Citrus Boulevard (US Highway 27, Florida 1965)

What this episode is about

Citrus Boulevard, a section of US Highway 27 in central Florida, offers a vibrant and scenic journey towards Miami Beach, featuring vast orange groves and attractions like Silver Springs, known for its glass-bottom boat tours. The highway provides a blend of natural beauty and man-made wonders, making it a favored route for travelers seeking a picturesque drive through the heart of the Sunshine State.

Key takeaways

• Citrus Boulevard: Where vibrant orange groves meet the Sunshine State's charm—nature's own road to happiness.
• Glass-bottom boats at Silver Springs reveal Florida's underwater wonders—nature's theme park beneath crystal-clear waters.
• The Citrus Tower offers a 500-foot high perspective—where tourism and vitamin C collide in spectacular views.
• Highway 27: A shortcut to Miami, perfectly showcasing Florida's scenic beauty, from citrus orchards to serene lakes.
• Governor's Grove exemplifies how states can bond over citrus—just hope no one drinks all the juice at breakfast!

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: Miami Beach
2. 3:00 – 6:00: Citrus Tower, Leesburg
3. 6:00 – 9:00: Cypress Gardens, Citrus Tower, Miami Beach
4. 9:00 – 12:00: Cypress Gardens, Edward William Bach, Mary Jane Bandai
5. 12:00 – 13:29: Leonardo

Notable quotes from "Citrus Boulevard (US Highway 27, Florida 1965)"

• Travelers know it as a faster easier Road to drive and one that saves time in the long run one of the pleasant communities through which the highway passes is Leesburg in the…

  about Leesburg · at 3:07

• A giant map tack near the geographic and population center of the state the citrus tower was completed in 1956 and has since become a popular attraction for travelers on…

  about Citrus Tower · at 4:01

• Citrus industry to the chief executives of the 49 states and four territories established to commemorate the 50th annual National Governors conference in Miami Beach each chief…

  about Miami Beach · at 6:44

• Tropical Wonderland electrically operated boats carry visitors through scenic canals at Cypress Gardens and beautiful models in colorful gowns of the Old South are always available for picture taking the big shell at Cypress Gardens is an.

  about Cypress Gardens · at 7:53

• Serenity of our next highway 27 attraction the mountain lake sanctuary located at Lake Wales home of the famous box and eating tower created by the late Edward William Bach as…

  about Edward William Bach · at 9:40

• Only true perfect facsimile of Leonardo's immortal Last Supper a fascinating collection of models and sketches of Leonardo's inventions is also on display here in The Da Vinci…

  about Leonardo · at 12:08

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Edward William Bach — Person · Referenced creator/founder · 1 mention · first at 9:51
  Mentioned as the creator of the Mountain Lake Sanctuary and the Bok (Singing) Tower site at Lake Wales, a key attraction along US-27 highlighted in the travelogue segment.
• Mary Jane Bandai — Person · Referenced performer (event participant) · 1 mention · first at 10:25
  Appears as a featured performer during the dedication of the highway section as 'citrus boulevard,' used to add color and spectacle to the narrated tour of attractions along US-27.
  Everything in Florida from the opening of a new supermarket to the dedication of the highway here drum majorette mary jane bandai's national baton twirling champion performs in…

Concepts & topics

• Leonardo — Concept · Artistic Reference · 1 mention · first at 12:11
  Referenced in the context of the great masterpiece mosaic reproduction of da Vinci's Last Supper.

Places & events

• Citrus Tower — Place · Attraction · 4 mentions · first at 3:56
  A famous landmark in Florida, offering panoramic views of the citrus groves and lakes.
• Cypress Gardens — Place · Attraction · 3 mentions · first at 7:41
  An internationally famous tourist attraction known for its scenic canals and water ski shows.
• Miami Beach — Place · Destination · 2 mentions · first at 0:13
  A key destination mentioned in the podcast, known for its golden sands and vibrant atmosphere.
• Leesburg — Place · Community · 2 mentions · first at 3:16
  A pleasant community along Highway 27, known for its citrus groves and recreational activities.

