Travel Adventures

Amtrak: Journey to the Heartland

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Mon, 21 May 2012 10:47:00 GMT

Today our journey begins! It has been several years since my wife and I have traveled by Amtrak.

I have a 50 year class reunion in southern Indiana to attend on Saturday and my wife has been wanting to visit her son and family in the Detroit area. After researching all the options, we decided it was time to make the journey by rail.

Amtrak is a fun way to travel, after one decides he isn't going to arrive an hour after leaving home and being content with being at least an hour late when arriving at the destination.

Reserving a sleeper car is a must , as riding coach is relative to riding a bus, and it is too long a trip to even consider it. Reserving a sleeper car provides one with three square meals a day, the food is excellent and Amtrak provides some of the best cheese cake any where.

It will be a two week trip and I will be providing a blog post weekly during and after we return.

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Sarasota Florida: Kayaking

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:21:00 GMT

Sarasota Florida: Home of the number one beach in the United States!

Sarasota Bay

One of the premier vacation and retirement spots in the country Sarasota never fails to surprise one. Where else would you find kayakers on ocean water but in Sarasota Florida?

Recently my wife and I decided to join a group of Shriners on a sunset cruise aboard the "LaBarge"based on the Sarasota waterfront. Boarding about an hour before sunset with all hands on board, we set sail out of the harbor. With luxury homes dotting the waterfront and many sailboats on the bay it was a delightful cruise with all looking forward to a typical gorgeous Florida sunset.

We weren't disappointed and to top it all off, as the sun set in the west, a rising full moon greeted us in the east . How perfect is that? Several fellow boaters joined us for the evening as sailors in sailboats, yachts and jet skis were all cruising the waterways.

The most interesting was a kayak I happened to catch as it floated below the setting sun, what a joy that must have been quietly skimming across the water, silently enjoying nature in a pristine environment.

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Puerto Rico: Barcardi Distillary

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Mon, 07 May 2012 10:42:00 GMT

Bacardi Distillery San Juan Puerto Rico

Symbolic bat of the world famous Bacardi Distillary with major production facilities now in Puerto Rico.

Bacardi Limited is the world's largest privately held, family-owned spirits company; a producer and marketer of rums and other premium spirits including Bacardi rum, Grey Goose vodka, Dewar's Blended Scotch whisky, Bombay Sapphire gin, Martini & Rossi vermouth and Asti, Eristoff vodka, Cazadores blue agave tequila, and more than 200 brands and labels. The company sells in excess of 200 million bottles per year in nearly 100 countries.The company's sales in 2007 were US$5.5 billion, up from $4.9 billion in 2006.

Bacardi Limited is headquartered in Hamilton Bermuda and has a 16-member board of directors led by the original founder's great-great grandson, Facundo L. Bacardí.

Because the early distilleries normally was the home of many bats, they soon became a symbol of the company and thus have become it's symbol.

Originally based in Cuba, the company was forced to leave after Castro took over the country, thus a profitable business that employed hundreds was located else where, thereby denying many Cubans of employment opportunities another victim of communist subjugation.

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St. Thomas, Hidden Treasures

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:19:00 GMT

St. Thomas, the Crown Jewel of the Caribbean holds many surprises.

St. Thomas
A favorite vacation spot of many, St. Thomas will never cease to amaze you. Often times one needs to wander off the beaten path and find interesting sites many people never have the opportunity or are too busy to observe. This Chateau I spotted on the road to Megan's Bay. I'm sure many people pass by this every day and never even notice.

With their focus on spending beach time or what they are going to buy when they get back to town, people often miss what is happening right before their eyes. I bet I could show this photo to several hundred people who have gone this way and only a handful would even remember seeing it.

This should be a gentle reminder to all of us to keep our eyes open and enjoy life as it goes by, and not only focus on our final destination, by forgetting about the journey, we miss the most important lessons in life.

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St. Thomas Sunset

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:21:00 GMT

Since I am married to a travel agent I have had much opportunity to travel . Beginning early in life, I have had such a desire , so my life suits me to a t.

