A twelve foot tall solid steel 19th century British Admiralty Anchor (possibly from the wreckage of…read morethe British cartel ship sunk November 1, 1804) proudly standing along the historic Riverside park with amazing river views. It was placed in honor of Capt Peter Throckmorton the father of Marine Archaeology - THE END

Along Riverwalk Plaza in front of the historic New River Inn which is now a museum is another bit…read moreof interesting history. Mounted along the river is an British boat anchor that may have belonged to the L'Athenaise, a British cartel ship that sunk November 1, 1804. On the boat were 174 French prisoners of war. The anchor was discovered in 1967 off the Barefoot Mailman hotel in Hillsboro Beach. Given credit for the discovery along with several other people including his wife Deo, is Mel Fisher who famously discovered the Nuestra Señora de Atocha. The anchor was placed by the Marine Archaeological Council in honor of Capt Peter Throckmorton (1928-1990) "father of marine archaeology An admiralty anchor is a type of large vessel fluke anchor also known as a fisherman. This type of anchor has been used since ancient times. On one end of the shank of the anchor is a ring for attaching rope or chain through it to the boat. On the other end of the shank are the two flukes that once dropped, will dig into the sea floor to anchor the boat in place. One fluke digs in and one remains up which sometimes dislodges the boat and then it needs to be reset. I have watched people pass by without giving the anchor a second glance but if you stop and read the plaque you will see what a cool piece of maritime history this is. There is quite a bit of the past to be discovered along Ft. Lauderdale's Riverwalk.

I love discovering the historical markers around Ft. Lauderdale which give insight into its rich…read morehistory. This marker is along A1A in front of Bahia Mar at the spot where Native Americans used to haul over their canoes from the New River into the Atlantic Ocean. Some of the other history related to this site includes a fort built in 1838 during the Second Seminole War named for Major William Lauderdale, a House of Refuge in 1876, and a Coast Guard base in 1926 that was active against Rum Runners during prohibition and which searched for U boats off the Florida coast during WWII. In 1947 this land became a public yacht basin and park. Marker F-285 was erected in 1978 by Bahia Mar Hotel and Yachting Center and Fort Lauderdale Historical Society, Inc. in cooperation with Department of State.

Lavender house, also known as Hermann V. Von Holst House is a private residence on the U.S…read more National Register of Historic Places in the historic old Floresta neighborhood in Boca Raton. It is located on 875 Alamanda Street. The neighborhood the house is in was initially designed by Addison Mizner but he went broke in 1926. Chicago Prairie School architect Hermann V. Von Holst along with partners purchased the development and he finished building the houses. Lavender House was the residence Holst built for himself. He went on to serve on the Boca Raton City Council from 1934 to 1948 and the planning board from 1940 to 1953. Although you can't tour this house it's worth driving through this beautiful historic neighborhood. It looks like the current owners embrace the history of their home as it is beautifully kept. They occasionally post pictures of the interior on their Facebook page dedicated to the home.

I love learning about the history of this area and I stumbled on this historical marker while…read morevisiting Fort Lauderdale Beach Park. The city of Ft. Lauderdale got its name from the forts erected my Major Lauderdale during the Seminole Wars. The forts no longer exist but you can see a replica of one with other artifacts at the New River Inn History Ft. Lauderdale Museum. Altogether, three forts named after Major Lauderdale were constructed: the first at the fork of New River; the second at Tarpon Bend; and the third and largest was built in 1839 under the command of Captain William B. Davidson on the beach at the site of Bahia Mar which is where this marker is. The fort was the site of a haulover where the Seminoles took their canoes from New River Sound into the Atlantic Ocean. Third Fort Lauderdale was active until 1842 when the war ended. The marker was first erected by the Himmarshee Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution 1929 and it was restored in 2005. The first fort was in what is now Maj. William Lauderdale Park in Sailboat Bend. Major William Lauderdale was born in Virginia. He was a land holder and slave owner in Tennessee. He served under Andrew Jackson. In 1838 Major Lauderdale was in his 50's and a Veteran of the War of 1812 and the First Seminole War. The Major and a group of 200 Tennessee Volunteers were posted to the area after the outbreak of the Second Seminole War. The troops marched from Fort Jupiter down what is known as Military Trail in Palm Beach and called Powerline Rd. in Broward County. Pioneer William Cooley's wife, children, and tutor had been massacred two years earlier on their New River settlement and the army had been sent to hunt for Seminole leader Sam Jones. Lauderdale chased Jones to his hiding place at Pine Island at the North Fork of the New River. A battle took place that resulted in one soldier hurting his finger. Sam Jones was able to hide in Everglades with 200 of his people. The result of the Seminole's escape was that they are the only tribe to never sign a peace treaty with the U. S. Government. The fort was abandoned 3 months later and by the time troops returned, they found it had burned down to the ground. Lauderdale considered his job completed and he left to go back to Tennessee. He never returned to the area that bore his name. Instead he died of a lung condition on the way home to Tennessee in army barracks in Louisiana one month after leaving South Florida. The Seminoles now own the Hard Rock empire.

The Hollywood Historical Society is a non profit organization, founded in 1974 for the purpose of…read morecollecting, preserving, and educating the public about the history of Hollywood, Florida. They are located in the historic Hammerstein House on Polk Street where they operate a research center that has over 20,000 pieces in it's collection. There is a small store at the research center that sells photos, postcards, and books. They also give free tours of the Hammerstein House on first Sunday of the month, October through May, from 1:00-4:00 PM. On the events page of their website you can see the dates for their lecture series as well as an upcoming lunch on January 19th at the Tropical Acres Steak House. Also on their website is a great printable tour map that gives you a self guided walking tour of historic places along the beach and in the downtown. I love what the historical society is doing to preserve the history in Hollywood. It is always fun to discover on of the plaques they have installed on a building and read about the history of the place. You can support the historical society by becoming a member, making a donation, or serving as a docent at the Hammerstein House.

