William John Howey (January 19, 1876 - June 7, 1938) was an American real-estate developer, citrus…read moregrower, and Republican politician from Florida. He founded and served as mayor for the town of Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida where he developed and sold citrus groves, becoming one of Florida's greatest citrus developers. He was one of the first citrus growers to send fruit from Florida to England. In 1921 he opened Florida's first citrus juice plant. He ran for governor on the Republican ticket in 1928 and 1932. Mr. Howey's prominence led to many distinguished guests visiting the Howey mansion, These included Lord Bathhurst of England, H.B. McNeal, publisher of Golfer's Magazine, golf master Chick Evans, Kansas Governor Alfred Landon, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Phillip's of petroleum fame, and President Calvin Coolidge who was guest of honor at an all-male dinner party in February 1930. Mr. Howey's former home near Lake Wales, Florida became the site of Florida's Bok Tower at the Bok Tower Gardens. In 1925 Mr. Howey commissioned a 20 room mansion in the town he founded. The architect was Katherine Cotheal Budd. During WWI she designed temporary lodgings known as hostess homes for women who were visiting their husbands at military training camps. Budd is credited for creating 72 lodgings with a homelike atmosphere and the Howey House is one of a few existing examples of her work. The Howey Mansion was designed in the popular Mediterranean Revival style. The house is set back on a wide lawn with wrought iron gates and a long horseshoe drive. The entrance to the home features an elaborate, two story bas relief frontispiece .The massive front door and the woodwork on the first floor is made from peaky cypress. Leading to the second floor is a graceful curving stone stairway with a wrought iron banister. Other features of the home include three large fireplaces, a ballroom-size drawing room, enormous beamed ceilings, and a servant call-bell phone system. There is even a hidden passage behind a sliding bookshelf panel in the library. The original 15 acres grounds of the mansion were called The Park and included many botanical plants and shrubs. On March 6, 1927 The Park was the host site for an open air concert performed by the New York Civic Opera Company bringing the top opera singers of the day to the mansion for a concert for the community. The mansion was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Place on January 27, 1983. On April 12, 2017 it was listed for sale at $480,000. The new owners are Brad and Clay Cowherd, Orlando real estate investors who have made period-accurate restoration of the house. I visited the Howey Mansion for the Founders Day Festival. Admission for tours of the home was discounted to $10. The Howey Mansion is available for private rentals like weddings while historical tours are also available Monday through Friday at 11am. The Founder's Day event included a local market, food trucks, live music, and family activities. I enjoyed visiting the tents and touring the mansion including the hidden bar in the basement that was created during prohibition. Behind the mansion, is a trail through the woods that will take you to the Georgian marble mausoleum where the Howey family is interred including William J. Howey (1938), daughter, Lois Valerie Howey (1941), and Mary Hastings Howey (1981). This year Centennial Founder's Day Celebration, marked100 years since the town's founding in 1925.

What an incredible place! We really enjoyed the tour Fran and Mercy gave us. They were extremely…read moreknowledgeable about the property and you can tell they love what they do. The property itself is gorgeous. If you're looking for an event space, you're in luck they rent it out for weddings and other events.

Located off of Broadway is a historical home that gives us a glimpse into life in Oviedo, Florida…read moreback in a bygone time. The house is registered as a historical home, but from the outside it seems like it could use a bit of TLC. These glimpses of the past are important to us as s community. We need to remember where we are from.

This historic building appropriately enough houses the Oviedo Historical Society. The house dates…read moreback to somewhere around 1890 when it was built by H.H. Lee, Sr. In 1910, he sold the daughter to his daughter, Charlotte, and her husband, T.W. Lawton and they moved the home on rollers to the present site. T.W. Lawton, his wife. Charlotte Lawton, and their three children made this their home and it looks to be a comfortable place to call a home. All in all, it was a cool place to check out and had me thinking about how different Oviedo, Florida must have been back then. I would definitely recommend a visit here.

The Lawton House seems to be best known for its Farmers Market. It is open the first Saturday of…read moreevery month from 8am to 1pm. The Lawton House was built in 1890 where the Oviedo Police Station is located. It was moved in 1910 to its current location. It is owned by the City of Oviedo. Tours are given of the seven bedroom house during the farmers market.