St. Thomas Sunset
Living in Florida, the destination of choice always seems to be a Caribbean cruise. Probably the most popular of the Caribbean destinations is the eastern Caribbean and rightfully so, there is no where in earth that is more beautiful than the Caribbean islands. Each is unique and beautiful in it's own way.

Several islands such as Granada, Dominica, and others still display a lifestyle from years gone by and when visiting take one back to a more simple life and natural beauty. Many islands , such as Barbados are not only beautiful but also have a lot of history as well. Barbados in particular was very influential in the formation of the United States, as several of the founders have links to Barbados. George Washington himself visited Barbados while trying to help his brother Lawrence find a cure for TB.

Of all the Caribbean islands, St. Thomas has to be the crown jewel, St. Thomas and it's sister island St. Johns display beauty not seen anywhere else in the Caribbean. A natural blend of old world and new world charm, it is the perfect match of the two worlds. One can observe history, old world values as well as the modern conveniences of a more modern era.

Perhaps no where else is there a more beautiful island than St. Thomas, the mountain scenery, blended with the rich blue waters of the Caribbean create an atmosphere unseen anywhere else I have visited.

Visiting St. Thomas there is much to occupy one's time, from the beaches of Megan's Bay, Blackbeard's Castle, to the many opportunities to shop for some of the best bargains in the Caribbean and many sea side restaurants, it isn't hard to spend the day in St. Thomas, and what better way to end the day than to enjoy a beautiful sunset from your balcony while your cruise ship begins it's journey to the next destination?

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St. Thomas :Udder Delight

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:45:00 GMT

I thought this photo was rather self explanatory.It was taken on a bus while sightseeing in St. Thomas. Must be St. Thomas's answer to the Dairy Queen.

St. Thomas countryside

It also illustrates how one can get good quality photos while traveling with a group. The key is to keep your camera ready at all times always alert to the possibility of a photo op. They often come out of nowhere.

Megan's Bay, St. Thomas

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 09:05:00 GMT

St. Thomas Megan's Bay

One of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean, St. Thomas has many places to visit that would keep one busy for many days. St. Thomas along with it's neighbor, St. Johns are the crown jewels of the Caribbean.

Megan's Bay

Situated just a short ride from down town Charlotte-Amalie, the capital city of St. Thomas is Megan's Bay. Protected from the ocean breezes by mountains on three sides, this is the perfect place to chill out from a hard day of sightseeing and eating.

Along with just chilling out on the beach in a rented chair and beach umbrella, jet skis are available, beach walking, or if you are a professional relaxer, rent a raft and just float the day away. After a hard day at the beach, retreat to the nearby restaurant /bar and enjoy your favorite sandwich and drink while taking in the gorgeous scenery available, be it the natural foliage or the two legged kind.

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Charlotte Amalie Harbor St. Thomas

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:46:00 GMT

Having visited St. Thomas many times , I have come to believe this island and it's sister island St. Johns are the crown jewels of the Caribbean.

Charlotte-Amalie harbor

As part of the U.S. Virgin Islands , this island exemplifies what paradise is all about. If the Garden of Eden were to be located in the western hemisphere, it would be on St. Thomas. A blend of laid back Caribbean lifestyle with a gentle mix of modern day culture with all the conveniences of modern technology, it is easy to get lost in the beauty of this part of the world.

Remembering the romantic past of this area, Blackbeard's Castle is a reminder of days gone by when pirates roamed the high seas pilfering ships as they journeyed back and forth to Europe and other destinations.

Enjoy all the island has to offer, visit Blackbeard's Castle, swim in the magnificent pool, then hitch a ride to Megan's Bay and enjoy one of the finest beaches anywhere, all the while taking all the magnificent scenery the island has to offer.

Then return to Charlotte-Amalie to enjoy the rest of the day shopping in not only the flea market , but also in some of the finest stores anywhere, top your day off with dinner in one of the fine restaurants in the area and you will be ready to return to your ship or hotel for the evening.

