The Traveling 3some - Day 23 - From Tampa to Tallahassee, Florida - Part 1 of 2

October 29

After a free, toe-tappingly munificent boo-fay breakfast, we eased onto the road a little after 11am.  First stop, Starbucks!

We chose not to take the interstate but instead took what Pam calls the "coastal route" even though nary a drop of Gulf water was evident the entire length of Route 19.  After about 1/2 hour of stoplight clutter, we made it to the open road.  As Willy Nelson sang, "On the road again..." - clear skies, apple pies, smiles galore!

Our first stop in Tallahassee, quite close to the center of town. Those Hopewell mound builders whose artifacts we came across in Ohio had contact with other mound builder societies across a broad geographic area east of the Mississippi. Here in Tallahassee is one such culture active in the centuries before Columbus re-discovered America.

Spanish moss hanging profusely from tree branches add to the ambience when driving on the back road leading to the site.

The sign makes clear that this a site maintained by the state of Florida rather than the National Park Service, aka "The Feds". But those Feds have the big bucks to put out a superior "product". The difference between this site and the Ohio sites as to condition and presentation was quite evident.

In the center distance is one of the largest remaining ceremonial mounds at the site, with a wooden fence running over it. As at Hopewell, climbing on the mounds is a no-no.

Signage at the site was in pretty rough condition in some cases.

These were people with a plan and the will and organization to carry it out. Not just out there foraging for berries.

"1500" is an interesting date. Columbus and his crew of smallpox carriers landed in the Caribbean in 1492 amidst native tribes who roamed by boat routinely to lands around the Gulf of Mexico. Scholarship now suggests that the smallpox virus from this first contact was spread much earlier than previously thought, with debilitating results on all societies exposed. 

Pam and oblivious Cricket occupy the park-like setting now, but what of ghosts of the past? Some of the oldest trees may know. Perhaps the moss knows. The whole place was deserted when we got there. Once again, that peace and serenity.

One mound did have a stairway leading to a viewing platform on top. The wood seemed to have been placed a long, long time ago - but safe enough except for a hidden cutout next to the top step that almost caused Pam to trip and tumble down the hill, Cricket and all. Or, as it's called when a plane crashes, pilot error.

Pam thought I was enjoying having a solo photo too much.....

....hence this arms length selfie.

No problem finding where we parked the car.