Dexters Thornton Park

Saturday night’s are a good time to get out for some nightlife, a Cajun snack on the patio of Crooked Bayou then head inside for some great music and a cocktail be sure to head down the hall to Suite B’s and Cleo’s for more of O-Town’s best music. On such a beautiful night its always a good time at one of Orlando’s roof top bars, Sky 60 on Orange ave. or Latitudes on Church St.

Crooked Bayou

Sundays are a great time to head Downtown listening to Real Radio 104.1’s “Sunday Morning Coming Down” and stop in at the Farmers Market next to Lake Eola for the freshest organic produce. The smells, colors and sounds of Sunday at the Farmers Market in Downtown Orlando will draw you down to take a walk around Lake Eola. As you walk around Lake Eola you will be treated to one of the best vantage points of Orlando’s skyline the amphitheater and the Lake Eola Fountain . Get some Ice Cream at The Relax Grill, sit down on one of the park benches enjoy the wonderful autumn weather and the sites of Downtown Orlando Florida.

My Great Aunt Nancy just reminded me of  how  privileged we are as Floridians to be able to take a short drive to see a shuttle launch and even more spectacular a night launch. I have relatives who live all over the United States and they have never seen a shuttle launch other than on the news. Some have dreamed of taking the trip all their lives and even if they finally made it to Florida hoping to be lucky enough to time their trip just right more times than not have miss out because of the ever common scrub. I myself have made several trips enduring the 45min drive and the traffic back, nothing compared to the countless travelers that have made the journey to Florida from all over the world to see and in some way be a part of these amazing pieces of history.  With I believe only five more Shuttle launches left in the current schedule these opportunities are coming to an end so if you ever wanted to see one no matter where you are you should consider making the trip to witness one in person.

I arrived in Titusville about an hour before lift off and wedged my truck in between two other vehicles right up to the edge of the shore. I walked down to the water and set up my camera hoping to get a good photograph. It was exciting sitting on the bank of the inter-coastal waterway just across from Discovery on the launch pad. The spot lights lit her up and beamed past her toward her destination. The clouds in the sky behind Discovery kept threatening the launch with lightning only adding to the suspense.

Discovery STS-128 Night Launch

Discovery STS-128 in flight

Then the moment came. People were starting the count-down 5min,3min,1min,5,4,3,2,1 you started seeing the fire and smoke bellowing out from under her as the light quickly grew to the intensity of a sunrise. Discovery was off of the launch pad and gaining speed, quickly rising into the night sky. The site was doubled by the reflection in the water. Everyone was cheering and yet Discovery was still quietly thrusting skyward til her tremendous rumble finally made the 11mile trip to our ears and our chest. As you watched Discovery get smaller and smaller until you see the flash of the boosters break free and start to fall back to earth. Another beautiful and successful launch.

Wow what an amazing experience, worth all of the scrubs and traffic!

I can’t wait to do it again!

1906 House in The Dow Museum Of Historic Homes

1910 House in The Dow Museum Of Historic Homes

I was told Harry’s was a good place to get some dinner.  April, the bartender was a delight to chat with, she told me that Harry’s was on the Haunted pub tour and everyone always seemed to be having a great time.  After getting our tickets and stickers we were off to the first stop everyone hit the bar and went inside to hear our first tale of the night!  Sara our tour guide was wonderful she was really into the stories and new a lot of history about each location and St Augustine.  It was a really fun group  as we went from pub to pub and heard story after story everyone got to know each other and we all had a great time, we even stuck together after the tour and went to a couple of more night spots.

Good Morning I am Driving up the East coast of Florida along A1A heading to St Augustine Florida. I will be taking Photos along the way and sharing them with you over the next couple of days so check back often and follow me on twitter.

What a beautiful start to a wonderful drive! I left at 5am and made it to Ormond beach just north of Daytona and got this shot of the sunrise. This is a drive I have taken a few times, it is a wonderful drive along the coast with small towns and sites along the way. I am looking forward to what this trip will bring…

Sunrise Ormond Beach Florida

8am

As I entered into Flagler county I seen a few Dolphins playing in the surf so I quickly pulled over reached back and grabbed my camera and just as I was about to open my door a motorcycle cop pulled right up to my door, lights flashing and says “No Parking zone move along!” He scared the shit out of me! He then politely tells me I can park just down the road all day if I like.

Just a few miles up the road I see the Flagler Pier, the waves look good and the surfers are enjoying them, there are several people fishing off the pier, all a silhouette with the morning sun. I got out and watched for a minuet and took this photo of a boy watching the surfers.

Boy at Flagler Beach Pier

10am

I arrived at the St Augustine lighthouse around 10am as a keeper was doing some light maintenance.

