by Adele Woodyard

November spells Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, Black Friday (pre-Xmas shopping) and, in Florida, the month that finally beats the summer’s heat. So turn off the A/C, open the windows  and get outdoors. Some of the best places to go for no or  few bucks are city and state parks.   

Veteran’s Day, November 11, is a FREE day to hike or bike the trails, go birding or shelling on a beach, in your nearest Florida State Park. In honor of veterans and active military personnel, there will be NO entrance fees for day-use at all state parks. Can’t beat that bargain.

 No matter what the month, many parks have special events. Here are a few around the state in November:

Highlands Hammock State Park, Sebring celebrates their 24^th annual CCC Festival from 9 a.m. to 4.p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7.  The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) started the state park system in Florida in 1935. $6 per vehicle (up to 8 persons). 863-634-7695.

Egmont Key State Park (on the water) will have guided tours  that Discover the Island the weekend of 11/14-11/15. Shuttle boats leave Fort DeSoto on the hour beginning at 9 a.m.  $15 , kids 12 and under FREE. www.egmontkey.org.

Silver River State Park, Ocala honors Central Florida history with an annual festival weekend of 11/14-11/15.10 a.m.-4 p.m. Entry fee waived, Silver River Museum and Education Center $5 adult, under 6 FREE. 352-236-5401.

Rainbow Springs State Park, Dunnellon presents a guided bird walk on Saturday, 11/14 from 8-10 a.m. $2. Bring binoculars and a birding book if you have them. 352-465-8555.

John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, N. Palm Beach celebrates Pioneer Day of Cracker Cowboy and Barefoot Mailman with music, storytelling, wood carving and more at the Nature Center. Saturday, 11/14, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $5. 561-624-6952.

O’leno State Park, High Springs trips the light fantastic with 1800s dances to the live music of the Flying Turtle String Band. Old Time Dance, Sunday, 11/15 from 2-5 p.m. Park admission $5 per vehicle, plus $5 adult, $3 students and kids under 18 386-454-1853.

Lake Kissimmee State Park, Lake Wales offers an overnight primitive backpack jaunt with a park ranger guide. 7 miles round-trip begins around 1 p.m. Saturday, 11/21, ends ? Sunday afternoon, 11/22. $10 plus tax. Reservations required, 863-696-1112.

 Many more can be found at www.floridastateparks.org/events. For city parks, check your local Parks and Recreation Dept. sites.  For some other November BARGAINS , click on www.vacationfunflorida.com/bargains.

 by Adele Woodyard

Squeaking doors. Rattle of chains. Moans,  and ghostly spirits that float through the air. What could be more perfect than a Haunted House for Halloween? How about a Haunted Ship? A Ghostly Trail?  Here are some of the sounds and spooks waiting to scare you on both sides of Tampa Bay. 

Brooksville: Werewolves, bats, spiders and witches are among the creatures of the night along the Haunted Trail through 2.5 acres from 7:30-10 p.m. 5277 Golddust Road. $5 donation will benefit the Humane Society of Nature Coast and Hospice. 352-263-8044. 

 Dunedin: Ghosts and other spooky creatures lurk in dark mazes from 6-10 p.m. Sat. at this Haunted House. Dunedin Community Center, 1920 Pinehurst Rd. $3 admission will benefit Dunedin for Youth, and other charities. 727-683-9920.

 Seffner: A Mad House? Kids are behind the spirits in the new “Children’s Ward” to the “Asylum” themed Haunted House at Forest Oak Sanitarium. 7 p.m.-midnight, Sat.-Sun. Soul Echo Entertainment, 415 Forest One Drive. FREE (donation welcome). 813-363-8614. www.soulechohaunts.com.   

St. Petersburg: It’s a “Field of Screams” at the “Quarantine” haunted house trail of frights, from 7-11 p.m. Sat. $5. Environmental  Studies Area, Boyd Hill, 1101 Country Club Way. 727-892-5060.

