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| All Articles for : history |
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| One Hundred Years of Palm Beach Glamour |
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| Palm Beach County came to be in 1909, shortly after Henry Flagler brought his rail route to Florida and opened Palm Beach’s first hotels. |
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| Tags: luxury, hotels, Palm_Beach, Delray_Beach, West_Palm_Beach, history, spas, resorts, Boca_Raton, |
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| The Pocahontas Myth |
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| The chief’s eldest daughter, without the assistance of her mother sisters this time, successfully pleaded for the life of the Spaniard. Worried about his safety, the same daughter helped Ortíz escape to another tribe. |
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| Tags: Tampa, history, Spanish_Heritage, |
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| Ponce de Leon Statues |
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| The statue of Ponce de Leon, a focal point of this 11-acre park, was funded by the Royal Order of Ponce de Leon Conquistadors (www.conquistadors-florida.com), a group which re-enacts the landing of Ponce de Leon annually and makes appearances throughout the community through the year. |
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| Tags: Charlotte_Harbor, Punta_Gorda, history, Spanish_Heritage, |
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| Juan Ponce de Leon |
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| Still not entirely sure that Florida was a separate land mass from Cuba (despite Alonso de Pineda’s 1519 circumnavigation of the Gulf of Mexico), Ponce de León led his ships back to the site of earlier skirmishes along the southwest Florida coast. |
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| Tags: history, Spanish_Heritage, |
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| Estevanico |
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| Defined by his racial identity, Estevanico clearly stood apart from the rest of his group, and often spoke for them when encountering new tribes and kingdoms; however, this new role of diplomat eventually led to his demise. |
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| Tags: history, Spanish_Heritage, |
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| Francisco Menendez |
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| Francisco Menendez’s life transcended the stereotypical role of a black man in the North American colonies. He managed not only to endure the horrors of slavery, but also to bring the battle back to the British while personifying the racial pride that slavery attempted to erase. |
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| Tags: St_Augustine, history, Spanish_Heritage, |
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| Spanish Colonial St. Augustine |
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| St. Augustine began as it started and was throughout its colonial history, as a place of refuge. Residents of East Florida’s countryside fled to St. Augustine when threatened by invasions from Americans, raids by Seminoles, and rumors of pirate attacks. |
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| Tags: St_Augustine, history, Spanish_Heritage, |
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| Hernando de Soto |
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| Hernando de Soto never left the southeast. He died of fever in 1542 in present-day Arkansas and was buried in the Mississippi River to conceal his death from the natives. |
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| Tags: history, Spanish_Heritage, |
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| Not Just Gators Country |
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| A 40-year-old annual tradition, the Spring Arts Festival sets the stage for an amazing weekend of dance performances, concerts and, of course, the opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind art pieces. |
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| Tags: Gainesville, art_and_culture, museums, theater, festival, art, history, |
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| Lift Your Spirits in Cassadaga |
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| As we travel the last few miles east on a winding, wooded country road, we begin to get into the spirit of this small, charming community established by the Southern Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp Meeting Association in 1894, and now known as “the Psychic Capital of the World.” |
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| Tags: history, hotels, downtowns_and_small_towns, |
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| Uncovering Historic Cocoa Village |
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| Cocoa Village is a unique delight. There is something for everyone in this historic spot. Located in the restored downtown area of Cocoa Beach, it is 20 minutes away from Kennedy Space Center and less than an hour’s drive from Orlando and its world-renowned theme attractions. |
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| Tags: Cocoa_Beach, Cocoa, historical_sites, Kennedy_Space_Center, history, shopping, art, antiques, dining, culture, theater, Orlando, |
