Tallahassee, Florida - Sun., May 7, 2017

By the time we got up and moving, it was about 10:45 when we started our Tallahassee state capitol Volksmarch at Governors Inn in downtown. The day was beautiful and we couldn't wait to see Tallahassee. 

Tallahassee actually has two capital buildings, a new one, and a historic one. 

Nothing screams the South as much as
Spanish moss draping the trees

Love this pediment on the historic capitol!

Old capitol in front; new skyscraper capitol in back

At first, we were disappointed because we thought the Florida Historic Capitol Museum was closed on Sunday. However, as we passed the old capitol, Bob noticed a sign in front that showed the Sunday hours as noon to 4:00 p.m. We figured when we finished our walk, we could visit the museum. Yay!

How did Tallahassee become the state capital? The first two territorial legislatures were held in Pensacola and St. Augustine. The 400-mile distance between the two was fraught with danger, so Tallahassee, being in the middle, was chosen as the capital.

Our walk took us around to the other side of the new state capitol where there is a big dolphin sculpture.

Another beautiful sculpture installation is at the
Museum of Florida History--State Library & Archives

Within a few blocks, we were at Florida State University. The Florida State University campus is the oldest continuously used site of higher education in the state of Florida. It first started as two state seminaries in 1851. 

As mentioned in yesterday's blog, FSU's graduation is this weekend. We saw lots of graduates and their families taking photos all around the campus.

Whoever chose the route for this Volksmarch was very familiar with the FSU campus. Our route took us past sororities and fraternities. Most of the sororities we passed had designs painted on the sidewalks in front of their buildings.

We were so impressed with all the jasmine in bloom. The air was filled with the wonderful fragrance!

Jasmine was in bloom all over Tallahassee

The walk instructions had us guessing as to what the FSU Circus might be. First, we passed Bobby Bowden Field, and the P.K. Wetherell Building. As we continued around the stadium and sports complexes on campus, we saw the Haskin Circus Complex: Home of the FSU Flying High Circus. With the demise of Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, we wondered how it would affect their program. But then we thought about Cirque du Soleil and other acts where they could find employment.

More sports complexes we passed included Dick Howser Baseball Field, Tully Volleyball Gym, and Scott Spelcher Tennis Center. The walk then took us on the promenade between a number of classroom buildings

The promenade

Part of the "Integration Sculpture"

Dodd Hall

Westcott Hall - Ruby Diamond Auditorium

As we wandered the campus, we tried not to intrude on student's graduation photos with their families. I also had to find photo angles that did not have graduates in them.

After FSU, our walk took us into downtown and we passed the Florida State Capitol History Museum again. This time it was open. We went in to cool off, use the restrooms, and see the old state capitol and museum. An hour went by as we perused the displays.

Stained glass dome - redone as best they could
using colors from glass fragments found on the site

Dome in the ceiling

The painting below is on display in the capital museum. This giclee canvas is called "Seminole Warrior," by artist David Yorke. Even though this is not a portrait of an individual, the artist researched how a warrior might have appeared to ensure the authenticity of the artwork. I love this painting! I wonder if Johnny Depp based his Captain Jack Sparrow on this artwork?!

"Seminole Warrior," by David Yorke

With another state capital ticked off the list, we continued to Cascades Park. We circled the park to see the fountains, waterfall, Korean War Memorial, and amphitheater and then crossed the street to Smokey Hollow Commemoration where we learned about spirit houses.

Fountain in Cascades Park

Artwork under a railroad overpass

We couldn't have asked for a prettier day.

Waterfall in Cascades park

Nice venue for outdoor concerts!

Korean War Memorial

The Smokey Hollow Commemoration was so interesting. The area was what we call low-income housing and was in an undesirable area of town. The hollow was the low point in the city and smoke would hang in the low-lying area. Typically the densely developed spirit houses were owned by white landlords. These houses were in tightly packed rows and considered sub-standard housing. 

The houses were "shotgun style," meaning their long, narrow floor plan had the front door and back door lined up so you could see straight through the house when the doors were open. This floor plan allowed fresh air to flow through the house. 

Layout of a typical spirit house

From the park, we returned to the truck, went to Dairy Queen for a very late lunch (4:00 p.m.) and tried to squeeze in one more activity. Bob had seen info on Mission San Luis and he wanted to see how it compared to our missions in San Antonio. 

Didn't get to see much of Mission San Luis

Mission San Luis Visitor Center door

We arrived at the Visitor Center at 4:40 p.m. only to find the mission grounds close at 5:00. We had time to see a movie and look at a portion of one exhibit room; then they kicked us out. We didn't have to pay admission, but then we didn't get out onto the grounds to see the actual mission, either.

Guess we have more to see if we get back to Tallahassee!