Tampa: Ghouls, freaks and zombies are on board this Halloween Ghost Ship. They may be hiding in the galley, hospital, mess hall, ready to make you shriek in fright. Hunt for them from 7:30-11:30 p.m. Sat. on the S.S. American Victory, 705 Channelside Dr.$20. From 2-4 p.m., Sat. younger kids can enjoy a scavenger hunt/ bob for apples party among ghosts of  past wars. $10 adult, $5 ages 4-12, 3 and under FREE. 813-228-8766. www.americanvictory.org    .  

Tarpon Springs: What can you see besides ghostly haunts in a 100-year old former boarding house? Come to Court of Two Sisters antique shop, 155 E. Tarpon Ave.  and climb the stairs to find out Sat. 7-11 p.m. $7 ticket at the door. 727-437-2343.

 These are just a few of the places you can go for Halloween fun. No matter your age, or where you live there’s something going on, with or without a costume. Want a real fright without spending a cent? Go to the nearest cemetery, preferably the oldest one you can find, and wait for the witching hour. All Hallows Eve is the one night in the year ghosts rise from their eternal sleep to celebrate the Day of the Dead.

by Adele Woodyard 

Preserving the state’s history and/or ecology has been an underlying aim for the Florida state parks since the first ones were built for recreation in the 1930s. Here are three of them, near or on the Apalachicola  River, that I visited during my recent Panhandle trip.

Torreya State Park lies on the eastern edge of the river about midway between I-10 to the north and Bristol, on S.R. 20 to the south. As such it’s an easy drive to or from the Panhandle Pioneer Settlement I wrote about last week. One of the first of the eight parks built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) it was named after the  Torreya tree (Taxifolia), a species of conifer also known as Stinking Yew. Decimated by an unknown fungus, this rare and endangered tree can be found in the high bluffs and deep ravines along the river, and in southernmost Georgia. 

Being a history buff, I was more interested in the Gregory House, a plantation home that sits atop a bluff and overloooks  the Apalachicola River 150 feet below. Originally built about 1849 at Ocheesee Landing, by planter Jason Gregory, it was moved across the river by the CCC in 1935.  Ranger Dan Cole tells us how they dismantled the house and carried it piece by piece, up the steep hill only to be stored on the property for the next two years.

Apalachicola River 150' below

During a tour of the house, he points out one of the four bedrooms that was rented to an eye doctor or river captains, a common practice in those days. Cole tells us why one object is called a “courting” candle (the “date” is over when it burns down to a certain point); that a sewing machine on display was one of the first Singer built; and that the handsome young  Gregory. was only an inch over 5 feet tall.

Cole’s most intriguing tale featured daughter Chaffa. With no slaves left to care for the property after the Civil War, the family moved out. Chaffa, an unmarried teacher,  returned to the homestead at age 50, and eventually wed a childhood sweetheart whose wife had died. Two years later he was beaten to death on the front porch, by the son of a former slave. Ranger-guided tours 10 a.m. weekdays, 10 a.m., 2 and 4 p.m. weekends. 850-643-2674; www.floridastateparks.org/torreya

 The next two are in Apalachicola, on U.S. Hwy 98. The town was named one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations, in 2008. Over half the buildings listed on the Historic Walking Tour pamphlet date back to the 1800s, when the town was the third-largest cotton port on the Gulf Coast. Today the cotton and sponge warehouses hold shops, art galleries and restaurants serving seafood fresh from the ships that line the waterfront.

 The Orman House was built in 1838 by Thomas Orman , a cotton merchant  who was instrumental in helping the tiny town grow in importance during the mid-19^th century. Used for both business and social gatherings, the antebellum house was built in sections at the very beginning. The wood was pre-cut in Syracuse, New York and shipped to Apalachicola by sailing vessel. Like the Gregory House it was

Orman House

assembled on a bluff overlooking the Apalachicola River. It became one of the state park’s more recent acquisitions in 1999.   .   Open  9 -12 a.m., 1- 5 p.m., Thurs.-Mon.  Closed major holidays.one

Also on site, the adjoining Chapman Botanical Garden, honors a prominent southern botanist, physician and Apalachicola resident in the 1800s. Dr.Alvan Chapman and his wife, are buried in the Chestnut Street Cemetery, established in 1831. Construction had me miss the garden, but the elaborately carved marble headstones in the cemetery made for an interesting stop in itself. Open 8 a.m.-sunset daily.     850-653-1209. www.floridastateparks.org/ormanhouse   

