Day 162: Thumb through the pages at My Favorite Books

Used-book stores are inviting places to visit in any city. Predictably, they have a familiar, used-book odor, narrow passageways, and high shelves laden with a few literary greats and a greater number of throwaway novels. I consider them safe harbors away from outdoor noise, electronic gadgetry and whatever else that might be bothering you. They heighten the senses, and I like to stroll through them with a cup of coffee in hand. Tallahassee has several decent used book stores, and my favorite is properly named My Favorite Books. In business for more than 14 years, the store is in the Market Square Shopping Center. Inside the doorway are four long rows of high bookshelves, and a fancifully catalogued collection of gently used books. There are several chairs throughout the store for casual reading breaks, and in the back is a playful cubbyhole area featuring children’s books. Most paperbacks sell for half their original list, and hard-cover books are individually priced based on their condition and popularity. They buy books, offering only store credit for purchases. After casually thumbing through pages in the stores for 30 minutes or so on this hot Saturday afternoon, my daughter and I bought two sturdy hard covers for $18. They’re open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and on Sunday, the hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. — Mark Hollis

LOCATION:  1415 Timberlane Road (Market Square)

Day 116: Visit the Riley House Museum

The Riley House is the African-American version of the Knott House. The 1890-built house sits in downtwon Tallahassee across from the Republican Party headquarters. It was the home of John Riley, a prominent Tallahassee resident who was born into slavery and ended up becoming principal of what is now Lincoln High. At the time, his home was in the black middle-class neighborhood of Smokey Hollow. Riley devoted his life to making sure other African-Americans in the city received an education. The home itself is filled with antiques and mementos about Riley’s life, with a temporary exhibit on African-Americans in the Civil War, for instance. I really loved this museum in part because it appealed to my love of underdogs. I get the sense that the Riley House doesn’t get many visitors as the similar Knott House. The museum is free, though of course they welcome donations. Their hours are Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Address: 419 East Jefferson

Day 94: Visit the Tallahassee Automobile Museum

I’m the furthest thing from a car enthusiast, but I was blown away by the goodies inside the Tallahassee Automobile Museum. The museum houses the collection of Florida State University graduate DeVoe Moore, and is home to dozens of beautiful, shiny restored cars from Ford’s Model T all the way up to more modern, sexy sport cars. Walking through the museum’s mirrored showroom is like stepping back in time, with each car reminiscent of the era it came from. One of his most amazing pieces is the 1894 Duryea. It looks like a crumbling wooden carriage with an engine attached. This was the first gas-powered vehicle ever made and according to the museum, the Smithsonian has the only other 1894 Duryea, valued at more than $1 million. I was duly impressed, too, by Moore’s collection of Batmobiles. He has several Batmobiles that were used in filming some of the actual Batman movies. If you are a car enthusiast, you could spend hours in there, drooling over the exposed engines and gleaming hoods of his cars. He also collects and restores pianos, sports memorabilia, pistols, Swiss army knives, Roy Rogers comics, toy cars and more. I was told that even though it is a museum, DeVoe could be persuaded to part with some of his treasures – for a price. The museum is a bit pricey. It is $16 for adults, or $13.50 for two or more, and $7.50 for kids. They also have student discounts.

Address: 6800 Mahan Drive

Day 87: Learn about Mission San Luis

Mission San Luis is by far one of the coolest things to see and experience in Tallahassee. It sits on top of a hill on east Tallahassee not far from Florida State University. Mission San Luis was once home to Spanish settlers and Apalachee Indians. The two formed an alliance in the 1600s and shared communities together, though each lived in their own respective homes. The neat thing about Mission San Luis is that it sits exactly in the same spot it was in about 400 years ago. Archeologists have actually dug up where the homes stood and central plaza was located. The story of the mission is, like much of history, inspiring and sorrowful. The two groups got along pretty well, with many Apalachee women marrying Spanish men because they saw it as a sign of upward mobility. Then the British began invading Florida and the Apalachee and Spanish fled, never to live together again. The Mission San Luis museum helps tell this story by recreating the homes and other buildings the Apalachees and Spanish would have shared. There is a church, fort, friar’s house and round thatched roof council room the Apalachee used for meetings. Tour guides dress the part, wearing historical clothing. We paid $5 per person, which I consider a bargain. The museum has also taken pains to make sure kids would enjoy it.

Address: 2100 West Tennessee

Day 82: Tour the Historic Capitol Museum

The white-columned historic old Capitol that sits in front of the new, modern 22-story Capitol building is a popular destination for tourists. The old Capitol has been restored to its 1902 version and is also a museum of Florida’s political history. Admission is free, though donations are encouraged. Each room is devoted to a different part of Florida politics, whether it’s the history of Florida’s governors, or a display of the more recent history of the 2000 presidential recall that focused so much national attention on Florida. There’s lots of cool memorabilia, from old desks to the clothing our old politicos wore. Museum officials have kept intact the rooms that used to house the Supreme Court and the House and Senate chambers. Interestingly, more tourists (and even locals) visit the old Capitol than the new, which instead of showcasing history is making it. If you want to read more about the new Capitol and why it was built, check out my Tallahassee Magazine article.

