Historic Tallahassee

After leisurely sipping coffee this morning, getting showers and doing a couple chores, we headed downtown to visit the new capitol and the Museum of Florida History.  It was an easy drive without much traffic compared to other capital cities.  We parked in a parking garage next to the museum and with a token from the museum gift shop, parking was free.  The museum was located just one block from the capitol which was very convenient for what we wanted to do.


The museum was relatively small for a state museum, but nicely done.  The volunteers were eager to have someone to talk to, I guess, because our own private guide came rushing up to us the minute we stepped out from viewing the movie.  We probably would have preferred to wander about on our own, but we kinda felt sorry for her.  She was very knowledgeable and was able to answer all our questions.  By having her along, we didn’t have to read all those little plaques.

The one thing we were very interested in was the exhibit on Florida tourism which we thought had some old camping trailers.  There turned out to be only one “tin can camper” and it was a replica.

The museum is worth a couple hours time if you happen to be in Tallahassee anyway.  I wouldn’t come to Tallahassee just for the museum.

I feel almost the same way about the new capitol.  A modern high rise, it’s just doesn’t have that “state capitol” feel of the enormous, sprawling old state buildings.  We took the express elevator to the 22nd floor observation deck.  Plaques located on the four sides of the building pointed out major landmarks--Florida State University, city office buildings, the hospital.  Supposedly, on a clear day, you can see the Gulf.  We couldn’t see it.  The thing that impressed me the most was how flat Florida is.  There was not even a hill in sight.  

We always like to visit the House and Senate Chambers at the capitols.  The legislature was not in session so we couldn’t get in.  We couldn’t have gotten onto the floor anyway, but even the observation gallery was locked.  That was a first of the many state capitols we’ve visited.

Spanish Fort

The Mission Church

On the agenda for the afternoon was a Spanish mission.  We don’t normally think of Spanish missions being in Florida, but during the 1600s there were about a 100.  The largest one, Mission San Luis de Apalachee, is just a couple miles from downtown Tallahassee.  This mission was established in the late 1600s for much of the same reasons as the missions in Texas.  The Spaniards wanted to convert the natives to Catholicism and in the process gain a labor force to help build the mission and plant the crops.  The natives, the Apalachee Indians, were looking to the Spaniards to protect them from their enemies, in this case the Creek Indians and the British.  The Creek and the British got the upper hand in 1704 and the Spaniards and Apalachee bugged out in the nick of time, leaving behind a smoldering mission site.

Apalachee Council House

The state acquired the property about 25 years ago and is in the process of replicating the mission and the fort. Interestingly, the Apalachee Council House and huts of the native people were inside the compound along side the Spanish Church and homes.  As at the museum, the interpreters in period costume were eager for any visitor to come along.  We were greeted and educated by one private guide after another as we made our way around the mission.

The Friary

We have one more day here.  We’ll probably pick out a short excursion then use the remainder of the day for chores and preparations for moving.  We might even hitch up so we won’t have to do it in the rain Thursday morning.