I love to explore the history of south Florida. There are so many grand houses and buildings from…read morethe 1920's during Florida's land boom years before hurricanes and the Great Depression robbed many of their fortunes. One such 1920s beauty is the 1924 Curci House built by Frank and Rosina Curci, a pioneer family who came to the area in 1907 with their three small children. The house is located in the city of Hallandale which has four heritage and one historic site. The family struggled when they arrived at SW 5th Avenue and West Dixie Highway but they put in work and became prosperous from farming tomatoes and fruit and later on they opened a construction business. The Curci's eventually had eleven children and Mr. Curci spoke five languages and was an accomplished musician. "Villa Providence" was the couples dream home which they built on their eleven acre property. It was constructed from concrete filled terra cotta block walls with termite impervious Dade pine floors. They added Cuban tile details can be found throughout the house and there is glass from Italy imbedded in the outside stucco finish. The house was so well built that it was able to withstand the Great Hurricane of 1926 when it served as a refuge for many in the community. The family remained in their home until the 1950's. The home is listed on the Hallandale website as being open on the first Saturday of every month between 11am and 4pm but they have shut it down to tours since the pandemic and never bothered to reopen although it appears that it can be rented for private events. There is a huge fence surrounding the property so for now you can only view the home from the street. It is such a disappointment to see it closed. Nearby Hollywood reopened their historic Hammerstein House and Hallandale should consider doing the same.

The original SE 5th bridge was built in 1959. A report by FDOT's Bridge Management System…read moreidentified the bridge as needing repairs to the deck, substructure, and superstructure. The design phase began in 2019 with construction targeted for 2020. Plans were made to make the recommended repairs and replace the pilings and jackets. The bridge was also raised to match the clearance at US/Federal Hwy. Construction was anticipated to be finished last year but it was slowed due to Covid. I am happy to report the bridge is finally completed and open. Pompano did an outstanding job. On both sides of the bridge is ocean sea life art work by local nautical artist Dennis Friel. He also did all of the artwork on the Atlantic Boulevard Bridge. On the SE 5th Avenue Bridge you can see a crab, manatee, dolphins, and a sea turtle. I am a huge fan of Friel and I love the new artwork on the bridge. Pompano has taken a functional bridge and turned it into a work of art.

Nice bridge used by many in the Pompano area…read more The original bridge was built in 1959, based on Florida's Department of Transportation's Bridge Report. A few years ago, there were recommendations for repairs to the deck and superstructure as well as substructure components, including pilings and jackets. The bridge now matches the vertical clearance of FederalHighway. Nice artwork and fresh paint makes this cute bridge a pleasure to use.

I have passed this memorial many times and was always curious about it. Today I finally stopped and…read moremade a new discovery. It was interesting to learn that Plantation has the largest volunteer fire department in the state of Florida. The Plantation Volunteer Fire Department was formed in 1957 by 21 citizens that included former Mayor Frank Veltri and the city's founder, Fred Peters. In the beginning they were stationed in a warehouse located at East Acre and Broward that served as the first fire station with a single engine. In 1960 the first fire station was built on Broward Boulevard at East Acre. As Plantation grew more stations were built and more engines added. Just as it was in 1957, the Suppression Division is comprised of all volunteers and has a roster of more than 190 firefighters making it the largest volunteer fire department in Florida. The Rescue Division was added in 1996 to answer the increasing demand for emergency medical services. Plantation is a combination department comprised of a volunteer Suppression Division, career EMS, a Fire and Life Safety Division, and maintenance/mechanic divisions. One of the most difficult fires the Plantation Volunteer Firefighters had to deal with was in September of 1997 at the Towne Mall, located at 69th Avenue and Broward Boulevard. The mall caught fire and became the largest tactical, firefighting operation in Broward County history. The large fire was due to the roof construction which was comprised of highly flammable materials. Today the Fire Department operates six stations placed throughout the city. The Plantation Fire Department currently serves an area of 22 square miles, a residential population of 94,000, and a daytime population in excess of 150,000. In 1998 the Plantation Fire Administration building and Firefighters' Memorial Park was dedicated. This park located adjacent to the administration building honors all of the volunteer firefighters in the City of Plantation. There are plaques with the names of firefighters who served the city and a 9/11 memorial. It was so nice to visit this peaceful spot that pays tribute to the brave and dedicated volunteer firefighters of Plantation.

Per the marker, this tree was the "site of meetings that led to the creation of the Seminole Tribe…read moreof Florida's Constitution and Bylaws." Thus the tribe was recognized by the United States federal government as an entity. The site was place on the National Historic Registry in 2012. We knew that the site was location at the intersection of 441 and Stirling Rd. We just weren't sure which corner. It took us 3 tries to find it. We discovered the location, finally, by driving through the parking lot of the old (original) casino on the southwest corner of the intersection. A black metal fence surrounds it. A seal of the Seminole Tribe is on the fence entrance gate. There are some small benches beneath the tree for seating. The marker is not far from the tree, but is almost buried beneath foliage and ground cover. The tree, itself, is majestic. It seems magical when you pause for a moment to stand beneath it. Considering the plethora of cars, the traffic, the noise, etc. on busy 441, it stands as a breath of fresh air and greenery amongst all the concrete. It is a stark contrast between it and the guitar shaped Seminole Hard Rock Casino building.