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| Wewa: The Land of Honey |
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| As I wandered the area under the enormous, moss-draped oak trees, I saw few people walk by any of the tables without stopping to chat with the sellers, get a taste of the honey (from a spoon or a drop right onto their finger) and, finally, make a purchase – usually of more than one jar. |
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| Tags: history, dining, festival, Apalachicola, |
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| Tropical Island Getaway |
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| Pristine and remote, the islands inspire romance, naturally sparked by the setting sun. |
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| Tags: beaches, Sanibel_Island, shelling, Fort_Myers_Beach, Captiva_Island, wildlife, fishing, shopping, festival, history, museums, |
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| Splash Down in Key West |
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| Offshore charters troll the deep waters of the Florida Straits for marlin, sailfish, shark and swordfish, the tough-fighting fish Ernest Hemingway loved to pursue when he lived in Key West in the 1930s. |
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| Tags: Florida_Keys, Key_West, fishing, water_sports, history, boating, outdoors_and_nature, |
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| Five Ways to Save Some Green |
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| Join avid anglers on the Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier that extends a quarter-mile into the Gulf. Typical catches include mackerel, snapper, tuna, flounder, pompano and bluefish. |
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| Tags: Destin, Fort_Walton_Beach, deals, beaches, fishing, dining, history, culture, events, parks, |
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| Hop Aboard Alternative Transportation |
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| If you want to see the "Horse Capital of the World" up close and personal, then hop aboard an hour-long horse-drawn trolley or carriage ride. |
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| Tags: history, historical_sites, St_Augustine, Fernandina_Beach, Amelia_Island, Ocala, Key_West, Tampa, Ybor_City, Dade_City, Fort_Lauderdale, Tarpon_Springs, Fort_Myers, Marco_Island, Kissimmee, Orlando, boating, flight, transportation, parks, tours, |
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| Tracing Florida's Spanish Heritage |
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| Situated on a hill overlooking the city, this mission houses a variety of reconstructed buildings from Spain’s 1600s heyday. |
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| Tags: history, historical_sites, culture, Pensacola, Tallahassee, St_Augustine, Key_West, Ybor_City, Orlando, |
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| Small Towns, Big Culture |
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| In Indian River County, skip the big-city hassles and experience a wealth of enriching experiences in a relaxing, picturesque environment. |
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| Tags: art, art_and_culture, culture, Vero_Beach, music, history, outdoors_and_nature, |
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| Talla-history |
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| Back downtown, meet the city's most prominent resident; at 9 feet tall, Herman is hard to miss. A towering mastodon skeleton inside the Museum of Florida History, Herman was found in nearby Wakulla Springs in the 1930s; the mastodon is a tribute to just how far back Tallahassee's storied history stretches. |
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| Tags: Tallahassee, culture, history, historical_sites, museums, |
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| Be Your Own Indiana Jones |
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| Where there’s history, there’s a treasure trove of stories. Take an Ancient City tour in St. Augustine. Stroll the old streets, climb aboard the trolley tour and stay up late for a ghost tour. |
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| Tags: history, historical_sites, |
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| Portals to the Past |
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| Some are pyramid shaped and many were ceremonial. While most of the stories and rituals have been lost to time, there is enough left for us to literally step back 1,000 years. |
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| Tags: history, historical_sites, Crystal_River, Tallahassee, Cedar_Key, Englewood, DeLand, Fort_Walton_Beach, |
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| Been There, Haven't Done That! |
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| You've seen the theme parks, the big cities and the major attractions. Now it's time to go off the beaten path. On your next Florida excursion, plan for some extra travel time to visit these offbeat, quirky roadside attractions. |
