Hidden Small Towns in Central Florida - Backroads To Frostproof & Fort Meade / Perfect Americana
Small Towns of Central Florida
Transcript
0:03
welcome everyone addie made the woo here
0:03
as a recording of this tuesday october
0:05
19
0:07
2021
0:09
i feel like
0:10
there's a truck backing up
0:12
going on a little bit of a back road
0:15
adventure today
0:18
gonna head up well
0:20
down
0:21
southbound to frostproof about 50 miles
0:24
and then cut across to fort meade
0:26
maybe some other back road excursions
0:28
and small towns just kind of
0:31
the real florida if you will away from
0:33
the hustle and bustle and just see what
0:35
i can see
0:36
i'm inviting you
0:38
to join me
0:40
it'll be fun
0:41
shall you
0:42
and as i head out of celebration
0:45
got big the foot there in the shadows
0:47
just like he likes it
0:50
so that's something he just like to hide
0:51
away but he's in there in the shadows
0:56
he's co-piloting
0:56
tagging along made it to my first
0:58
destination
1:00
lake wales you can see the little dot
1:01
there it's gonna show the route
1:03
so we're gonna go from here
1:05
maybe down through highland park
1:08
down to babson park
1:11
and then a little farther frost proof as
1:14
i stated
1:15
and then
1:16
venture this direction
1:18
over to fort meade maybe pembroke
1:22
in that vicinity
1:24
but at the moment i have arrived at the
1:26
friendliest corner in town
1:29
where's the dot
1:31
i can't find the dot located at 227
1:34
scenic highway and see the city of lake
1:36
wales water tower
1:38
off there in the distance i'm just
1:40
passing through here i'm going to hit a
1:42
bunch of other places up as well i've
1:44
been to lake wales quite a few times
1:46
and never noticed this corner
1:49
it's an auto service place the c and the
1:51
e
1:52
have been removed the friendliest corner
1:54
in town
2:07
this look at this this tree has grown
2:07
completely through
2:11
the roof of this
2:16
that building over there has seen better
2:16
days as well next to the train tracks
2:18
not even 100 sure if a train runs
2:20
through here anymore if it does
2:23
it's not happening now always like to
2:25
check in on the status of this very
2:27
impressive hotel
2:29
called the grand hotel you see the pool
2:30
there
2:31
all grown over
2:33
opened in 1927 and the original owners
2:36
very notable names mary pickford and of
2:38
course gloria swanson
2:40
remember remember her
2:42
from sunset boulevard
2:44
this has been sitting empty for a long
2:46
time
2:47
one day i'd like to get inside there but
2:50
it's never happened
2:51
one day when it reopens just crossing my
2:53
fingers that signage and statute is a
2:56
little bit of a deterrent as well
2:59
originally called the dixie whales built
3:07
tallest structure here in the downtown
3:09
lake wales
3:10
and as i veer over this direction
3:12
you kind of get a sense of
3:15
what florida really is the real florida
3:17
a lot of areas like this exist that you
3:20
think of the theme parks and hustle and
3:22
bustle of some of the cities
3:28
but most of it is like this a lot of
3:28
places you can go and just see
3:30
turtles wandering around in the foliage
3:35
a lot of small towns
3:45
oh this is neat they built
3:45
made it look like a door going into a
3:47
door there's a real door then they
3:49
painted this building so it's like a
3:50
building on the side of a building very
3:52
clever looks as if a car has busted
3:55
through the side of this building it's
3:56
not it's just a painting
3:59
oh and you can see the other side where
4:00
the car busted down the side
4:03
this gentleman here is looking at the
4:05
damage
4:06
and you can see the front fender of that
4:08
car
4:09
looks as if the same artist has
4:11
decorated a lot of the downtown
4:13
including
4:15
the little walk pole there
4:17
while the little the pole you hold on to
4:20
oh
4:20
that is a real insect
4:34
kind of curious now the barrel
4:34
restaurant
4:37
as depicted here
4:39
shows the corner of east central and
4:42
north market
4:45
just type in those coordinates go over
4:47
see if this building still remains
4:54
this dog very friendly dog stand it up
4:54
on its
4:54
hind quarters
5:00
