Sadly, I’ll never get a chance to experience so many of the iconic things that symbolize Old Florida. They are long gone, having succumbed to “progress”. Cypress Gardens, Florida’s first theme park, is one of those.

The park opened in 1936 as a botanical garden but during WWII, water ski shows were added. Over the decades, as the park’s appeal grew numerous movies were filmed there. It became known as the Water Ski Capital of the World and it seemed poised for continued success.

But, the mouse is formidable. After Walt Disney World opened in 1971, the park struggled along but bankruptcy was inevitable. In 2010, the gardens were incorporated as part of Legoland Florida but the ski shows ended.

So, imagine my excitement when I learned that the water ski team continues to travel and compete under the Cypress Gardens name. The town of Winter Haven, in central Florida, set up a water ski course on Lake Silver and the team offers free shows every 3rd Saturday, March -October.

After a couple misses this summer, last weekend some friends and I finally made it over for the show. I was duly impressed. Not only with the music and theme but with the athletic ability of all the skiers (the youngest was 3 years old, while the eldest was in her 60s).

The coaches, boat captains, and ski team obviously put a tremendous amount of effort into their costumes, choreography, and skills. I definitely enjoyed the show!

Earlier in the week I learned that some friends would be paddling to Jack’s Island this morning. It’s near my house and since I had yet to visit, I was excited to join.

The juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron on my neighbor’s dock was not thrilled with me when I dropped in the water a little after 8am. After paddling under Gulfport Boulevard, I entered Boca Ciega Bay to find it absolutely glassy. Such a quiet, calm morning!

I was the only person, but I wasn’t alone. I was joined by dolphins, manatees, pelicans, and terns as I kayaked past the little community of Gulfport.

When I made the turn into Clam Bayou, I was on schedule but the winding mangrove tunnels waylaid me. I wasn’t too worried about being lost since I could hear my friends. It gave them something to laugh about when I popped out of a thicket to join them.

We headed back past Gulfport to Jack’s Island. Yes, I could’ve just met them there but it would’ve been a short paddle and not nearly as much fun. The shallow, seagrass meadows that surround the island were teeming with bait fish. Easy to see why this special area has been protected as the Boca Ciega Bay Aquatic Preserve.

We spent some time relaxing and chatting before loading back into our vessels. I waved goodbye and headed north while the rest of the group headed east. I was home in 20 minutes, good thing too, since it was really starting to get hot. Such a wonderful way to spend the morning!

I discovered this adorable alligator at a thrift store a couple weeks ago. While I’m a huge fan of hand-crafted items, I’m not University of Florida fan (as a University of Arizona alum, I’ll always be a Wildcat).

But I figured with some minor repairs and a bit of paint, he’d turn out to be a pretty handsome addition to my yard. I’m pretty pleased with my $5 find!

This butt bin in downtown Raleigh cracked me up. I appreciate the intended message but they really needed a comma after Smokers. Without it, the implication is that the act of smoking reduces conflagrations.

Regardless, please dispose of your butts properly (or better yet, don’t smoke at all).

Leaving the retreat on my way to Asheville, North Carolina I noticed a sign for Natural Bridge State Park. Ever curious, I pulled in to explore.

The towering formation was once the roof of a cave but given enough time, limestone succumbs to water. Cedar Creek eroded away the soft rock until the majority of the cave collapsed, leaving behind a remarkable feature.

The 215′ tall bridge has attracted attention for centuries, the local Monacan tribe still considers it sacred land. When Governor William Gooch sent a team to explore that area of Virginia in 1742 they made note it.

8 years later, George Washington was a member of the land survey team. According to legend, he carved his initials in the rock (see the photo with the white painted box). In 1774 the bridge was purchased from the King of England by Thomas Jefferson who considered it, “the most Sublime of nature’s works”.

As evidenced by the historic graffiti, many people left their marks over the years. The property went through multiple hands before finally being purchased by the Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund in 2013. They turned it over to the state for management and it became Virginia’s 37th state park in 2016.