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| Tags: dining, museums, history, historical_sites, outdoors_and_nature, parks, culture, Apalachicola, Carrabelle, Fort_Walton_Beach, Marianna, Milton, Panama_City_Beach, Pensacola, Santa_Rosa_Beach, water_sports, Cross_Creek, Gainesville, Madison, Suwannee, Tallahassee, White_Springs, Steinhatchee, Amelia_Island, beaches, Flagler_Beach, Jacksonville, Palatka, St_Augustine, Crystal_River, St_Petersburg, Tampa, Tarpon_Springs, Kissimmee, Lake_Placid, Lake_Wales, Lakeland, Winter_Park, Hobe_Sound, Okeechobee, Ponce_Inlet, Sebastian, Stuart, Titusville, kayaking, Vero_Beach, Bradenton, Clewiston, Punta_Gorda, Coral_Gables, Delray_Beach, Fort_Lauderdale, Florida_Keys, Miami, Key_West, Homestead, Palm_Beach, Marathon, been_there_havent_done_that, Monticello, downtowns_and_small_towns, resident, |
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| St. Mary's Missionary Baptist Church in St. Augustine |
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| At St. Mary's Missionary Baptist Church, on June 9, 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., told 500 supporters that he would participate in a sit-in at a motel restaurant the next day, anticipating correctly that he would be jailed. |
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| Tags: St_Augustine, African_American, parks, historical_sites, history, |
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| Fun Under Five Bucks |
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| Whether you want to sightsee, brush up on some history or just relax on a white-sand beach, Florida offers a wide variety of activities from which to choose that are all under $5. |
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| Tags: outdoors_and_nature, family, history, historical_sites, historic_districts, art, culture, tours, Scenic_Highway, sightseeing, value, |
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| Finding the Real Florida |
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| Long before Pilgrims got their feet wet arriving at Plymouth Rock, Florida had a Spanish city named St. Augustine, complete with settlers, soldiers and plenty of parties on payday. |
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| Tags: history, historical_sites, St_Augustine, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Everglades_National_Park, resident, |
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| Florida's Grand Dames |
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| The 1920s ushered in the golden years. Stocks were high, dresses were short and Florida grew some of its most regal hotels. |
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| Tags: hotels, resorts, history, historical_sites, Mount_Dora, St_Augustine, Clearwater, Palm_Beach, Apalachicola, Sebring, Key_West, Lakeland, Jacksonville, Tampa, Coral_Gables, Delray_Beach, Boca_Raton, Clewiston, St_Pete_Beach, |
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| Exploring the Treasure Coast |
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| In stark contrast to the faster pace just to the south, these destinations feature a culturally vibrant, yet laid-back quality of life centered on beaches, boating, fishing, community and the outdoors. |
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| Tags: Stuart, Jensen_Beach, history, museums, Hobe_Sound, Hutchinson_Island, |
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| Daytona Luxe |
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| Iron security gates guard the restored home and its regally appointed guest accommodations (think cedar-lined closets, antique furnishings and gold-plated bathroom fixtures), all within walking distance of the beach. |
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| Tags: historical_sites, Daytona_Beach, luxury, art, shopping, history, bed_and_breakfasts, spas, culture, lighthouses, beaches, museums, |
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| Shipwrecked |
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| I’m talking Florida shipwrecks, where crystalline waters harbor wrecks teeming with marine life, and the history books have plenty of colorful stories to tell. |
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| Tags: snorkeling, Florida_Keys, Key_West, Key_Largo, Daytona_Beach, Palm_Beach, Pensacola, boating, historical_sites, history, diving, |
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| Pow Wow |
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| The attending tribes form distinct drum sections, pounding out rhythms that are at times furious, at times languid, but always steady. |
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| Tags: culture, music, museums, history, historical_sites, Clewiston, Native_American, |
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| Out On The Town |
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| Fernandina Beach’s 50-block historic district extends lace-curtain charm through 19th-century B&Bs, inviting boutiques and side streets that hold bell-ringer churches and museums. |
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| Tags: Sarasota, Fernandina_Beach, Tallahassee, Tarpon_Springs, Delray_Beach, museums, history, historic_districts, culture, gardens, art, |
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| Jet Set |
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| Each April, the start of the flying year, more than 160,000 people “drop in” to Lakeland for the seven-day Sun ’n Fun Fly-In which features daily air shows, a nighttime aerobatics display and, occasionally, fly-bys courtesy of the Blue Angels. |