and with any small town you can always
5:00
find some good stuff at antique and
5:03
thrift stores
5:04
this place is called the vintage market
5:07
jeez
5:09
vintage market as a bicycle here out
5:11
front on a cart
5:14
all rusted out with the flat tire
5:21
if those wheels could talk probably tell
5:21
some tell some stories and share some
5:23
memories this parking lot is the corner
5:25
of market and central
5:28
and i would assume that is where the
5:30
barrel
5:31
used to stand it's not here anymore
5:33
the active track runs parallel to the
5:36
stationary track
5:38
which is where
5:40
these relics can be found
5:50
the former train station
5:50
sits right up here as well
5:57
it's an antique fire truck
5:57
this is a thing of beauty right here
6:10
has the lake wales fire department
6:10
number two emblem
6:12
right there on the side
6:16
1961 here's all the bells and whistles
6:19
and utensils to get this thing
6:21
operational
6:23
1961
6:32
an
6:32
f-850
6:34
super duty
6:42
even has the number 22 there
6:42
okay that says 22 with that says two
6:45
two different correlations
6:48
and here's a newer one
7:12
take a tip be safe this trip
7:12
i like that
7:21
and in proximity to the grand hotel
7:21
you can see it often the distance
7:22
peaking up over the trees
7:24
pretty close this is on the outskirts
7:27
of town
7:35
climbing up here on the side
7:35
parked up these stairs
7:37
i thought maybe you could get in that
7:39
way but it's boarded up
7:41
for good reason
7:43
but you can see inside
7:45
this window
7:47
through the glass
7:53
west point route
7:53
georgia clint georgia and clinchfield
8:01
that is so cool
8:01
slight peek in on this
8:04
old truck
8:05
to the dashboard there
8:45
you attach them right to that
8:45
all right moving on also just notice
8:47
this before getting back in the car and
8:49
driving off
8:50
march 1944
8:52
the whitcomb locomotive
8:56
transportation course
9:11
plenty of shade down this little
9:11
thoroughfare
9:13
supposedly down this direction is a
9:16
little community called highland park
9:19
find out when i get up here
9:21
yeah plenty of shades a canopy of
9:24
limbs
9:26
tree limbs never knew this little area
9:28
was tucked away back here
9:31
they do have a water tower
9:33
not a lot of residents
9:35
this could have been a residence
9:37
or possibly
9:39
a train depot
9:44
i'm leaning towards it not being a
9:44
trained depot
9:45
but it kind of
9:47
resembles
9:49
that maybe possibly some tracks did go
9:51
through here you see a little bridge
9:52
over there
9:54
but notice this before i look at it i'm
9:56
going to say no because it shifts too
9:58
hard but sometimes you'll see tracks be
9:59
removed
10:01
and they'll end up paving over it that's
10:04
not the case with that however
10:06
a little water treatment plant here
10:09
and the covered bridge go down here
10:11
using the term covered bridge very
10:13
loosely it's just more of like a little
10:15
regular bridge with a covering it's kind
10:18
of the same thing but not really
10:48
1927 highland park club
10:48
open a regulation size 18 hole golf
10:51
course
10:52
there comes a
10:59
trash heap there
10:59
renowned designers
11:01
utilize the rolling hills and natural
11:03
settings of the club property to craft a
11:05
majestic layout
11:06
that is still intact
11:08
and then in 1996 it became private
11:12
oh no private but then open to the
11:14
public just had a little conversation
11:16
with the truck driver he stated
11:19
that this area through here is no longer
11:21
being used as a golf course
11:23
it was for a long time but it hasn't
11:24
been
11:26
in quite a while
11:29
and
11:30
jury's still out on whether or not this
11:31
was a train station or not
11:36
kind of looks like it from this end
11:36
though doesn't it
11:41
yeah this was all a golf course at one
11:43
very windy out here
11:45
this is about as floored as it gets
11:47
right here with this hanging moss
11:49
and behind the golf course building are
11:51
these little fuel stations
12:02
just drove down this little path next to
12:02
it
12:03
all right heading out of this little
12:04
community
12:06
pretty neat discovered something new
12:07