While I am very familiar with the blue markers of the state wide Florida Historical Marker Program,…read moreoccasionally I will come across a county or city historic marker. On a recent walk through Red Bug Lake Park, I discovered that Seminole County has their own historic marker program. Historic markers are a great way to learn about the formative people, buildings, and events in Florida's history. This marker was erected in 2023 by The Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation with support from the Casselberry Historical Society and the Seminole County Historical Society. It recounts the important WWII contributions made by the actress Hedy Lamarr who passed away in Casselberry at the age of 85 on January 19, 2000. According to this marker, famed Golden Age of Hollywood actress and inventor Hedy Lemarr had a home near Red Bug Lake Park in the later years of her life. Hedy was born Hedwig Eva Marie Kiesler on November 9, 1914, in Austria to Emil and Gertrude Kiesler and she was raised in the Jewish faith. In 1938 she came to the U.S. and became a naturalized citizen in 1953. She went on to star in two dozen movies, including the notable Samson and Delilah directed by Cecil B. DeMille. During WWII, Hedy and George Antheil received U.S. patent number No. 2,292,387 for their Secret Communication System. Hedy explored potential military applications for radio technology. She theorized that varying radio frequencies at irregular intervals would prevent interception or jamming of transmissions, thereby creating an innovative communication system. Together she and Antheil designed a way to help the U.S. Navy against Nazi Germany by allowing spread spectrum and frequency jumping of radio waves in torpedo guidance systems. This technology was later used to make Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth technology possible. The National Inventor's Hall of Fame posthumously inducted Lemarr and Anthiel in 2014. Her invention has led Heddy Lamar to be known as the mother of Wi-Fi.

Who knew that Hedy Lemarr had a connection to Oviedo, Florida? I certainly did not until today as I…read morewas walking around Red Bug Lake Park and came across this historical marker. Hedy Lamarr was n incredibly popular actress back in the golden age of film making. She starred in over two dozen movies including the Cecil B. DeMille classic "Sampson and Delilah." What many do not realize is that in addition to her beauty, Hedy Lamarr was not only incredibly intelligent, but she was also the co-onventor of a "secret communication system," which allowed frequency jumping in radio waves. This later was beneficial with WiFi and cellular phone technology possible. It appears that Lamarr relocated to the Oviedo, Florida area and this is where she passed away back in 2000. I love finding these historical markers that connect us to a community's past.

I came here with my homeschooling co-op, they did a free mini class event for us. Very nice of the…read moreteacher to take the time to teach the kiddos all about navigation and she made it really fun for them as well as broke it down for them to understand in game form. I think it lasted about 25 mins or so. Only wish I would have walked more into their trail to see the water view if there is one I didn't get to see it. In all a cool spot to get a bit of history and sight seeing.

Wow! What a cool place. My husband and I have been choosing a different nature sanctuary in…read moreBrevard county to explore and walk, today we chose Sams house and Pine Island sanctuary. We decided to park at the Pine Island end of the trail, there are a couple of rustic areas to park. The trail head for the Pine Island loop which is about 3/4 of a mile is near the manatee viewing area and kayak launch. The walk from parking area to the start of the garnet trail which takes you to Sam's house is a wide open green area that is used for walking or horseback riding, there is no shade but if you're lucky there is a beautiful breeze along the lake. The trail to Sam's house is very rustic with some boardwalks and lots of root covered ground. The path is clear but some areas a a little soft due to the surrounding canals. Sam's house is one of the original homes in Merritt Island. There are areas with explanations and examples of what was grown and sold in the area. Apparently there were prehistoric animal remains found in the area as well as the burial mound of Indigenous people. This is a definite place to revisit and explore the other trails and bits of history.

Hannibal Square is a historic district in Winter Park on New England Avenue two blocks west of Park…read moreAvenue, between Virginia and Pennsylvania Avenues. Winter Park sprang up around a railroad track laid in 1880 by the South Florida Railroad that connected Orlando to Sanford. Hannibal Square was founded in 1881 as an African-American community of laborers who built the town and worked as domestic servants to the areas wealthy families. The people who lived in Hannibal Square had educational opportunities, prosperity, and professional standing. The railroad tracks served as the dividing line in the town with whites living on the east side and blacks to the west. While visiting Hannibal Square I enjoyed taking in the charming architecture, Shady Park, the Hannibal Square Heritage Center, restaurants, and shops. Hannibal Square is not as busy as the Park Ave area of town but it is still near enough to it that you could easily walk there.

2019 Review 47/100 A…read moregreat little area in Winter Park. Worth stopping by if you're strolling down Park Ave (it's only a few blocks away). Hannibal Square is lined with a variety of great restaurants and cool shops (Rifle Paper Co. is my fave!). It's much smaller than Park Ave. And almost never as crowded. So it's great if you're looking for a chill "Winter Park experience" without the hustle and bustle of Park Ave. Plus parking is always much easier. I usually park in Hannibal Square on Saturday mornings and go for a nice run through the Square up to Park Ave and walk around the Winter Park Farmers' Market.

Love visiting the Lighthouse. Call to make a date to see the lighthouse with groups of 10 or more…read more Must do this well in advance because ID clearance is required. If you're fortunate you can also see Hangar C.

