1960
Cocoa Beach
Cape Canaveral
Canaveral National Seashore
https://www.nps.gov/cana/index.htm
Since prehistoric times,
Florida’s largest barrier island
has been a most distinct physical feature,
A massive dune jutting into the Atlantic
Bathed by the warm, fast-moving Gulfstream,
Throughout time, a sanctuary
for all life, prehistoric, flora, fauna, and man.
Attracted the imagination of Jules Verne
“From Earth to the Moon” (1860)
as the perfect spot on planet Earth
from where a man would embark
on the first voyage to the moon.
NASA
The Original 7
• ALAN SHEPARD (May 5, 1961) First American In Space
• JOHN GLENN (February 20, 1962) Three Orbits
Titusville
Playalinda Beach
Natural — As it was, vegetated dunes / Jules Verne description.
Nude Beach — 1970s
“Naked Launch”
Moon Drive-In
Cape Canaveral
“COUNTDOWN” by Frank G. Slaghter (Jacksonville Surgeon)
“Wolfie’s” — Frank Wolfe’s Cocoa Beach Hotel.
The Glass Bank Penthouse
… Blacked out, Psychedelic, shag-carpeted, 1960s Bachelor Pad
[THE PAD]
39A
NASA
VAB
Saturn V
Apollo 11
Man On The Moon
Neil Armstrong
July 20, 1969
Christopher Columbus
Jules Verne [1860]
Carl Sagan press conference VOYAGER / GOLD RECORD announcement.
“CONTACT”
1950s — Automobile/Roadside Attractions
St. Augustine
Ormond Beach — 1900
The Quest for Speed
Henry Morrison Flagler — Ormond Hotel / Pre-Palm Beach
John D. Rockefeller —
Henry Ford —
Harvey Firestone —
Thomas A. Edison —
Daytona Beach [Racing]
The Daytona 500
1960
NASA
Mercury Project
“The Right Stuff”
Cape Canaveral — sandy, seedy
Port Canaveral / Jetty
Shrimp Boats
Nuclear Submarines / Sunrise
Kennedy Space Center
Cocoa Beach
Merritt Island
Indian River Lagoon
CITRUS — The Original Seeds
Banana River
Mangos, Pomegranate
Citrus — The Original Seeds
Indian River Citrus
“Oranges” — McPhee
The Highwaymen
Zora Neale Hurston
Ft Pierce
Vero Beach
Sebastian Inlet
Space Coast Florida
Merritt Island
Indian River Lagoon
Cape Canaveral
Kennedy Space Center
Canaveral National Seashore
Playalinda Beach
Apollo Beach (Nude)
Merritt Island
Indian River
Citrus
Cocoa
Rockledge
Melbourne
Indialantic
Merritt Island
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merritt_Island_National_Wildlife_Refuge
528 Bee Line Causeway
Orlando / Port Canaveral
— A small rock jetty, Shrimp boats, and unusually ominous nuclear submarine slipping in
just before sunrise, a reminder of the mysterious science being studied around us.
Cheryl and my Father seeing the UFO experience. Duda’s Ranch … circular burn marks
surgically disected cattle, all the tall tales originated on the Space Coast.
Where Earthlings were making the most serious effort to escape their planet
and join the more advanced in traveling through Space, maybe even time.
Mosquito Lagoon
Indian River
Banana River
Tropical Trail
Mather’s Bridge
Dragon Point [South Point]
Dragon Point
At the southernmost tip of Merritt Island, Florida
Friday April 13, 2018
The remains of the concrete dragon that sculpture Lewis VanDercar created in 1971 are barely recognizable as they lay in a heap on the coquina rock peninsula jutting out between the Indian and Banana River Lagoons on the on the southern most tip of Merritt Island. Nicknamed Annie after the first landowner’s wife, the concrete dragon has guarded the the areas of Merritt Island near the Eau Gallie Causeway for over thirty years prior to being overcome by hurricanes Frances, Jeannine and Charley in 2005.