i've never been back in here before
12:32
must have an insect problem out there on
12:32
these crops
12:33
they have the bags over the top of them
12:36
here in the fields
13:06
just a few miles up the way made it to
13:06
babson
13:08
park
13:13
stopping off at mini max
13:13
it's like they're fueling up as well
13:15
i do love seeing
13:17
different names of convenience stores
13:19
and gas station obviously this is not a
13:21
chain
13:22
independently owned probably named after
13:24
a gentleman named mack
13:26
back in the day mini max
13:28
get a beverage in here
13:30
getting a little thirsty and the very
13:32
next town over
13:38
adjacent to the one i was just at i
13:38
guess you call them twin towns
13:41
is crescent heights no hillcrest heights
13:45
and this is the town hall not a city
13:47
hall town hall
13:49
of hillcrest heights
13:51
151 north scenic highway i'm on
13:55
tiny little town hall these are known as
13:57
sandhill cranes
14:00
there's a few other having a little
14:02
tussle over there
14:04
half a dozen one two three four five six
14:06
of them
14:08
sandhill cranes they always have the
14:09
right-of-way if they walk in front of
14:11
your vehicle
14:12
you have to let them pass
14:14
it is very frowned upon with punishment
14:18
if you end up
14:20
you know damaging one of them or hurting
14:22
them
14:26
they kind of they kind of own anywhere
14:26
they walk anywhere they are
14:29
just let them be the sandhill cranes
14:32
they run central florida true story
15:17
very interesting name for a town most
15:17
likely because of all the oranges
15:19
this place does not frost
15:21
if it does it's rare so
15:23
frostproof
15:24
with the lakefront and the water down in
15:26
the distance
15:28
i gotta say i am really loving
15:30
this downtown vibe through here
15:41
yeah i like this place
15:41
frost proof
15:42
and i guess i could say
15:45
there probably is no mercy
15:48
in this dojo
16:01
that's funny
16:02
peeking up over the roof line there you
16:03
can see the water tower this building
16:06
could have been a gas station at one
16:08
point or maybe a general store
16:10
has a little little overhang that you
16:11
can drive underneath
16:17
and up on the side of the poles
16:17
have these little banners up here
16:20
stating frost proof and has
16:23
has the orange as the citrus industry is
16:26
very popular around these parts
16:28
established in 1925 the citizens bank
16:31
there across the way
16:34
and that noise is
16:37
in the building that sits next to
16:40
this classic theater called the ramon
16:42
theater still has the ramo in
16:45
up on the top
16:47
from the storefronts next door is doing
16:49
a little construction
16:58
address 15 and
16:58
here's elvis over here at the ticket
17:00
booth
17:04
if you look beside where it says
17:04
citizens bank on either side
17:06
looks to be like a wheel a little and
17:08
carving of a wheel and it probably is a
17:10
wheel
17:11
but you could also utilize this as maybe
17:13
a slice of an orange
17:15
because the citrus industry so you could
17:17
kind of equate it to both you so choose
17:21
on july 4th of 2002
17:25
the very first mural was put up here in
17:27
town
17:44
i see a snake
17:44
up there in the foliage a gator
17:53
yeah i love the vibe down here
17:54
look at this relic
18:01
this realty sign
18:01
something out of like the 70s
18:04
frost poof cross proof
18:06
realty
18:15
looks like a castle over there that
18:15
that business looks like a castle
18:17
old gas station here too and on that
18:19
corner is an automotive collections
18:21
expert
18:22
that building's seen some ears the
18:24
design of that roof line
18:26
kind of reminds me of like googie
18:28
architecture i think that's what that's
18:29
called
18:30
on the upper level up here are these
18:32
rooms
18:33
belong to
18:35
a former hotel
18:37
called the highlands hotel
18:40
take a look at the inscription here on
18:42
the side of the door
18:44
highlands hotel
18:46
you would go right there there's a
18:47
welcome mat
18:48
a very very dirty
18:51
welcome mat and a set of stairs
19:02
part of the lettering has kind of
19:02
fallen off
19:03
and the address is 21 and a half
19:06
between 21 and 22.