My 1400th year I saved this milestone review for this organization that I have been a Lifetime…read moremember of since moving to Hollywood 19 years ago. This is a wonderful organization that's mission is preserving and protecting Hollywood's history. The headquarters is located a short walk from my home on the Southside of the golf course, on Polk street in the historic district of Hollywood Lakes. The Hammerstein House was donated to the City by the Hammerstein's who have a great love for this city as well as no children to pass the property down to. The Historic Society rents the property on a 99 year lease for $1. per year. There is free tours given of the home first Sunday of the month from October through May. The historic details are magnificent such as the Cuban tile that is original to the home as well as the grand archways. The kitchen has cabinets that reach up to the top of the ceiling and it really lent itself as a place for entertaining. The grounds have beautiful greenery and lush trees. As a past President I had my own home featured on the Annual Historic Home Tour. That year we featured the homes of Northlake which also included the Hollywood Women's Club that is located around the corner from my home across from the Hollywood Beach Resort and Country Club. I highly recommend you stopping by the home for a tour as well as learn more about the City of Hollywood's fascinating history as well as former residents that called Hollywood their home.

The Link Trainer Building #8 marker is part of the Florida Historical Marker Program, one of the…read moreDivision of Historical Resources' most popular and valued public history programs. It raises awareness of Florida's cultural history while enhancing the enjoyment of historic sites for residents and tourists. The historic markers tell the stories of the people and places that were important to Florida's history and they can be found in front of schools, roads, archaeological sites, battlefields, cemeteries, churches, colleges, historic districts, and historic buildings like this one. Historic marker F-878 was installed in 2015 by the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Historical Association and the Florida Department of State. The Ft. Lauderdale Naval Air Station Museum is housed in Link Trainer Building #8 built in 1942. It was one of 200 buildings built at the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale on Merle Fogg Field to teach aviators how to fly torpedo bombers for combat during WWII. In 1943 when he was nineteen, pilot Ensign George H.W. Bush who later served as president of the United States, trained here. Link Trainer #8 was moved on May 20, 1998 from it's former location to where it sits now on perimeter road. In 1979 Allan McElhiney, a WWII sailor founded the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Historical Association. McElhiney along with other naval history enthusiasts were able to have the link building added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. They worked to save the building from demolition and in 1999 Broward County commissioner Lori Parish was able to get a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Transportation Department which allowed the building to be saved and refurbished as a museum. If you have not visited this museum I highly recommend it. it contains a treasure trove of military history including the story of Flight 19. On December 5, 1945, during a routine training mission the flight of five Avengers disappeared into what became known as the Bermuda Triangle. Link Trainer Building #8 is the only building left from the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale and this is the only military museum in Broward County.

In Cooley Landing in Sailboat Bend you will a boat ramp and a picnic pavilion but there is also a…read moremarker standing witness to an important piece of Ft. Lauderdale history that took place here. This monument marks the site where the William Cooley Plantation one stood. Arriving in 1824, William Cooley was one of the first pioneers of the New River Settlement now known as Ft. Lauderdale. He became wealthy with an arrowroot plantation and he traded with Seminole and Creek nations nearby. In 1835, white settlers killed a Creek chief named Alibama and were acquitted. The Creek blamed Cooley for this injustice and when he was away for business in Key West the Creek entered the plantation on January 6, 1836 and killed Cooley's wife, infant son, son, daughter, and the children's tutor. The house was set on fire. The Cooley massacre sparked the Second Seminole War. The army established the first Fort Lauderdale in 1838. The eventual outcome was the Indian Removal Act where the native people were forced out of Florida to the west on the Trail of Tears. It is believed that the massacre was committed by the creek but the settlers in the area could not distinguish between the Creek and the Seminoles. Led by chief Abiaka, the remaining 200 Seminoles fled to Pine Island Ridge where they were able to outlast the army. Cooley left Ft. Lauderdale but lived in Florida until his death. There is another marker dedicated in 1934 in Cooley Hammock Park near Las Olas Boulevard that says it was the site of the Cooley Plantation. It has now been established that this information is not correct but the neighborhood did not want the marker removed. The correct location is Cooley Landing and this marker was installed in 1993 by the City of Ft. Lauderdale. .

I didn't even know this beautiful community center existed but I discovered during a flea market…read moresale held in the parking lot. The center's construction began in June 2018, and it was completed in 2020, earning LEED v4.1 Gold certification for Existing Buildings. I got a chance to check out the inside and was impressed of the building. This community center in Cresthaven is named after Charlotte Burrie, a former Commissioner and Vice Mayor. She was an advocate for building a community center in the Cresthaven neighborhood of Pompano Beach. She served as a city commissioner from 2007 until 2018. The community center has an lobby and reception area, administrative offices, small conference room, auditorium with stage and dressing rooms, warming kitchen and two multi-purpose activity rooms. Programs held here include line dancing, Silver Sneakers, yoga, bunco, karate, jazzercise, and Zumba classes. There is also a community board game night. There are flyers for all kinds of events posted in the community center and a listing of dates and times on the website. This community center serves as a hub for cultural, civic, and recreational activities in a building that was designed with a focus on accessibility and functionality. Community centers provide inclusive spaces for diverse groups to meet, learn, and grow which reduces the feeling of isolation while empowering community members with skills. Providing affordable recreational and wellness programs is a vital component of a communities well being and the Charlotte Burrie Community Center does an excellent job of meeting this need.

Fun place. Fun activities. Good people. Nick Lazazzara is…read morethe best. Nothing more I really needs to be said.