Legend has it that the dragon was the protector of the peaceful Indian tribes and provided a symbol of protection from enemies if it was seen rising out of the mist between the two bodies of water.
According to local sources, the property is held in an estate and the estate is in limbo at this time. Seems as if Brevard County, local authorities and the owner are in disagreement over rebuilding the structure and homestead on the narrow point.
Warren McFadden, who bought Dragon Point in 1981, hired VanDercar to add a long curved tail and four dragon hatchlings – christened Joy, Sunshine, Charity, and Freedom. He also asked VanDercar to construct caveman-type furniture for the inside of the dragon’s belly to make a play room for his son.
On the same piece of property is the remnants of a once beautiful home that was a perfect piece of architecture for the location. Presently it looks like an old haunted house in a story from Tom Sawyer’s Island or some adventure spot in a movie set. The homestead was magnificent and very unique and there is nothing quit like it anywhere in Florida.
The economic downturn after a couple of years of hurricane destruction has left many properties and estates in the Brevard County area looking similar and in disrepair. Only time will tell if Merritt Island’s south end will be graced with another version of Annie the Dragon or if the saltwater lagoon and mangroves will overwhelm this unique Florida property on east central Florida’s coastline.
Published by: Captain Richard Bradley of Lagooner Fishing Guides©
Harbortown Marina is a great place to fuel up before and after day of boating. It’s one of the safest harbors in the Brevard County area for storms and wind and offers wonderful food at their Nautical Spirits Bar & Grill.
On occasion I’ve slipped into the marina for shelter during a fishing charter and found the food and service to be clean, simple and remarkably tasty.
Captain Richard
Florida Fishing Guide / Lagooner Fishing Guide Service
Merritt Island’s southern most peninsula is called Dragon Point and it is where the Banana River and Indian River Lagoons meet.
Last modified: October 28 2015 14:02:36.
Published by: Captain Richard Bradley of Lagooner Fishing Guides©
http://banana-river.lagooner.com/poi/dragon-point.php
(321) 868-4953
Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch
Indian River Lagoon blogger
772-486-3818/jthurlow@me.com
www.florida-backroads-travel.com
[ 27° 7′ N. lat. and 5° 7′ W. long.]
CAPE CANAVERAL MARKS THE SPOT
From the Earth to the Moon
b/Jules Verne (1861)
Barbicane had scarcely set his foot on shore when three thousand of the inhabitants of Tampa Town came forth to meet him, an honor due to the president who had signalized their country by his choice.
Declining, however, every kind of ovation, Barbicane ensconced himself in a room of the Franklin Hotel.
On the morrow some of the small horses of the Spanish breed, full of vigor and of fire, stood snorting under his windows; but instead of four steeds, here were fifty, together with their riders. Barbicane descended with his three fellow- travelers; and much astonished were they all to find themselves in the midst of such a cavalcade. He remarked that every horseman carried a carbine slung across his shoulders and pistols in his holsters.
On expressing his surprise at these preparations, he was speedily enlightened by a young Floridan, who quietly said:
“Sir, there are Seminoles there.”
“What do you mean by Seminoles?”
“Savages who scour the prairies. We thought it best, therefore, to escort you on your road.”
“Pooh!” cried J. T. Maston, mounting his steed.
“All right,” said the Floridan; “but it is true enough, nevertheless.”
“Gentlemen,” answered Barbicane, “I thank you for your kind attention; but it is time to be off.”
It was five A.M. when Barbicane and his party, quitting Tampa Town, made their way along the coast in the direction of Alifia Creek. This little river falls into Hillisborough Bay twelve miles above Tampa Town. Barbicane and his escort coasted along its right bank to the eastward. Soon the waves of the bay disappeared behind a bend of rising ground, and the Floridan “champagne” alone offered itself to view.
