rupaldev

This author has written 267 articles
The Florida Trail And Big Cypress National Preserve

The Florida Trail and Big Cypress National Preserve

The news anchor was talking about water use restrictions. We were not allowed to water our lawns or wash our cars except on days that corresponded with our home address. The dry season typically begins in January for South Florida and lasts into April, but this year was unusually dry as evidenced by the water restrictions. This came as no surprise to my wife, Loren, and I. We had been hiking in Big Cypress National Preserve the prior weekend and…

Sunrise At Keaton Beach. Perry, Florida

Sunrise at Keaton Beach. Perry, Florida

I recently had the opportunity of spending a weekend at Captain’s Quarters in Keaton Beach, owned by old friends Sandra and Joe Hatcher. I was invited for some desperately needed r&r and was only too happy to be their guest. My friendship with Sandra goes back about 10 years when we were into the tourism business – Sandra at Keaton Beach and I in Citrus County. As I stopped at the two stores to pick up food items for the…

Sebastian Redfish Fishing

Sebastian Redfish Fishing

“What are you fishing for?” the man asked me. “Redfish”, I responded. “Not with that you ain’t, not here”, he said with a smirk. I had caught redfish before on a rod and reel that was half the size of the rig currently in my hand and did not foresee any problems today. Not only that, but I also had a bucket of live finger mullet that I had just caught minutes earlier and I knew they were a favorite…

Sky Diving Florida

Sky Diving Florida

The stage was set. My 18-year old nephew, R.J. would sky dive. As a high school graduation gift, I promised that I would escort him to partake in this bold activity. He traveled from New York to Florida, where he would take flight. The morning arrived, and we were ready for our day trip to the facility in Lake Wales. Two friends, Dana and Kim went along for the ride also. It was Kim’s birthday, and her 2nd jump. It…

The Unforgettable Apalachicola Florida Beach Coast

The Unforgettable Apalachicola Florida Beach Coast

Some may call it "the Forgotten Coast", but a visit to a section of Florida's Panhandle coastline will long be remembered. That section of coast referred to as "forgotten" stretches for about one hundred twenty miles between Panama City and Tallahassee from Mexico Beach to St Marks. It seems the area was omitted from a tourism map of Florida in the nineties. The local chambers of commerce of the affected counties gathered and dubbed their area as the "forgotten coast"…

Cape Canaveral, Florida Outta This World

Cape Canaveral, Florida Outta this World

Cape Canaveral, Florida is situated in the central East Coast of the state midway between Jacksonville and Miami. The history of Cape Canaveral and its region is fascinating. It dates back to an astounding 10,000 years ago, when the Ais and Timicuan Native Americans journeyed to the area. They settled there for the extraordinary fishing, and survived through much hardship up until the Colonial times. There was much European and Spanish exploration of the region. At first, the Cape region…

Motorcycle Riding, Beginning To Ride At 40…

Motorcycle Riding, Beginning to Ride at 40…

If you like to drive and being on the open road in a car, then you will love to challenge yourself to ride a motorcycle. At 39 years old, I wanted challenge myself with something new. Why not try to learn to ride a motorcycle and make a special trip on my 40th birthday. So, January 1999 came and the goal was to learn to ride and take a trip from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to Key West Florida on a…

Miami To Key Largo Bicycle Ride

Miami to Key Largo Bicycle Ride

One riders' account of the 2000 Multiple Sclerosis 150 Bike Ride Well, I'm tired, I'm sore, but I DID IT! 75 miles yesterday - what an accomplishment, my longest distance to date. And then, 75 more miles today! Having just started biking again last August, I'm glad to be back on top of two skinny tires. I was originally introduced to cycling as a kid and road with the Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society through the rolling hills of Southeastern…

Florida Keys Wild Bird Center

Florida Keys Wild Bird Center

I have never seen such a collection of big beautiful birds! From Hawks to Owls, and Egrets to Pelicans, every bird that calls the Florida Keys home was represented at the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center. If you love birds and you love the Keys, or you just want to learn about the animals and their preservation, you must stop and see the truly amazing collection. The Florida Keys Wild Bird Center, in Key Largo, has a mission other than…

Naples Florida – Barefoot Nature Preserve And Beaches

Naples Florida – Barefoot Nature Preserve and Beaches

Barefoot Nature Preserve was an unforgettable find. Located in wealthy Naples, Florida, this spectacular Collier County park stands in the midst of luxurious homes. The preserve has a little bit of everything, including a great beach, nature path, lecture halls, educational classes, and backwater canoeing. Our first challenge was finding the park. It is tucked away in a residential neighborhood with a security gate at the entrance. You could be fooled into thinking that you shouldn’t go beyond the gates,…