Follow ups

1.) The Arrow Motel

My friend living in the Arrow Motel tells me that it is actually a unique little community, despite being in such a run-down part of Orlando.  He says living in the Arrow is "totally safe and secure, despite the appearance of the opposite." He trusts his neighbors because "it is impossible to hide who you are because we all live in the same fishbowl."  First, I must apologize for the assumptions I made about the living conditions there based solely upon the reputation of the Trail. Second, I really want to visit and meet the folks who live permanently in a vintage Florida roadside motel!

2.) Florida Forever

Florida's Governor, Charlie Crist, surprised me by vetoing the proposed cuts that would virtually wipe out the Florida Forever program. It's nice to read some good news in the paper for once!

3.) Homosassa Springs

I found this image of Homosassa Springs, before the Fish Bowl was built, on the Florida Geological Survey website.

4.) Houses for sale

All 3 historical Orlando homes, I've blogged about are still on the market. And I learned that the one home I was told housed Buddy Ebsens' family's musical school, was perhaps not the correct location of said school.

5.) St. Johns River

The battle for Florida's water is really just beginning. Here is a fine article giving reasons for not using the St. Johns River as a source of drinking water.

6.) Peace Tower

I'm not sure where I got the term Peace Tower, it's really called the Placid Tower.

7.) Presidents Hall of Fame

I posted some video from the presidents Hall of Fame in Clermont and meant to do a more in-depth blog about it later. This article on RoadsideAmerica.com, an excellent online resource, does a better job than I would have. And it is written by a highschooler. I'm impressed and hopeful for the next generation of roadside aficianados. 

8.) Citrus Tower

I acquired this vintage postcard of the Clermont roadside attraction. I think perhaps there was some manipulation of the orange tree limb.

North/South Arrow

One of the main US Highways coming into Florida in the pre-interstate days was 441. In Orlando it goes right through the heart of town and is known as the Orange Blossom Trail. Back in the day, the section through Central Florida had motels, restaurants and attractions to entice the traveler to stop. For instance, the kitschy Wigwam Village was on 441, close to where the Trail now intersects the 408. Unlike its counterparts in Arizona and Kentucky, our teepee motel did not survive.

A couple miles down the road lies Gatorland, a vintage attraction which despite a fire last year, continues to thrive. In my estimation, it is the most successful of Florida's independent roadside attractions, still operated by its original owners today.

Between the site of the Wigwam Village and Gatorland, both literally and figuratively, lies the Arrow Motel. My friend lives in the motel today and photographed the newly re-painted sign. While I wouldn't say it is the most prosperous motel on 441, it is one of the very few that still has working neon. The vintage postcard shot of the Arrow has an innocence to it – freshly planted landscaping, very little clutter, everything looked nice new and tidy. The back reads: "58 modern spacious units, tastefully furnished, wall-to-wall carpeting, room phones, T.V., air conditioned, heated, swimming pool. Service station. 24-Hour Restaurant." Of all those amenities, it is my guess that only the T.V., AC, carpet and maybe the pool remain.

Today the Trail is associated more with prostitution than tourism and despite the efforts to dress up the road with fancy light poles and spiffy intersections, that arrow has been pointing down for a number of years.