 John Gorrie Museum State Park honors a little-known physician whose invention gave Florida—in fact, the world—a way to beat the heat. Shortly after moving to Apalachicola in 1833, he donned a number of hats, serving as mayor, postmaster, city treasurer, bank director, council member and founder of Trinity Church. But it was as a doctor that Gorrie gave his most important, and least recognized, contribution to humanity. After developing a Rube-Goldberg device to cool the rooms of yellow fever patients, Gorrie invented an ice-producing machine. Although he received the first U.S.  patent for mechanical refrigeration in 1851, he was unable to market his invention before he died four years later. A replica of his ice machine is on display, as well as exhibits depicting Apalachicola history Open 9-12 a.m., 1-5 p.m. Thurs-Mon. 850-653-9347. www.floridastateparks.org/gorriemuseum   

 Saving money? Download our eBook where 52 out of 100 places to go are FREE.  100 FLORIDA “freebies” and “cheapies” Vacation fun for $5 or less is available on www.vacationfunflorida.com.

by Stephen Morrill

67 Days of Smiles: Orlando
On the road with Kyle and Stacey. These two wander the nation looking for fun things to do. Of late, they are staying in Orlando and blogging about their experiences. Visit our Links Page to get on board!

Also at the links page you can find our new link to Florida Bed & Breakfast locations.

by Adele Woodyard

 Two of my three sons who bemoan the inevitable passing of “Old Florida” should meet Willard Smith, of Blountstown, a small community on Fla. Hwy. 20. Unable to shake the realization that the way of life he’d grown up with was disappearing, he did something about it. With the help of many Calhoun County residents, Smith founded the Panhandle Pioneer Settlement, a living history museum, in July, 1989. Once county commissioners donated land in Sam B. Atkins Park, Smith and his group of volunteers went to work.

Oddly enough, the first donation to be moved in and rehabilitated, was not typical of the area. Instead of a log cabin, the Yon farm house © 1897 was the double-pen “dog trot” home of a family who’d prospered over the years even before Florida became a state in 1845.  It is said the original homestead included an exotic peacock amid the chickens, horses and other assorted livestock on their 100 plus acres. Over time, houses built in the 1800s of round or flat hewn logs, with chimneys made of sticks and mud, began to appear. Among them a two-room schoolhouse and “dairy” house, designed to keep milk drinkable, were further donations by the Yon family. An L-shaped log home and its all- important smoke house came from Henry Hamilton Wells descendants. Originally built in 1846 as a two-room house with separate kitchen, it expanded to its present shape by connecting the kitchen and enclosing the porches to accommodate a family that had 12 kids. It wasn’t easy living in those days. Even huddled together like a litter of pups, wouldn’t keep you warm.  The 1872 cabin (in photo) that came from the last surviving member of the Sexton family, had no sleeping loft, or ceiling to give relief from  winter wind that blew through cracks in the logs. Especially when temperatures dropped below zero (yes, that happened in Florida) during the “Big Freeze “ of 1899.  

 Today the grounds also include replicas of a grist mill, firehouse, and a blacksmith shop complete with brick forge, and filled with antique tools of the trade. The last was built by members of the Florida Artist Blacksmith Association, headed by Smith, who served as state president from 1985-1989. Donations in money and materials continue to add to the settlement’s growth. A halfway refurbished post office is waiting in the wings. While we were there, a Victorian wedding gown and “at least a hundred year old nightgown” with a hand-crocheted yoke trimmed with pink ribbon (in photo) came in from a family who’s 99 year old matriarch had just died.                                                               

“The nightgown looks brand new,” I remarked. “How did they get it so white?” When co-founder Linda Smith explained “In those days they boiled their clothes.” I thought maybe making your own soap and standing over a steaming tub had some advantage after all.  

