Providence and I learned quite a bit of information.  From how to pronounce man-grove, as opposed to mang-grove, to how the kayak trail system is not a natural mangrove trail, but the result of the Army Civilian Corp and their flawed attempt at mosquito control.

What stuck the most with Pence from this educational hike was the gopher tortoise.  We were lead to an area where it was quite common for these Species of Special Concern to burrow.  We learned that they dig tunnels over ten feet deep and up to forty feet long.  To demonstrate this I told Pence that was twice as tall as me and then walked out forty feet from her.  She then saw how impressive that was for a 10-inch reptile that could possibly be 60 years old.

After the hike we went quickly through the museum and saw so much more that the Natural History Center had to offer.  We look forward to heading back to spend more time not only in the museum, but canoe the trails.

One of the perks of this tattoo is you get into their shows for free.

I wrote Jimmy and he put me on the band list and on Saturday, May 8th I saw The Album Leaf at the Social in Orlando, FL.  I didn’t know what to expect.  Most of their music is instrumental.  In concert, at least for me, I wasn’t sure how this would pan out since I really haven’t seen just an instrumental band before.  I was pleasantly surprised because the Album Leaf designed a show for nearly all the senses.

Most of their music uses pre programed drum tracks, with live drums.  Since the band then must play to a click track, they are able to add video projections behind them that sync perfectly with the music.  During one of the songs where there was vocals, the animation had the lyrics in sync with their singing.  Between the band and the video you really couldn’t take you eyes off the stage.

Great show all around!  Be sure to check them out.

The Album Leaf “Always For You” from Sub Pop Records on Vimeo.

Luckily on the day of the show Jannus Landings posted a reminder on their Facebook Page.  By the time gates were opened on Sunday evening it was pouring down rain.  I saw that as an opportunity and went to downtown St. Pete.  I walked in the pouring rain, following the music, to the venue a few blocks from where I parked.  Luckily, there were plenty of no shows so I was able to just walk right in.  The opening band, Fall On Purpose, had been playing for a while.  I grabbed one of the few spots that had an overhang.  Almost as soon as I found my covered spot on the side of the stage, some burlesque dance crew came on stage right in front of me.  Literally in touching distance.  I felt like I was in a “Life and Times of Tim” or “Curb Your Enthusiasm” episode and someone I knew was going to come around the corner and scolled me for choosing to stand so close to these ladies.  As I sparingly watch the ladies dance, I swear only a glance or two, I pictured the woman drowning in water.  The way they were moving their bodies wasn’t bad, it was just funny how their arms were flailing in the air and spinning around while the whole rain thing was going on.  Anyways, I have to say I kind of appreciated it.  They aren’t really naked like some spring break dancing girls.  It’s kind of a modest 1940s throw back lingerie dance type thing.  So anyways I should probably stop before I get myself in trouble.

The first band was alright, but I was there for Rusted Root.  By 9:00 the band came on stage and immediately got the crowd fired up.  I can best describe RR as a blend of Talking Heads meets Phish at a tribal sweat lodge.  It’s music to get you moving, dancing and smiling. The crowd really got into fast.  The rain just turned into a light sprinkle  and eventually to not much at all, which I think the rain would have been more fun.  They played for two hours up to curfew time at 11:00 PM.  It was a much enjoyed show!  The diverse group from dirty barefoot hippies to St. Anthony Triathlete, even to over plastic surgeried New York woman were all their having a blast.

If they were ever to come to the area again, I would go see them.  I think even if I had to pay.  I had a fun night and only wish my iPhone would record better audio.

Here are a few pics of the vendors “signs.” There was too much to really experience in our first visit, so we look forward to going back before the end of season in May.

The place was enjoyed most on this visit was The Dancing Goat.  They sold “fresh from the farm” goat milk, cheese, eggs and more.  What Sarah bought was a product called “kefir.”   Basically it is a fermented milk drink that helps with lactose digestion and blood pressure.  Like most things that sound gross, it surprisingly adds a lot of flavor and nutrition. Sarah has bought store bought Kefir for some time, but we are excited to now have an organic local option.  Interestingly enough while Sarah was standing there she remembered hearing a women on WMNF 88.5 talking about raw goat milk and eggs.  She asked the lady running the booth, Pam, if she had been on the radio, and sure enough it was the women from the interview Sarah heard.

Pence and Autumn liked the booth because of the eggs and two live baby quail.  Quail eggs are very tiny , and that is what spiked the girls interest in the eggs.  When Pence saw the two little baby Quail she said, “”Those are amazing!”

The eggs were pretty interesting looking, but more interesting is that they are a delicacy in many countries.  They are also used in sushi and called tamago.

