Seaside, Florida

Seaside is the world’s first New Urbanist town which means that it is an unincorporated master-planned community. It’s located in the Florida Panhandle in Walton County. New Urbanism came to prominence in the 1980s in the U.S.A., and is an urban design movement that promotes environmentally friendly habits by creating walkable neighborhoods containing a wide range of housing and job types. However, criticism questions if New Urbanism actually succeeds in being sustainable or just likes the aesthetic design of quaint, pretty towns. You might recognize Seaside from the widely popular “The Truman Show” starring Jim Carrey; it was the primary film location for the movie. 

New Cave Discovered at Florida Caverns

There has been an amazing new discovery at the beloved Florida Caverns State Park. A MASSIVE new cave has been discovered. Called the New Cave, or Liz’s Surprise, it is reconceptualizing what experts know about Florida caves.

Formation found in New Cave

The cave is the third-longest cave in Florida at 5576ft, although exploration is still underway. The cave entrance was found approximately 25ft underground on the newly acquired parkland called Bennett Parcel. So far they have not found evidence of humans in the cave but there is a plethora of wildlife, fascinating formations, and crawlways.

Visit the recently published Florida Caverns State Park Youtube video to see the new discovery for yourself or consider visiting the park for a guided cave tour! 

Family Volunteer Day

Today is Family Volunteer Day, an annual event held on the Saturday before Thanksgiving or two days after the third Thursday in November. Family volunteering is a specific subtype of volunteering; families work together to support their communities/neighborhoods which further strengthens the community and the families involved.

Family Volunteer Day was created in 1990 by Points of Light; it is sponsored by Disney’s Friends for Change and managed by generationOn. The event is designed to help inspire community involvement and the opportunity to help raise kind, compassionate children. Family volunteering allows families to come together and give back, creating a holistic community that thrives on collaborative compassion and empathy. 

World’s Smallest Police Station

Did you know that Florida is home to the world’s smallest police station? Located in Carrabelle, this police station is no bigger than a phone booth. It was placed on U.S. 98 under the chinaberry tree on March 10, 1963. Then Police Chief Albin Westberg elected to move it to this location after the city experienced problems with tourists making unauthorized long-distance phone calls on its police phone. 

The police station is rather famous and has even been featured on television shows. “Real People”, “Ripley’s Believe It or Not”, “The Today Show”, and “Johnny Carson” all featured the police station. Additionally, it was in the movie “Tate’s Hell” which was produced at Florida State University. The station even has copyrighted merchandise – t-shirts, hats, visors, postcards, and calendars are all available for purchase. 

Wreck Capital of the South

Did you know that Panama City Beach is one of the most visited dive destinations in Florida? PCB offers a plethora of diving sites for both experienced and non-experienced divers. Commonly referred to as the “Wreck Capital of the South,” PCB is home to the best dive beach along the Emerald Coast. Peak diving season is April through September. The moniker “Wreck Capital” comes from the numerous famous wrecks found in the Gulf of Mexico that are accessible in Panama City Beach. A few of these wrecks include the 110ft Grey Ghost, a 160ft freighter named Chippewa, a 441ft World War II liberty ship, and the 220ft S.S. Tarpon, a World War II tug boat. 

Florida Caverns State Park: Update

It’s been three years since Hurricane Michael destroyed over 90% of the Florida Caverns State Park canopied forest. Luckily, the community has rallied around the park and major progress has been made toward repairing the devastated land. Thousands of tree saplings were donated to replace those lost, and debris cleanup is still underway. Currently, the campground and river access remain closed to the public. However, a large portion of the park has been reopened: the Blue Hole swimming area, the multiuse trails, and even the caves themselves!

Utilizing the surface-based lighting and electrical system to illuminate the cave to create a state-of-the-art LED lighting system, guided cave tours are once again being offered. This new, energy-efficient system helps protect the light-sensitive ecosystems in the cave and allows visitors to see cave formations more clearly – all without needing a flashlight!

For more information on the guided cave tours or to RSVP, visit the Florida Caverns State Park website

Clean Out Your Fridge

When was the last time you cleaned out your fridge? Today is National Clean Out Your Fridge Day; it was created to remind everyone of the importance of keeping your refrigerator clean and tidy. Here are 1 reason to tackle the fridge today:

  1. Cleaning it out will help get rid of any bad smells.
  2. You can assess what goes to waste and save on your next grocery trip.
  3. Fridges can last 15years or more if treated well; occasionally wiping down the insides to remove built-up dust and spills is important for longevity. 
  4. The wonderful feeling of taking in a freshly cleaned and organized fridge when you go to get a job-well-done snack!

World Diabetes Day

New figures from the 10th Edition of the IDF Diabetes Atlas reveal that 537 million adults around the world are living with diabetes. That means 1 in 10 adults live with diabetes!

This year’s theme for World Diabetes Day is Acess to Diabetes Care. Despite it being a century since the discovery of insulin, many afflicted individuals do not have consistent access to it and other fundamental components of diabetes care. This must change; if not now, when?

Visit the official website of World Diabetes Day here for more information, or head straight to this link to pledge your support to this cause! 

Jazz for Justice: Foo Foo Festival

The annual Foo Foo Festival is reaching its conclusion! Tomorrow is the annual concert fundraiser, Jazz for Justice. This annual concert fundraiser will help close out Foo Foo Festival; funds raised will go to LSNF (Legal Services of North Florida). The event will feature jazz artists Tuba Skinny and the New Breed Brass Band. Come down to Seville Quarter to enjoy live music for free from 1-7 p.m. tomorrow!

Florida Panhandle Sea Turtles

Did you know that three of the five species of sea turtles found in the Gulf of Mexico nest on Pensacola Beach? In fact, 90% of sea turtle nesting in the United States happens in the Sunshine State! Between 40,000 and 84,000 nests are dug on Florida beaches by these amazing ocean reptiles every year. Pensacola Beach is especially prolific in loggerhead nesting, although green turtles and Kemp’s ridley turtles also nest in the area. The nesting process lasts from March to October; help keep turtles safe by watching where you step, avoiding nests that are marked off, cleaning up after yourself when you visit the beach, and keeping lights off the beach after dark to keep from confusing hatchlings trying to make it away from land to the sea.