Dariu T hank you for your excellent thorough test and kindness…read more Darius, Thank you for your excellent thorough test and kindness. Granny taught you well. Now Granny says marry UP. You want education for your life and kids. Stability! You'll know meeting the parents'. If they are high achievers most likely they expect the same of their children. And you for Your own. What a nice feeling to meet a fine young man like you Thinking of his future.Start thinking of financial [planning NOW. They don't teach that enough. Or early enough. I taught myself 20 years ago in the stock market. You can take more risk because of your age. But be safe too. My guy with me is a financial planner with LPL. More mutual funds that mix things up. It'd be all ears if I had the mind set at your age. Nobody told me So this granny is telling You. It's time! Maybe you will be Captrain and stay on. I am glad you are not a firefighter in California. That's crazy there. But I love it there. I Thank you again so much. you are the future. Lead and set a great example. I have photos of you. thanks for loving my little furbaby. My daughter will be here in 1 hour from LA and I need to finish creating magic for 2 little ones under 4.I have photos of you. thanks for loving my little furbaby. My daughter will be here in 1 hour from LA and I need to finish creating magic for 2 little ones under 4. I am Really sleepy. Maybe you will be President. Best, Susan Buckner, Hammock Oaks

Is the name controversial? Maybe, but I thought it was just as interesting a name as Ramrod Key…read more Strictly a beam bridge constructed in 1944 and completely rebuilt in 2008. On our way thru the north end of Key Largo on Route 1 at MM108, with beautiful water views on both sides of the bridge, but no fishing from here, just vehicular traffic and a good chance of a crash and not too many areas to pass a slow moving truck pulling a big boat.

The Seaboard Air Line Railroad was an American railroad which existed from April 14, 1900, until…read moreJuly 1, 1967 when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. AIr Line does not refer to air travel but instead is a common term for the shortest distance between two points. The railroad operated 4,000 miles of track running from Richmond, Virginia down through Jacksonville and ending in West Palm Beach. Solomon Davies Warfield, chairman of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad at the time, extended the railroad further into South Florida to Miami in 1925 and to Homestead in 1927 where it ended. Solomon Davies Warfield was the uncle of Bessie Wallis Warfield Simpson, the woman whose love affair with King Edward forced him to abdicate the throne. The Homestead station is southernmost Seaboard station and the southernmost railroad station in the United States still standing at its original location. Built in 1927, it was both a passenger station and a freight depot. The Homestead station is identical to the original construction of the Delray Beach station which was destroyed by arson in 2020. The only other Seaboard Air Line Station torn down is the one that was in Boynton Beach. The Delray Beach had plain stucco arches, while the Homestead station has the Corinthian arches used in the Naples and Hialeah station. The stations were designed by Gustav Adam Maass Jr. from the Harvey & Clarke architectural firm. They were designed in the ornate Mediterranean Revival style that was popular during Florida's land boom years. Today the station is abandoned. It likely closed sometime around 1967, when the Seaboard Air Line Railroad merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coastline Railroad. The adjacent tracks next to the station are sometimes used CSX Transportation. The condition of the building is very sad. It is boarded up with a for sale sign. When you see how magnificently the Naples station has been restored, your heart really bleeds for the state of this historic building.

Free room and board, free educational services, etc, what more do you want! removing one star due…read moreto getting shanked on the first day, otherwise great vacation spot while in Miami... feel free to say hi to some of our former politicians while you are here... oh wait, no, they get to skip this place... oh well, us schmucks get all the fun for ourselves!

Arrived at 4:55pm to find it already closed. Disappointed as I would have like to have more travel…read moreinformation for my last minute visit.

A great stop when you first arrive - easy to find with plenty of parking…read more As soon as we walked in we were greeted by friendly staff who gave us several maps and handouts so we could get our bearings and gave us the inside scoop of when and where to park in Key West and the main streets and sights to try to see while there. There are a few items for sale inside but it's mostly just to get your bearings.

