A to Z Blogging Challenge - Tallahassee

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

Besides being the beautiful city of my birth, Tallahassee is also known for being the capitol of the state of Florida. Set in a beautiful landscape dotted with springs (of course), natural hammock, great oaks, and piney woods, Tallahassee is only an hour away from the Gulf coast. Florida State University is situated close to downtown and brings a lot of culture to the city. Food is well presented in a variety of restaurants, Indian, vegan, vegetarian, Italian, French, plus your normal “deep south” representatives. Micro breweries are popping up and giving beer a good name. 

Lake Ella

There are places like Lake Ella, for cafes, walking, playing, and shopping; Wakulla Springs where the original “Tarzan” movies were filmed with Johnny Weissmuller. They still have glass bottomed boat tours there. 

Wakulla Springs

Johnny swimming in Wakulla Springs as Tarzan!

The St. Marks River, which is spring fed, runs all the way to the Gulf for nature lovers, and there is a “Farmer’s Market” downtown near the capitol buildings where local artisans and vendors come to hawk their wares.

Downtown Market on Saturdays under the oaks...

I will wind this up by mentioning the great oak tree that my parents were married under. They were the first couple to do so and now “Lichgate” as it is called, can be rented for ceremonies of all kinds and the income goes toward the upkeep of the tree and its surrounding three acres, which encompass extensive gardens used for school children activities, and the house of Laura Jepsen, the FSU professor who left Lichgate as her legacy… She also just happened to be one of my mother's professors!

My "just married" parents kissing.My Grandfather married them.

Found the tree again in 2007. Me and my mother...

Lichgate Tree today...

Links to new discoveries:

http://www.lichgate.com/weddings/wedding.html

http://www.visittallahassee.com/explore/

Images from:

followpics.co

www.johncolemanburroughs.com

pinterest.com

www.hercampus.com

draperandlandry.wordpress.com

vsblog.videoideas.com

Live OAK Trees

Oak Alley Plantation

 Sunday night we slept in a nice little house on the grounds of the Oak Alley Plantation in Vacherie, Louisiana. This plantation is famous for its grand alley of 28 oak trees, which, according to the brochure, are at least one hundred years older than the photogenic house that graces the end of the alley. I think they are much older than that. There is an oak tree in Tallahassee, Florida with a grand age of 600 to 800 years old and it’s as big as some of the trees on the Oak Alley Plantation. I must concede that weather and climate do contribute to the size of each ring/year of the tree’s life so that may make the difference.

My dad and me

My Mother and me

The "Lichgate" Tree in Tallahassee, FL

My parents were married under the Tallahassee tree which is now protected by the Lichgate Foundation. The owner of the property when my parents were married was Dr. Laura Jepsen. Dr. Jepsen   just happened to be one of my mother’s teachers at Florida State University at the time. My mother, being the woman she is, asked permission to marry under that tree. Her story is told in a small book that Dr. Jepsen wrote about all the happenings that occurred while she was resident owner of the tree and its environs. She herself is famous for, in the 1970’s, being the first woman professor to sue Florida State University for equal pay, and she won! “It was Miss Jepsen’s “hope and desire,” as stated in her will – that the enchanted Lichgate property be preserved for future generations to enjoy. The property was almost sold for commercial development; but in the 11th hour a small group of people, many of them former students of Miss Jepsen’s, came together, formed a non-profit organization, and took out a bank loan to preserve the property.” Now it helps to support itself by being rented for weddings, family reunions, etc. School children also tour, plant and tend small gardens on the grounds.

One of the trees at Oak Alley Plantation

I have an abiding and tender love for Live Oaks. I SO wish I could listen to what they could say, the stories they could tell, the history they have been eye-witness to, at times to their chagrin I’m sure. I’m also convinced that the history they could recount would be much more honest, not to mention more interesting than any fiction. A few years ago I had a tree speak to me in a fashion while I sat cradled high in its branches in Audubon Park in New Orleans one dusky evening. I leaned against its strong trunk, my hands lay flat upon its rough bark and I closed my eyes. I felt safe there, hidden from the world beneath me and comforted by the tree’s enormous unconscious strength. That experience gave me the inspiration for one of the novels in my Celtic trilogy, The Celtic Storm. Oaks were revered by the Druids, the priests of the Celts, and were cherished for their wisdom and longevity. In my novel a young girl discovers an ancient oak in the middle of a forest clearing. It speaks to her and over time it becomes her confident, playing an essential role in shaping her character.

I have an abiding and tender love for Live Oaks. I SO wish I could listen to what they could say, the stories they could tell, the history they have been eye-witness to, at times to their chagrin I’m sure. I’m also convinced that the history they could recount would be much more honest, not to mention more interesting than any fiction. A few years ago I had a tree speak to me in a fashion while I sat cradled high in its branches in Audubon Park in New Orleans one dusky evening. I leaned against its strong trunk, my hands lay flat upon its rough bark and I closed my eyes. I felt safe there, hidden from the world beneath me and comforted by the tree’s enormous unconscious strength. That experience gave me the inspiration for one of the novels in my Celtic trilogy, The Celtic Storm. Oaks were revered by the Druids, the priests of the Celts, and were cherished for their wisdom and longevity. In my novel a young girl discovers an ancient oak in the middle of a forest clearing. It speaks to her and over time it becomes her confident, playing an essential role in shaping her character.

The "Lichgate" Tree

Oak Alley Plantation is a magical place to visit if you ever get the chance. It’s only a short hour from New Orleans and worth seeing. In my opinion trees are part of the greater magic of our Oak Alley Plantation is a magical place to visit if you ever get the chance. It’s only a short hour from New Orleans and worth seeing. So is the Lichgate Tree in Tallahassee. In my opinion trees are part of the greater magic of our planet and shouldn’t planet and shouldn’t be taken for granted. Oh, and yes, I DO hug trees!

Excerpt from: www.lichgate.com  the website for the Tallahassee Tree