Jess' Journeys // I want to live under the live oaks

Cheryl's View // Coral Castle Museum - Homestead, Florida

My daughter and I visited the Coral Castle in early September. The castle wasn't quite what I expected or where I expected it to be. I thought that the castle would be much larger and farther outside of town. The Coral Castle sits at an intersection right as you come into town, and it was very easy to find. I have to say that even though it wasn't as large as I had envisioned it to be, it is still an a very interesting place to visit.

The castle is the creation of Ed Leedskainin and was dedicated to the love of his life Agnus Scuffs, his "Sweet Sixteen". Ed was born in Latvia in 1887. In 1913, he was engaged to be married to Agnus, but the day before the wedding, she decided that she didn't want to marry him because he was too old. The story goes that he wandered around for a while and took odd jobs. He lived and worked in Canada, California, and Texas. Sometime between 1918 and 1920, Ed was misdiagnosed with Tuberculosis, so he moved to Florida in search of a better climate, because in the early 1900's that was the treatment for his condition. Ed died in December 1951 of cancer.

When you take a look around, you can't help but be amazed by how a man that was only 5 feet tall and weighed about 100 pounds managed to single-handedly carve and sculpt over 1,100 tons of coral stone to build the Coral Castle.

The Coral Castle was originally known as "Rock Gate Park" and was located in Florida City before being moved about 10 miles to Homestead, Florida. Ed decided that he need to move the castle when he heard a new subdivision was planned near the original castle location. Ed was a very private person. He even worked on the castle mostly at night with lantern light because didn't want anyone to see him work. 

The cost of admission to "Rock Gate Park" was only ten cents. When Ed moved the castle to Homestead in 1936 he raised the cost of admission to 25 cents. Ed always kept the castle gates locked. There was a sign that said "ring twice". If you rang the bell twice, and he wasn't busy working, he would let you in.  If you rang more or less than that, they say he would ignore you.


 Ed was quite the craftsman. He made rocking chairs that weighed almost 1,000 pounds each, and they actually rocked.  He made the BBQ cooker, which is part cooker and part oven. The pot for the cooker is made from a rear end from an old ford and hangs on a pulley system. When he was cooking, he would slide the oven over the fire pit.

He made the "Feast of Love" table, which is a 5,000 pound heart shaped table. Ed planted the Ixora plant in the center of the table because he loved flowers. The original Ixora plant is still in the center of the table. He also built several other things to like the Throne Room, Sun Couch, Repentance Corner, Florida Table, Grotto of the Three Bears  and many others.
He also had a great interest in the Astrology. He carved a Polaris Telescope, Sun Dial, and Moon Fountain. The East wall is dedicated to the planets, Mars and Saturn as well as the Crescent Moon. 

 Ed also made sure that he has the necessities. He dug himself a well. He used the well not only for water, but to keep his food cool. Ed also carved himself a bathroom. Early in the mornings, he would fill his concrete sealed bathtub with water from his well and let the sunlight warm the water to his desired temperature before bathing in the afternoons.


You will also see what they claim is Ed's most astonishing achievement, the "Nine Ton Gate". The gate weighs in at 18,000 pounds and measures 180" wide, 92" tall, and 21" thick. Until recently, it was able to be moved using only one finger. The gate has been examined by several engineers and scientists, and they haven't been able to figure out how he managed to balance such an uneven shape.

Jess' Journeys // FDR's Little White House - Warm Springs, Georgia

When Franklin Delano Roosevelt was diagnosed with polio at the age of 39, one of the few things that helped ease the pain was immersion in warm water. As the popular thing to do at that point in time for the well-to-do was to visit Georgia on vacations, he visited the city of Warm Springs in 1924, having no doubt heard about their natural springs. The resort he visited was not the greatest, but with a town boasting an 88-degree natural spring, how could he resist? He actually continued to visit the town every year (except 1942) from 1924 until his death in 1945.

Eventually, FDR bought the resort he had visited and turned it into the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation. Out of that same small Georgia town came the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, or as we know it today, The March of Dimes. These are just two of the amazing things to come out of FDR's life.

When you first visit the Little White House, you walk through a museum at the visitor center that details FDR's life, political career, and causes that he was involved in. While definitely educational, it's also really interesting. Did you know that he collected stamps? How about the way his car was customized to hide his disability? Trust me, don't rush through the museum.



FDR's Little White House was finally finished in 1932, a modest cottage in the woods, where you can still soak in the gorgeous Georgia landscape. In the main house, there is a living/dining room with wood paneled walls, modeled after the inside of the ship. To the right side of that main room, there is a bedroom for FDR's personal secretary and a small kitchen. To the left, you will find FDR's room, a bathroom, and Eleanor's bedroom.

The back of the house has a huge porch, shaped like the bow of a ship. If you look off of the porch, you can see the guard towers where secret servicemen would be posted during the President's visits.



So many things in the Little White House are still the same things that were there when FDR was visiting. The little things like Fala's (his dog) scratches on the front door are really great for reminding us of the real people and animals behind the history. In FDR's bedroom, you will find his actual desk that he used when he was staying there. In his bathroom, you can see the piece of wood he attached to the wall so that anything he dropped beside the bathtub would slide down so he could still reach it with his limited mobility.

The most striking things about this house are the somber things. On the wall in the kitchen, his cook Daisy Bonner notated "Daisy Bonner cook the 1st meal and the last one in this cottage for President Roosevelt". While he was seated in his favorite chair in the living room, having his portrait painted, the President had a massive stroke. He was carried to his bedroom, where he died later the same day. The chair and bed are both in the same place today that they were there. The unfinished portrait hangs in the Little White House's visitor center.







Side note: You will not find any pictures of me from this trip. Why? Well, I went on my birthday in August. Have you ever been outdoors in Georgia in August?