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Swimming With Crocodiles

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:28:00 GMT

The day had begun innocently enough, after traveling for days in the Australian outback, we arrived at the campground just outside Katherine Gorge in the Northern Territory. Located on the Katherine River this was the idea respite from our long journey across the vast reaches of the Back O’ Beyond, as this region of the Northern Territory is called.

The Back O’ Beyond derives it’s name from the idea, that when one travels from Sydney, which was the most common route for one to travel in the days of old, this area was actually beyond the outback, thus the name “Back O’ Beyond.

Katherine Gorge

Arriving mid afternoon , the rest of the day was ours to enjoy as we pleased, an early morning tour was planned for the Katerine Gorge, often billed as the Grand Canyon of Australia, it is a canyon exemplified by unequaled beauty, called Nitmiluk by the native aborigines, it is unparalleled by it’s uniqueness.

After setting up camp, which consisted mainly of spreading our swag(sleeping bag) out on the ground, we came to the realization there weren’t many options available as far as recreational facilities. We were pretty much limited to swimming and relaxing, it seemed a day of rest was in order. Sounded like a good idea to me.

The Aboriginal bus driver had informed us the river was safe to swim in, we may see an occasional crocodile , however they would be fresh water crocs and weren’t aggressive. There wouldn’t be any salt water crocs in the area , as they eat the fresh water variety, thus if you see fresh water crocs, it means the salt water variety are no where to be found.

The Aborigines are actually of the Caucasian race, however because they have spent so much time out in the sun , they have become black. These days many wear clothing like everyone else, and seeing one man with his shirt off, his stomach area was as white as an Irishman.

Being an Aborigine is a religion more than a particular race, if you study the aborigine ways , you are an aborigine, entitled to all the benefits of such. Our driver was thus, being a young Irishman of 25, he displayed no such features of your average aborigine. His normal clothing attire was a skimpy swimsuit and he drove and walked around barefoot. The callouses on his feet were close to an inch thick and he could walk across rocks with no apparent pain.

We should have known by now to not take everything an Aussie told us as gospel, however ignoring all resemblance of common sense, we decided to enjoy the refreshing waters of the Katerine River and plunged into the crystal clear refreshing water.

The setting was idyllic, a peaceful river surrounded by trees and azure blue skies. This is the life. After enjoying the cooling water for several minutes, my eyes suddenly observed a couple of beady eyes at water level looking in my direction , looking further upstream, there were two more. Remembering what Mark , our driver had told us about them not being aggressive, I didn’t really feel much concern. Tapping my fellow swimming partner on the shoulder, I pointed in the direction of our neighbor. The response from her was pretty much mimicking mine, we never really reacted , however after thinking about it for a minute or two and recalling that the aborigines actually swim with crocodiles without fear, however,occasionally someone will get eaten, when that rare event does happen, the natives just believe the person no longer with them has done something wrong in their life and it is just karma. Realizing there may have been an instance in my life that I did something I shouldn’t have and I don’t remember it , it may be time to exit the water and take a nap on the grass beside the river.

Spreading my towel on the grassy knoll, It was time to study the back of my eye lids.Lying face down I slowly drifted off to Nodville. Waking about a half an hour later, I could hear two young Sheilas directly to my right carrying on a lively conservation.Not raising my head and looking their way from under my arm pit, I received quite a surprise, they were buck necked!

What do I do now, this is a bit much for a country boy! Lying still I assumed that sooner or later they would get up and put some clothes on , waiting q while, I decided this wasn’t going to happen for quite some time. Nothing to do but rise to the occasion.

I suddenly realized how hard it is talking two two young Shelias who are completely nude, sure glad I had dark sunglasses on, these Aussies sure are uninhibited. It made swimming with crocodiles seem easy.

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Christopher Columbus Puerto Rico

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:38:00 GMT

Puerto Rico

Taíno Indians who inhabited the territory, called the island Boriken or Borinquen which means: "the great land of the valiant and noble Lord" or "land of the great lords". Today this word -used in various modifications- is still popularly used to designate the people and island of Puerto Rico.

