Fort Butler: The Forgotten Seminole War Fort I Found by Accident

Historic Florida marker for Fort Butler, a Seminole War fort built in 1838 along the St. Johns River near Astor, Florida.

There are two kinds of road trips. The ones where you stick to the itinerary… …and the ones where a random historical marker sends you down a rabbit hole you never expected. This was definitely the second kind. I was on my way to visit Bulow Plantation Ruins when I spotted a historical marker along … Read more

The Florida Museum That Sparked My Love of Florida History

Front entrance of the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science in Cocoa, Florida, with the museum sign displayed above the glass entrance doors.

Some field trips teach you something new. Others quietly change the direction of your life. When I decided to homeschool my son, one of the things I looked forward to most was getting out of the classroom. Instead of simply reading about history and science, we could experience them together. That’s exactly how trips like … Read more

Florida’s Secret Time Capsule Village: Walking Through Barberville Pioneer Settlement

Historic Barberville Central High School building at Barberville Pioneer Settlement in Florida beneath a bright blue sky with large white clouds and an old school bell in the foreground.

There are places that feel preserved. And then there are places that feel rescued. The road into Barberville Pioneer Settlement narrows beneath sprawling live oaks draped in Spanish moss, the kind of old Florida canopy that makes the world feel quieter before you even arrive. The modern world slowly slips into the rearview mirror. Traffic … Read more

We Found a 150-Year-Old Ghost Town Hidden in a Florida Wilderness

Weathered entrance sign for Ethel Cemetery, established in 1880, standing beside a grassy field within Rock Springs Run State Reserve in Florida.

Some Places Refuse to Be Forgotten Most people visit Rock Springs Run State Reserve for the hiking trails, wildlife, and beautiful Florida wilderness. We came looking for a ghost town. Hidden beneath towering pines and miles of sandy trails lies the forgotten community of Ethel, Florida. Once home to pioneering families, a railroad stop, a … Read more

The Road to Milledgeville: Baby Gators, Free Juice, and the Chaos of Old Florida

Baby alligator resting on a rock inside a display tank at a Florida Citrus Center roadside attraction.

Some road trips begin with a carefully crafted itinerary. Others begin with free orange juice and a complete collapse of self-control. Our first dedicated trip to Milledgeville, Georgia, was supposed to be simple: leave Florida, make minimal stops, and get straight to the historic town that had been quietly calling us back ever since our … Read more

Fort Armstrong: The Forgotten Fort Built After the Dade Massacre

Historic monument and interpretive map marking the site of Fort Armstrong near Dade Battlefield in Florida, surrounded by palmettos, moss-draped oaks, and dense Florida wilderness beneath a bright blue sky.

Florida doesn’t always reveal its history easily. Sometimes it hides it beneath pine needles, roadside traffic, and stretches of land that seem too quiet to have witnessed anything terrible at all. The road near Dade Battlefield Historic State Park looks ordinary now—just another patch of rural Florida where palmettos sway beneath the morning sun and … Read more

Dampier Cemetery: A Forgotten Story Beneath the Oaks

Historic Dampier Cemetery in Inverness, Florida beneath a large live oak tree draped in Spanish moss, with scattered pioneer gravestones in a quiet rural setting.

There are places you plan to visit… And then there are places that find you. I wasn’t looking for a cemetery that day. I was just trying to get my truck aligned—prepping for an upcoming road trip, mind already miles down the road. But while I waited, something across the street caught my attention. A … Read more

Jeep Cave: A Curious Hollow Hidden in the Withlacoochee

Entrance of Jeep Cave framed by roots and limestone in the Withlacoochee Forest.

Some places don’t announce themselves — they just sit quietly in the woods, waiting for someone curious enough to look twice. Jeep Cave is one of those places. A small limestone hideout tucked deep in the Withlacoochee Forest, it feels less like a destination and more like a secret you stumble into on a wandering … Read more

Dames Cave & Peace Cave: The Echo Under the Earth

Some places whisper their stories. These caves?They echo them. Deep in the Withlacoochee Forest, two sinkholes carved into Florida’s limestone belly — Dames Cave and Peace Cave — wait like open mouths in the earth. Their edges are framed in ferns, roots dangle like veins, and the ground drops away without warning. These are some … Read more

Florida State Hospital: Florida’s Most Haunted History Book

Florida State Mental Hospital

Chattahoochee, FloridaMay 25, 2025 | by Ki If Florida had a psychiatric hospital with main-character energy, this would be it.Tucked into the sleepy river town of Chattahoochee, Florida State Hospital is where Southern Gothic meets institutional history—where red brick walls still whisper stories of arsenals, asylums, and everything in between. And yes—some people say it’s … Read more