More alligators and a little Florida history
March 2nd-March 4th
On March 2nd, we departed Jacksonville for the 2nd time, this time for the “big trip” that will take us around the States for the next six months. Our first stop was Wakulla Springs, about 20 miles outside of Tallahassee. Wakulla Springs is home to one of the deepest freshwater springs in the world and is a haven for Florida wildlife. We took a fantastic guided boat cruise (the only way to visit the river. In addition to a plethora of alligators, we saw a manatee, turtles, and numerous wading birds including several anhingas, nicknamed the snake bird for their long snakelike necks and ability to dive underwater for extended periods of time to hunt for fish. It’s possible to swim in the spring and there’s a tempting diving platform, but it was a little chilly the day we went and we opted for a short hike instead. Wakulla Springs was also the filming location of several Tarzan movies no doubt due to its swampy intrigue.
Since Wakulla Springs didn’t offer a campground, we headed a bit south and camped at Ocklockonee River, another nice river for canoeing or kayaking. We saw some neat wildlife there as well including deer, an albino squirrel and woodpeckers.
From our base at the Ocklockonee River, we made a day trip to Tallahassee (about 45 minutes away.) Tallahassee is the Florida state capital, chosen for it’s location relatively halfway between St. Augustine and Pensacola (the two oldest settlements in Florida.) Our tour of Tallahassee began with a visit to the visitor’s center, and a discussion with a very enthusiastic adviser who gave us enough recommendations to keep us busy for a week. We started our visit at the Old Capitol building which is in the classic Neo-Gothic style with the typical dome that we see in other capitols. The Old Capitol now houses a museum (free to the public) about the branches of Florida government and the state history. It was fascinating and a good introduction to American government for Fabien ( state governments are roughly based on the same model as the federal government) and a good refresher course for me. We were shocked to see how Florida (still connected to her Southern roots) lagged behind in its recognition of civil rights and equal rights for women and other minorities. There was even an exhibition about the 2000 Presidential election, the controversial election where George W. Bush won despite losing the popular vote and Florida’s role in the outcome. After the museum and a picnic on a park bench, we visited the new Florida capitol building which is a tall tower directly behind the old capitol. We visited the rooms where the Senate and the House of Representatives meet (unfortunately we couldn’t see them in session, we were a week too early) and the observation deck where we got a look of Tallahassee. Fabien and I both wondered where the residents live- Tallahassee is surrounded by forests and there were hardly any houses in sight.
After the two capitols, we still had a little time to do a self-guided walking tour so we headed towards the Calhoun district, to see some of the beautiful historic homes. Next stop…Pensacola, more Florida history and some surprises.
Tags: BIG TRIP 2011, Curiosite FR, Florida, In English 2005-2006
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