Chris Backe's Blog, page 80

The Florida ‘stop-bys’ round two – 9 MORE places worth a few minutes apiece

One set of weird places deserves another.

Florida has no shortage of ‘stop-bys’ — those places worth a few minutes of your time as you’re heading somewhere else. Presenting nine more interesting places across the state of Florida worth stopping by as you’re traveling the state.

(Miss round one? Check that out here.)

Above is the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. Although the club has been closed since the horrific shooting, the site has been turned into a moving, colorful tribute that’s obviously...

“Welcome to the Electric Chair” at the American Police Hall of Fame and Museum

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Say what you will about the men and women in blue – their hard work and heroic selflessness is invisible to too many.

Whether you’re interested in seeing the heroic men and women that help keep the country safe or just looking for the oddball stuff to laugh at, this is a great place for either. Founded in 1960, the museum is the first of its kind – and features an indoor shooting range to boot.

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This police car is filled with hundreds of signatures and messages to a fallen police officer – a...

Where Digital Nomads are Heading in 2017

Whether you’ve been a digital nomad for years or are just exploring the possibilities, knowing where to go is part of the fun! I’ve asked digital nomads and travel bloggers from around the world to share their stories of where they’re heading or where they are in 2017. Specifically, I asked them four questions:

Why this city? What’s their cost of living, or a ballpark figure? (Prices are in US dollars) How long will they be there? Any cautions / downsides to note? The one thing they all...

One of America’s oldest buildings comes from Medieval times – see the Cloisters of the Ancient Spanish Monastery

Yes, the United States has centuries of history. It’s still a baby compared to some countries, but it does have some history that goes way back.

Centuries before Ponce de Leon and the mythical fountain of youth, construction began on these cloisters in Sacramenia, Spain in 1133. After being completed in 1141, monks lived here for nearly 700 years before it was seized and sold in the 1830’s. It was converted to a granary and stable, but was purchased in 1925 by William Randolph Hearst. It was...

See the Florida castle built with aluminum printing plates – Destination: Solomon’s Castle

Let’s get this out of the way: Solomon’s Castle is in the middle of nowhere, Florida.You’ll need to make a special effort to reach a very special place.

Presented as Howard Solomon’s ‘dream turned reality’, this castle is the story of a inventive, brilliant man. He passed away in August 2016, leaving this creative and colorful destination for his family to run. They’re already doing so, and despite the loss his legacy will live on.

After paying for your tickets, you may find yourself waitin...

Hide the kids and get ready to blush – Destination: World Erotic Art Museum (NSFW)

It’s not every day you explore one of the world’s largest collections of erotica. And no, I’m not talking about the internet. NSFW, obviously.

Founded in 2005 by a self-described “middle-aged Jewish grandmother”, the World Erotic Art Museum (WEAM) isthe US’ only museum dedicated to “fine erotic art”. With pieces that date from300 BCE to the contemporary times, the 12,000 square foot museum has plenty of room for what’s inside.

As the story goes, a German soldier led an exploration mission t...

The ‘stop-bys’ of Florida – weird places worth a few minutes apiece

As we’ve traveled Florida, we’recoming across more and more places that are worth stopping by on your way to somewhere else. These are some of those stories. Nalcrest (en route to Orlando)

We start with Nalcrest, a tiny retirement community in the middle of nowhere that was created solely for retired mail carries. Look at the acronym of the group mentioned above (NALC), and then add ‘rest’ to the name. You get it. Built in the early 1960’s, my understanding is that it’s open to retirees from...

What Happens When Decrepit School Buses Race a Figure Eight Course? (Florida)

Sometimes, when it feels like the world is turning all ‘Mad Max’ on you, you just want to watch something crash and burn.

Enter the Showtime Speedway in Clearwater (AKA Showtime Speedway Pinellas Park), home to professional racing on an oval paved track and a quarter-mile straightaway. Several events a month (mostly on Saturdays or holidays) are around, but the school buses were a new one to me.

Thanks to some construction along the main road anda lack of signage, we arrived after the first...

Random pictures, the ‘what the Florida’ edition

Oh, Florida – you haven’t ceased to amaze me yet.

As usual, Random Pictures posts feature shots that haven’t (or won’t) make it into other posts, but are too good to keep to myself.

Let’s start with a classic, one you’ll see as you’re driving along the I-4 highway: theAirstream Ranch. An octet ofchrome trailers sticks out from the ground as a tribute to the open road… which makes perfect sense to me… There’s an exit immediately after the ranch if you want to get a different look, but be awar...

Head to the brand-new Burger Museum for flashbacks of juicy memories

It’s not every day you go to a casino with no intention to gamble.

And yet, there we were, parkingoutside one of Florida’s biggest casinos in search of the recently-opened Burger Museum. ‘Recent’, in this case, means December 2016 – and the entrance to the museum is right next door to the burger museum’s entrance.

Once in, ask if Sef is around – there’s a fair chance he is. The jovial owner is more than happy to show you around the packed one-room collection. Some audiovisual equipment and a...