Travel Log – Fort Pickens

PENSACOLA, Fla., (Sept. 13, 2023) – Fort Pickens defended Pensacola Bay for over 100 years, serving through a radical development in military technology that saw smooth-bore cannons swiftly give way to aerial bombardments and missiles. Fort Pickens began its martial life as part of the Third System of seacoast fortifications. This military construction boom resulted … Continue reading Travel Log – Fort Pickens

New Short Takes Video – The Blackwater River!

New Short Takes video: https://youtu.be/MRNhFpTMzxY The Blackwater River is one of northwest Florida’s hidden gems. The state’s Blackwater State Park and Blackwater State Forest preserve the largest contiguous stretch of long-needle pine and wire grass forest in the world. Canoe, kayaking, and tubing are popular ways to explore this quiet stretch of pristine Florida wilderness! … Continue reading New Short Takes Video – The Blackwater River!

Travel Log: Natural Bridge, or ‘Oh, Crap; There It Is!’

(Bowie, Maryland; Nov. 28, 2021) – I’ve been struck dumb with breathlessly overwhelming awe at my first sight of natural formations four times in my life now. The first time was the sight of Uluru (formerly Ayres Rock) when I visited Australia in 2004. The great, red sandstone giant rising from the flat Australian Outback … Continue reading Travel Log: Natural Bridge, or ‘Oh, Crap; There It Is!’

Travel Log: A Diamond in the Rough

(Niceville, Florida; Apr. 27, 2018) Hi’iaka (“he-ee ah-ka”) was the younger sister of Pele, the goddess of volcanoes. As these divine siblings searched for a permanent home, they crossed many islands. On one, which would eventually be known as the “Gathering Place,” they saw a circular mountain on a prominent headland that, when viewed from … Continue reading Travel Log: A Diamond in the Rough