[AnnieA]

Originally Posted by Miles Vineyards

doggiebus, I will address this to you as you are familar to me and you were the last post I regognized. I saw a few names that are regulars and they gave sound advice as you did. I think back on when I first moved to Florida and it was an East Coast trip. The farthest I made it was Boca but did make some day trips farther south. I have often told people that Southern Florida is not a State but a foriegn country. I laugh when people would refer to Florida as a " Gone with the wind " scenerio. The true Floridians are really great people but after being exploited by carpetbaggers for so many years they have become somewhat indifferant to people from the North, I do not think you can call southern Florida as "Southern Charm", you can call it a cultural melting pot but do not confuse it with "Southern Dignity". I was once told by a "Gentleman" that the closer you came to Georgia, the better your chance of seeing "Southern Hospitalty". I learned this first hand by moving to Vero Beach, a wonderful place but make no mistake it is still coastal oriented and as such has an influx of "Northerners", not that there is anything wrong with northern people, hell, I am from the north but it seems that the people who can afford to move to southern Florida with out regard to making a living, seem to adapt a "superior" attitude. This attitude attracts the opposite of what "Southern Charm" is all about. A long story short to say I agree with the group, that in order to experience "Southern Charm" head a little further North, get away from the scam artists, the con men, the beach parties, the "little people" that can not see over the steering wheel. etc. Go to an area that still respects manners, etiquitte, principles and everything else that reaks of "Bret Butler". Now do not confuse some of the old country boy mentality that is not a southern attribute but a "food chain" mentality, with true southern dignity. Even us northern boys know the differance between country and Jack pine savages. lee

Excellent post and as a native Floridian and from a southern family in the mostly southern USA since the late 1600's, very well said. Most of the old southern families are moving out of Florida, or at least in the bare minimum to Ocala and points north. This post makes me tear up, it sums the current situation up pretty neatly. Thank you, sir.

[AnnieA]

Originally Posted by Starlady01

Yes they are extremely friendly in Lakeland, Winter Haven and Auburndale and will want to know every details of your life. But rest assured you want get the same in return. What they don't know don't worry they have a very vivid imagination.

Even when they do know they still have a very vivid imagination.

Goodness, what happened ?

[AnnieA]

I guess you all know John Travolta has a home at Lake City. Is it in the compound ? I dont know.

In reading here about the big cities in florida, I can remember Orlando before the mouse. It was a small, southern city, a cowboy town. It was a wonderful place then, quite rural. Agriculture and cattle, that was central Florida in those days. You were native or from Alabama or Georgia.

We would go to Kissimmee on Sunday afternoons to a little "zoo" there. Unfortunately, I now realize the animals were not very well taken care of but, we thought it was grand. And, we never failed to look for the big, concrete horse in the middle of town.

Just like the book, "a way of life that is gone with the wind."

[Granny Sue]

Originally Posted by AnnieA

I guess you all know John Travolta has a home at Lake City. Is it in the compound ? I dont know.

You might want to check your facts. John Travolta lives in Ocala...actually a small town outside of Ocala. He also is into Scientology not End Times Ministries. So he does not live in a "compound".

[Miles Vineyards]

AnnieA, Thank you "Madam" and this is not just a "Southern" problem we see it up here in our small communities that have been taken over by"city people" on the week ends and summer. We were content to fish out of 14' boats with 5 horsepower engines and had plenty of wildlife and clean water. An outsider thinks he is out ranked at the boat landing if he has anything less than 150 horsepower and every gadget known to man. Now we are talking lakes around 500 acres as a norm, complete overkill. Also as kids we would get our hinders burnt if Dad caught us ripping through a patch of lily pads with a 3 hp. outboard as it was ruining the fish habitat, now you see jet skis tearing up anything in site. I am not anti recreation oriented but there are ways to live side by side with the sportsmen. We have no wake zones, skiing hours between 11 am-4 pm. etc. The fact is my Grand Lady, is times have changed and it is called progrress. I guess this is part of our problems today, too much too fast. Well enjoy your piece of heaven were ever you find it and life will be good, especially in your memory. Hold onto the values and the memories, no one can take that away. I do not go out on the lakes during the weekend and aggrevate myself, instead I built a 25' high waterfall that is 160' long and has a series of falls and ponds. I have planted trees and made bearms along the road and can sit by my waterfall and rejoice in what I have. Thank you again. Good Day.

