What) The Dunlawton Plantation and Sugar Mill was a plantation that was destroyed by the Seminoles at the beginning of the Second Seminole War in 1835. In 1973, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and is now part of a botanical garden.  You will experience a collection of grasses, flowers, bushes, native plants and even orchids under a deep canopy of oak trees. (1)

    Where) 950 Old Sugar Mill Road   Open daily from 8am - 5pm   1-386-767-1735

    Why) Pam likes gardening so I usually include at least one garden in each climate zone we visit so she can see what is possible where we are travelling.




























This does not mean that I will take pictures of the flowers in the garden though.







The Buckys rules just say that I have to take at least one picture of anything at each Buckys we visit.







This picture was actually taken in the Ripley's parking lot in St. Augustine but this Spanish Moss grew on the oak trees here as well. (2)







This dinosaur statue was somewhere on the Dunlawton site but I never saw it. (2)

    What) Several attempts were made to operate Dunlawton Plantation as a tourist attraction in the the 1950's. Dr. Perry Sperber leased the premises for a park to display prehistoric monsters and had a number of replicas, molded in concrete on wire frames, constructed. The park was called "Bongoland" in honor of a large baboon housed on the grounds. An Indian village was also reproduced and a small train carried visitors around. But the day of the theme parks had not yet come and Bongoland was closed for lack of public interest. (3)

    Why) Would you believe that I was unaware there were going to be dinosaur statues at this particular garden?