Today was a non-running day, so Bob and I had a leisurely morning. About 10, Bob decided to do his 4 mile walk in the neighborhood, and I headed off to check out Northwest Florida State College. The campus exploration was in lieu of being able to see a show at the campus theater which came up as one of the things to do in Niceville.
I read online that the school offers Associate and Bachelor’s Degrees, certificates, and adult education. If you went to cheer on one of their sports or academic teams, you would be rooting for the Raiders. Niceville is the main campus but they have other locations across Oskaloosa and Walton Counties. Their motto is “Beyond: Dream Beyond the Reasonable,” which seems a bit bold for a place called Niceville.
It is an attractive campus and appears to be relatively new.
The sign at the main entrance off of College DriveA map of the campusThe Administration Building Apparently the school began as Oskaloosa-Walton Junior College.There are helpful signs around campus and large building numbers to help with way finding.The Mattie Kelly Fine Performing Arts Center, the reason for the visit Another painted heron!“Seven Dancers” by Esther Wertheimer in the courtyard of the performing arts center A sculpture in front of the Visual Arts Center An outdoor amphitheater that hosts events (per a sign that said it is only open during scheduled events)The Raiders ArenaA water tower on campus near the baseball and softball fields Raider Central Costa Leadership Institute There is a memorial plaza on campus. This statue is in memory and gratitude to veterans.This portion honored local first responders (medical, fire, police, etc) who died in the line of duty This was a plaque for a Walton County Sheriff’s Deputy who was shot in April 2025 while responding to a disturbance at a Dollar General store in DeFuniak Springs. DeFuniak Springs is about 25 miles from Niceville and one of the places Bob and I spent the night when we were biking across the country in 2012.The front of the campus library Another view of the library from a courtyard A clock near the library A colorful sundial within the courtyard
Bob and I are caring for three food-named cats at our current housesit — Nutmeg, Parsley (Nutmeg’s daughter), and Seasame (pronounced Sesame). We really (at least so far) interact with Seasame. The other two are pretty happy for us to be food sources, although Parsley comes close enough to check us out on occasion.
The very elusive Nutmeg giving me the evil eye as I walk towards her to take a picture.Parsley lying close enough to check us outThe funny and very sweet Seasame, our pretty constant companion and a great purrer.
On a Google search of what to do around Niceville, a few things have popped up. One is the Turkey Creek Nature Trail which begins in Turkey Creek Park. It is basically a mile long boardwalk along a creek and marshy vegetation. While a number of signs in the park announce the presence of alligators, bears, and snakes and warn that you swim in the creek at your own risk, they provide a number of docks along the boardwalk for you to enter the water to swim or float. In fact, we saw a group of moms and young kids playing in the water and quite a few teens and young adults walking to the far end of the boardwalk with their inner tubes to float back to the start.
Although we would have liked to have seen an alligator, as we felt safe on the elevated boardwalk, we had no desire to chance seeing one up close by getting in the water.
A statue to the Civilian Conservation Corps Workers, who worked in the area from 1933-1942. It was the first CCC camp in the state of Florida.Another Oskaloosa County painted heron!Plaques in the park and along the boardwalk provided information on the different plants and trees throughout the park.A warning as we started our walkThe boardwalkThe plant filled creek. The water is actually very clear, but the bottom is muddy and sandy.Our only animal sightings were turtles and fish.One of the many docks which allowed for water access, although “Swim at your own risk” signs were posted at each one.There was a short walk off the path to a sitting area in memory of loved ones who have died.The sitting area with the names on plaques on the upper beamsA few of the plaques A canoe launch site and some good information about creeks in Northwest Florida
Tonight we walked 5 minutes down the street to the marina to the L J Schooners Oyster Bar. Crazy good happy hour and lovely setting!
Bob and I left the lovely Destin beach rental house at 1:30 on Saturday for a one night stay at a TownePlace Suites Hotel across the bay in Niceville, Florida. We were warmly greeted by the town and hotel, so maybe people really are nice in Niceville. The name definitely sets moderate expectations.
The city welcome at the corner where we turned to go to the hotelThe hotel welcome in the lobby
The hotel was comfy. It looked to be new, and it had a great fitness center. Unfortunately, Bob’s Marriott Titanium status didn’t pull as much weight as we had hoped. Although we were able to get in early on Saturday, we could only extend our stay until 2:00 pm on Sunday. We were hoping to stay until 4:00 since we weren’t to meet up with our homeowner until 6:30.
This forced us to get creative, so we ended up visiting the free Air Force Armament Museum near the Fort Walton/Destin Airport. With the current actions of the US government, we had a hard time generating much enthusiasm for the impressive array of various instruments of war, but it was attractively displayed and provided a good amount of information.
