The following is Scott Fais' weekly blog detailing discoveries made while traveling through Florida and along the road of life.
There’s a whole lot of nothing off the Florida Turnpike. I mean no disrespect to the fine people who have chosen to live outside our metropolitan areas. It seems a lot of Florida is still covered in vegetation, home only to Love Bugs, and a lot of them.
On the way down to Fort Pierce, car #22 was quickly covered in “extra protein.” The windshield was a landscape of insect carcasses.
I stopped in Yeehaw Junction to remove the war zone, but only made a bigger mess in the process (See the photos in the slideshow above). I also found one of Yeehaw’s biggest claims to fame: “Boiled P-Nuts” and “Gator Jerky.” I declined to sample the local fare, fill up my tank with inflated gas prices and jumped back on the Turnpike bound for Fort Pierce.
It’s here you can visit the Smithsonian without visiting Washington.
The Smithsonian is the world's largest museum complex and research organization. Hiking through the museums in Washington could take an entire summer and you still wouldn’t see everything. There are 16 museums in all, including the fantastic National Zoo in the Washington. Yet, what could be the smallest Smithsonian facility isn’t located in the nation’s capital. It’s in our own backyard.
The Smithsonian Marine Station is a facility of the National Museum of Natural History. This small center is full of marine life collected from freshwater and saltwater bodies of water in Florida. Eye-level tanks allow everyone the chance to peek inside different biomes. Each tank is set up to resemble a common Florida lake, the Indian River and the Atlantic Ocean. Here you can see what fish and amphibians are living under the water’s surface.
A touch pool is the highlight where children (and big kids like me who are young-at-heart) can hold sea creatures that normally you would shy away from. Sea stars are joined by Peppermint Shrimp, Horseshoe Crabs and Sea Urchins covered in spines. I liked something that felt like a very ripe and very brown banana.
You’ll be lucky to run into Marine Biology Educator Laura Diederick. The Ohio State University graduate loves sharing what she has learned. You’ll be amazed at her depth of knowledge and ability to explain complex marine concepts in easy to understand language.
Laura told me on the typical day, anywhere between 30 to 200 people will stroll through. While you won’t spend the whole day at the Smithsonian Marine Station, you can make a day of it by packing your swimsuit, towels and sunscreen.
Jetty Park is nearby and sports a beach and fishing area, so bring a pole if you’re an angler. The Smithsonian Marine Center parking lot also features a boat ramp to launch your boat or personal watercraft.
Until next week, drive safe.
-Scott
Scott enjoys hearing from viewers. If you know of a place Scott Fais should visit on a Tankful, drop him a line at sfais@cfnews13.com and don’t hesitate to enclose photos!