Full transcript with timestamps

0:10 like a rating to a pot of gold the most scenic and colorful route to the golden sands of Miami Beach is the citrus Boulevard section highway 27 in sunny central Florida today on guided tour we'll have a look at some of the highways acres of orange groves and it's fabulous attractions brings aboard a glass-bottom boat at Silver Springs in one of the many enjoyable interludes on their southward journey through the Sunshine State Highway 27 travelers from all parts of the country spectacular underwater sights

0:56 sheer drops in the submarine walls of 17 231 feet give glass fighters a pleasant sensation of thanh air thousands of fish of all kinds and sizes can be seen in the crystal-clear pools swimming through an enchanting landscape of the deep far below from the crevices of Big Spring and endless cavern an average 550 million gallons of water flows every 24 hours

1:53 not all the beauty of silver springs lies beneath the surface of its waters located in a 150 acre park filled with azaleas dogwood and a multitude of other flowers Florida's Silver Springs is the home of several major attractions in addition to the famous glass-bottom boats taking visitors down the silver River on a 45-minute thrill ride through nearly five miles of dense tropical jungle and pensively landscape parkway our big jungle cruise launches every Jungle Cruise is climax by a visit with a colony of wild monkeys an appropriate beginning for the 175 miles stretch of natural beauty and man-made wonders that is citrus boulevard florida's silver springs is to the south what Niagara Falls is to the east and Grand Canyon is to the west a truly spectacular natural attraction the call of the open road is never more rewarding than when it's answered on Florida's spacious highways us-27 runs down the

2:57 entire center of the Sunshine State to Miami taking eastern seaboard visitors only 35 miles away from coastal roots veteran travelers know it as a faster easier Road to drive and one that saves time in the long run one of the pleasant communities through which the highway passes is Leesburg in the heart of the lake and citrus grove country fishing boating and swimming beneath the Florida Sun are enjoyed here all year round Leesburg sprinty is a large citrus processing and concentrating plant it was the board chairman of the community's first national bank mr. Ichi ware who interested the Florida State Legislature in designating this section of US Highway 27 as citrus Boulevard the Community Center in Leesburg is a colorfully modern gathering place for recreational and social events southward again the highway approaches Clermont and one of Florida's most famous landmarks the citrus tower standing like

4:01 a giant map tack near the geographic and population center of the state the citrus tower was completed in 1956 and has since become a popular attraction for travelers on highway 27 there are more than 17 million citrus trees in the 2,000 square mile area seen from the top of the tower which is surrounded by orange groves hills and lakes or as far as the eye can see and beyond an electric elevator serves three decks at the top of the tower rising more than 500 feet above sea level from well-kept lawns on one of Florida's finest hilltops the highest observation point in the state it overlooks scenes of unbelievable beauty the citrus tower they say in Fairmont was built by tourism and vitamin C located in the heart of Florida's orange and grapefruit country the tower gives visitors an unusual perspective for their first look at the famous grows looking down the sheer walls of the tower a spacious parking lot

5:02 accommodating 600 cars can be seen at the base powerful telescopes mounted on the top observation deck bring objects as far as 30 miles away clear focus and the glasses are always popular with visitors the Rolling Lake dotted countryside that is ideal for raising Florida's 200 million dollar annual citrus crop extends over an area 175 miles long and a hundred miles wide through which US highway 27 citrus boulevard passes many of the Sunshine States highways communities tourist attractions and resorts can be attributed directly to this vast citrus industry which had its beginnings with the arrival of Spanish settlers in Florida in the 16th century development of the Grove lands opened up more and more of the state to new residents and tourists from all parts of the country occupying the ground-floor of citrus tower or a soda fountain gift shop and a sunlit restaurant with the most scenic

6:02 panoramas in Central Florida spread out before his picture windows other attractions of the tower include artistic Don boots and his family bohemian glass blowers who create delicate figurines and glassware using flames at a temperature of more than 2,000 degrees climaxing a visit to the citrus tower is a trip aboard one of the fleet of amphibious ducks a scenic hour-long tour of the area's Groves lakes and residential areas the trip is unusual in the passengers enjoy land and water travel without having to change vehicles further south on the highway governor's Grove is a tribute by the citrus industry to the chief executives of the 49 states and four territories established to commemorate the 50th annual National Governors conference in Miami Beach each chief executive received at least to one tree and the 400 square feet of land surrounding it and Valencia oranges grown on the 53 trees are processed and delivered to the

