Florida

Rocketing Up the Learning Curve at Jonathan Dickinson State Park

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We snagged a campsite for the week of Thanksgiving at Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Hobe Sound, where we planned to have our first extended camping experience with our new Airstream trailer while being close to family to celebrate the holiday. The park is packed with enticing amenities and activities, so we hoped to enjoy … Read more

Surveying Miami’s Confederate Monuments

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Confederate monuments have been much in the news, and the recent controversies have sparked some useful personal reflections. Growing up in the south, I didn’t particularly question the predominance of Confederate monuments. Mostly, I just mocked the maudlin, overwrought testimonies to the greatness and chivalry of the war dead which these monuments tend to feature. … Read more

Returning Home After Hurricane Irma

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Well, that was interesting. After dashing around the state in a panic, wearing ourselves out with storm preparation, and spending an anxious 24 hours watching Hurricane Irma make the final march toward and over Florida, the storm was finally over and the clean up could begin.   We and our loved ones experienced no significant … Read more

Evacuating From Hurricane Irma

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I had hoped that my next post would be about snorkeling in Biscayne Bay — a great outdoor activity I want to enjoy before Miami’s long summer ends — but nature had other plans. We’re in the middle of another busy Atlantic hurricane season, and just weeks after being gripped by horrifying images of Hurricane … Read more

Visiting a Time Capsule from the Era of the Bay

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The weekend’s nice weather inspired us to visit one of the smallest destinations in the Florida State Park system, The Barnacle Historic State Park. The Coconut Grove property was the home of Ralph Munroe, one of the earliest pioneers in the Miami area. Like many of today’s visitors, he came to the area in search … Read more