Day 73: Visit the St. Mark’s Lighthouse

Perched where sand meets ocean, on the edge of acres of undeveloped land, is the St. Mark’s lighthouse. It sits on the St. Mark’s Wildlife refuge. Dating back to the mid-1800s, the lighthouse became a prize in a Civil War skirmish. (The Confederacy won that particular battle). The best part about visiting the lighthouse is the land surrounding it. It is untouched Florida at its best. There are rivers of grass, swampy forests, alligators and white sand beaches. The lighthouse is not accessible, but there are walking trails nearby that can be used to access the beach. And when I say beach, I don’t mean bikinis and beach umbrellas. This is a very narrow peninsula that is best for ocean-gazing, not swimming. The wildlife refuge costs $5 per car to access, or $1 if you’re on a bike or two feet.

Address: 1255 Lighthouse Road, St. Mark’s

Day 66: Watch a Civil War re-enactment

I thought watching a Civil War re-enactment might help me get in touch with the pulse of the South. Albeit, I was a bit apprehensive because the ritual struck me as a potential tacet endorsement of stubborn Confederate ideals, such as secession, states’ rights, or slavery. I watched a re-enactment of the March 6, 1865 Natural Bridge skirmish between Confederate and Union forces southeast of Tallahassee. Ear-splitting booms of cannons and the cracks of rifles  could be heard miles away. Though the audience and participants were predominantly white, I was pleasantly surprised to see black participants in the re-enactment, but only on the Union side. (I later learned this is the first year for black reenactors at the annual event). The re-enactment itself was blessedly short and the men in it seemed to enjoy the excuse to fire off rifles for an hour. The most exciting part was when a dummy soldier in a tree exploded and then proceeded to catch fire. (A Union soldier put it out). If you need to stock up on your Civil War-era attire and other miscellaneous items, there was a tent to purchase such things. (Anyone need a corn cob pipe made in China?) This re-enactment was free, though I donated $3 to Natural Bridge park.

Address: 7502 Natural Bridge Road

Day 62: Tour the governor’s mansion

The governor’s mansion sits a few blocks from the Capitol on Adams Street. The only indication this historic home is anything special is the fact that the road is blocked off in front of it, which I heard happened after Sept. 11. The brick home has Corinthian columns and is made to look historic but was actually built in 1956. The 1907 version was dismantled and considered a fire hazard. Tours of the mansion aren’t easy to come by, but they are free. The mansion has a very short “tour season,” from March to May and for a few weeks in December. Other times of the year tours are available by appointment only. The tour consists of most of the downstairs rooms, which includes the entry hall, dining room, a sitting room, library, guest room and “Florida room,” or an enclosed porch. All of the furniture in the home is from the 18th or early 19th century, with a few replicas. Each governor is allowed to include his or her own family pictures and make decisions on the art work, but the furniture stays the same. Even the library books, I learned, were chosen for them. They are all books from Florida authors or about Florida. The guest room was the most interesting to me because of its two tiny twin beds. If a couple stayed there, as the former President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara did, they stayed in separate beds. One interesting fact I learned was that the mansion employs a florist, who keeps fresh flowers in each room. We were surprised when the First Lady, Ann Scott, popped into the tour to say hello and shake our hands. The tour ended after about 45 minutes.

Address: 700 North Adams Street

Day 56: Learn about science at Waterworks

Longtime Tallahassee bar Waterworks has cleverly decided to host a “Science Salon” event each Thursday in which demonstrations, experiments and talks are given on a wide variety of topics. The week I attended, Florida State University Anthropology Professor Glen Doran gave a fascinating talk about his role in excavating an archeological site near Titusville, Florida called Windover. This site is one of the most archeologically important in the United States because of the large amount of preserved human remains. It contains over 160 skeletal remains, with some dating back to 8,000 years ago. Windover is actually a swampy pond, which interestingly helped preserve the bodies and other materials well. One of the most important things about the discovery of this site was that  many skulls contained brain tissue, an extreme rarity. This tissue allows forensic scientists to study the DNA of people that lived thousands of years ago. If you’ve never been to Waterworks, it has a tropical theme, with water flowing from the windowpanes. Waterworks also serves food (like hamburgers) as well as drinks.

Address: 1133 Thomasville Road

Day 41: Visit the Museum of Florida History

I could have spent hours in the Museum of Florida History. It’s a great way to kill an afternoon, learn a ton about Florida history, and amuse kids. It is free, though donations are encouraged. The museum is located in the bottom floor of the R.A. Gray building, and there is free parking available at a garage next door. I was impressed by how much information and artifacts the museum managed to squeeze into one floor. Visitors learn about the different Native American tribes that were Florida’s first human inhabitants, and the subsequent “visits” from European explorers. It is well-known what happened from there, with Native American tribes reduced to very small numbers in Florida. There is a large section on the Civil War, and Florida’s role in it. Visitors can see some very cool artifacts, such as arrowheads used by Native Americans, a large cannon, Civil War -era rifles and pistols, women’s and children’s dresses from the 1800s, a Model T car, and tattered Confederate and American flags. The museum doesn’t ignore more recent history, and includes a fascinating section on the boom years of Florida tourism. I especially loved the gift shop, which has a great selection of books about Florida history and current social issues. Every Tallahassee visitor or resident must stop by this museum at least once.

Address: 500 South Bronough St.