I think the most interesting thing I learned today is that you are allowed to have four hens in a residential community, even in St. Pete.  Ironically it was against the law in the area of western NC, where we lived.  Kind of bizarre!

We look forward to going back there again!


If you are interested in a few more pictures you can check them out here.

I knew of the store because of its close proximity to me growing up.  I became more familiar once I played club soccer with the son of the owners.  When my  love of music grew that’s when I started gong to the store.  I would buy CD’s at a great price from there.  Some of those selections were as lame and the Doobie Brothers, and some were as good as Belle and Sebastian’s box set.

The story behind Bananas is pretty interesting.  The owners Doug and Michelle quit their corporate jobs to pursue opening a book store in 1977.  While the store was in business Michelle happened to be at a Garage Sale and saw a record she wanted to buy.  The women selling the records insisted she had to buy the entire crate.  So Michelle did, removed the record she wanted, and put the others for sale at the book store.  Those few records sold quickly.  So they purchase more records and watch them go off the shelves faster then the books.  Eventually their book inventory sold and the bookstore  became a music store.

What’s most amazing about Bananas, to me, is its so well known despite it’s remote location.  The Tampa Tribune wrote in an article about the store, “A pilgrimage to its doors requires perseverance, even if you have the address, because the place remains hidden within a maze of dead-end streets, in a faded industrial park tucked between some railroad tracks and a quiet residential neighborhood where no one would dream of looking for one of the planet’s biggest record stores.”

I am extremely excited about revisiting this place over and over because I just recently bought my first record player.  I look forward to building a collection of must listen to records.

Anyways there are lots of memories in the store.  Sarah’s and my name are on the door, but it looks as if it has been damaged.  I did find where I first wrote my name when I was in high-school.  At least I thought I did.  I couldn’t find my name where I remembered.  However nearby I spotted what I thought was “Jerry.”  Upon closer inspection of the faded ink, I realized it was one of my dates I took there.   Somewhere in the store, besides the door, Sarah and I have our names from one of our many dates.

We were excited to take our kids for their first visit.  Seriously what kid doesn’t  enjoy a candy shop?  Sarah and I got our usual Killer Sunday (homemade mint chocolate chip fudge and homemade chocolate peanut butter ice cream smothered with caramel chocolate, whip cream, nuts and a cherry.)  Autumn picked a classic lollipop from their selection of nostalgic candy.  Of course Pence went with a gummy alligator, the last thing we would expect her to get.

When we went outside to eat the goodies Autumn chomped into the lollipop leading to it breaking in pieces.  Pence was to busy playing with her gummy alligator to pay any attention to Autumns tragedy.

The Candy Kitchen is a great mom and pop shop that should be visited by anyone in the area.  Because of the quality of homemade treats and candy selection, as well as the welcoming customer service, it’s become  a well visited place by locals and vacationers.  Their success can be seen in the fact that they recently opened another store in Redington Shores. Be sure to stop by if you are in the area or check them out on Facebook.

Notice how unhappy Providence is.

One of the things I told myself I had to do once I moved back to Florida, was to take advantage of the ocean and bay I overlooked for the decade before moving to North Carolina.  So I took the family out on a canoed ride to Weedon Island Preserve.  We went later in the day and only planned on spending an hour or two on the water.  That was a wise choice.  Not because it went bad, but it gave us enough to want to go back.

At first Pence (our eldest daughter) was scared for her life.  Every move Autumn made resulted in Pence yelling at her that she was going to tip the boat.  As Autumn leaned over the edge to put her hair in the water, Pence was screaming nearly to the point of tears.

After about a half an hour the fear she had was gone.  That made the trip more enjoyable.  After going into a mangrove canopy for a short amount of time we headed back to beat sunset.  This left everyone wanting some more.

Weedon Island is a great place to enjoy Tampa Bay.  The preserve is 3,700 acres of natural lands including mangrove swamps, intertidal flats and pine flat wood uplands. For this trip we took the South Paddling Trail.  It is a 4-mile loop that meanders through mangroves and seagrass flats and between islands of the Preserve. We saw a few birds, which I suspect to be reddish egret, a few mullets flop out of the water,  and the ever so erie sting ray sneak along the bottom of the bay.

It was a great trip and I look forward to going back with the family, and by myself.

Visit Weedon Island Preserve’s online for more information.

For the sightseers there are some of the most scenic roads in the Eastern US to travel.  Hellbender, The Dragon, and the Cherohala Skyway are a few of these amazing roads.

If you are looking just to relax, then this cabin is the place.  With the newly renovated interior there are many cozy spaces.  Warm up by the fire pit outside on the acre of land that the rental sits on.

Along with all of this, get all the information you will need to plan your trip from historian and author Jerry Span who has spent much time on the roads and in the woods of the area.