The museum building. There were exhibits both inside and outside of the building.An F-15D/E Strike Eagle. This two-seater plane entered service in 1989 and first saw combat in 1991 in Operation Desert Storm.SR-71A Blackbird. Delivered to the Air Force in 1968, it is capable of flying at speeds over Mach 3.2. It first saw combat in Vietnam.A lighter exhibit— one of 20 painted herons scattered around Oskaloosa County. We had seen another at Destin Commons on Friday.UH-1M Iroquois, also known as the “Huey,” began being used in Vietnam in 1963.MQM-105 Aquila, the Army’s first unmanned aerial vehicle, started in 1979. The Army abandoned the program in 1987.KC 1800 II German Chemical Bomb. It contained 1800 kilograms of the poisonous agent Phosgene. It could produce a lethal area covering one acre of land.One version of suits worn by USAF firefighters Bob walking through an Airborne Battlefield Command Control Center which was located within an airplane.
After a little over an hour at the museum, we drove into Destin, which was about 25 minutes with weekend traffic, to kill some time at a bookstore before heading to dinner.
The view coming into Destin from the museum
At 6:30 we met up with the wife of our homeowner couple in Niceville, who gave us a quick walk through before offering us a glass of wine which we took out on their back patio for a lovely sunset view.
Our homeowner left today at 1:00 pm to meet up with her husband for their sailing trip along the coast. We will be caring for their 3 indoor/outdoor cats — one of whom we may not see much of as she is not so fond of people.
We had one last full day with family yesterday in beautiful Destin, Florida. We spent part of the morning walking around Destin Commons, a large open air mall about a 12 minute walk from the rental house.
One entrance to the CommonsAn art-filled area between storesA painted heronA lake behind the mallA big green space for relaxing or playing Bob and I with the beach ballA fun kids’ climbing wallI wondered why Bob had gone willingly into a beach clothing store, and then I figured it out.More Florida themed artDitto
We did a late lunch/early dinner at an AI-recommended restaurant down by the Destin Harbor Boardwalk. Great food!
The colorful exterior of The Harbor TavernEric and Bob
We walked a bit along the boardwalk after our meal.
Looking across the harbor towards Destin Pointe
We will spend the night at a Marriott hotel tonight before meeting up with our Destin (actually Niceville) homeowner tomorrow night for an 8 night housesit.
Bob and I have been continuing to enjoy our time in Destin with Bob’s family.
This is the house that Bob’s sister and her husband have rented. It’s a block from the ocean and it has its own pool.
Yesterday I walked along the trail that runs alongside Scenic Highway 98. It was a lovely walk.
One of the homes along the walkThe wide trail beneath the palmsOne of the homes right on the beachLarge homes around a man-made lakeAnother home on the beachMore of the beautiful white sand beachesDitto A few of the beach trail access points have little free libraries!The latest version of the family group— me, Bob, Jody, Cheryl, and Bob’s brother EricThe group at a rooftop bar overlooking a state park — Eric, Jody, Cheryl, me, and BobLooking over the bar towards the parkThe Henderson Beach State Park and the Gulf of Mexico from the rooftop barDittoPart of the Henderson Beach Resort next to the state park
Bob and I arrived in Destin, Florida, on Sunday, Mother’s Day, to reunite with family at a lovely home near the beach that Bob’s sister and brother-in-law had rented for a couple of weeks. Since then, we’ve enjoyed the beautiful scenery, as well as time with our sister and brother-in-law and our nephew, niece, and family.
The following are some pics from this part of the visit.
The Gulf Coast just a block from the houseSome homes along the lovely white sand beach Bob with our great nephew HarrisonOur great niece MilaA Mother’s Day photo with mom Kelly and her kids, Mila and HarrisonThe Destin Harbor Boardwalk Harrison and I on the boardwalkThe whole group— Nick, Jody, Harrison, Mila, Cheryl, Me, Bob, and Kelly
Our niece and nephew and their family left today to get back for work, but Bob’s brother Eric just arrived, so more fun to be had…
The rain continues, but we had a short 2.5 hour drive today to our final stop before we meet up with family tomorrow in Destin, Florida.
The bridge over Mobile Bay Mobile BayThe USS AlabamaA floral clock as we entered FairhopeA pretty drive through Fairhope
We are spending the night at the Grand Hotel, an Autograph Collection hotel for Marriott. We had some Marriott points that we had to use before we lost them, so Bob found us a hotel/resort that we could never afford to stay at but that we could use points for a free night. It is quite the resort.
