A Slice of Life
Bill Lites
Day 19 – August 2:
After breakfast this morning, I packed up my things and met Billy in the lobby of the motel to start today’s museum hunt. We headed south out of Valdosta for 35 miles on US-129, across the border into Florida, to visit the Old Jail Museum located in Jasper, FL. This museum, also known as the Hamilton County Historic Old Jail Museum, is situated in the original old 1893 two-story jail building that served as Hamilton County’s only jail until 1984. This museum displays antique jail exhibits, artifacts, and photos to help visitors get an idea of how prisoners lived at the turn-of-the-century in rural Georgia. The building was originally designed, as many jails were in the 1800s, to house not only prisoners but also with living quarters for the local Sheriff (Warden) and his family.
Photo Credit: Bill Lites
Now we continued south another 20 miles on US-129 to visit the Live Oak Union Passenger Depot Museum located in Live Oak, FL. This museum is situated in the old 1861 Savannah, Florida & Western Railroad (SF&W) freight depot and was restored in 1885 to serve Live Oak and the surrounding Suwannee County area’s expanding railroad business. The museum displays antique railroad artifacts, photos, and memorabilia related to the influence the railroad had on the growth of this area in the mid-1800s.
Photo Credit: Bill Lites
After leaving Live Oak, we headed southeast about 25 miles on US-90 to just west of Lake City, FL where we picked up I-75 and turned south. We had gone about 35 miles south on I-75 when ‘nature’ called, and we pulled into the nearest Rest Stop. After that refreshing stop (we needed some exercise), we noticed this sign for the Snake Wall, and checked it out. It turns out that it is an inclined walkway that is described as “A unique piece of functional art (curving 325’ long) that successfully combines protection of the surrounding ecosystem and the roadway” and also provides access to the Payne Prairie Overlook. An impressive design, and it gets your blood pumping at a good rate, all at the same time (sorry, but the info marker was weathered).
Photo Credit: Bill Lites
Now it was another 45 miles south on I-75 to visit the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing located just south of Ocala, FL. I had visited this museum on another road trip, but Billy hadn’t been there, and he wanted to see all the racing machines. We spent a long time looking at the 90+ drag racing machines and another 50+ beautifully restored antique cars in the Antique Car building. WOW! What a collection! We learned that they race R/C model drag racing machines at the museum once each month, and Billy and I are planning to visit that event as soon as we
can. Sounds like a lot of fun.
Photo Credit: Bill Lites
Leaving that amazing museum, we continued south on I-75 another 15 miles to visit the Florida Carriage Museum in Weirsdale, FL and the Florida Pioneer Village in Dade City, FL but they were both closed. So, continuing another 35 miles south on I-75 we visited the Mission Base Museum & MOSI located just west of Thonotosassa, FL. This hugh facility Is a scientific playground for all ages, with 100+ hands-on activities including the Mission Moon Base Lunar Colony, VR Simulator and a planetarium. It was obvious from the number of kids in the lobby that school was out, at least for this bunch.
Photo Credit: Bill Lites
—–To Be Continued—–
Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing. He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville. Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.
One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is: John 10:10
Old Things R New 
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