Adventures in travel: Lakeland, Florida

Yesterday, we went back to Lakeland to show Alicia the birds on Lake Morton. We also did a little more exploring of the city. Lakeland is midway between Kissimmee and Tampa, off the I-4. It's called Lakeland for a reason. There are 38 lakes within the city limits, and several more in the surrounding area. Lake Morton is known for the local and migratory birds. And we certainly got lots of photos of them. The houses around there are in the craftsman style of the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. Lake Mirror has a beautiful walking path around it. It's closer to the business district, city hall, and hotels. Very beautiful. The city has worked hard at making its city center inviting for pedestrians. Most of the businesses in the city center were closed, just the restaurants and cafes open. It was a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Interesting trivia fact - it's twinned with Richmond Hill in Ontario. A more really interesting bit of trivia, Lakeland is partial to its many swans. By the 1950s, the swans were gone - courtesy of alligators and other pests. One resident wrote to the Queen of England, who graciously sent a pair to the city. (Note: in England ALL the swans belong to the reigning monarch). So today, all the swans in Lakeland are descended from the two sent by the queen. Thank you, Queen Elizabeth.

Railways were important to the development of Lakeland, as the line from west to east Florida runs through it - and I mean through it - right through the middle of town. We watched a freight train yesterday. One of the drivers waiting at the railway crossing got so frustrated with the length of the train, he turned his vehicle around and took off in another direction. Luckily, there was no one behind him. it took a good five minutes for the train to move completely through. And that's the end of the history bit.

One of the many swans descended from those sent by the Queen.

Some of the apartments looking out over the Lake Morton.

American white pelicans. Notice the bump on the beaks. That appears during mating season. Once a pair have mated and laid eggs, the bump is shed. Something I didn't realize is that the American white pelican has the second largest wing span of birds in North America - the California condor being the only bird with a bigger wing span.