All of this can be enjoyed for only $75 a night (Peak Rates Apply)

Contact simplicitypr@gmail.com for booking and more information.

Download the flyer for more information, or share with friends.

Some of these NPS sites we had been to before; like the Carl Sandburg Home, Kings Mountain, Ninety Six, and Fort Pulaski to name a few.  There were still several in our route we had not been to.  I wanted to try to squeeze two into our trip, but that just didn’t happen.  So I decided to try Fort Frederica as our one NPS stop for this memorable trip.

Fort Frederica National Monument is on St. Simons Island on the coast of Georgia.  In 1736 this colonial Georgia military town was founded and lead by Britain’s James Oglethorpe.  This site was one of Britain’s hubs that fought to keep the Georgia area in their control and not Spain’s, specifically the land north of St. Augustine and south of Charleston.  Many historians view Frederica as the strategically most important early settlement in Georgia.  The towns misfortune ironically was how successful they were.  Because of their success in keeping the Spaniards at bay the town started to dwindle because their purpose had been fulfilled.

Fort Frederica was a great stop.  We saw old artifacts found on the site, a video that tells the story of the town and early colonial settlers, and other exhibits to show the history.  However, the most fun was walking the large property and seeing remaining foundation of the homes and barracks.   It brought you a little bit more into the reality of being an early settler and a better appreciation for what it was like for those people.  The family running around under the extraordinarily large 200+ year old oak tress with impressive displays of Spanish moss dropping from their limbs was by far the best part of the move back to Florida.

It was a great stop, like all of the NPS exhibits we go to.  I encourage everyone to visit as many of our National Park Service sites as you can.

The background on this goes back to 1943 with an Agreement between TVA, Swain County, Department of Interior and NC in regards to a road that would be flooded and the supplement building of a road that caused the loss of access from point A to point B.  In the meantime there has been a road built from point A to point B, but on the wrong side of the Lake, for some people. It’s a big issue to locals…  Locals who want the road built on the Northshore of Fontana Lake believe that the agreement (based on funding) was to give access to cemeteries that lost access, but this just isn’t true if you read the original agreement.

Knowing many descendants I have heard both sides.  After years of hearing the most negative of the descendants, and seeing their actions and reactions, I have finally decided to say what i think has needed to be said for some time.  Reading an article in last week’s SMN on the final signing putting the road idea to a closure, was the biggest reason why I decided to write this.  More details are in the piece.

I have posted this because I believe that SMN will direct responses and ideas to this post.  So feel free to comment away and share ideas based on the piece.

For those who don’t get that paper I said this:

For the last four years I have been a Captain for the Park Decorations that takes descendants across Fontana Lake to the cemeteries that lost their access with the Agreement of 1943.  Those who participate in this are wonderful people to be with, with the exception of those who take away from the experience by pushing their agendas on the road.  It’s amazing that the ones who claim most heritage, the biggest proponents for the road, have dropped the ball for the last 66 years.

I’ve wanted to say this for some time now, but have refrained.  Now after reading “A Time For Healing” I am glad to speak my mind.  The people who promised family members on their deathbed to fight for the road, to more specifically Linda Hogue and David Monteith, don’t realize how they are only hurting themselves and their descendants more then helping.  I’ve seen both of them look at the Park and TVA and accuse everything that goes wrong a conspiracy to eventually get rid of decoration days.   From TVA letting too much water out the dam to restrict cemetery access, to Park service purposely disabling Park vehicles so that the number of visitors to decorations are lessened.  These are a few examples of what they see as government against them.

While they concentrate on the negative, they should realize their hearts are in the wrong place.  If you look at the few cemeteries that have road access, you will see that they are some of the least known about.  Paynetown across Fontana Dam is a great example.  On that Decoration Day there isn’t nearly the turn out as the others.  There is no food, camaraderie, singing, sermons, music or festivities.  Is it because it’s not as fun since there is no boat ride?  Or is it because family can go to it whenever they want?  Either way, what makes this sad is the history is lost.  That is why there is so little known about Paynetown.

I would wish that instead of concentrating on the negative, like Hogue now putting her time into trying to unseat the county commissioners who voted for the cash settlement, these blinded supporters would work on preserving their family heritage.  A great example of two people who were/are for the road and put their energy into preserving the heritage is Bryan Aldridge (www.bkaldridge.com) and Judy Carpenter (www.proctorrevival.homestead.com).  Their goal is to help people learn about those who gave so much for our National Park, not debate over a road.

Now that the Road to Nowhere issue is over, I hope people can turn this into a positive issue and make the road… the Road to Our Heritage… or something with a much more positive perspective on our wonderful mountains.