmee there are two drive-in movie theatres still operating:

Silvemoon Drive-In Theatre 

Location: 4100 Route 92, W Lakeland, Polk County, Florida 33815. Tel (863) 682-0849

Directions:  From the I-4 take the County Line Road exit (at the Hillsborough/Polk County line), and continue south to US 92 W.  Turn left (east) and about 3.5 miles down the road there is a flashing ‘Silvermoon’ neon sign indicating the entrance..

Admissions:

Adults                         $4.00
Children (Ages 4-9)      $1.00

Capacity: 300 cars

The Silvermoon has two screens, each screening a double feature 7 nights a week

The Theatre also has a Swop Shop/Flea Market which operates from 5.30am until 12 noon every Saturday & Sunday.

Originally opened in 1948, the price of admission then was 35 cents per person.

Joy-Lan Drive-In Theatre

Location: 16414 Hwy. 301, North of Dade City, Pasco County, Florida 33525. Tel (352) 567-5085

The Joy-Lan has one screen and is open 5 days a week (Closed Mondays & Tuesdays)

Admissions:     

Adults                         $3.50
Children (Ages 4-9)      $1.00

Capacity: 300 cars

The Theatre also has a Swop Shop/Flea Market which operates from 5.30am until 1.00pm every Saturday & Sunday.

Refreshments:

Both theatres have snack bars, offering:

Pizza (Pepperoni & Cheese)

Hot Dogs (Grilled or roasted hot dog, served on a soft warm bun, with the option of onions, relish, mustard & ketchup)

Golden Corn Dog (Tender, meaty corn dog on a stick)

Grilled Sausage Dog (Giant sausage sandwich, served on a soft warm bun, with onions & peppers).  Only available Thursday to Sunday inc.

Nachos (Nacho chips served with cheddar cheese sauce)

Popcorn (Large size includes 1 free refill, Medium, Small, Economy)

Candy

Cold Soft Drinks (Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Dr Pepper, in Giant (44oz), Medium, Small, Economy)

Budweiser & Bud Lite Beer (12oz cans, purchaser must have a valid ID)

Bottled Water, Coffee, Hot Chocolate

On swap shop days, breakfast sandwiches (egg, sausage & egg, bacon & egg, cheese) and the big breakfast (2 eggs, bacon/sausage, grits/potatoes, toast & jam) are available.

Larger Vehicles

As a courtesy to other customers, large pick-ups and vans are requested to park at the rear