St. Augustine was the site of the first lighthouse established in Florida by the new, territorial, American Government in 1824. According to some archival records and maps, this “official” American lighthouse was placed on the site of an earlier watchtower built by the Spanish as early as the late 16th century.  read more…

St Augustine Lighthouse

I crossed over the Matanzas River on the temporary bridge next to The Bridge of Lions.

The Bridge of Lions is a bascule bridge that spans the Intracoastal Waterway in St. Augustine, Florida. A part of State Road A1A, it connects downtown St. Augustine to Anastasia Island. Lions made of marble used to guard the bridge, begun in 1925 and completed in 1927 across Matanzas Bay. The lions were removed in February 2005, and are expected to return about five years from that date.read more…

The Bridge of Lions

Anna Maria Island, an idyllic barrier island on Florida’s Gulf Coast, is an undiscovered gem that offers you miles of magnificent white sand beaches, without towering condos, noisy traffic and a throng of tourists. Anna Maria is comprised of three small-town communities: Anna Maria;  Holmes Beach;  and Bradenton Beach.  This laid back and low key community is a perfect backdrop for some R&R.

Imagine dining at a beach-side restaurant in December and listening to a guy on guitar singing Christmas songs while watching the glorious sun melt into the horizon. Or simply walk along the beach at low tide to discover a wealth of sand dollars and other exquisite shells. read more..

From May through October in Florida, sea turtles come ashore to nest. Anna Maria Island is one of the many places in Florida that sea turtles nest on the beaches. Protection of the sea turtles is an important aspect of the island culture, and information and training is available for tourists and locals in abundance. Manatees are also frequent summer visitors at Anna Maria Island, and similarly, the Manatee is held in great reverence by islanders. A subspecies of the Indian Manatee, these herbivores call Anna Maria Island their summer vacation home. The entire island is a bird sanctuary, and pelicans, multiple types of cranes and herons, wild parrots, sand pipers, hawks, vultures, seagulls, and crows share the island with humans. readmore…

Posted by David McRee at BlogTheBeach.com…I recently spent some time on Holmes Beach, near 30th Avenue, with Suzi Fox and several dedicated Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch volunteers. The evening’s mission was to examine several turtle nests that had recently hatched to determine how successful the hatch was. This particular nest was originally deemed to be too close to the water’s edge, so the volunteers moved it higher up on the beach near the dune. 92 eggs were counted when the nest was moved.  After excavation, 91 eggs were accounted for, 12 of which did not hatch. So this was a successful nest. read more…

Jenn’s Travel Close Up…I am always looking for good getaway spots. Somewhere you can go to just relax, eat some good food, sit on a beach and just get away from it all. Granted I do enjoy busy vacations full of historic sites and things to do, but lately, I have really enjoyed just sitting back relaxing and watching the waves come in. Anna Maria Island, near Bradenton Florida, just outside of Sarasota, looks like a good candidate. Unfortunately the day we went, it rained…all day. No sitting on the white sugar sand beach for us, no strolls along the surf looking for shells. But we were not to be deterred. We came for relaxation and a nice day trip, so we were just going to have to make the best of it, by eating our way through Anna Maria Island. read more…

Florida offers Biking and Hiking trails featuring very scenic views of untouched natural Florida, you can bike through Downtown Winter Garden or along Miami’s South Beach. Hiking trails offer many levels of experience from small trails through Wekiwa Springs State Park or the Florida Trail that stretches 1400 miles, and everything in between.Canoeing and Kayaking is probably one of the best ways to see Florida’s hidden beauty from small spring fed day trips to paddling through 10,000 Islands in theEverglades to paddling across Florida Bay and all through the Florida Keys. If you are into camping whether it’s in a tent or your own comfortable RV you can camp in secluded Ocala National Forest or camp right on the beach in the Florida Keys, there is hundreds of wonderful sites in Florida for camping.

I seem to be drawn to the water (like many people) Lakes, Rivers, and of course the Ocean and Gulf with their beautiful Beaches, that  is one of the things that make Florida such a beautiful place there is so much water around and through this beautiful state. Through my travels I have discovered some great places, restaurants, hotels, and campgrounds that I would like to share with you.

Getaways by Design is my way of sharing this with you and help you find your own wonderful Florida adventures. Whether you are from Florida looking for a weekend getaway, or you are planing to visit Florida and design your own unforgettable Florida vacation.

Check back often I will be adding new content regularly. I will also be Inviting other Florida Photographers to become contributors so we can create an extensive and beautiful Library of Great Florida Getaways for you to enjoy and find a new adventure every weekend.

Marcus Adkins