The Council Oak Tree is a historic Live Oak tree located on the Seminole reservation in Hollywood…read moreon the intersection of State Rd 7 and Stirling Road. It is next to the old casino and is surrounded by a black fence. There are benches and a historic sign. It was a bit comical trying to locate it. I should have just listened to my friend. The Council Oak Tree is important to the Seminole people because during the 1950's a group of Seminoles met under the tree to discuss the tribes future. They were the children of the generation of Seminole's that were forced to hide in the Everglades in the mid 1880's. It is believed that the Council Oak Tree was standing in 1828 when the Seminoles first settled in the area and it was known as Big City Island. In 1957 a meeting between Florida Seminole Indians Bill Osceola, Billy Osceola, Betty Mae Jumper and Laura Mae Osceola met with Sioux Indian Reginald "Rex" Quinn, from the Tribal government branch of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He was sent to help them set up their own government. With his assistance they were able to set up their constitution and by laws which prevented the U.S. government from abolishing the tribe. The meeting under the Council Oak Tree was instrumental on setting the tribe on their current path of government where there is a governing body called the Tribal Council, pursuant to the Constitution and bylaws, and a Board of Directors pursuant to a corporate charter. From a smoke shop in the 1970's the tribe has grown their business to a Hard Rock empire with more than 500 million dollars a year in gambling profits from their casinos. The documents that purchased the hotel and casino were signed under the Council Tree. The Council Oak tree was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 4, 2012. The tree is so important to the Seminole Tribe that it serves as one of their logos. They also named two of their restaurants, one in Hollywood and one in Tampa after the tree.

If you ever walk along the Ft Lauderdale Riverfront in Esplanade Park near the performing arts…read morecenter, you have probably come across this statue. The Lone Sailor is a seven foot, 809 pound statue of a sailor along the Riverwalk in Ft.Lauderdale. The sailor has his back to the city as his gaze looks out to the New River. He wears a sailors signature pea coat with his duffel sack at his feet. City commissioners along with volunteers from the Navy League of the United States spent four years raising funds for the statue. It was dedicated on October 14, 2006. The original Lone Sailor is at the Navy Memorial Plaza in Washington DC. There are now 18 Lone Sailor statues around the world. The statue signifies all of the men and women who have served or are serving in the Navy, past , present, and future. The statue stands for honor, courage, and commitment. Ft. Lauderdale was a major military base during WWII and many former military personnel retire here for the warmer climate, This statue recognizes their contributions and our history as a seafaring community. You can learn more about Ft. Lauderdale's role in WWIi at the Naval Air Station Museum in Ft. Lauderdale.

As an ardent history buff, I was delighted to discover this new monument in front of the Pompano…read moreBeach Fisher Family Pier, conveniently located across from the bait shop. This 12-foot obelisk was dedicated on March 14, 2026, through a partnership between the City of Pompano Beach and the Florida Society Sons of the American Revolution. It commemorates the 250th anniversary of America's first amphibious assault on foreign soil--a landing during the American Revolution in the Bahamas. In early March 1776, Nassau and New Providence Island were British colonies. George Washington received intelligence that much-needed stores of gunpowder were located there, prompting a daring naval expedition led by Commodore Esek Hopkins, alongside the Continental Marines under Samuel Nicholas. Their forces successfully landed on New Providence Island, targeting Fort Montagu and Fort Nassau, then governed by Montfort Browne. This mission marked one of the first coordinated operations between naval and marine forces and helped shape what would become the United States Marine Corps and modern amphibious warfare. With July 4, 2026 marking the 250th birthday of the United States, this monument honors a pivotal moment in the nation's founding. I love that such a meaningful piece of history has been added to the pier--it's also a perfect spot to pause, reflect, and take in the ocean view.

We enjoyed our stop at the MEEC(Carpenter house). Learning about the turtles and the property…read more Thank you for all that you do.

Anything that supports animals, wildlife and environmental issues will always get a 5 star from me…read more I have been wanting to go here for ever and a day. Each time I am there it has been shut. However this time it was not. They currently had two turtles in the tank. We enjoyed watching and interacting with them. They have signs up to explain what you are looking at which offered some interesting facts. Definitely worthy of a visit should you be in the area. It is located right on the shoreline. It was also free to visit.

The William H. Marshall Bridge is a 366-foot, double-leaf rolling lift bascule bridge over the New…read moreRiver, running from Southwest Fourth to Seventh Avenues. It connects some of my favorite historic neighborhoods, Sailboat Bend and Tarpon Bend with downtown Fort Lauderdale. The bridge was built in 1964 to connect the neighborhoods with downtown and to improve transportation. It was designed by the J.E. Greiner Company and built by Powell Brothers, Inc. It is one of nine remaining rolling-lift bridges, a design that was prominent in the mid-twentieth century, left in Florida. Broward County has three of them. The bridge was named in honor of William H. Marshall (1876-1956). Originally from Georgia, Marshall settled in Fort Lauderdale after serving in the Spanish-American War in 1898. He was appointed Fort Lauderdale's first mayor in 1911 and later elected in 1912. Marshall was a prominent early settler, farmer, and businessman in the Sailboat Bend area. In 1990, a local artist donated a 5-foot-square tile mural of William Marshall to adorn the bridge. I had an enjoyable walk over the bridge today. On one side, you get a view of Sailboat Bend, and on the other side, you can see Esplanade Park and downtown Fort Lauderdale. I love the historic nature of the quaint neighborhoods surrounding the bridge, and I have always enjoyed this Fort Lauderdale landmark.