Christopher Columbus statue in San Juan

They were ruled by a Cacique, or chief and were were a peaceful people who, with a limited knowledge of agriculture, lived on such domesticated tropical crops as pineapples, cassava, and sweet potatoes, supplemented by seafood.

Columbus discovered the island in 1493 on his second voyage to the new world. Because of the huge success of his first voyage, Columbus had no trouble convincing Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain to finance a second voyage. As a consequence, the second voyage was indeed a massive colonization effort.

Setting sail on September 25th, Columbus left from Cadiz with 17 ships and almost 1,500 men,and brought horses, sheep,and cattle to America for the first time.

Discovering the island on November 19th, just before Thanksgiving, Columbus found the island populated with as many as 50,000 Arawak Indians. Originally the new comers called the island San Juan Bautusta for St. John the Baptist, and the town Puerto Rico because of it's obvious potential. It wasn't until Ponce De Leon arrived that the names were reversed.

The Indians major mistake, not knowing the value of gold , showed Columbus gold nuggets they had found in the river and told him to take all he wanted. This eventually lead to future conquests of not only Puerto Rico, but the whole Caribbean as well, because the Europeans desired the new found wealth, not only for personal gain, but also to finance the ongoing war with the Muslims.

As a result many years of conflict ensued while several of the European super powers of the time jockeyed for superiority, finally ending with the Spanish American War, which ended most of the conflicts forever.

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San Cristobal San Juan Puerto Rico

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:10:00 GMT

The Castillo de San Cristóbal is a Spanish fort protecting the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico.As with most of the fortifications in and around San Juan ,it was built by Spain in order to protect against land based attacks on the city of San Juan, as such it is part of the San Juan National Historical Site.

View from San Cristobal

Originally built on a hill known as the Cerro de la Horca or the Cerro del Quemadero, Castillo do San Cristobol is the largest fortification ever built by the Spanish in the New World. Upon completion in 1783, it covered twenty seven acres of land and wrapped around the city of San Juan. The name was changed to Cerro de San Cristibal in celebration of the Spanish victories when the Dutch and English interlopers were ejected from the island with this name in the Lesser Antilles.

Adding to the security, entry to the city was through San Cristobal's heavily guarded double gates. Building the fortress was comparable to locking the barn door after the horse is stolen because after nearly a hundred years of relative peace, about a third of the the fortification was demolished in 1897 to help ease the flow of traffic in and around the walled city.

Today, the fortress stands as an impressive reminder of days gone by, when the Caribbean Islands were under constant attach, and possession seemed to change hands every time the moon changed it's phase.

Located near Old San Juan, it is well worth a couple hours of your time. Don't forget your camera and your appetite as several good restaurants are located nearby.

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San Juan Puerto Rico

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 10:41:00 GMT

In 1508, Juan Ponce De Leon founded the original settlement Caparra (named after the province Caceras, Spain, the birthplace of then-governor of Spain's Caribbean territories . which today is known as the Pueblo Viejo sector of Guaynabu, just to the west of the present San Juan metropolitan area.

A year later, the settlement was moved to a site then called Puerto Rico, Spanish for "rich port" or "good port", after its similar geographical features to the island of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands In 1521, the newer settlement was given its formal name, San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico, in honor of John the Baptist, following the tradition of christening the town with both its formal name and the name which Christopher Columbus had originally given the island.

Being at a prominent location in the Western Hemisphere, the city has been important as a defensive location throughout it's history. As a result, a network of fortifications have been built to defend the transport of gold , silver and other commodities from the old world to the new and vice versa, Two of the most visited fortresses are El Morro and San Cristobal, located in the heart of San Juan.

The city was attacked by the British, French, and Dutch during it's long history and finally became a possession of the United States after the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1898.
San Juan Puerto Rico

Following World war 2, San Juan began an economic explosion which has lead to a significant increase in the living standard of the island. Today there is a large manufacturing base, including chemicals such as bleach,fertilizers, hand tools, plastic and textiles. Around eighty percent of the prescription drugs consumed in the United States are manufactured in Puerto Rico.