**INITIAL REVIEW**…read more The Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Tour (which I will shorthand simply to the Lighthouse Tour) has been one of those "backyard adventures" I've been wanting to go on for the longest time. Eventually, I was able to partake in said adventure with my friends, Nate and Chops. Afterwards, I have to say that even for a probably "one-and-done" for a tour, it is definitely worth every penny spent. This tour was everything I wanted and loved, and it delivered. First and foremost, the actual business building for the Lighthouse Tour is nothing you have to worry about. According to all the tours, you will meet up at the Sands Space Museum and take a charter van to multiple locales on the tour. Before we get to the actual tour I partook in, it should be noted there are numerous tour options such as the museums alone, the lighthouse alone, or the full experience. Prices range from $35 (lighthouse only) to $65 (full tour). I went with the latter which includes numerous museums, historic launch sites, and the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse. It should also be noted that the more you do, the longer the tour. The full tour is four hours long. Please take note the things you need to check before the tour such as wearing shoes if you plan to walk up the five floors of the lighthouse, small bags allowed with small closed-contained foods and drinks only. Finally, you need to fill out a clearance check as all the stops, with the exception of Sands Space Museum, is on the Cape Canaveral Air Force Military Base. With those in mind, the full tour - known as the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse and Space Flight Tour - is all the stops if possible. I say "if possible" because some stops may be closed for maintenance or upgrades. For us, The Sands Space Museum, where the tour stars, was closed for renovation. However, the museum is free and not on protected property so I can go back and check it out. We visited four different launch sites, three museums, and the Cape Canaveral lighthouse. I personally loved the lighthouse and Hanger "A" which housed some of the larger historic rockets and jets that have helped bring NASA and the U.S. military where it is now. I personally was surprised that the first drone was used as target practice. I can't really detail everything I saw or this would become one my longest reviews, longer than I usually do. Just know that, like I said earlier in the review, for a possible one-and-done, it is worth every penny. However, if you really want to make sure the tour is a one-and-done, pay for the full tour. You'll have enough time to visit everything within the four hours, and if anything is closed, they'll take you to the Canaveral National Seashore, which was amazing because it is literally almost "untouched" by tourism. I will give this tour four out of five stars. I am not going to say consistency will earn the fifth star because only a super fan will take this tour numerous times... or work for the tour company. I will say that the lacking star has to do with the price. It can be high overall especially if stops are closed for some reason.

Cocoa Beach will always be associated with the classic sitcom I Dream of Jeannie. Airing from 1965…read moreto 1970, the television series starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000 year-old genie and Larry Hagman as astronaut Major Anthony Nelson. After a wayward space mission, Nelson crash lands on a deserted island where he discovers Jeannie sealed inside an ornate bottle. She hitches a ride back to Cocoa Beach in his bag, where her magical powers and love for him lead to five seasons of comedy. Although the series was filmed almost entirely in Hollywood, California, it was set in Cocoa Beach because of its close ties to NASA and the Space Coast. The cast and crew made two promotional visits to Cocoa beach but the city itself never served as a filming location. The show continues on through reruns and streaming. After portraying the handsome Major Anthony Nelson, Larry Hagman went on to even greater fame as the ruthless oil tycoon J.R. Ewing in the hit television drama Dallas, which aired from 1978 to 1991. Hagman passed away in 2012. Barbara Eden, now 94 continues to make occasional public appearances while supporting charitable causes. Cocoa Beach has proudly embraced the legacy of I Dream of Jeannie. In 1996, city leaders dedicated the street beside Lori Wilson Park as I Dream of Jeannie Lane, with Barbara Eden attending the ceremony. Then, on August 24, 2012, the city unveiled a commemorative roadside plaque outside the park honoring the series. I happened to be visiting Lori Wilson Park when I found this roadside reminder of the show. I couldn't help but hum the familiar I Dream of Jeannie theme song as memories came to mind. Jeannie's iconic pink outfit is still a favorite of cosplayers. This is a nostalgic stop that commemorates Cocoa Beach's connection to the golden age of the space race and one of television's most enduring comedies.

I've been driving by this "historic marker" for years, like most of these markers there's nothing…read moreto see commemorating the "I Dream of Jeanie" television show. I finally turn in on the drivable lane and did a short drive through the park, the parking lot to my surprise was filled with vehicles, most were there to let their dogs run free inside the fenced in dog park. Since the sitcom ran between 1965 - 1970 a lot of today's kids are oblivious to this show which most from my generation watched religiously after school after playing outside or riding our motor-less bicycles, life was simpler. Barbara Eden is now 94 according to Wikipedia and is the only surviving member of the cast and receives no royalties since she opted for a cash payment after getting a new contract after the third season of the show...

Just outside Deland, Florida lies the St. Johns River a true Eco-system that provides a cross…read moresection of Florida's incredible wildlife, on any given day you will see everything from alligators, manatees, herons, egrets, osprey, otters, turtles and even the occasional bear, deer or American Bald Eagle. It's been almost 100 years since people first started driving across this river at this location, the original Crows Bluff Bridge was a swing span bridge; constructed in 1917, in 1954, a plan for construction of a replacement bridge was established; the new bridge, dedicated to DeLand resident Francis P. Whitehair, opened on September 22, 1955 and was built to carry traffic across the river for a century. Unfortunately that was an estimated life span and the bridge is showing signs that it may not survive much longer, especially since the maintenance cost for these mechanical marvels are more than 100 times that of the new modern concrete bridges built today. When terms like "functionally obsolete" and "not eligible for the National Register of Historic Places" are slung around you know your days are numbered.