The view of the marina from the 3rd floor of our building We worked out in the fitness center when we checked in a little after 1:00 pm and we saw this wedding couple having their photos taken.
After our workout and shower, we walked a lot of the property.
A covered bridge on the edge of the property The Spa Building where our room is. It does contain a spa, indoor pool, and fitness center.Looking towards boat docks for nearby waterfront homesThe beach on the property near 2 outdoor poolsOne of the outdoor poolsThe hotel served as a hospital during the Civil War. At 4:00 pm each day, they fire off a Civil War era cannon.Mobile BayThe rotunda of the Main House, with the registration area, restaurants, and gift shopThe Grand Hall in the Main House where we’ll have breakfast tomorrow
We will meet up with family in Destin, Florida, sometime tomorrow afternoon.
Laurel, Mississippi, established in 1882, is the town that timber built and has significant Midwestern roots. Bob and I learned a lot about Laurel’s history this morning on a free walking tour through part of Laurel’s historic district led by the Executive Director of Lauren Roger’s Museum of Art. These tours are only offered on Fridays during a designated portion of the year, and I think we got in on the last one for this spring. There were 9 of us in the group. It was raining but not too hard and everyone had an umbrella.
It was a 10 minute walk from the Airbnb to the art museum, and on the way we saw a couple of buildings of interest.
City Hall, built in 1914 by P. J. Krouse in a mix of Prairie and Craftsman stylesOne of 2 courthouses in Jones County, also built by P. J. Krouse, in 1907 in the Beaux Arts styleThis is not a historic marker, but an important one that I think cannot be said enough.The Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, designed by Rathbone DeBuys in the Georgian Revival style
The museum provides a film covering the history of the museum and Laurel (They are linked and Iowa plays an important role!), so we watched the film before our tour started at 10:30. In a nutshell, the land in and around Laurel was covered with Yellow Pine trees. Nothing could be done with them though until the railroad came to Laurel and connected it with important points around the country. This happened in 1881.
After that, the sawmills started in earnest, with lumber barons from Clinton, Iowa, Lauren Chase Eastman and George and Silas Gardiner buying up much of the tree covered land and an existing mill to really spur the local timber industry and the resulting growth of Laurel. Following World War I, Laurel shipped more Yellow Pine than any other location in the world. The peak of prosperity was reached in the 1920s when the mills were producing a total of one million board feet of lumber per day.
So, the Eastman and Gardiner families helped lay the groundwork for the town by creating the street layout much like what they had in Iowa as well as schools and other programs for their employees.
Lauren Rogers, the only grandchild of Lauren Chase Eastman, was expected to inherit and run the mills, however, he died at the age of 23 from complications due to appendicitis. His family established a foundation in his name that built the art museum, public library, and public schools for the community.
We walked part of 5th Avenue, where these founding families lived, to look at some of their former homes as well as other homes and buildings.
The inside atrium of the art museum where our tour beganA former home of Phil Gardiner, built in 1910 in the Italian Renaissance Revival style A former home of Silas Gardiner, built around 1900 in the Steamboat Gothic style This was the former home of John Lindsey, who invented the 8-wheeled wagon which revolutionized the timber industry. The house is built in the Jeffersonian Revival style.A side view of the home that George Gardiner had built as a wedding present for his daughter in 1910. It blends Colonial lines with Mediterranean details.This is the only house on the tour that Ben and Erin have worked on for their show. On the outside, they put on a new door, added the rails, and updated the landscaping. On the inside, they created a downstairs bedroom among other changes, as the older homes typically reserved the downstairs for entertaining and slept upstairs.St. John’s Episcopal Church, built in 1914 in the Romanesque style by Frank Colby.
As you can tell from the tour, there is a wide variety of architectural styles in the historic district. However, because the heyday of Laurel was from 1900-1930s and their was a large middle class that benefited from the timber trade, there is also a lot of smaller Craftsman style bungalows as that was the popular architectural style of the time.
After the tour, we returned to the art museum to check out the exhibits. We were more impressed with the tour than the art, but a few things caught our eye.
There was a large number of portraits. Not my favorite, but this is a painting by Sir James Shannon of Catherine Marshall Gardiner, great aunt of Lauren Rogers for whom the art museum was created.The original collection that started the museum was the extensive native basket collection donated by the family of Lauren Rogers“Torso of a Young Woman” by Auguste Rodin, 1909“Aventurine Green Chandelier with Copper Leaf,” by Dale Chihuly, 2008“Old Midwife,” photograph by Eudora Welty (who I only knew as a writer), 1940
After our time at the museum, Bob and I walked back into downtown Laurel and popped into another of Ben and Erin’s stores.
