Game of Thrones in the U.S.

I really can’t remember all the details, but I believe I learned in grade school that Hernando de Soto was this great explorer. That was back when Native Americans were still called Indians and the whole thing about Europeans killing them was minimized. The de Soto National Memorial (our 114^th national park to visit!) discussed the less savory parts. Some of it like chopping off hands of the natives they captured and/or making them slaves, reminded me of Game of Thrones. Very creepy and disgusting.

We got to see an interesting demonstration of the weapons of the time (1539). One of the points was that the guns of the time weren’t mass produced or even made by one artisan. You had to buy the mechanism (lock) from a clock maker, the stock (wooden portion) came from a cabinet maker, and the barrel came from a blacksmith. That’s where we got the term “lock, stock, and barrel”.

We drove around nearby Sarasota and Bradenton. This house combines the look of a boat and lighthouse.

My grandmother used to live somewhere around here. One of the few things I remember during a visit when I was young was being taken to see a shell castle. I think the Braden Castle must have been the one I saw. It’s not a castle, just a house built by Dr. Braden in 1850 using tabby (lime, sand, crushed shells, and water). It withstood a Seminole attack, but was destroyed by a fire in 1903. By the way, I’m still amused when I see what I consider house plants (these are snake plants) in the wild in Florida. I’m in a jungle!