Another roadside find in rural Florida.
Williston, Florida Train Depot
Category Archives: Travel
A Little “Floridiana”
On our way into St. Augustine a few days ago, we exited I-95 at an interchange that contains what I like to call “Floridiana.” It’s the oversize signs advertising all kinds of goodies to take back home and rot in the cupboard – Tropical Fruit Wine? Probably not. Gator Jerky? Don’t think so. Boiled peanuts? Tried ’em – pass. Also lots of things to tempt the kids and make them sick 20 miles up the road. I thought I would like to know what “Honey Toasted Chocolate Covered Praline Pecans” taste like until Kathy assured me that it is three different kinds and not just one. Oh, well.
The story is that we didn’t stop there on the way in to town, and as often happens I kicked myself for not taking the time (it was late, we were tired and thirsty, etc.). So today we went into town to the fort to get a stamp on Kathy’s National Park Passport, and on the way back took the scenic route by way of this exit. Pretty interesting signage, although it didn’t tempt us enough to go inside.
Oh, and in case you wondered about all those oranges and grapefruits out roasting in the sun? They’re little concrete spheres. Wouldn’t make very good juice. 
Art In Architecture
Several weeks ago in my Art vs. Decor post I included photos from the NASCAR Hall of Fame here in Charlotte. I got a number of favorable comments about those photos which are among my favorites. They are favorites partly because they represent some of the “landmark” locations in Charlotte, but mostly because people who ought to know where they were taken are often stumped because it isn’t the usual view.
After working on the “Frozen Moments” photo I was perusing the folder for another visit to Roanoke, VA and came across these photos of the Taubman Museum of Art. While designed by a different architect, there are some obvious similarities between this building and many other famous landmarks across this country and around the world. Interestingly, the Taubman is essentially “right next door” to Billy’s restaurant from that rainy photo. I had much better weather for these photos!
As it turns out, The Taubman was designed by architect Randall Stout, who had his own firm when he designed this building and others, but had spent 7 1/2 years with Frank O. Gehry and Associates. Gehry is known for his works that include The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and it is evident to me that Stout was heavily influenced by that aesthetic.
By the way, the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte was designed by another famous firm, I.M. Pei, known for many famous buildings, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and the “Pyramid” at The Louvre in Paris.
First-Class Glass
No, I’m not talking about camera lenses OR airline travel! I’m talking about beautiful, hand-crafted glass like that found at Lexington Glassworks in Asheville, North Carolina.
I had intended to write this post a while back, but it sort of got lost in the shuffle of fall and the holidays. During our visit to Asheville for our 40th anniversary, Kathy & I visited Lexington Glassworks during one of our walks around town. We’ve visited Lexington before, and have acquired only a small amount of their glass, given the number of times we’ve been there, but it is one of those places we just have to visit whenever we are in town.
One of the many cool things about Lexington is that they openly encourage picture taking. I asked anyway, just to be polite, and the girl we talked to was very nice about it. Sure, she said, let me know if you have any questions or need help.
The larger pieces are stunningly beautiful, and the reason we don’t have more is that we just don’t have a suitable place to display things like that. We have some shelves on order which will hopefully rectify that situation, although after buying the shelves we’ll need to re-stock the souvenir fund to buy more things to put on them!
Partially-related question: I post photos to Instagram through my Firefox browser, using a well-known workaround that “fools” Instagram into thinking I am on a mobile device. I’ve taken the app off all of my mobile devices. With the app I used to be able to create a post with multiple photographs, but can’t seem to find a way to do it through the browser. Anyone have any experience with this? I’d like to be able to share these photos in a single post and tag the company’s page, rather than post them individually, which makes for a really annoying feed!
Ferocious
I found this guy on the beach at Cape Lookout State Park near Tillamook, Oregon. No idea what his story was but he looked lost. Maybe I should put his photo on a milk carton. Or a Snapple bottle…. 
No Coffee Here
Yes, there is a town called Starbuck in Washington. But no place to buy coffee.
A Little Humor
Here’s a little chuckle for your Monday.
Flare (Or Is It Flair?)
Spent some time walking around the harbor at Shelter Cove this evening. An opportunity presented itself…others as well but this is one. The processing is perhaps a bit heavy but it seems to be none the worse for it.
Feeding Frenzy
Sometimes the fishing trawlers come close enough to shore to get a decent photo. This particular one had attracted quite a following, hoping for a chance to catch some discards.
Another Moon Shot
Taken this evening, the night after the full moon!