[southernnaturelover]

Originally Posted by Miles Vineyards

AnnieA, Thank you "Madam" and this is not just a "Southern" problem we see it up here in our small communities that have been taken over by"city people" on the week ends and summer. We were content to fish out of 14' boats with 5 horsepower engines and had plenty of wildlife and clean water. An outsider thinks he is out ranked at the boat landing if he has anything less than 150 horsepower and every gadget known to man. Now we are talking lakes around 500 acres as a norm, complete overkill. Also as kids we would get our hinders burnt if Dad caught us ripping through a patch of lily pads with a 3 hp. outboard as it was ruining the fish habitat, now you see jet skis tearing up anything in site. I am not anti recreation oriented but there are ways to live side by side with the sportsmen. We have no wake zones, skiing hours between 11 am-4 pm. etc. The fact is my Grand Lady, is times have changed and it is called progress. I guess this is part of our problems today, too much too fast. Well enjoy your piece of heaven were ever you find it and life will be good, especially in your memory. Hold onto the values and the memories, no one can take that away. I do not go out on the lakes during the weekend and aggrevate myself, instead I built a 25' high waterfall that is 160' long and has a series of falls and ponds. I have planted trees and made bearms along the road and can sit by my waterfall and rejoice in what I have. Thank you again. Good Day.

I suppose what is "progress" to one person is destruction to another.

[Jimbobster]

I noticed that Santa Rosa county has about 100,000 people. Do most people that live there work there, too, or commute somewhere else (like Escambia County or Ft. Walton)?
From what I've seen, I would agree that "southern Florida" (Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, etc.) is certainly "un-Southern."

[beachmouse]

The US 98 corridor is strictly bedroom community for Pensacola and Ft. Walton Beach/Hurlburt Field, and Pace and Milton are also largely bedroom community for Pensacola. (Santa Rosa Schools have a lot better academic reputation than Escambia schools)

Jobs in Santa Rosa proper tend to involve NAS Whiting Field near Milton, small business, Andrews Medical Institute, or chain/big box retail.

[southernnaturelover]

Originally Posted by Jimbobster

I noticed that Santa Rosa county has about 100,000 people. Do most people that live there work there, too, or commute somewhere else (like Escambia County or Ft. Walton)?
From what I've seen, I would agree that "southern Florida" (Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, etc.) is certainly "un-Southern."

Yep, I'd say the majority of them commute to Pensacola. Northern Santa Rosa County is mostly agriculture and timber though, lots of peanut farms and pine plantations.

[Miles Vineyards]

southernnaturelover, how right you are and it is way to easy for "us" (ME) to get self righteous now that I am retired. I worked my whole life in the recreationl land and development business. It was very gratifying to see young families buying their first lake front property or MoM and Dad buying that lake home so the whole family could enjoy the simple pleasures we took for granted. My wife and I have sold the same property so many times over the last 25 years and even to 3 generations and each was a personal experience. I guess what I am referring to is the person coming up driving a $45,000. vehicle, pulling a $25,000. boat followed by mom and the girls in their Lexus and the boys driving a new truck pulling to PWC's behind them and when friday night comes , times this by dozens and dozens of similar scenerios and it makes life pretty interesting. I guess it could be sour grapes on my part, if I was a young man I would probable see progress in a little more liberal fashion. My wife continues to stay working and reminds me, these people pay the taxes. The only problem all this progress has driven the recreational real estate beyond reality and now that the poop hit the fan we see some real "eye openers". I always said, it makes no differance, if you get taxed out of your comfort level, stand aside there is always another person willing to step up. It goes hand and hand with what you say (in essence) one man's outrageous tax bill is the new guys normalcy??