Category: Places/Travel

Anti Gravity Monument

~ Tim Jeffers ~ 1 Comment

Another unusual roadside attraction this is located on the University of Tampa.

It doesn’t defy gravity literally, but the anti-gravity monument does take a defiant stand toward what its originator once called “Our Enemy No. 1.”

Gravity was Roger Babson’s nemesis and obsession ever since his sister drowned when he was a teenager. Babson blamed gravity, and when he later became a millionaire businessman he founded the Gravity Research Foundation to find a way to defeat it. He also gave money and stock to over a dozen colleges and universities if they placed one of his inspirational tombstone-like monuments on their campuses. Tampa’s went up in 1965, inscribed “to remind students of the blessings forthcoming when science determines what gravity is, how it works, and how it may be controlled.”

Babson died in 1967 but his monuments remain. Gravity, which makes big rocks too heavy to move, turned out to be his friend after all.

Anti Gravity Monument

Spook Hill

~ Tim Jeffers

A mysterious phenomenon located in Lake Wales Florida known as Spook Hill. It has been grabbing the attention of curiosity seekers with its thrills for many years. A unique roadside attraction along the 38.7-mile route of SR 17, visitors watch with amazement as their parked car will defy gravity and coast backward up a hill.

There is a great legend behind the mystery of Spook Hill that includes a prominent Native American chief and a massive Florida alligator. The story dates back many years ago when a Seminole Indian village on Lake Wales had the misfortune of being terrorized by the large gator. The leader of the tribe, Chief Culcowellax, was one of the fiercest warriors of his time and decided to take on the gator to protect his village. Chief Culcowellax and the gator had an incredible showdown, with the Chief triumphantly emerging as the winner of the battle. This epic battle apparently created Lake Ticowa, and when the Chief died years later they buried his remains on the north side.

When the Native-Americans eventually lost their land to settlers, the pioneer mail riders noticed their horses laboring downhill, which led to them nicknaming the spot “Spook Hill”. The road was later paved over, but still, cars would find themselves coasting uphill without any explanation. There are two reasons that have been proposed for this, either the gator is seeking revenge for its loss at the legendary battle or the Chief is still trying to protect his land.

Scientifically, researchers attribute this natural phenomenon to a magnetic hill created from limestone hills that were islands 2-3 million years ago when sea levels were much higher. However, if you’re ready to test out Spook Hill and see this phenomenon for yourself, take Highway 27 to 17A just before Lake Wales, then drive East and follow the signs

Lutz Florida Train Station

~ Tim Jeffers

One of the big sawmills in the northwest Hillsborough County area was the one owned by Charles Lutz south of  Odessa.  After the Tampa Northern Railroad was built, in 1909 Charles Lutz built a tram track to carry his lumber 10 miles to the east, connecting his sawmill to the Tampa Northern Railroad at brother William’s self proclaimed Lutz Station.  The track connected to the Tampa Northern Railroad at what is now Lutz Lake Fern Road and US 41 in a horizontal “Y” shape junction.   This narrow track line, part of the Tampa and Gulf Coast Railroad ran east-west and extended westward to Tarpon Springs.  It was nicknamed the “Peavine Railroad” because it was so crooked.  

Steamtown National Historic Site

~ Tim Jeffers ~ 2 Comments

Several years ago had the opportunity to visit Steamtown located in Scranton Pennsylvania. It is a   railroad Museum  and heritage railroad at the site of the former Scranton yards of the Delaware, Lackawanna and western Railroad (DL&W). The museum is built around a working turntable and a roundhouse that are largely replications of the original DL&W facilities; the roundhouse, for example, was reconstructed from remnants of a 1932 structure. The site also features several working steam engines and exhibits.