Smith intended the settlement to portray rural life history between 1840 and the beginning of WWII, so some of the buildings were from the early 40s. For instance, the T-shaped Red Oak Methodist Church, is open to all denominations and available for such events as weddings. The  Frink Gymnasium built in 1942, and moved after the school closed, continues to be used for community gatherings, plays, games and musical performances. Guided tours begin  at the combined post office/general store. Among the annual events are Quilt Shows, Folk Life Days, old time Peanut Boils, Hog Butchering  and an Old Fashioned Christmas. That’s when you add something extra as you step back in time.

Open 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Tues, Thurs-Sat. . www.ppmuseum.org; 850-674-2777.           

Like living history? Join me on more of my Panhandle trip, in Preserving Florida’s Past, Part II, next week. 

Download 100 FLORIDA “freebies” and “cheapies” Vacation fun for $5 or less, for some other historic sites around the state. Available on www.vacationfunflorida.com.

by Adele Woodyard

As a travel writer, where  I spend the night while on a trip largely depends on if it’s with a media group or on my own. Either way it can be quite an adventure in itself. On someone else’s nickel, I’ve been tucked  into such places as a two-bedroom two bath condo on a beach; an ultra-upscale hotel room with marble bath and crystal chandelier; a former schoolhouse complete with lockers; and an 1800s two room shack, fortunately with modern bath.  But when it’s out of my own pocket, it’s a cheapie like Motel 6, or even better, a tent. Until that is, last week, when I drove to the Florida Panhandle and divided my nights between a cabin and a B& B.

Even as a tent camper I  thought of a cabin, if I considered it at all,  as a rustic building with few amenities, similar to one I was in as a kid. Vacationing  on Cape Cod, we had a hand pump at the sink for water, kerosene lamps for light, and an outhouse in the back yard. But it was on a lake, and I loved rowing a boat by myself in the early mornings, when the only sound was bird chirps and the swish of the oars.

Like that one, the log cabin I just rented for two nights on Lake Seminole has pine paneled walls, but that’s where the similarity ends. The Three Rivers State Park cabin has a fully equipped kitchen with microwave as well as a stove and refrigerator. Air conditioning, ceiling fans, bathroom with shower, a wood-burning fireplace,  bedroom with double bed, and a loft built for young kids–or adult midgets, make up the rest. The screened porch with its own table and two rocking chairs is the perfect spot to relax with a glass of wine and watch the sunset reflect on the lake. I may miss no Internet but no TV is a blessing. Only the whisper of  wind in the pines, the thunk of cones on the tin roof, break the silence.

RV’s and one tent are scattered beneath  the trees around us, visitors here for a weekend in search of largemouth bass. Located near the Georgia line, Lake Seminole is not a place for swimming. From the wooden piers at its edge, we can see long black shadows drifting beneath the surface, big gators looking for a meal at dusk.  “The babies stay pretty close to shore,” volunteer camp host Babbette tells us. “They hide in the reeds, and the mamas stay nearby.” We decide not to rent a canoe.

Florida boasts one of the top state parks systems in the nation. Over 21 million visitors enjoyed them in the fiscal year July 2008-2009, and 19 of the 60 or more with campgrounds have cabins. Though this one at Three Rivers State Park require guests to furnish their own linens, most come fully equipped and newest ones may even have a dishwasher. However, if you really want to rough it while you get away from it all, Hontoon Island on the St. Johns River offers only bare necessities, like an electric light and ceiling fan. The ones on Cayo Costa State Park, a barrier island near Fort Myers, have even less. Both parks are only accessible by private boat or island ferry.

My third night is spent in a B & B in Carrabelle, a town on the Gulf side of the Panhandle that calls itself the Forgotten Coast. With its double deck wraparound porches, white paint walls and hot pink trim, half-hidden by tall, tropical greenery, the  Old Carrabelle Hotel reminds me of Key West. That impression continues from the Monkey Bar lounge, upstairs to the four bedrooms. White wicker furniture, pink walls, blaze of flowers, soaps and tropical fish doodads, in my room and bath continues the color scheme. Of course, there’s a TV. Unlike the cabin, it’s in the center of a town convenient to everything, yet  so small there’s no traffic light.

