"Former pyramid resident Janice Lassonde provides these insights: "The pyramids were built by Austrian people as a Florida resort property. The Beethoven head was a joke amongst the Austrian originators of the Pyramids. They said that now that they had 'Austrian' pyramids, they now needed an 'Austrian' Sphinx to go with them -- thus the Beethoven 'Sphinx' was erected."
Source: Roadside American.com
Next up is the Koreshan Unity Settlement Historic District.
The Koreshan Unity was a communal utopia formed by Cyrus Teed, who took the name "Koresh", the original Persian form of his name Cyrus. The Koreshans followed Teed's beliefs, called Koreshanity. Eventually, Teed took his followers to Estero, Florida, to form his "New Jerusalem" in 1894. The community was at its peak 1903–1908, when it had over 250 residents. There were apparently another 4,000 believers around the country. Teed had a vision in which he was to establish a utopian city of 10,000,000 with streets up to 400 feet (120 m) wide. Membership declined following his death in 1908.
The group built extensively, establishing a bakery, printing house (publishing their newspaper and other publications), the "World College of Life", a general store, concrete works, power plant (supplying power to the surrounding area years before it was available elsewhere in the region) and more. The colony was extensively landscaped.
Source: Wikipedia
The Art Building where folks did performances
Planetary Court, a boarding house for the VIP Koreshan Women. I guess utopia has different levels of Utopia.
The Founder's House
This is on the National Register of Historic Places. I have visited about 10 of these Utopian Society locations, even lived in one that used to be and the operative word seems to be USED TO BE'. At least these people just got to walk away, whereas some are there for "until death due us part"
Heading south down US 41, we pass thru Naples, FL for the next destination, The Naples Depot Museum, AKA Naples Seaboard Air Line Railway Station.
"The depot was constructed in 1927 when the Seaboard Air Line constructed its All Florida Railway to Naples. The station only briefly saw Seaboard Air Line passenger service in the late 1920s before the railroad reduced its Arcadia to Naples Branch to freight service only. Seaboard ended freight service in the 1930s. During World War II, the depot was home to USO shows for troops stationed at the nearby Naples airfield.
By 1944, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad bought both the depot and the Seaboard tracks to Naples and resumed service, making it one of the few railroad depots to have been operated by both the Atlantic Coast Line and the Seaboard Air Line independently prior to their merger. The Atlantic Coast Line's previous depot in Naples was located at the northeast corner of Radio Road and Airport-Pulling Road near Naples Municipal Airport, which was then abandoned.
The Seaboard brand returned to the depot in 1967 when the Seaboard Air Line merged with the Atlantic Coast Line which became the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. Passenger service ended in 1971 when national passenger rail was taken over by Amtrak. On September 10, 1974, the depot was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Freight service was halted for good in the late 1970s, and the adjacent tracks were removed in 1979."
Today it is a transportation museum, which we did partake of.
Source Wikipedia
Continuing south to Marco Island, we had a nice drive thru some very wealthy neighborhoods to our next destionation, Otter Mound Shell Wall.
A unique and noteworthy wall, built of one type of shell from the waters nearby. Not conch, but similar, I believe. Literally tens of thousands of shells went into the construction. Some say the Indians ate the animals in the shell and left the shells piled around. When my uncle bought the land, he built this landmark. The wall is not high (he may have done it to terrace the land) but the term still fits. He died when I was young so his methods and reasoning went with him before I realized the importance of it. Alan Otter, the builders descendent.
Source: Roadside America.com
Across the street from the wall was this tree, which simply mesmerized me. I think it is a Gumbo Limbo Tree
Turning east on US 41S and heading for Miami, we made a diversionary right hand turn to Everglades City to visit 2 places on the historic register.
The bank (the green building) was the only financial institution for the coastal communities of south Collier County from 1926 until 1962. The pink building was constructed in 1927 to house a commercial laundry operation. The building has local significance as part of the original infrastructure and operation of the Town of Everglades, a planned community and company town developed by businessman Baron Gift Collier near the tip of the Florida peninsula during the 1920s.
Source: npgallery.nps.gov
Back up on US41 and heading further east we just had to stop a the US Smallest Post Office. This was a pump house for a tomato farmer. The building was placed into temporary service in 1953 when the general store that housed the US Post Office burned down. It still is in operation as a US Post Office.
Right down the road is this panther statue.
On US 41 is Big Cypress National Preserve. We hung a right off US41 and drove thru the preserve. We worth the diversion and not really adding a lot more time to our final destination. Scott having spent time in Florida in his younger years was able to spot alligators resting in the water thru the corner of his eye. Some snaps from the Preserve. We made a mess of our car, since we were traveling dirt roads.
There is an alligator in there someplace
One animals tease, another animals dinner.
Waiting for the Grim Reaper to show up
Just before we picked up US41 again we came across this place.
We ended up at our hotel around 8:15PM, having dinner at Scully's Tavern, featured on Triple D. Good food, fun atmosphere, no pic.
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