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| Tags: Lakeland, Tallahassee, history, Lake_Wales, museums, Pensacola, Merritt_Island, |
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| Off the Beaten Path |
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| In the 1800s, Florida was an open range with no fences, so the great herds of cattle - some with as many as 50,000 head - roamed freely. |
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| Tags: Kissimmee, Ocala, Tampa, history, historical_sites, parks, Homosassa, |
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| Coastal Guardians |
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| Visitors come for the beach, for the pier, for charter boats, a casino cruise, for the waterfront restaurants and to walk the town's canopied lanes, escapist as ever. |
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| Tags: Apalachicola, Cape_Canaveral, Jupiter, Key_Largo, Key_West, Marathon, Miami, Ponce_Inlet, history, historical_sites, lighthouses, beaches, |
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| Tracing Florida's Native American History |
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| De Soto's army left no monuments or headstones to mark their passing. But the De Soto National Memorial, located where the conquistador is believed to have come ashore, captures this moment in history that would ultimately shape the great European nation's role in "La Florida." |
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| Tags: Bradenton, Charlotte_Harbor, Crystal_River, Estero, Tampa, history, historical_sites, museums, culture, |
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| Cultural Celebrations |
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| Where else can you hear Scottish bagpipes and an oompah band belting out polka tunes, while snacking on spicy Thai treats or a German sausage? |
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| Tags: Bartow, Coconut_Grove, Eatonville, Jacksonville, Key_West, Miami, Sarasota, Tallahassee, Tampa, culture, events, history, festival, music, |
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| Family-Friendly Fort Lauderdale |
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| I had discovered paradise - the world's largest discount and entertainment mall housing designer outlets such as Saks Fifth Avenue, DKNY and Neiman Marcus. |
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| Tags: Fort_Lauderdale, shopping, museums, art, history, culture, resorts, family, Dania_Beach, |
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| Cultural Encounters in Florida |
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| That place is the edge of the Everglades, a strip of land 11 miles by 600 feet where the Miccosukee rule sovereign and have since the Seminole Wars chased them from their Tallahassee homeland in the 1850s. |
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| Tags: Fort_Lauderdale, Miami, Naples, Tallahassee, culture, history, St_Augustine, art_and_culture, Native_American, |
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| Big Water Heritage Trail |
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| While in Belle Glade don't miss the Torry Island Bridge, the oldest manually operated swing bridge still in use in Florida. |
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| Tags: Clewiston, Fort_Myers, Miami, Okeechobee, Palm_Beach, Pensacola, West_Palm_Beach, trails, tours, fishing, history, hiking, driving_tours, |
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| The Florida Black Heritage Trail |
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| As America's primary contact with Mahatma Gandhi for many years, Dr. Thurman preached about racial equality through non-violent change even before Martin Luther King, Jr. |
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| Tags: Daytona_Beach, DeLand, Eatonville, Jacksonville, New_Smyrna_Beach, museums, history, art, trails, driving_tours, culture, historical_sites, Fort_Pierce, |
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| Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Fernandina Beach |
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| The 52-block historic district is comprised of more than 450 beautiful homes, churches, public buildings and commercial structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places. |
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| Tags: Amelia_Island, Fernandina_Beach, Jacksonville, history, museums, historical_sites, historic_districts, driving_tours, |
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| Trail of Florida's Indian Heritage |
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| Our archaeological heritage is a legacy that we are privileged to experience and obligated to protect. It is a link to people and cultures that are mostly extinct, as well as to the vibrant native cultures of the present. |
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| Tags: Bradenton, Brooksville, Clewiston, Crystal_River, Gainesville, Sarasota, Tampa, Weeki_Wachee, tours, St_Petersburg, museums, history, historical_sites, driving_tours, Native_American, resident, |
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| Capital Delights |
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| Today, the mission has been meticulously restored to its 17th century appearance. Visitors can tour the continuing restoration, including a fort complex, a Spanish church, a Spanish home and the Indian chief's house. |