One of the more famous companies to be located in Puerto Rico is the Bacardi Rum Company. Originally located in Cuba, the world famous rum manufacturing company relocated to Puerto Rico after being driven out of communist Cuba in the 1960's.

Because of it's location , San Juan boasts of a tropical climate and warm winter,s thus it has become a popular refuge from the cold northern winters. Many choose it as a destination spot and several cruise lines are based here so they can venture farther south into the southern Caribbean islands.

Be sure to include San Juan in your future travel plans, you won't be disappointed.

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Nassau Bahamas ,Sunset

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:42:00 GMT

After many trips to Nassau by way of cruise ship, this is no doubt one of the prettiest sunsets I have seen.

Nassau Bahamas

It had been a very enjoyable day while visiting the Bahamas. We had gone on a cruise sponsored tour to Cable Beach where a much needed respite from our busy schedule on board the cruise ship MSC Poesia. I jest.

The tour included beach time with the many activities afforded us at the Wyndham Hotel and Resort. Despite we were able to enjoy jet skiing, wind surfing, snorkeling and many other vigorous activities, we chose to hang on on a lawn chair over looking the ocean.

The tour included a buffet lunch in the hotel restaurant which featured one of the finest buffets I have ever encountered. After which the usual shopping excursion was undertaken before boarding the ship for our return to Port Everglades.

I discovered long ago, when cruising , a balcony is a must, it gives me ample time to enjoy the scenery in and out of port while my wife dresses and prepares for the evening's entertainment and dining.

This evening was no exception, the sun was just setting over this beautiful island paradise as I ventured onto the balcony for one last look at Nassau. The timing was impeccable, one of the most beautiful I have eve encountered was about to take place.

When something of this magnitude occurs, a camera can never do it justice,taking several different exposures, each one gave me a different rendition of the same scene. I feel I did the best I could to capture the beauty, even though nothing can compare to the vision we see with our own eyes.

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Wyndham Hotel Cable Beach Nassau

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:02:00 GMT

Cable Beach Nassau

There are many beautiful exotic locations in the Caribbean, no of which surpass Cable Beach in the Bahamas.

Located just a short drive from Nassau, Cable beach is the ideal beach to relax and enjoy the afternoon watching or participating in the many activities available.

The Wyndham Hotel is the perfect destination , if para-sailing, jet skiing, snorkeling , or enjoying the water slide isn't your cup of tea, one can waste away the entire day lounging on a beach chair or enjoying the large pool and waterfall.

Cable Beach,Nassau Bahamas

After such vigorous activity , venture inside to enjoy the scrumptious buffet , featuring terayaki barbequed chicken, full salad bar, and a delightfully sinful dessert bar featuring bread pudding and to die for chocolate.

Spending a day or a week, there are plenty of activities not only at the hotel , but the surrounding area as well to keep one as occupied as your heart desires.

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Fireworks over Nassau Bahamas

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:50:00 GMT

A rather interesting rendition, this photo was taken from a cruise ship anchored in Nassau Harbor, Bahamas.

Nassau sunset, Bahamas

After enjoying a delightful day in Nassau, this is the sunset that awaited us as we prepared to leave for Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale Florida.

My wife and I had enjoyed a pleasant beach day at Cable Beach located nearby, although the weather was a cool 72 degrees, at least by Florida standards, it was nice walking the beach and enjoying watching all the jet skiers and parasailers perform their antics.

We had taken a shore excursion offered by the cruise ship MSC Poesia, included in the package was a buffet lunch at the Hotel Wyndham. Expecting sandwiches and chips on the beach, we were pleasantly surprised when we were escorted to the dining room overlooking the beach and ocean.

Before lay us a feast of kings! A full salad bar, soups, barbequed terayaki chicken, fish, vegetables and many to die for desserts including bread pudding. Just what we needed, more food. As if the cruise ship didn't feed us. It's a dirty job, but somebody has to consume all this food. it's the least we can do for the good of all concerned.

