Lake City Road Trip #1

Historic house in North Florida featured on the Lake City road trip overview, with the words “Lake City Trip – For Business and Pleasure” overlaid on the image.

A three-day North Florida journey built from one simple errand, a lot of extra time, and more detours than expected Some road trips begin with a carefully chosen destination. Others begin because somebody needs paperwork signed. This was definitely the second kind. What started as a simple weekend trip to Lake City, Florida, quickly turned … Read more

The Dreka Building: The Hidden History Behind a Downtown DeLand Landmark

Bronze James H. Ford Building dedication plaque on the historic Dreka Building in downtown DeLand, Florida.

Sometimes history announces itself with a towering monument, a roadside marker, or a museum filled with artifacts. And sometimes it quietly hangs a little bronze plaque on the side of a building and waits for somebody nosy enough to stop and read it. Hi. I’m somebody. In May 2026, I was wandering through downtown DeLand, … Read more

Cabo Rojo Salt Flats: The 500-Year-Old Industry Hidden Beside the Road

A panoramic view of the pink evaporation ponds at the Cabo Rojo Salt Flats in southwestern Puerto Rico, with white salt beds, coastal vegetation, and the Caribbean Sea visible in the distance.

Some of the most unforgettable places aren’t the ones you planned to visit. They’re the ones you almost drive right past. That afternoon in Puerto Rico, my son and I had one destination in mind: the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse. As we wound through the island’s southwest corner with my parents, the conversation drifted from retirement … Read more

The Jefferson Davis Memorial Historic Site: Why This Georgia Landmark Tells the Story of Defeat

Georgia historical marker at the Jefferson Davis Memorial Historic Site in Irwinville, marking the location where Confederate President Jefferson Davis was captured in May 1865.

Some historic places celebrate victories. Others preserve tragedies. And then there are places like the Jefferson Davis Memorial Historic Site in Irwin County, Georgia—a place that many people misunderstand before they ever step onto the grounds. When Dusty and I visited during our drive home from our unforgettable Milledgeville adventure, I expected to find another … Read more