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| Tags: Tallahassee, Wakulla_Springs, parks, museums, lighthouses, history, outdoors_and_nature, |
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| Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach |
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| Highway 98 east from West Palm Beach takes you to Lion Country Safari in Loxahatchee, where you drive past lions, giraffes, zebras, elephants and more in your own vehicle. |
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| Tags: Boca_Raton, Boynton_Beach, Fort_Lauderdale, Palm_Beach, West_Palm_Beach, driving_tours, history, historical_sites, wildlife, museums, Tours_on_a_Tankful, |
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| Cuban Heritage |
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| Here you'll find exotic fruit stands, Cuban bakeries and casual sidewalk cafes where you can sample Cuban cuisine. |
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| Tags: Key_West, Miami, Miami_Beach, Tampa, Ybor_City, history, historic_districts, museums, driving_tours, |
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| Amelia Island and St. Augustine |
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| Today, the Fort is a living history museum, complete with costumed re-enactors who offer up tidbits about life in the fort and "complain" loudly about living conditions, the weather, food and paychecks. Candlelight tours of the fort are given during the summer on Friday and Saturday nights. |
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| Tags: Amelia_Island, Atlantic_Beach, Flagler_Beach, Jacksonville, Palm_Coast, parks, museums, history, historical_sites, outdoors_and_nature, St_Augustine, driving_tours, Tours_on_a_Tankful, |
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| Gainesville and Fort White |
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| For an in-depth study of the preserve, hike, bike or ride a horse on the extensive trails traversing the park - you're likely to happen upon the herd of bison or wild horses that roam free. |
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| Tags: Gainesville, Micanopy, outdoors_and_nature, history, historical_sites, parks, museums, hiking, driving_tours, Tours_on_a_Tankful, |
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| Fort Myers/Sanibel Area |
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| With its gentle Gulf of Mexico waves, shell-strewn beaches, neighborly attitude and laid-back tempo, Fort Myers and its islands coerce a mood of creativity and inspiration. |
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| Tags: Cape_Coral, Captiva_Island, Estero, Fort_Myers, Fort_Myers_Beach, Sanibel_Island, parks, beaches, outdoors_and_nature, history, |
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| Florida's Archaeology |
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| Many of Florida's archaeological sites research and preserve remnants of prehistoric cultures, and this one dates back furthest to 200 B.C. |
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| Tags: Crystal_River, Estero, Panama_City_Beach, Pompano_Beach, Tallahassee, St_Augustine, history, historical_sites, St_Petersburg, Fort_Pierce, Native_American, |
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| Must-Sees for Cuban History and Culture |
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| Ybor City grew up around the cigar industry as a Latin district of Cubans and other nationalities. Cigars and Cuban food still figure importantly into this colorful historic area. |
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| Tags: Daytona_Beach, Key_West, Miami, Tampa, Ybor_City, history, culture, St_Augustine, historical_sites, festival, art_and_culture, |
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| Ethnic Diversity |
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| The sponging industry continues to draw swarthy seamen and their families, making the neighborhood around the sponge docks a living museum. |
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| Tags: Clearwater, Delray_Beach, Eatonville, Key_West, Miami, Orlando, Palm_Beach, Pensacola, Tampa, Tarpon_Springs, Ybor_City, St_Augustine, culture, history, Native_American, downtowns_and_small_towns, African_American, |
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| Must-Sees for African-American History and Culture |
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| Here Martin Luther King stayed while supporting local civil rights movements. It was also home to the man who taught Ray Charles, a student at the local school for the deaf and blind, to read music in Braille. |
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| Tags: Amelia_Island, Daytona_Beach, Eatonville, Fort_Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Key_West, Miami, Orlando, Pensacola, Tallahassee, historical_sites, history, historic_districts, art, culture, |
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| Florida History Timeline |
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| Spain sets up camp in Pensacola, which later gets ping-ponged from Spain to France, back to Spain, back to France, back to Spain. |
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| Tags: history, |
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