Crawling back to the ship , we boarded and anxiously awaited dinner. Oh, yeah, the fireworks didn't really happen, they were added with photo editing software, Picnik.

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The Good Old Days

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:08:00 GMT

The time was 1951,shortly after a fire destroyed our old farm house three days after Christmas in 1950.
Living in a small farming community in southeastern Indiana, the community we lived in was like an extended family.

The local fire department was an all volunteer force which responded even before dad and I were able to arrive home from an early morning errand.

After the fire was distinguished, the task of building a new home was tackled. In those days there was no such thing as insurance and being farmers, money was hard to come by.

Soon neighbors began to help,and battling freezing cold , the old house was dismantled and a new home was soon constructed from materials salvaged from the remaining structure. Work was continued through the long cold winter, probably one of the coldest and snow laden winters in recent memory , until it was finally completed in the spring, ready for us to move into and after the unexpected interruption continue our lives .

The house was pretty basic, as in those days there were no modern conviences such as we all enjoy today. No TV, micro wave ovens, computers , etc. We did have a bathroom, but for a time it was just an empty room, the normal appliances of a bathroom were only added later as money allowed. Outdoor plumbing was still the only option, so in really cold weather, I would wait until I arrived at school so I could use warmer facilities. At school the restroom was located in the basement, so it wasn't much warmer than at home, but every degree helps.

We left the farm in 1963, and at that time a bath tub still had not been installed. We were poor, but we had fun and it was a great way to grow up, we have much today, but in many ways those times were better as people were closer and always willing to help in a time of crisis. No one even thought of asking government for help, it would have been a disgrage to ask for public money to assist someone in need.

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St. Armand's Circle John Ringling Bridge

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:15:00 GMT

The present John Ringling Bridge in Sarasota Florida was constructed a few years ago, connecting St. Armand's Circle to the mainland of Sarasota Florida, it has become a prominent landmark in the local landscape.

John Ringling Bridge
The bridge is the present reincarnation of a long line of bridges to connect St. Armand's Circle to the mainland. The first bridge was constructed by the then circus magnate John Ringling who used elephants from his circus to pull the logs used to construct the bridge.

He had visions of St. Armands becoming the play ground of the rich and famous, a popular hang out of presidents and such. As a result the streets on the circle were all named after previous presidents of the United States.

That dream didn't quite pan out the way he had envisioned it, however the circle and Longboat Key has become a favorite of the more affluent of our society. Longboat Key is known to be one of the most exquisite ten addresses in the United States and as a result it has gained a lot of notoriety. The most recent claim to fame being that George W. Bush was staying at a prominent tennis resort on the island on 9/11/2001.

St. Armand's Circle has become a shopping and dining mecca, and as a result the streets and sidewalks are normally filled with vacationers enjoying a day touring the many attractions it has to offer.

As a result of what the area has become, even though for the most part , presidents don't hang out here on a regular basis, John Ringling's dream has been fulfilled.

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Parrish Florida

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:08:00 GMT

Parrish Florida located about 40 miles south east of Tampa Florida on the states suncoast has a long history.

Parrish is named after one of its first settlers, Crawford Parrish (1811–1899) who came to Manatee County in 1869. He then purchased land at Oak Hill from Major William Turner, on which Parrish farmed food crops as well as tobacco, citrus, cattle and hogs. He also homesteaded many acres and in 1885 was awarded a 40-acre land grant signed by President Grover Cleveland. He as his wife, Mary, had eight children many of whose descendants still call Parrish home.

Crawford and Mary Parrish are buried at Fortner Cemetery. Crawford and Mary Parrish’s son John Parrish (1857–1918) was influential in the early years of Parrish. Like many of his neighbors. Parrish made much of his income from citrus, which had to be hauled by mule and wagon to waiting boats in Bradenton. Parrish knew that a railroad stop at Oak Hill ( as Parrish was then known) was crucial to the towns development. He thus convinced railroad and government officials to build a depot at Oak Hill and he then donated land for the depot, water tank and for miles of track.

