The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1953-11-13
RIDING, RIDING, RIDING

street on the back of a big horse.
l learned that this is not his first
ride recently. 81 could ride this
horse to Hatteras,"> he insisted.
How tough they made them of
good material in his day. Sixty
years ago, he rode his horse on
patrol in the Life Saving Service,
at least dozen miles day.
Two weeks ago I took a trip
with my wife to Florida. We trav-
eled about 1900 miles on this trip
to Key West. One day l drove for
II hours-from 8 am. to 2 am.
next morning, stopping out for
meals, and some sightseeing. On
the day we returned home, ! drove
nearly 600 miles, between morn
ing and midnight, and l know l
won't be able to ride horse, nor
drive car some 81 years from
now when l am 83.
Most every day we were on the
road, we travelled about 400 miles.
We spent three nights and two
days in a lovely hotel at Fort Lau-
deradale, Florida, which to my
mind is about as beautiful a place
as there is in the state. / was told
that the greatest part of this bust
ling town has been developed since
World War II. Swamp land is SELL
ing at $4,000 an acre, and being re-
claimed for choice home sites. On
the ocean front at Lauderdale,
large palm trees were being set
out in front of a hotel not yet
completed.
To those who have not been
there, l would recommend a trip
down the Florida Keys to Key
West, 157 miles below Miami. 1t
reminds us so much of our own
Outer Banks, and even the hospi-
tally of the people is similar. 1t
was nearly two o'clock in morning
when half way down the keys we
stopped to inquire of two women
fishing from a bridge where we
might find a cottage or room for
the night. Just as one of our own
people might have said, came the
quick response that we would be
taken care of all right, and we
went home with Mrs. Brown, a
night club singer and musician
who owned a cafe and cottages.
We had a splendid room with
bath, for only So each for the
night, and a good breakfast next
morning, and it was like visiting
old friends. We stopped back at
the place, Melody Lodge on Isla-
morada Key on our return from
Key West, for a short visit.
We were impressed with the
vast development that is going on
in Florida, and along all highways
between US, to take care of the
tourist business. We were also i'm
pressed with the courtesy and con-
sideration shown everywhere. No
where was there Impotence, or a
rush to get rid of us, but we were
treated like old friends come for a
visit. The courtesy and thoughtful
ness shown seemed so completely
genuine that it was hard to realize
it is part of the routine of serving
the business which is Florida s
means of earning a living.
1t seems that some of our peo-
pie might profit from a trip
through Florida to observe how
keenly aware are the Floridians OF
the value of the tourist trade.
can say with enthusiasm that this
trip was so enjoyable / would be
glad to return most any time, ex-
cept for the long ride. l am still
mt as tough as some of our 49,
year-old men. / would prefer to
fly.
While Florida has so many en-
joyable things, and some that are
different from ours, / say, by and
large, | would choose our own
area for a place to live. We have
many advantages they do not
have; in face, many superior ad-
vantages, provided we endowed
them with the same effort, and
some of the same capital invest
ment. We are so much nesNer the
great centers of population that
when the time comes we are ready
to invest lot of money and energy
into the task of developing our
area as they are doing in Florida,
we will not need fear even Florida's
competition.
To mention just a few of the
things we saw in Florida: The old
Spanish city of st. Augustine, the
Marineland exhibits near Daytona
Beach; the orange groves and
farms of central Florida; the Box
tower, soaring in the colorful
beauty of it's Georgia Marble at
Mountain Lake. Already there is
long straight crack for many
feet down one corner of the tower,
thus indicating how perishable is
mans works. We saw long avenues
of lofty Australian pine, of great
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