The original Sunshine Skyway Bridge was built in 1954 to connect St. Petersburg in Pinellas county with Terra Ceia in Manatee County and replaced the ferry berween point Pinellas in Pinellas County and Piney Point in Manatee County. That stood until the morning of May 9, 1980 when in a sudden, blinding thunderstorm the inbound freighter Summit Venture veered from the main ship channel into one of the secondary bridge supports causing the collapse of over 1200' of the southbound lane of the bridge into Tampa Bay. A number of vehicles, including a bus couldn't avoid the void and fell into the waters of the bay following the bridge, resulting iin the death of 35 people. What remains of the old bridge was made into fishing piers on both the north and south sides of the bar.

The current span, a cable stayed bridge with 174' of clearance, wasx begun in 1982 and completed in 1987. It is considered by many as Florida's signature bridge. Pinellas County controls the northern entrance to the bridge, Manatee County the south, and Hillsborough County controls the main ship channel and the center span of the bridge.

The original Sunshine Skyway Bridge was built in 1954 to connect St. Petersburg in Pinellas county with Terra Ceia in Manatee County and replaced the ferry berween point Pinellas in Pinellas County and Piney Point in Manatee County. That stood until the morning of May 9, 1980 when in a sudden, blinding thunderstorm the inbound freighter Summit Venture veered from the main ship channel into one of the secondary bridge supports causing the collapse of over 1200' of the southbound lane of the bridge into Tampa Bay. A number of vehicles, including a bus couldn't avoid the void and fell into the waters of the bay following the bridge, resulting iin the death of 35 people. What remains of the old bridge was made into fishing piers on both the north and south sides of the bar.

The current span, a cable stayed bridge with 174' of clearance, wasx begun in 1982 and completed in 1987. It is considered by many as Florida's signature bridge. Pinellas County controls the northern entrance to the bridge, Manatee County the south, and Hillsborough County controls the main ship channel and the center span of the bridge.

The Heartbreak Hotel's facade looks okay, but it is in need of new owners. Who knew that it was located in Kenansville, Florida off US 441 in Osceola County. I knew that Elvis Presley had Florida connections, but never guessed that this might be it.

Kenansville is located on US 441 just north of another Florida landmark, Yeehaw Junction, shere US 441 and Florida State Road 60 meet.

The Tampa, Florida skyline as seen from the channel between Harbor Island and downtown Tampa.

Tampa Union Station's original purpose was to combine passenger operations for three railroads, the Atlantic Coastline, the Seaboard Air Line and the Tampa Northern. Done in the Italian Renaissance Revival Style, it opened in May of 1912, was named to the Historical Register in 1974 and the Railroad Historical Register in 2012.

Dur to falling ridership in closed 1n 1984 and stay closed until restoration allowed it to reopen to the public in 1998. It is currently an Amtrak Station for the Silver Star Line which operates only one of the original eight tracks with one more used for displays and celebratins. The other six tracks remain but are unused.

The kitchen of the Iguana Lodge in Puerto Jiminez on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica

The Cades Cove Methodist church was organized in 1820 and listed on the rider circuit in 1830. During the American Civil War and reconstruction, the congregation split, with part forming the Hopewell Methodist church.

Originally a log structure with a fire pit and a dirt floor, the current building was built in 1902 by John D. McCampbell, the then pastor/carpenter in 115 days for $115.00. It has the second oldest cemetary in Cades Cove.

The Hopewell Methodist Church no longer stands.

The John P. Cable mill was built as a grist mill in the early 1870's in Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountaines. It is an overshot water wheel/gravity wheel, meaning that water enters the wheel at the top and gravity pulls the water to its exit at the bottom of the turn of the wheel. It uses water from Mill Creek to power the wheel and a connecting channel was dug to Forge Creek to help provide water when the levels were low.

They also used the water wheel to power a saw mill which changed building construction in the cove from Log to lumber and frame.

The mill is still in use today as a grist mill and its stone ground corn meal can be purchased in the nearby store.

The Cape San Blas lighthouse as it stood when it was last used before being deactivated by the Coast Guard in 1996. This picture was taken on July of 2011.

The original 85' high brick structure built in 1849 was destroyed by a storn in 1851. The brick lighthouse was rebuilt in 1867 but the wooden parts and the keeper houses were burned by the Confederates during the Civil War. The structure was repaired and returned to peration in 1865. Because of rapid beach erosion the lighthouse wtood in eight fet of water by 1882.

In 1883 a 98' high cast iron skeletal lighthouse was built 1,500' from shore but by 1890 it was only 144' from shore.

In 1918 it was moved one quarter of a mile inland. The Coast Guard deactivated it in 1996

In 1999 the U.S. Air Force took over the grounds and lighthouse until they closed it in 2012.

In 2014 the lighthouse and keepers quarters were deeded to the city of Port St. Joe and relocated to its Core Park where it was opened to visitors in September of that year.

Built in 1858 on Egmont Key at the mouth of Tampa Bay to help guide ships into the Bay, it originally was the only lighthoust between St. marks and Key West on the gulf coast of Florida. Egmont Key itself is now a state park and wildlife preserve with many nesting sea turtles, and sea birds.

The first section of what is now know as the Chinsegutt Hill Manor House, located near Brooksville, Florida, was started in 1847 by Colonel Byrd Pearson who named it Tiger Tail Hill. In 1866 Colonel Russel Snow gained control of the plantation and renamed the house Snow Hill. By the turn of the century the verandas and third floor had veen added. In 1904 the property was acquired by Raymond and Margaret Robbins and renamed Chinsegutt Hill. The property is currently under the control of the University of South Florida and used as a meeting center

Hillsborough High School, one of the oldest high schools in the south, is located in the heart of Tampa, Florida's Seminole Heights neighborhood. It had its first students in 1882 and first graduating class of four students in 1886.

Originally called Hillsborough County High School, the name was shorted to the present Hillsborough High School when a second high school was built in the county.

The current building, designed by Francis J.Kennard in srchitectural gothic, was constructed in 1928