7:06 governor's periodically throughout the year she couldn't resist the temptation but it might mean that one governor will have to do without his glass of juice at breakfast some warning roadside stands advertising all the juice you can drink bright displays of growth fresh oranges and grapefruit and the fragrance of orange blossoms everywhere beneath the warm Florida sunshine are typical of the entire length of citrus boulevard there's still more fun and excitement ahead for highway 27 travelers as the internationally famous tourist attraction of Cypress Gardens comes into view at Winter Haven located just four miles from citrus boulevard on State Road 540 this beautifully landscaped paradise is regarded as America's tropical Wonderland electrically operated boats carry visitors through scenic canals at Cypress Gardens and beautiful models in colorful gowns of the Old South are always available for

8:05 picture taking the big shell at Cypress Gardens is an exciting performance by daring water skiers who put on a thrill-a-minute show four times daily everyday in the year let's just join the audience in watching these champion water ski its whizz through their routine

9:37 contrasting sharply with the excitement of Cypress Gardens is the peace and serenity of our next highway 27 attraction the mountain lake sanctuary located at Lake Wales home of the famous box and eating tower created by the late Edward William Bach as a place of quiet beauty for all to enjoy the sanctuary has come to be regarded as the Taj Mahal of America the 205 foot singing tower constructed of Georgia marble and Florida Coquina rock houses a carillon of 71 bells upon which recycles are given during winter and summer seasons there's always something doing in the communities along Highway 27 and good looking girls are a part of everything in Florida from the opening of a new supermarket to the dedication of the highway here drum majorette mary jane bandai's national baton twirling champion performs in connection with the dedication of this section of the highway as citrus boulevard the great

10:40 masterpiece world famous mosaic reproduction of da Vinci's Last Supper is a must for all north or southbound travelers on highway 27 just a short distance from the box singing tower at Lake Wales Florida this memorable attraction is approached by an entrance leading into an imposing court of flags in the House of glass on the masterpiece grounds the centuries-old art of bohemian glassblowing is dramatically brought to life before your eyes by the amazing howl glassblowers a world-renowned husband-and-wife team in a majestic setting of unparalleled beauty amid an endless profusion of flowers the great masterpieces dramatically revealed every 30 minutes throughout the day Europe's most highly-skilled mosaic artisans completed the great masterpiece in Germany in 1930 hidden from the Nazis it was buried in a Berlin cellar where it survived the bombings of World War two to prevent its falling into Russian hands at the end of

11:41 the war the mosaic was flown out of Berlin by the u.s. airlift and brought to America it was displayed for a time at Rockefeller Center in New York and in 1950 it was brought to Florida for permanent exhibition in the gardens of peace at the great masterpiece 300,000 pieces of tile in 10,000 color gradations form the magnificently executed mosaic which has been internationally acclaimed as the world's only true perfect facsimile of Leonardo's immortal Last Supper a fascinating collection of models and sketches of Leonardo's inventions is also on display here in The Da Vinci gallery of futuristic inventions such things as the air conditioner machine gun subway system airplane and helicopter were all visualized by a man born 40 years before Columbus discovered America guided tours are conducted every 30 minutes through the 50s gardens and the forest primeval at the great masterpiece historic Fort Clinch a real

12:45 Indian War port has been reconstructed on the grounds of the great masterpiece just as it appeared in the days when legends were being born in the Florida hammock and so it goes on u.s. highway 27 citrus boulevard there's something to excite the senses around every curve over every gentle hilltop the rainbow of this road has not one but dozens of pots of gold for the interest of travelers as you have seen on guided tour

Questions about this episode

What is "Citrus Boulevard (US Highway 27, Florida 1965)" about?

Citrus Boulevard, a section of US Highway 27 in central Florida, offers a vibrant and scenic journey towards Miami Beach, featuring vast orange groves and attractions like Silver Springs, known for its glass-bottom boat tours. The highway provides a blend of natural beauty and man-made wonders, making it a favored route for travelers seeking a picturesque drive through the heart of the Sunshine…

What is mentioned in this Bone Valley episode?

7 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Citrus Tower, Cypress Gardens, Miami Beach, Leesburg, Edward William Bach, Leonardo. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Citrus Boulevard (US Highway 27, Florida 1965)"?

The episode runs 13 min; the transcript is about 1,651 words in 13 timestamped sections.

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