This is a memorial marker to Special Agents Jerry Dove and Special agent Benjamin P. Grogan. On…read moreApril 11, 1986, Special Agents Jerry Dove and Benjamin P. Grogan were killed in southwest Miami, Florida, during a gun battle with robbery suspects William Russell Matix and Michael Platt. Agents were conducting surveillance in connection with a series of violent bank and armored car robberies. They observed a suspect vehicle and attempted to stop it which resulted in a high-speed chase. Matix and Platt engaged in a gun battle with agents during which 145 rounds were exchanged in less than 5 minutes. Dove (30) and Grogan (53) were killed and five other agents were injured. Special Agent Edmundo Mireles, Jr. was shot in his left arm but he was able to use his right arm draw his service revolver, and kill Matix and Platt. This incident is regarded as one of the most violent episodes in the history of the FBI. It has been studied in law enforcement training. As a result the FBI and many police forces switched from revolvers to more powerful semi-automatic weapons. The 1988 film In The Line Of Duty: The FBI Murders is based on this event. In 2001, the Village of Pinecrest, Florida, which incorporated in 1996, honored the two fallen agents by co-designating a portion of Southwest 82nd Avenue as Agent Benjamin Grogan Avenue and Agent Jerry Dove Avenue. Street signs and a historical marker commemorate the naming of the roadway in honor of the two agents.

I enjoy exploring the Redlands, a rural agricultural community in Miami. It took its name from the…read morepockets of red clay that cover a layer of oolitic limestone. The Redlands produce tropical fruits, many of which do not grow elsewhere in the US. You can find farm stands and roadside tables selling fresh grown produce next to fields. Other highlights of the Redlands include Schnebly Redland's Winery and their fruit wines, Knaus Berry Farms and their cinnamon rolls, and Robert is Here and their fresh fruit milkshakes. I especially love all of the historic buildings from the early 1900's that you can find here like this one, the Redland Farm School. In 1916. William Anderson the owner of Anderson's Corner Store donated 10 acres of land to the Dade County School Board for the construction of a new school. Financing for the new school was secured by Dr. Hyram Byrd, the assistant state health officer of Florida. He had come to the area for his health and to work with rattlesnakes to create antivenom. He was able to get an agricultural land grant under the Morill Act of 1862 which paid for an agriculture school. This school opened to 195 students on October 16, 1916. The Farm School consolidated seven one room schoolhouses in the area. For the first time students attended school by bus. The school had classrooms for for grades one through twelve. The building had indoor bathrooms, electricity, a cafeteria, and a 300 seat auditorium. The school offered two curriculum, a standard one and one for rural students. After the Civil War Farm Life schools were popular. Girls learned cooking, sewing and homemaking skills and boys took agriculture classes. The school also served as a community center where fairs, elections, agriculture meetings, dances, sports, and community events were held. The school was the heart of the close knit Redland community. On August 24, 1992, category 5 Hurricane Andrew made land fall in Homestead. Like many of the buildings in the area the Farm Life School was severely damaged. The school board built a new school further north and the Farm Life School was set to be demolished. The community didn't want to see the school taken down so they came up with a plan to save it. They were able to get the School Board to give the title to the county. The nonprofit South Florida Pioneer Museum leased the property and applied for grants to pay for the repairs. They raised enough money to install impact-resistant windows, fix the roof,and make structural repairs. Th future plan is to turn the school into a agritourism center. In 2018 the Miami-Dade Commission approved $1.6 million in funds for the interior renovation of the school. Plans include adding commercial kitchens for farmers, a community event space, and a hub for agricultural innovation. The school currently has a fence around it and it looks like construction is being done. it is going to be exciting to see how this project turns out.

One of the cool landmarks located in Homestead is a static display of the F-4 Phantom fighter…read morebomber. Per the US Airforce: "This particular static display was dedicated to its spot on U.S. 1 in November of 1989. Homestead ARB hosted a squadron of F-4s from 1981 to 1989. The fighter jet was introduced throughout the Air Force in 1958 and retired by the Air Force in 1996. But between the base and the city of Homestead, the static display represents much more." Certainly a cool thing to see when I used to drive around Homestead. I mean what do other local cities/towns have nearby in other parts of the county?