The depot brought packing houses, grocers, doctors, druggists and other merchants to town. Parrish thrived until the Great Depression destroyed much of its commerce and farmers and ranchers were forced to leave for work in big cities. Packing houses and grocers closed down and it would take decades for many families to recover. But the Parrish name lives on, as dozens of descendants of Crawford Parrish still call the area home and are active in local government, churches, rural health and civic associations.

Parrish (from historical marker in front of old school house located on US301 in middle of village) The first documented settlers in present-day Parrish in early part of 1850 were William B Hooker and William H Johnson. Here they found the ideal climate, fertile soil and a nearby river, all suitable for establishing a plantation for their ill-fated joint venture of growing sea island cotton. After the partnership was dissolved, Major William Iredell Turner acquired Hooker’s plantation in 1867 and named it "Oak Hill". Among the other earlier settlers were Crawford and Mary Bratcher (Vanzandt) Parrish. When the post office opened, the name was changed to "Parrish". The railroad provided mail and travel service by 1902 Parrish became a thriving community depending upon a citrus, cattle and agriculture economy.

There's a grove here over 100 years old that is still bearing. Area had three packing houses, three or more churches, two boarding houses, blacksmith shop and many stores. At turn of century, the Methodist Church served as a school. The first schoolhouse was built on land given by Crawford Parrish. It was removed and replaced with the present building in 1924.

Judah P Benjamin, Confederate Secretary of State, in his 1865 escape from Richmond at the end of the Civil War, was secretly hidden in a swamp behind Major Turner's house for several days before he was transported to Gamble Mansion where he remained for some time.

In today's world Parrish ahs probably changed little from it's early history, still a small village, life goes on around it with little influence to the daily lives of it's citizens, little has changed here and most people lead a realative simplistic lifestyle enjoying the Florida sunshine with little care about the outside world.

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Visit Guatemala, The Beginning of a New Mayan Cycle

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:56:31 GMT

A good friend of mine is leading a group into the Mayan empire on a journey of transformation in March. I have traveled with this lady into Belize in search of the pyramid where the Helen Mitchell Hedges crystal skull was found. It was an enlightening and educational experience. Join her on her expedition into Guatemala for this opportunity to participate in the beginning of a new Mayan cycle.

Mayan Culture.

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Versailles, Indiana

thetravelbugg@travelnsnap.com (The Florida Hoosier) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:06:00 GMT

Nestled in the rolling hills of southeastern Indiana, Versailles is a quaint little town located at the junction of two major highways, US421 which runs north and south and US50 which in turn runs east and west. Both highways span the country from shore to shore and played a vital role in the formation of the United states.

Versailles has a long history and many interesting tidbits of history from times long gone abound. The famous hanging tree in the local cemetery is one of many. Five local desperados were terrorizing, robbing, and pilfering the community.Thus a group of vigilantes met in the town of Napoleon about 8 miles away and decided to take action. Thus the gang was dragged from the jail, beaten, and hung from a tree in the local cemetery, end of story.
Ripley County Courthouse
On Sunday July 13th 1863 General Morgan of the confederate Army entered Ripley County from Jennings County , and after raiding a general store in Rexville, marched into Versailles, seized the guns of the militia ,then they looted the treasury and burned the town. In the process the local masonic lodge was destroyed and the jewels of the lodge stolen.

The next morning, upon discovering the theft, General Morgan, himself a mason, ordered the return of the jewels. As a result , the jewels are still proudly displayed in the lodge entry way.

One of the more prominent citizens to come forth from this tiny hamlet, James Henry Tyson,(1856-1941), rose through the ranks of Walgreens Drug Store to become a high ranking executive, and on his death donated 18,000 shares of stock to a community fund. To this day this fund has and still does create a revenue stream for such organizations as , the Methodist Church, Masonic Lodge, schools and library.

A small village where nothing much changes in the day to day life of it's citizens, it maintains a charm from days gone by, a place to chill out and enjoy life at a slower pace than one would find in larger communities, the nearby location of Versailles State park, one of the finest parks in Indiana make this a certain stop on your travels through the heart land of our country.

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