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Celebrating our two-lane highways of yesteryear…And the joys of driving them today!

Florida In 3d Trip Coming Soon


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Sheila and I will soon be off to Florida with my new 3D video camera. I'm hoping to catch a few mermaids and manatees in action 3D. I know that 3D isn't everyone's cup of tea, but since it can be viewed in 2D or 3D on Youtube, it offers something for everyone.

 

I have been playing with my new Fujifilm Real 3D W1 camera, and it is without a doubt the biggest advance in digital cameras since they were first introduced, and more fun than my first video camera. And you can view 3D right on the camera glasses free with the unique viewing screen. This is one of those WOW technologies.

 

Our trip to Florida will first take us to visit family on the east coast near Daytona, but I built in 5 days on the road. We will fly (in and out) of Orlando. After visiting family, I'm thinking we will head to Apalachicola on the gulf, then down to Cedar Key, then to see the mermaids at Weeki Wachee (as made famous in American Road!). I visited Apalachicola when I blazed the Hypotenuse Trail a couple of years ago, but Cedar Key will be new. We will look for the small towns and authentic settings....so your tips will be appreciated.

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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Here are a couple of ideas for sightseeing before you leave the Daytona area.

 

Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens are just a few miles south in Port Orange. My great-grandparents visited these Spanish sugar mill ruins in 1920 and that's how I became aware of them. I stopped here in 2001 and again in 2008. Their website indicates that the mill ruins are now covered by a protective roof. In December of 2008, they were uncovered but behind a chain link fence. It's a 3-in-1 stop with lots of plants and some dinosaurs left over from a sort of theme park besides the mill. A smash and grab occurred in the parking lot while I was there in 2008. My impression is that this is not at all common but thought you should know. Don't leave the gold doubloons in the car.

 

Head a few miles north and follow Beach Street out of Ormond Beach. This was once the Dixie Highway and the name becomes Old Dixie Highway after it crosses Tomoka River. Tomoka State Park lies on the south side of the river and the mile or so of two-lane that passes through it is among the pleasantest in the land.

 

It seems possible that your Daytona-Apalachicola path will include the part of US-27 that passes through Branford. If so, I suggest a stop at the little park beside the Suwannee River. It's another place I learned of from my great-grandparents. They camped here in 1920. When we stopped in 2001, old men still gathered at picnic tables, others fished in the river, and young men were swimming in the spring. The road was in fine shape in 2001 but I'd feel guilty if I didn't warn you that Granny reported "some awful roads between Live Oak and Banford".

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Denny,

 

Those are outstanding suggestions, and "right down my alley," as they say. I'll start "researching," and marking sites this afternoon.

 

Got any more? Oh, and I read earlier about your grandparents' trip somewhere. Was that here or on your site?

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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The trip you recall was a 1920-21 Ohio-Florida round-trip that I attempted to follow in 2001. My trip is covered here with days 6 through 13 (Aug 30 - Sep 6) in Florida. What my great-grandmother wrote about the area covered by each day is embedded in the page. As you know, I just record my own experience on a road trip and don't try to produce an all inclusive travel guide. That seemed to be particularly true on that somewhat ambitious trip. I often documented that I was in a place my g-g-parents had been with nothing more than a picture of a water tower or city limits sign. You might enjoy her nearly 90 year old reports but you probably won't pick up many must-sees from my journal. Besides, most of both the 1920 and the 2001 trips were spent outside of your likely travel area.

 

There are pictures of the sugar mill I mentioned on day 13) of the 2001 trip and on day 6 of a 2008 trip. There are some pictures of that road in Tomoka Park on the next day of that trip.

 

If time (and companion's adventure quotient) permits, I think you'd enjoy taking a peek at a brick remnant of the Dixie Highway about 20 miles beyond the Tomoka River. Stay with Old Dixie Highway to US-1 (about 10 miles). Turn left off of US-1 onto CR-13 just north of Bunnell. The brick Dixie Highway runs north out of Espanola. Be careful. Read my story in the 4th panel. There will certainly be sand over the bricks and it could be better or worse than when I was there. Sometimes walking is the better part of valor. If you do get to the bricks, think about what a wonderful road this was for the travelers in the 1920s & '30s.

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  • 5 months later...

Sheila and I will soon be off to Florida with my new 3D video camera. I'm hoping to catch a few mermaids and manatees in action 3D. I know that 3D isn't everyone's cup of tea, but since it can be viewed in 2D or 3D on Youtube, it offers something for everyone.

 

I have been playing with my new Fujifilm Real 3D W1 camera, and it is without a doubt the biggest advance in digital cameras since they were first introduced, and more fun than my first video camera. And you can view 3D right on the camera glasses free with the unique viewing screen. This is one of those WOW technologies.

 

Our trip to Florida will first take us to visit family on the east coast near Daytona, but I built in 5 days on the road. We will fly (in and out) of Orlando. After visiting family, I'm thinking we will head to Apalachicola on the gulf, then down to Cedar Key, then to see the mermaids at Weeki Wachee (as made famous in American Road!). I visited Apalachicola when I blazed the Hypotenuse Trail a couple of years ago, but Cedar Key will be new. We will look for the small towns and authentic settings....so your tips will be appreciated.

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

 

Dave:

 

I'm a new member, so may be late with my message. Have you taken your Florida trip yet, and are some of those videos available for viewing? I live in Florida and have a website that focuses on travel down here on the roads less traveled. I would give you the URL as a reference, but can't tell if the forum rules allow that or not. Anyway, have a good trip if you haven't made it yet. If you made it already, I hope it was fun.

 

Your hypotenuse trail trip has inspired me to try the same thing in the near future. Problem is, the economy forced me to get rid of my Prius and buy a 20 year old Toyota. I hope it makes it.

 

Regards,

 

Mike

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Dave:

 

I'm a new member, so may be late with my message. Have you taken your Florida trip yet, and are some of those videos available for viewing? I live in Florida and have a website that focuses on travel down here on the roads less traveled. I would give you the URL as a reference, but can't tell if the forum rules allow that or not. Anyway, have a good trip if you haven't made it yet. If you made it already, I hope it was fun.

 

Your hypotenuse trail trip has inspired me to try the same thing in the near future. Problem is, the economy forced me to get rid of my Prius and buy a 20 year old Toyota. I hope it makes it.

 

Regards,

 

Mike

 

 

Mike,

 

First, welcome to this group! Like you, we enjoy the roads a bit less traveled. Definately give us the URL!!!

 

My wife and completed our Florida trip, and enjoyed it so much we stayed an extra week! It is tough to get a higher recommendation.

 

I posted some of my stuff around here somewhere, but left out a lot of the goodies because I got into another transcontinental or maybe a mini transcontinental between the Puget Sound and Chicago. I am on the return leg, and crossed the continental divide west of Helena Montana on the dirt 1924 route of the National Parks Highway this afternoon. I can tell you that is a road less traveled!!! :blink:

 

We would be delighted to hear from you regarding road adventures in Florida, or elsewhere. I was surprised and delighted at all the great drives we took there, and unhappy that we didn't do even more. Your reports would help fill in the gaps.

 

We hope to see more from you!! And again, post the URL. Sharing is what we do.

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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