Quirky Architecture OK, so it’s not quite coral, nor is it truly a castle, but the Coral Castle Museum (28655 S Dixie Hwy, Miami, FL 33033) is a delightfully quirky structure, and a great example of someone marching to their own drummer. The grounds include a variety of unusual rock buildings and furniture carved from over 1000 tons of oolite limestone, including a water fountain, a sundial, a crescent moon, tables, and living areas. Inspired a Billy Idol Song As the legend goes (and, really, how could a place like this not have a legend behind it) a Latvian immigrant…
Tag: A to Z challenge
Every street tells a story. Look down. What do you see? When we travel, my husband Larry often scolds me for stopping in the middle of the street to take photos. He’s right, of course, it’s a dangerous habit, but if something tickles my fancy, I can’t help it. (I have a very ticklish fancy!) Bricks for Ballast Those blue-tinged bricks you see at the top of this post, caught my eye in San Juan, Puerto Rico. According to our tour guide, they were used as ballast in Portuguese sailing ships. The sailors either traded or sold the stones to…
Antique Alley Texas Each spring and fall, several north Texas towns join forces to create a huge sale. Called Antique Alley Texas, this twice-yearly event stretches over 25 miles and runs through the little towns of Cleburne and Sand Flat all the way to Maypearl and Grandview. The drive alone is worth the effort, since much of the journey takes you through tree-lined back roads and lush countryside. Whatever the weather, Antique Alley Texas is held on the third Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of each April and September from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. This year, it happens on April…
Fort Worth Zoo – An Award Winning Top Attraction The Fort Worth Zoo consistently ranks among the top ten zoos in America, occasionally taking first place. Zagat Surveys even named it 19th out of the 50 Overall Top-rated Attractions in the entire USA! The zoo has come a long way since it first opened in 1909. Back then, it only had a handful of exotic species. These days, the zoo is teeming with animals. It is easy to spend an entire day here, and still not make it to every exhibit. In summer, you’ll find lots of shade, which is…
X is for: XXX Brand Root Beer The XXX brand name first appeared in 1895 in Galveston, Texas as the moniker for a keg beer stored in oak barrels labeled, “XXX.” Hence, the name! (They could just as well have been stamped Gurglthwang, in which case I would have had to choose something different for this letter.) Years later, during the Prohibition Era, when alcoholic beverages were made illegal in the USA, the beer brewery shifted its focus towards soda pop. Although the company brewed a variety of flavors, such as cream, lemon lime, orange, chocolate and even a cola,…
For many, Texas is synonymous with oil production; however, did you know that Texas produces more wind power than any other state? Wind farming has even revitalized communities such as Roscoe and Sweetwater, where farming has become challenging due to drought conditions. According to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the wind farms of Texas continue setting new records for power output. Additionally, of course, all this wind is great for flag flying, sailboating, and, of course, kiting. More A to Z blog posts This was my post for the letter W of the A to Z blogging challenge.…