19:10
loving the design on this one as well
19:13
it's a little
19:14
little overhang a little lip right up
19:16
here
19:20
yeah they don't make buildings like this
19:20
anymore
19:22
even the little like glass
19:24
little windows here
19:27
see that's cracked
19:29
yeah i love love that
19:38
and the brick pattern on the side of the
19:38
wall here
19:52
i think that was added on and it looks
19:52
to me like that was added on
19:54
neon sign up here p and j's recreation
19:56
pool room have food and beer
19:59
it is lit up even during the day yeah
20:01
that's the old sign
20:12
down on that end is the city hall
20:12
just kind of doing a
20:14
little full
20:16
pan around
20:55
ah
20:55
train station
20:57
it's now a coffee shop
21:07
now turned upon the road heading towards
21:07
fort meade it's about 15 or 20 miles but
21:10
noticing a lot of abandoned buildings
21:13
along this stretch of road
21:33
had to pull over here show this
21:33
down this dirt crossroads
21:51
rubbed his engine as he went by
21:51
not sure why but that happened
22:03
amazing how you can be kind of out in
22:03
the middle of nowhere
22:04
well not no not in the middle of nowhere
22:06
but away from everything and there's
22:08
still
22:09
traffic speeding by
22:16
a lot of citrus trucks though
22:16
a lot of citrus sharks see over here
22:19
all citrus trees
22:26
very tall sprinkler systems out there
22:29
probably about 15 foot tall sprinklers
22:53
made it to fort meade the boardwalk cafe
22:53
next to this little painting here of a
22:55
bait and tackle shop
22:58
kind of looks like a cowboy there got
23:00
himself a fish live bait and tackle
23:04
another gentleman in a canoe
23:14
this 3d fencing store has a for rent
23:14
sign on it looks like it went out of
23:16
business
23:17
also does irrigation and concrete
23:25
next to this vacuum at the gas station
23:25
now that is a fantastic old home right
23:28
there look at that
23:30
okay granted the last place i passed
23:33
was a fixer-upper but it was still
23:35
pretty unique and
23:37
pretty neat looking
23:39
as is this church
23:42
building with the steeple
23:48
very nice
23:48
went ahead and pulled over so i could
23:49
walk up and get a
23:50
better view here
23:52
up close and personal like
23:55
episcopal denomination oh it's on the
23:57
national register
23:59
of historic places
24:01
and they put it on that back in may of
24:03
1976
24:05
it was built in 1889
24:17
has the stained glass windows
24:18
around the side another entrance point
24:30
very quaint
24:30
and perfect yeah this is something you
24:32
really just can't drive on by
24:34
you have to kind of stop and be enamored
24:36
with it
24:38
you know but the top of the the tower
24:41
faintly see there is a bell up there
25:05
fort meade historical society is inside
25:05
the
25:06
former old school house
25:09
got a train sitting over here as well
25:12
and the town's gazebo
25:14
i've seen many a gazebo in my travels i
25:17
don't think i've ever seen one
25:19
that has a set of bleachers set up
25:21
beside it
25:28
a little set of bleachers here any
25:28
entertainment
25:29
any local entertainment that happens
25:32
you have a nice seat also this
25:34
seat here has been
25:36
kind of stationed into the ground
25:43
the ulma hendrick
25:43
memorial shed
25:45
old mahendrick
25:57
wow
25:57
born in 2013.
26:04
100 years old about 100 years old
26:04
there's olma right there
26:19
remember the heritage
26:19
this is dated 1985 this wagon
26:23
street car
26:25
take a look at that they had a street
26:27
car through here
26:29
street car line you're in fort meade
26:52
this stuff is fascinating to me
26:52
i just love history
26:54
americana
26:56
memories of the past it's not for
26:58
everyone
27:10
oh more bleachers they probably move
27:10
those over
27:11
and attach with those whenever there's
27:13
entertainment and when i park downtown
27:15
which is only about a block from here
27:17
the main downtown area local gentleman
27:20
got out got out of his car and gave me a
27:22
little info probably gonna not get it
27:24
correctly but from what i'm recalling
27:26
him saying
27:28
said this is the oldest town in polk
27:30
county
27:31
and there used to be a big cuban cigar
27:33
factory
27:35
that was very prominent also known for
27:36
citrus on this area
27:38
but on the end of town
27:40
so there's a big water tower
27:42
that has been replaced there used to be
27:44
a big wooden tower out there
27:47
pretty neat to hear his stories
27:50
keep in mind not everybody wants to be
27:51
on camera but everyone does have a story
27:53
to tell
28:07
buford brown used to be the
28:07
engineer conductor
28:13
and this sits
28:13
