Stephen Travels

Tag Archives: Florida


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Guiding Lights

Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse, Baltimore, Maryland

Sentinels of the sea. Lighthouses have been around for a while. A long, long time, actually. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was the Lighthouse of Alexandria in Egypt, completed around 246 BC. Since then, they’ve been protecting sailors around the world, evolving from simple fires atop a hill to sturdy structures that can withstand the fiercest weather and are equipped with powerful modern technology. Critically important, and fun to visit, lighthouses have long fascinated me with their relevance, their loneliness, and their unique beauty. Read about the top five lighthouses >


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Bank on It

Skanenbanken, Stockholm, SwedenOn a daily basis, there’s little need to go into a bank anymore. You can do practically everything online, and, when you need cash, you just stop at an ATM. There’s even less of a need when you’re on vacation. However, some of the most beautiful buildings I’ve been to are banks, and they deserve some special attention. If you want to be impressed by architectural beauty, visiting them is simply money in the bank. Read about the top five bank buildings >


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Art Deco Gems of Albert Anis

Avalon Hotel, Miami Beach, FloridaNestled comfortably between New York and Tulsa as one of the best Art Deco cities in the United States, Miami Beach also has one of the country’s best historic districts. The short-lived Art Deco movement in the United States lasted only about 15 years, until World War II virtually killed it. But before this terrific style was beginning to fade, Miami Beach, rebounding from the devastating Great Miami Hurricane of 1926, capitalized on this architectural trend. Many of its now iconic buildings, especially the low-rise hotels, owe their very existence to one man, architect Albert Anis. Read about his top five works >


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Feeling Blue

Urn, Lightner MuseumSuffering from the winter blues? Then turn your attention from the figurative blues to the literal ones and you’ll be much happier. Around the world, the coolest color has the ability to awe us. It’s also the color that can best calm us down. Just look at the sky or a tranquil sea and you’re already feeling better. But nature doesn’t hold a monopoly on blue. There are some outstanding manmade objects that equally do the trick. Read about the top five blues >


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Fired Up

Royal Palace, Stirling Castle, Stirling, ScotlandOn a cold evening in late October in Granville, Ohio, I entered my accommodation, the Granville Inn, where the flames in the lobby fireplace greeted me and started to thaw me out, exorcising the chill from my body. With the northern half of the globe now ensconced in the winter season, I’m warmed by that memory. Amid all the snow and ice and freezing temperatures, one of the most welcome sights is a fire—well, a contained fire, such as in a fireplace, particularly a wood-burning fireplace, where you can become mesmerized by the dancing flames and the snap, crackle, and pop of the logs as they burn. Even without Christmas stockings that were hung there with care, fireplaces always provide a warm welcome. Read about the top five fireplaces >


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When Your College Dorm Used to Be a Hotel for the Super Rich

Dining Room, Flagler CollegeOn my way to a wedding farther south in Florida, I stopped for a few days in St. Augustine, one of that spectacular triumvirate of architecturally grand cities in the Southeast. I had already been to Charleston, South Carolina, and I’ve been to Savannah, Georgia, three times. St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States (founded in 1565), was the standout, and I was thrilled to finally visit it. One of its many highlights is the incredible main building of Flagler College. Formerly a majestic hotel, it now functions mostly as a dorm. It’s still so beautiful that it offers tours not only to prospective students, but to the general public, and it’s filled with an abundance of treats and secrets. Read about it >


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The Best of Florida’s Churches

Memorial Presbyterian Church, St. Augustine, FloridaConsidering that Florida was claimed for the Spanish crown and received its name from “Pasqua Florida” (Easter Flower), and that the oldest continuously occupied settlement of European origin (founded in 1565, way before Plymouth Rock) was named for a Christian saint (St. Augustine), it’s no wonder that I came across plenty of beautiful churches across the state. When you’re traveling around the Sunshine State, you’ll want to duck into these structures, not only to escape the heat and humidity, but also to admire some beautiful art and architecture and to experience some very long histories. Read about the top five churches in Florida >


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Get Your Mojo Back at Mojo BBQ

Mojo BBQ, St. Augustine, FloridaAfter an exceptional Mexican dinner at the bustling Casa Reina, I found myself at the more subdued Mojo BBQ the following evening. Also located in the historic district of St. Augustine, Mojo BBQ can definitely satisfy any discerning carnivore, as evidenced by its expansion to eight locations across Florida. And, unless you’re here on a night with live music, it comes with some fairly quiet neighbors. Read about it >


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A Historic B&B in America’s Oldest City

Just a block or two from the heart of the historic district in St. Augustine, Florida, four bed and breakfasts stand next to each other on the same quiet street. By chance, I selected Penny Farthing Inn, a Victorian inn built as a private home back in 1893. It’s a cheery, peaceful B&B with an accommodating host, some delicious breakfasts, and a wonderfully noise-free night to enhance your slumber. Read about it >


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Seeing Red

Japanese maple treeRed is an extreme color. For many, it’s all about love and passion. What would Valentine’s Day be without red roses or red heart-shaped boxes of candy, presented by the revered red-blooded American, perhaps, in some cases, to his red-hot mama? Those emotions, however, can lead to danger, another of the color’s associations—The Scarlet Letter, for instance, or stop signs and stoplights and code reds. You’ll see red if you’re angry and overheated, and if you’re a politician on the rise, you’ll need to don the requisite red power tie. But not everything red is so intense. Plenty of red things around the world have nothing to do with its common links, and they’ll make an equally strong impression on you. Read about the top five reds >