Florida, discovered on Palm Sunday, in 1512 (1513), by Juan Ponce de Leon, was originally named Pascha Florida. It little deserved that designation, with its dry and parched coasts. But after some few miles of tract the nature of the soil gradually changes and the country shows itself worthy of the name. Cultivated plains soon appear, where are united all the productions of the northern and tropical floras, terminating in prairies abounding with pineapples and yams, tobacco, rice, cotton-plants, and sugar-canes, which extend beyond reach of sight, flinging their riches broadcast with careless prodigality.
Barbicane appeared highly pleased on observing the progressive elevation of the land; and in answer to a question of J. T. Maston, replied:
“My worthy friend, we cannot do better than sink our Columbiad in these high grounds.”
“To get nearer the moon, perhaps?” said the secretary of the Gun Club.
“Not exactly,” replied Barbicane, smiling; “do you not see that among these elevated plateaus we shall have a much easier work of it? No struggles with the water-springs, which will save us long expensive tubings; and we shall be working in daylight instead of down a deep and narrow well. Our business, then, is to open our trenches upon ground some hundreds of yards above the level of the sea.”
“You are right, sir,” struck in Murchison, the engineer; “and, if I mistake not, we shall ere long find a suitable spot for our purpose.”
“I wish we were at the first stroke of the pickaxe,” said the president.
“And I wish we were at the last,” cried J. T. Maston.
About ten A.M. the little band had crossed a dozen miles. To fertile plains succeeded a region of forests. There perfumes of the most varied kinds mingled together in tropical profusion. These almost impenetrable forests were composed of pomegranates, orange-trees, citrons, figs, olives, apricots, bananas, huge vines, whose blossoms and fruits rivaled each other in color and perfume. Beneath the odorous shade of these magnificent trees fluttered and warbled a little world of brilliantly plumaged birds.
J. T. Maston and the major could not repress their admiration on finding themselves in the presence of the glorious beauties of this wealth of nature. President Barbicane, however, less sensitive to these wonders, was in haste to press forward; the very luxuriance of the country was displeasing to him. They hastened onward, therefore, and were compelled to ford several rivers, not without danger, for they were infested with huge alligators from fifteen to eighteen feet long. Maston courageously menaced them with his steel hook, but he only succeeded in frightening some pelicans and teal, while tall flamingos stared stupidly at the party.
At length these denizens of the swamps disappeared in their turn; smaller trees became thinly scattered among less dense thickets — a few isolated groups detached in the midst of endless plains over which ranged herds of startled deer.
“At last,” cried Barbicane, rising in his stirrups, “here we are at the region of pines!”
“Yes! and of savages too,” replied the major.
In fact, some Seminoles had just came in sight upon the horizon; they rode violently backward and forward on their fleet horses, brandishing their spears or discharging their guns with a dull report. These hostile demonstrations, however, had no effect upon Barbicane and his companions.
They were then occupying the center of a rocky plain, which the sun scorched with its parching rays. This was formed by a considerable elevation of the soil, which seemed to offer to the members of the Gun Club all the conditions requisite for the construction of their Columbiad.
“Halt!” said Barbicane, reining up. “Has this place any local appellation?”
“It is called Stones Hill,” replied one of the Floridans.
Barbicane, without saying a word, dismounted, seized his instruments, and began to note his position with extreme exactness. The little band, drawn up in the rear, watched his proceedings in profound silence.
At this moment the sun passed the meridian. Barbicane, after a few moments, rapidly wrote down the result of his observations, and said:
“This spot is situated eighteen hundred feet above the level of the sea, in 27° 7′ N. lat. and 5° 7′ W. long. of the meridian of Washington. It appears to me by its rocky and barren character to offer all the conditions requisite for our experiment. On that plain will be raised our magazines, workshops, furnaces, and workmen’s huts; and here, from this very spot,” said he, stamping his foot on the summit of Stones Hill, “hence shall our projectile take its flight into the regions of the Solar World.”