right next to
28:14
where the train station used to be
28:16
see where it says fort meade right there
28:18
on the side
28:20
there is an active track next to this
28:22
one that runs parallel
28:23
just like the other spot i showed
28:25
but this one is on a stationary
28:28
non-movable track
28:46
walking down broadway and if anything
28:46
can sum up the laid-back attitude of
28:49
this town
28:51
this gentleman over here smoking a cigar
28:54
an easy chair
28:56
a few more cowboys here behind this
28:58
little fence protective fence
29:02
don't want any breaking anyone breaking
29:04
into this business after hours
29:16
always like a cute little downtown
29:16
something about a little alcove over
29:19
number 36 kind of tucked away in there
29:23
wasn't expecting that
29:25
kind of offset from everything else
29:40
might not seem like much
29:40
very simplistic
29:46
this is
29:46
this is a thing of beauty right here i
29:48
am i know i'm easily amused and i'm
29:50
easily entertained
29:52
by the olden days in architecture but
29:54
look at this
29:56
rusted out top point
29:59
got the bricks for the pillars
30:02
got the pharmacy got the plants out
30:04
front
30:08
and then next to it is a castle
30:08
formation
30:09
another taekwondo place where champions
30:11
are built
30:22
do not see stuff like this in
30:22
bigger metropolis areas
30:24
you know with the with the brickwork and
30:26
the little little garden down here
30:31
they are under renovation
30:33
so sorry for the inconvenience the
30:34
pharmacy is under
30:36
renovations
30:42
let's just bask
30:42
in the glory of this piece of americana
30:45
for a moment
30:57
there is no name on this establishment
30:57
no signage up top anymore
31:01
kind of harkens back to when i was
31:03
younger you go to a like a steakhouse
31:06
that had an exterior that looked like
31:07
this
31:08
that's what it's kind of reminding me of
31:28
part of the appeal for me when it comes
31:28
to theme parks you know take disneyland
31:30
for example and walt and marceline his
31:32
his hometown in marceline missouri was a
31:34
lot like this and he recreated that on
31:36
main street usa
31:38
you have to keep in mind
31:40
places that emulate spots like this
31:42
the real places do still exist
31:45
if you just look for them
31:47
they're still out there
31:48
thankfully they still exist
31:51
and part of the reason they stay this
31:52
way
31:53
relatively
31:55
unchanged is because they are forgotten
31:56
about i don't mean forgotten about by
31:58
those who
31:59
live here or pass through occasionally
32:02
just in general
32:05
if it were on a main highway or a main
32:07
interstate
32:15
all this would be updated changed
32:15
would not have its
32:18
kind of hometown feel anymore it'd still
32:20
have it but it would be
32:21
a lot different
32:23
things would change
32:24
now it is designated on the map pembroke
32:29
florida
32:31
showing it down this little road
32:55
oh yeah
32:55
signs of a previous existence
32:58
of a business here this corner store
33:21
there's a vulture up here in the road
33:21
chowing down on something
33:23
side states over there it's a laboratory
33:26
of some sort
33:29
and there are some cars behind there
33:43
what really does get me excited however
33:43
is when you take a turn off of a road
33:45
and you think there's going to be
33:46
nothing down
33:48
on a small little
33:51
little road
33:53
and then stuff like this appears
33:55
it's just one building
33:58
this is the stuff that makes my day just
34:00
thinking how this was someone's dream
34:01
someone opened this
34:09
had high hopes
34:09
and those people are probably passed on
34:11
now
34:35
now here's a place that brings back some
34:35
memories
34:37
it's been around a long time probably a
34:39
decade ago 10 years ago
34:41
i passed by here
34:43
there were no fences up or anything
34:45
i was able to walk around the property
34:48
and it has not been demolished
34:50
the altura packing company
34:56
still stands empty
35:04
the water tower here in juaneta
35:04
w-a-h-n-e-t-a
35:11
the other water tower says community of
35:11
so not a town not a city
35:17
labeled a community
35:17
and now passing through dundee
35:21
another train depot here
35:24
this is also a museum
35:34
right here on the corner of first and
35:34
main street
35:36
i've been by this before about a year
35:38
ago
35:43
stopped and got around looked around now
35:43
i'm just kind of just driving by this
35:59
and back into celebration florida
35:59
covered a lot of ground a lot of miles
36:02
that's gonna do it for today
36:05
another back road adventure
36:07
always fun
36:10
see the next video the vlog is over