Showing posts with label Florida. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Florida. Show all posts

Monday, May 18, 2015

Streeker At Universal Studios



Just inside the entrance area
Streeker, the mischievous uncle in the Troll Family (every family has one), went to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida and had fun scandalizing the tourists and park employees. Many shouts of "Don't look!" were heard, but often it was too late.




Near the Voyage of Sinbad
The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad





Jungle in Jurassk Park
Jurassk Park Discovery Center



In Hogsmead in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Goofing around in Shrek The Ogre's souvenir store

















Monday, June 30, 2014

Ron Jon Surf Shop

The Ron Jon Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach, Florida is the world's largest surf shop. 

With over 52,000 square feet of merchandise and open 24 hours a day, 7 days each and every week, a troll can get just about anything and everything their beach-related lifestyle requires anytime their little heart desires it!



















Monday, March 31, 2014

Mel Fisher Treasure Museum

Entrance to the Mel Fisher Museum
in Sebastian, Florida
On July 20, 1985, Mel Fisher, a one-time chicken farmer who became the legendary "World's Greatest Treasure Hunter," after 16 long, challenging years of search, found the sunken Spanish treasure galleons Nuestra Senora de Atocha and Santa Margarita. These ships, carrying untold wealth, had sunk off the Florida coast during a hurricane on September 6, 1622.

Over 40 tons of gold and silver bars, "pieces of eight" and gold jewelry have been recovered. Hundreds of precious stones, including emeralds and diamonds, have been brought to the surface. The treasure recovered so far is worth almost $500 million.

Entering the museum
The museum provides shipwreck artifacts and treasure to provide a glimpse into the world that existed 400 years ago as well as the history of Mel Fisher's dogged quest to find the greatest treasure ship of them all, the Atocha.

Ahoy, matey! Yo ho ho!

Bust of Mel Fisher

Gold nuggets, chains, and pieces of eight!


Life-sized cut-out of Mel Fisher
 and recovered gold chains


Streak Troll and a gold chain and locket
that was recovered

Treasures include engraved
 gold plates, utensils, and
religious artifacts


Thursday, March 20, 2014

Troll at the Titusville Space Park

In front of the Project Mercury sculpture
Space View Park in Titusville, Florida is 15 miles directly across the Indian River from the launch pads of the Kennedy Space Center. A hugely popular place from which to watch space launches, it is also the first and only park in America that honors America's astronauts as well as the men and women behind the scenes.

The park is 2.63 acres landscaped with artistic sculpture, foliage, palms and hardwood trees. It features benches, a boardwalk, fishing and boat dock and a sheltered pier and includes a Veterans Memorial and the U.S. Space Walk of Fame. Monuments to the Mercury and Gemini space programs contain profiles of each astronaut with their hand prints in cement.

Tribute to Astronaut Alan Shepard, Jr. 
If you are lucky enough to be in the area when a launch is scheduled and can't get one of the extremely hard to acquire NASA Viewing Center tickets, the Titusville Space Park is the next best place to watch it from and Lil Dude Troll strongly advises you make every effort to see it. It's a Bucket List item!

Along the waterfront of the Titusville Space Park

To see pictures taken from the Titusville Space Park of the May, 2009 launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis, please visit our sister site at - 2009 Atlantis lift-off.  

Monday, March 10, 2014

Troll at Ponce de Leon Lighthouse in Florida

Lighthouse & Museum entrance
The Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse and Museum is located 10 miles south of Daytona Beach, Florida in the town of Ponce Inlet. The lighthouse is on the north bank of Ponce Inlet where the Halifax and Indian Rivers empty into the Atlantic Ocean. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998. At 175 feet in height with walls 8 feet thick, it is the tallest lighthouse in Florida and one of the tallest masonry lighthouses in America. Lil Dude Troll came to check it out and rates it as definitely worth a side trip if you are in the area!


One tall lighthouse!



Veteran's Memorial

Yo Ho Ho! 
The park on the grounds is shaded and clean with several
tables - a perfect spot for a picnic!

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Troll at Pensacola Beach, Florida

In the large parking lot adjacent to
the beach.
Pensacola, Florida is famous for being home to some of the world's whitest beaches, home to the first and one of the largest naval air stations in America, home to the Navy's Blue Angels, location of the National Naval Aviation Museum, one of the most visited tourist destinations, and for the attendant party and beach life that goes along with such a dynamic and youthful environment. With its short, mild winters and hot summers with plenty of sunshine, it is a popular year-round destination for humans and trolls alike!

Pensacola Beach & the waters of the Gulf of Mexico

Standing in the beautiful, almost impossibly white sand
of Pensacola

Relaxing and catching a few rays with the humans. Working
on that tan!

After a great day on the beach, it's time to head on
back to the hotel.


















Monday, February 10, 2014

McLarty Treasure Museum

At the entrance to the museum
The McLarty Treasure Museum in the Sebastian Inlet State Park on the east coast of Florida was dedicated on March 27, 1971. It was named in honor of the family that donated the property to the state. The Museum recounts the history of the ill-fated Spanish Plate Fleet of 1715 which was sunk in a hurricane along the sandy shores behind the museum. It includes artifacts and treasures raised from the successful efforts to recover the lost riches along Florida's Treasure Coast.

So far, millions of dollars worth of gold and silver ingots, coins, jewelry, precious stones, cannon and priceless historical treasures have been salvaged from the wrecks lying just a few hundred feet from the shore. No one knows how much still lies buried in the sand under the water's surface. Even today, for a lucky few, there is still found an occasional gold doubloon washed up on the beach.

Historical marker in front of the museum


Gold & silver coins, gold plate, jewelry, and other
recovered treasure from the sunken Spanish ship

Beautiful gold chain that was recovered

Model of the sunken Spanish treasure ship


Recovered cannon




Viewing where the treasure ships went down just a
few hundred yards off the beach