I admired a fuzzy Buck Moth caterpillar (Hemileuca maia) along the trail and played a one-sided game of hide-and-seek with a Common Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon) before continuing on my way to Susan’s, just outside of Asheville.

We enjoyed a lovely evening stroll before dinner. It was only an overnight visit but it was wonderful to catch up with a good friend. Thoroughly, an enjoyable trip!

I had a couple hours to spare on my way to Virginia so I detoured to Occaneechee State Park. Situated on the northeast bank of Buggs Island Lake (formed by the John H. Kerr Dam in 1952), the park preserves over 400 years of human history.

At the time of first contact with Europeans in 1650, the Occoneechi* tribe had a thriving village on the bank of the Roanoke River. Sadly, as happened with many of the native populations, it did not end well for them.

Fast forward to 1839 when William Townes established his 3,100-acre Occoneechee Plantation. The acreage was dispersed between his relatives and some of his slaves after his death in 1876. In 1968, the state leased 2,690 acres from the Army Corps of Engineers to form the park.

Other than a few trucks and trailers down at the boat ramp, I didn’t see any people while I explored. But I wasn’t alone, I met a few interesting residents, the most colorful by far was the American Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus). Appropriately enough, juveniles are often referred to as Blue-tailed Skinks.

It was a relaxing place to stretch my legs, speaking of legs…

*There were various spellings of the tribe’s name historically.

Taking advantage of a slow work week, I drove north to visit some friends in North Carolina and Virginia. My first stop (after a bit of tire trouble) was in the Raleigh-Durham area.

Hector and I spent the morning wandering the lovely Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University. Not only did I enjoy the beautiful flowers and numerous water features but the slightly lower temperatures were much appreciated as well.

In the evening we went the other direction and strolled through the state capital. The statue of Sir Walter Raleigh, looking quite smug all decked out in finery, seems befitting for the titular city but it’s worth remembering that the English statesman never even visited North America.

Raleigh is also known as the “City of Oaks”, which explains why they drop a massive acorn as part of their New Year’s Eve celebrations. While I enjoyed touring the downtown area, and sipping delicious craft-brewed beer, my favorite part was learning about the ever-humble Tucker, the Oak City Kitty.

When I purchased my Kia Niro last year the only thing that dismayed me was the lack of a spare tire. I realize it is standard operating procedure with new vehicles these days (I heard it was an effort by the manufacturers to reduce weigh to help them meet the higher fuel efficiency standards) but it bothered me.

As you know, I do a lot of driving and am prone to long, meandering road trips so I did not feel comfortable with the idea of being stranded in the middle of nowhere with a measly can of air. Especially since I prefer the road less traveled, which often means there’s no cell phone service (the modern day equivalent of up a creek without a paddle).

So, shortly after buying my car a friend helped me research and find a spare tire that would fit (the tiny donut available through the dealer wouldn’t have been compatible with my “sport” edition).

Of course, the larger tire wouldn’t fit in the pre-molded space in the back of the car but I didn’t let that stop me. I took everything out, did some creative cutting and rearranging to make it fit. It was a bit of a project and I know some people were frustrated by my determination to make it work.

Fast forward to this weekend. While driving through South Carolina on I-95 (on my way north to visit friends) I had my first dreaded blowout in this car. A can of air wouldn’t do me any good in that situation!

Thankfully, my spare tire enabled me to continue safely to my friend’s house (albeit at a bit slower speed). And even allowed me to get to Discount Tire this morning where I’m currently waiting for two new tires to be installed (I always buy at least in pairs but the other tires still have some life left).

Had I not been so insistent, my car would probably still be stranded along the interstate or I would’ve had a huge towing bill or a ruined weekend while trying to cart a tire back and forth. Instead, I enjoyed a lovely visit with my friend here in Raleigh and within the hour I will be on my way to see friends in Virginia.

The peace of mind that will travel with me? Priceless!