A downtown Laurel street with a coffee shop, a candy shop, and an old bank at the end.The Laurel Mercantile, one of three stores that Ben and Erin have in the downtown areaA mural proclaiming Laurel as the Yellow Pine capital of the world
A pretty sunset over downtown Little Rock last night
Bob and I left Little Rock, Arkansas, this morning to drive about 6 hours to Laurel, Mississippi. We have wanted to come to Laurel for a few years, as we are fans of the home renovation show “Home Town” and the hosts, Ben and Erin Napier, who do the home renovations.
We had a much flatter drive today than we had yesterday. This made Bob happy. We were also both happy that the rain and storms we thought we might be driving through did not pan out.
The bridge crossing the Mississippi River from Arkansas into the state of Mississippi A smaller bridge over a river in Mississippi Many of the rivers that we crossed in Mississippi were high and brown
Our first stop in Laurel was the Visitor Center where we learned about other famous people from Laurel, MS.
Some painted containers across the street from the Visitor CenterLance Bass, a member of the group NSYNC is from Laurel The reason we are here — Erin and Ben Napier. Erin is from Laurel. They both live here now with their children, and they renovate homes and other buildings in the local area.An Olympic athlete is from Laurel.An opera diva is from Laurel.
We are staying at an Airbnb in Laurel as there weren’t any good hotel/motel options downtown. We were not able to check in until 4:00 pm, so we had a look around the downtown area while waiting, and had an unexpected find.
A public art sculpture in a downtown roundabout next to the store over which our Airbnb room is situated From the center of the downtown district, we walked across the street to The Scotsman, the Napier’s gift shop as well as the wood shop where Ben makes custom wood pieces for the homes that they renovate.The truck advertising The Scotsman storeAnother view of the mural by the store and the lawn
The best part of this part of our day is we got to see both Ben and Erin in his shop while they were shooting a tv episode! We were not allowed to take photos, but the staff member by the window where we looked in said that they renovate about 4 homes in the Laurel area every 8 weeks.
The Heirloom is an old Kress building downtown that was purchased by 4 of the Napier’s’ friends but that they are helping to renovate Another view of part of downtown LaurelA butcher shop and eatery in downtown Laurel A colorful mural that has been shown on the tv showThe local public library
We were sent information about where to park and how to get into our Airbnb at 4:00 pm. We are here until 10 am on Saturday.
Bob and I are having a lazy, rainy Wednesday. Since the drive to Little Rock, AR, from Fayetteville was a little less than 3 hours, Bob and I had a leisurely morning in The Graduate Hotel in Fayetteville before getting on the road. Since we are staying at a Marriott property in Little Rock, we had requested a check in of 1:00 pm (versus the standard 3:00), and we learned after we had left that our room was ready and we would be able to check in early.
The initial part of the drive was rain-free, which was nice as we were coming through the mountains, but the last hour of the drive was wet.
Heading out of Fayetteville Rain closer to Little Rock
We arrived a bit after 1:00 and were able to check in. We were in room 1517 in the last hotel and room 1518 here. Hopefully we don’t forget tonight and try to get into room 1517.
We have access to the Member Lounge here, so we headed there for a free lunch. We’ll be back tonight for a free dinner and tomorrow morning for a free breakfast before we head out for our 5 hour drive to Laurel, Mississippi.
Part of the Member Lounge. We watched CNN cover the news of the death of Ted Turner who started the station and kicked off 24 hour news coverage.
It has been raining off and on since we arrived, so we have explored the large Little Rock Marriott Hotel, which is right downtown and has a convention center attached to it. We visited the city years ago shortly after the Clinton Presidential Museum opened to see that and downtown Little Rock, do some hiking in nearby state parks, and visit Hot Springs.
Some pics of the surrounding area.
The Old State House Museum, the Doubletree Hotel, and a bridge across the Arkansas RiverLooking towards downtown A portion of the Arkansas River Trail that runs along the river with some public artDitto
And a few pics from our walk around the hotel, including a sign that caught our attention.
A view of the Capital Hill Hotel across the street from the glass elevator A fountain and the facade for the elevator in the lobbyThe conference center has one wall that displays the annual Arkansas Women Hall of Fame recipients. The Arkansas Black Hall of Fame is across the roomWe weren’t quite sure what to make of this, but from other posted information, the Alexion company is conducting interviews in the Peck Room of the convention center.
Bob didn’t realize he was that well known in Arkansas, but he’s definitely okay with it.😂. Actually, Google tells me there was a Sam Peck that ran a hotel in Little Rock that was a popular spot for journalists and dignitaries, and he is credited with bringing fine dining to Little Rock in the 1940s, so he could possibly be the source of the room name as well.
Peckish Travels 