Both the cabin and the hotel make excellent bases for day trips. At $72.48 ($65 + 11.5% taxes) for the cabin, high $70s – low $100s (depending on season) with breakfast vouchers, for the B&B, even the prices are comparable. My one regret in both cases, was that my stay had to be so very short.

www.floridastateparks.org/threerivers ; www.oldcarrabellehotel.com

by Adele Woodyard

The river Stephen Foster never saw, but  immortalized in the song, “Old Folks at Home”, originates in Georgia’s Okefenokee  Swamp. It winds through northern Florida for 240 rural, and often heavily wooded miles, before spilling into the Gulf of Mexico by the little town of Suwannee. Here the river is wide and deep enough for a weekend trip I took on a houseboat in the early 90s. Today you can launch your canoe or kayak on the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail, and paddle from the white water rapids of Big Shoals near the Georgia line, past rocky banks and sandbars, south to Manatee Springs.

October 1 is the last day to register for the Paddle Florida Event, a week-long, 123-mile boat trip down the Suwannee River trail. Scheduled from October 15-22, 2009, the first night starts at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park with a final party at Fanning Springs State Park on October 21, and a nine-mile paddle to Manatee Springs State Park on Thursday, the 22^nd. There a shuttle takes you back to the Spirit of Suwannee and your car.  The inaugural event last year drew 160 paddlers to the week of camping, campfires and entertainment. Prices range from $60/day + 30/day meal, if desired, for up to four days, to $300 adult, plus $150 if full meal deal, for the week. www.paddleflorida.org or call Bill Richards, 352-377-8342.

Love to paddle but can’t make the journey this year? Like to camp but don’t have a canoe or kayak? No problem; the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail is also open to hikers, bikers, even horsemen, all year long. Thanks to the Florida State Parks system, FREE river camps are springing up along the way. Sites consist of five screened, raised sleeping platforms with electricity and ceiling fans, each holding 6-8 people. Hot showers and restrooms are available. Set approximately 10 miles from established parks and campgrounds, almost all are accessible only to the river and hiking trails. Hubs are White Springs, Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, Suwannee River State Park. Lafayette Blue Spring State Park, and towns Dowling Park,  Branford, Fanning Springs and Suwannee. Current river campsites are located at Woods Ferry, Holton Creek, Dowling Park, Peacock Slough, and Adams Tract, with more on the way. www.floridastateparks.org/wilderness

by Adele Woodyard

No matter what the month, there’s always something doing in Florida. Not only is September a time to eat your way through fine dining, but most theme parks don’t wait until October to start celebrating Halloween. Find more events on www.vacationfunflorida.com/bargains and www.TampaBayontheCheap.com

Orlando:
First the table: From Sept. 1-30 foodies can indulge their palates with three-course prix fixe dinner menus for $20 or $30 (beverage, tax and gratuity extra). What’s more $1 from each meal goes to a local charity. For participating restaurants click on www.orlandomagicdining.com or call 407-363-5872.

Trick-or-Treat time began on Sept. 4 at the Magic Kingdom with Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. The gates may be closed but from 7 p.m. to midnight on certain nights until Nov. 1, costumed guests can look for goodies throughout the park. And what’s a Disney treat without a parade and spectacular fireworks. Admission: tickets start at $53 adult, $46 for kids ages 3-8. Look for select nights on www.disneyworld.com; 407-824-4321.

Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights begin Sept. 25-26 with mega-horror movies chosen by a special “scream team” to scare the bejesus out of you. Some of these fright films may not yet been released. No costumes; not recommended for children under age 13. Confront your deepest fears on Oct. 1-4, 8-11, 15-18, 21-25, 28-31; admission $69.99. Florida residents; Save up to $30 with advance tickets. www.halloweenhorrornights.com; 407-363-8000.

Tampa Bay’s Busch Gardens adds to the months’ psychotic shrieks with Howl-O-Scream. Beginning Sept, 25-26, guests can screech their way past freaky creatures in six haunted houses, through five scare zones, and three thrilling shows. For select nights through October and price of admission, www.buschgardens.com; 813-987-5280.

SeaWorld presents their Halloween Spooktacular on select October days beginning at 11 a.m.. In an underwater “fantasia” made for the younger crowd, costumed kids can trick-or-treat among sea witches, mermaids, pumpkin fish, and octopuses. Admission: $74.95 adult, $64.95 ages 3-9. Look for Fun Card and Passport prices on www.seaworld.com; 407-363-2259.

