Just finished ‘Floridian of the Century: The Courage of Governor LeRoy Collins’. I really looked forward to this book that came out earlier this year. This is the first real book about who is considered our best Governor. I especially liked that Martin Dyckman is the author. He was a cracker jack columnist for the St. Petersburg Times for decades. I was certain this book would be excellent. I was wrong.

I’d love to write this was just a project lacking a good editor. The book is just poorly written. Everything from run-on sentences to a last name with no reference as to what the first name is or who the person is. Making it all worse is Dyckman writing of the complex segregation issue. With the style in which this book was written it’s pretty tough to follow the history.

There are parts that are coherent. Those are great to read. Especially when Dyckman quotes others.

Helping me get through the book is my knowledge of Florida history. Often when things didn’t make sense, I could rely on my memory. Others not knowing our state’s history will probably find it extremely difficult to finish the book.

Dyckman has proven himself a great writer with his columns. I sure hope someday he’ll write a book that reflects those.

Sandra’s been hiking around Lake Okeechobee as part of the annual nine day ‘Big O’ hike. All of the hikers gather for Thanksgiving dinner at the 1938 Clewiston Inn in Clewiston. Click here to learn more about this hotel in the middle of sugar country.

I picked up my father and we headed down to join Sandra and the Thanksgiving feast with the hikers in the Clewiston Inn restaurant. The room was full with just under a hundred folks. The food was terrific.

We stayed overnight at the Inn and the next morning had a wonderful breakfast in the Inn’s restaurant. On the left is a drawing of part of the fireplace that is in the restaurant.

After years of many working hard to bring back the Belleview Biltmore in Belleair, success was seen this past Summer when the Legg/Mason Investment Group bought the hotel. It was furthered today when plans were unveiled for the restoring of the largest occupied wooden structure in the world. The photo above shows the principles of the presentation: Joseph Penner of Legg/Mason, John Hildreth of the National Trust for Histroic Preservation’s Southern office and Governor Charlie Crist.

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Here’s a waiter that was serving various snacks at the presentation.
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That evening there was a more formal presentation of the plans at the Biltmore in the Tiffany Room by the architects with lots of food and drink. I made the mistake of offering to entertain by drawing caricatures and drew non-stop from before the presentation until I was the last one in the room hours later. Oops!

Below is Fritz and his subdued reaction to his caricature that night.

Decided to read this because of our Daytona Beach trip. It’s a very good history of the Daytona 500. If you would like to learn about the histories of the various legends of those who’ve won the Daytona 500here it is. I’d love to have known more about all of Daytona Beach and it’s interaction with the speedway or what happened at the speedway in between the Daytona 500s. Really this book should be named ‘Daytona 500’ .

It’s still very good with heart tugging momments.

It was a late lunch stop for us at the historic Billy’s Tap Room. What a great place. wooden interior and terrific atmosphere. Learn more here!

Instead of my art decorating this post, I’ll include a photo of a painting by the legendary Jack Davis that hangs on the Tap Room wall. Sorry for the glare. The pasiting is right beside a front window (Not a good place for art). If I could’ve walked through the wall and glass I could’ve gotten rid of the glare.

We stopped at Tomoka State Park near Ormond Beach. This park has a very interesting history. Learn more here. Here are some photos.

We stopped at this great Greek owned restaurant for breakfast. I forget the name and didn’t write it down. I’ll add it later. Sorry for the black and white images. The schedule has gotten pretty full.

After a brunch with cartoonist friends we made our way to New Smyrna Beach. We walked Canal Street to see what might have changed since we were last in the area.  Then we made our way to Flagler Street in an area we hadn’t been before. There we found many gems. Amongst them was the Riverview Hotel. A drawing of part of the building is above. For more info. click here.

Later that evening Georgia Turner of Volusia County Tourism joined us again and we all had dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp which is directly adjacent to the famous Daytona Beach Bandshell. Below is a drawing I made from our table in the restaurant. Learn more about this great structure by clicking here.

We made our way to Volusia County for two reasons. One was my National Cartoonists Society Florida Chapter meeting. The other was how we started the four day trip, an update of one of Sandra’s travel guides. We met one of Volusia County’s tourism folks, Georgia Turner, on Beach Street and had lunch and roamed up and down the shopping area.

Amongst the shops on Beach Street is the Halifax Historical Museum. Considering other historical museums in the state, this is one of the best. Set in an old bank the museum deftly strides through such diverse histories as the Civil War, tourism and auto racing.

Above is a drawing of binoculars used by one of the most famous of the rumrunners in Florida, Bill McCoy.

Later I joined other Floirda Chapter members at a charity eveny, ‘Cartoonists and Cocktails’. Unfortunately for me it wasn’t called ‘Cartoonists and Milkshakes’. I have no photos of the event in which we all drew for the audience.

I do have a photo from later that evening where we all gathered in a hospitality suite. Below is ‘Mother Goose and Grimm’s Mike Peters draws Grimmy.

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From Sanford we swung over to one of the biggest arts and crafts show in the Southeast, ‘Fiesta in the Park’ in Orlando at Lake Eola. I helped with the mad rush of artisans turning in cash and checking out. I had to put on my mathematical hat and make sure I put the right envelopes and cash in the right places. Sandra parked the car and made her way to where I was and did her best stay out of the way as the show was closing all around her.

Nell Atkins is the leader and primary organizer of the entire event and has been for many, many years. She is incredible. No bureaucratic nightmares. No stifling egos. She handles this gigantic effort with grace and sure-sightedness. Way too many events are handled more and more by the immature control freak mentality. Especially by younger folks. Event organizers would do themselves well by observing Nell’s ability to pulloff a world-class event.

Nell brought out the piece that got the Best-Of-Show Award. The title is ‘Gnome Home’. It’s made of camphor and has an unbelievable amount of drawers carved into it. One drawer opens to 4 that opens to 2 that… Well, you get the idea. Gary Smith, of Melbourne, is the sculptor. He said it took him FOUR YEARS to carve. That’s patience. IF I don’t get a piece of art finished in 15 MINUTES I get antsy! The drawing above is of the ‘Gnome Home’.