History happened here and there and everywhere in Florida. When uncovering the past consider exploring the still standing historical houses. These homes are often saved from wrecking balls by volunteers – dedicated souls who value the tenor of time. They…
When wild flamingos showed up in South Florida last spring birders of all levels got pretty excited. And why not! The flamboyant birds with pink feet, long legs and even longer necks plus a body feathered in a brilliant hot…
Sitting outside on the patio we all sigh with relief. After a long car ride we’re in the Keys at the Key Largo Conch House, Mile Marker 100.2 Oceanside in the Upper Keys. Something profound happens when the mainland recedes.…
“So, what you like about living in Venice?” I asked my dinner companion. “Everything.” Wow. That is not something you hear every day. But are we in the same zip code? My dinner companion was not talking about THAT Venice,…
Got bikes? Nod yes. Now open up your day timer and pencil in your next ride. You are going for a good time in Punta Gorda. Some eighteen miles of pathways make a ring around the city, linking downtown areas…
Want to put a smile in your step? Spend a Saturday in Winter Park. Yep. Saturday. Why? Because it is Farmer’s Market Day. Every Saturday an encampment of tents fan out in a tight cluster around the old train station…
“That house on the right sold for seven million last year,” says Harold Bubil, Real Estate Editor of the Sarasota Herald Tribune. All eyes swivel starboard. We look at the elevated waterfront home with patio, pool and a dock. Impressive.…
Wait for it. Coming. Coming. Zing! The calendar page turns and voila, March arrives today – yeah! Flower power in Florida starts in January and goes through April, This is much different than “up North” but then Florida is tropical.…
Another day. Another sunset. The ritual begins. We drift onto the beach, each headed to a personal place. There are no signs saying “Park here” or “Reserved for Lucy” but we know where we belong. I go for a flat…
The year was 1876. Henry Addison DeLand took a vacation from his baking soda business in New York to visit his sister and brother-in-law, O.P Terry. They lived in South Carolina. Perhaps it happened over several glasses of wine before…
Tucked away in a folder called “Places in Florida I haven’t been yet (but want to go)” are scraps of paper with scribbled notes, flyers, cards and brochures. The DeLand Naval Air Station sits in that folder. Think about it. …
Ah fall. Crisp air, cool mornings. And fish are calling your name. Seriously. Fishermen hear these things. Redfish, mullet, shark, croppie, trout, grouper . . . listen to the siren call. “What kind of fish you catch depends on the…
In another life I was a “go to” newspaper reporter writing about Florida environmental issues including Florida manatees. Every year, count on it, editors wanted a story when manatee mortality figures were released – the whys, who or what shared…
This is chapter 6 from the e book “10 Florida Great Walks Around Gainesville and Ocala” by Lucy Beebe Tobias 6. Sholom Park, Ocala Imagine world leaders sitting down and listening with respect to what each one is saying. Imagine…
I’m smiling and it is not even time for lunch. But I know lunch will be at Mama Maria’s, a family run Greek restaurant with marvelous food. Oh yes. First I find my way to Dodecanese Boulevard, home of the…
She squints at my driver’s license, leaning in to read the address. Sarasota County residents get $5 off admission to Warm Mineral Springs, a national treasure located in North Port, which just happens to be part of Sarasota County. Yep.…
Chapter 5 in “10 Florida Great Walks Around Gainesville & Ocala” Hogtown Creek Greenway Quick Question: In the middle of what city can you find a dreamy forest pathway that follows creek beds? Answer: Gainesville, Florida. Honest! There is more…
I’m always surprised at how quickly things can change with just one turn. For me it was a right-hand turn off busy Highway 17/92 in Orange City near DeLand. That turn put me onto French Avenue. The frantic traffic, carried…
In the faded photograph, my dad leans his long frame against the airplane, one arm resting on the open cockpit. A long white silk scarf is wound once around his neck with the ends hanging down all the way to…
Wahoo! I was just there – Gulf Islands National Seashore in Pensacola – a long ribbon of bright white sandy beach so alluring it had to be singing a siren song: “Come, sift the sand between your toes. Stay here.…
The photographer, wearing multiple cameras, walked towards me grinning. Cameras with long lenses worth more than the national debt of medium-sized third world countries hung from each shoulder. “Well how is it?” I asked, holding just one camera in one…
Manatees were here before mastodons stomped down Florida grasses. Before Indians inhabited prime seaside real estate. Even before Ponce de Leon got himself killed wandering around Florida looking for the Fountain of Youth. Manatees pre-date Disney and interstates Yes, way…
Depending on the season Gainesville rearranges its face. The face during football season is painted orange and blue of course. GO GATORS. Every semester Gainesville changes its feel and look as the city ebbs and surges with the academic calendar…
Shadows pinched the sunlight into slim shapes on the trail. A breeze lifted tree branches. The birds were silent. Suddenly a war cry and the sound of thundering hoofs split the air. My back tingled with fear. I did not…
BREAKING NEWS University Press of Florida has just announced that Lucy’s award-winning print book 50 Great Walks in Florida is now available as a Kindle e book on Amazon. Did you know that once you click the “Buy” button you…