It’s back to the table in Panama City Beach where Schooners’ Lobsterfest celebrates the 20th Annual Lobster Festival and Tournament from Sept. 18-20 . Along with freshly caught lobsters cooked in every way imaginable, there’s an Annual Schooners Sand Sculpting Contest. Awards and lobster feast take place Sun. Sept. 20 at Schooners Beach Club, 5121 Gulf Drive. www.visitpanamacitybeach.com
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Still hungry? From Friday through Sunday, Oct. 9-11, go to the Panama City Beach Seafood, Wine, and Music Festival. Such stars as Julianne Hough, Styx, Grand Funk Railroad and John Anderson add extra spice to the culinary treats on this Columbus Day weekend event. Frank Brown Park, 16200 Panama City Beach Parkway. .

by Adele Woodyard

Loggerhead Sea Turtle, image by Damien du Toit

It’s “lights off” time until November 1^st for beach houses along Florida’s east coast. Why? Because the hundreds of eggs that sea turtles have been hiding in the sand since May are erupting with little shelled creatures who scramble toward the sea. Or that’s supposed to be what happens. When folks turn on the lights after dark they can become disoriented  and scurry the wrong way, easy midnight snacks for raccoons, crabs and other  hungry wildlife. If they escape being eaten, they may be smashed by cars or fried by the sun. No wonder only one or two out of every  hundred hatchlings is said to survive to maturity. Those that do, and escape man-made perils in the ocean, can outlive humans.

Unlike the land turtles most of us are familiar with, sea turtles grow large. The Atlantic leatherback may weigh more than half a ton, measure 12 feet long, and lay eggs the size of tennis balls. Although one of the five species that nest on Florida’s coast, the most common, and prolific, is the loggerhead. Years ago I participated in a turtle walk, and this is part of what I wrote for my column, Florida Fun For Few $$’s:

“Lumbering out of the sea to make its way across the sand, the turtle resembled a large, dark, movable rock. To the group clustered behind the Jupiter Beach Resort it was as if one of the jagged boulders exposed along the Atlantic shoreline had suddenly come to life. Under a pale moon we strained to see the three-foot long loggerhead dig a hole at the high tide line. At last the volunteer guide, flashlight dimmed by a red filter, signaled us to move in. To approach the turtle from the rear as she laid an average of 115 eggs the size of ping pong balls. Eggs that have a soft, leathery covering, sticky with a mucous that protects them from bacteria.

Using her rear flippers the female pulled the sand back over the eggs and, with a rocking motion packed it down. It was then we were allowed to see the turtle’s “tears”. Popular sentiment has her crying for the babies she will never see. Scientists have proved it is a salt-regulating mechanism that helps keep the eyes moist while out of water.

With front flippers doing a breast stroke, she literally threw sand over her shell. Then, nest successfully camouflaged, the exhausted turtle slowly made her way back to the welcoming sea. It was after midnight and she had been out of the water for over an hour.”

A moonlit beach can be more than a romantic stroll. Sea turtles return to lay their eggs where they were born, and the nesting season lasts from May 1 to Oct. 31. Although some come to the Gulf Coast, the largest number of nests are found on the Atlantic side of the state. Turtle walks are generally offered during the peak season of June and July. Group size is limited, so reservations  as early as April, are recommended. www.marinelife.org; www.hobesoundnaturecenter.com; www.floridastateparks.org/sebastianinlet may be good places to start and bookmark for next spring.

- by Stephen Morrill We have updated our e-book for the 2009-2010 year. You may buy your copy of 100 Florida “freebies” and “cheapies” at our web site http://www.VacationFunFlorida.com The 46-page .pdf book is available by snail-mail, e-mail, or, for instant gratification, you can buy it through PayPal and download it. Just think: 46 pages of things for you and your family to do for $5 a ticket or less.

And the book is just $5 too! Who says travel in Florida is expensive? Not us! Adele and I are tighter than new shoes and we know that you appreciate our ferreting out these bargains.