Whitehall Mansion Part 2

This is Part 2 of our visit to what is now the Flagler Museum.  Henry Flagler was responsible for most of the development on the east coast of Florida, including the overseas railroad to Key West.  That cost him 7 years and $50,000,000 of his own money. 

But don't worry - he still had $100,000,000 (yes, that's million) to leave Mary Lily when he died at the mansion in 1913.

Whitehall is designed around a central courtyard which helps keep the house cool in the Florida climate.  The Flaglers occasionally used this space for dinner parties.

Above the fireplace in the Library is a portrait of Henry Flagler.  The Library was decorated in the Italian Renaissance style. 

 Flagler also used the room as a reception area for guests and business associates.

The cast plaster and fabric ceiling was made to look like wood beams and leather inserts.

Following dinner, gentlemen retired to the Billiard Room for conversation.  I'm sorry I didn't get a clearer picture.  Perhaps my hand was shaking with excitement over seeing such a house!

Even the South Hall is advanced for the period with it's indirect electric lighting used to light the coffered barrel ceiling.

And, of course, no home would be complete without a Music Room.

The Music Room also served as an art gallery.

Like all the chandeliers and sconces, original to Whitehall, the Music Room chandeliers incorporate Baccarat crystals.

Music was a popular form of entertainment during the Gilded Age.  In this room, Mary Lily also hosted ladies events and programs of lectures and musicales.

A resident organist was hired to play the 1,249-pipe organ.

We finish up our tour of the ground floor of Whitehall with the Grand Ballroom.  In 1903 a lavish party was given in honor of George Washington's birthday.  It was called the Bal Poudre.  The Florida Times-Union called it "the most brilliant social function in fair Florida's history" while the New York Herald described the event as "one of the most sumptuous social affairs ever attempted south of Washington."  Oh, to have been a guest that that party!!

That completes the tour of Whitehall's ground floor.  Whew!  On Monday, I'll move on to the second floor which contains the private living space for the Flaglers, their guest, and domestic staff.  I told you it was a big house!

 

Whitehall Mansion - Part 1

One of my favorite things we did, when Ceekay was here, was visit the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach.  It was the home of Florida developer Henry Flagler, built for his much younger bride, Mary Lily, in  1902 as a wedding present. 

And what a wedding present!!

According to the brochure, the mansion had over 75 rooms.  I guess they lost count after 75!

I thought I would have to give Ceekay smelling salts before we even got inside when she spotted this solid marble bench - one of many.

When we finally made it through the front doors we entered the Grand Hall.

There was a lot to take in!  The Grand Hall, alone, is 5,000 square feet.  It was designed to be the largest and grandest of any room in a Gilded Age private home.  I think they succeeded.

The Grand Hall's ceiling depicts the Oracle of Delphi imparting Apollo's message of divine inspiration through arts and literature.

There were two ceiling paintings flanking the central dome too.  They depict dawn and dusk.

I think we were both about to pass out trying to take it all in!  On to another room!

The Drawing Room was used as a gathering place for music and conversation by Mary Lily and her female guests.

Aluminum leaf highlights the plaster ornaments in the room.  For much of the Gilded Age, the process of extracting aluminum economically had not yet been perfected and as a result, aluminum was more expensive and precious than gold.

Even the piano had to be adorned.

The Dining Room was designed in the French Renaissance style, reminiscent of a royal hunting lodge.  The Flaglers entertained large parties in this room for lengthy, elegant dinners.

I loved the ornate cast plaster ceiling.  The wall coverings are green silk.

The fireplace mantle incorporates elaborately carved culinary references such as shells, crabs, and fruit.

The Breakfast Room is just off the Dining Room.  Besides breakfast, the Flaglers also used the room for more intimate meals.  Servants had direct access to the room through doors connecting the butler's pantry and kitchen area.

I think I've almost maxed my picture quota for one blog - and I've just begun.  I haven't even left the ground floor yet!  I'll blog again in a couple days and continue the tour of Whitehall Mansion.

By the way - did I mention this was only one of the Flagler's winter residences? 

 

Space Shuttle Endeavor

This weekend Hubby and I went to Epcot Center and, on the way back to Juno Beach this morning, stopped at Titusville to watch the lift off of the space shuttle Endeavor.

We weren't the only ones that wanted to have a look at Endeavor's last flight.  There was an estimated 700,000 people who watched the lift off in person. 

This picture only shows one little area where people gathered.

It was truly exciting to watch as the shuttle took flight.

All too soon it disappeared into the clouds, but then the sound of the roar of the shuttle lifting off thundered across water, giving everyone another thrill.

The last flight of the shuttle Atlantis will take place in July.  Somehow, I think there may be even more than 700,000 people to view the very last flight of the space shuttle program.

Next time I blog I'll post the promised pictures of Whitehall Mansion, otherwise known as the Flagler Museum.  When Blogger was down last week I lost many of the comments that had been made about Key West.  Hopefully, there won't be any trouble this week!

Key West Road Trip

While Ceekay was visiting we took an overnight road trip to Key West. 

We had a blast!

She really flipped over our little rental car!

Did you know that there are 42 bridges to cross from mainland Florida to Key West?  And one of them is 7 miles long!

We stopped for lunch at a marina restaurant in Marathon - the halfway point in the Keys. 
Evidently, Ceekay needed two pairs of glasses to read the menu.

The food was delicious and the view couldn't be better!

Upon reaching Key West, the first thing we did was tour President Harry Truman's Little White House.   They wouldn't let us take pictures inside.

Parking is impossible, and the streets are very confusing, so the next day we opted for a guided tour of the island.  We were able to get on and off at their many stops when we wanted to see something. 

First stop - the southernmost point of the continental United States.  See - it's only 90 miles to Cuba!

Our next stop was Ernest Hemingway's house - home to 50 six toed-cats.

This is a portrait of Hemingway as he appeared when he lived in Key West.

Here's a picture of some of those cats I mentioned asleep on Hemingway's bed.  It is a king-sized bed, made when there were no beds of that size, so Hemingway had the headboard made from the gate of a monastery in Spain.

Hemingway's kitchen.

His living room.

There's still no air conditioning in the house today.  They used these many doors for ventilation.  Layers of glass doors, screen doors and wooden shutters in case of hurricanes.

After a little shopping on Duval Street we had to stop at Jimmy Buffet's restaurant for lunch.

What did we have?  Cheeseburgers in Paradise of course!

And our last stop before heading back to Juno Beach was for some famous Key Lime pie.

This weekend, Hubby and I are headed to Epcot Center and the Space Shuttle launch on Monday - if they don't postpone it again. 

Next week, I'll post pictures of  the visit Ceekay and I made to Whitehall Mansion, former home of multi-millionaire Henry Flagler.  He is quite famous in Florida and his Gilded Age home is now a museum.  That may take several blogs just for the pictures!  It is a magnificent place.

Save the Loggerhead Turtle!

One of the first things we did last week when Ceekay was here was to visit the Loggerhead Marine Life Center in Juno Beach.  They rehabilitate injured sea turles for return to their natural habitats while educating the public about the endangered species.  It was fascinating!

We started out our visit learning about the different sea turtles.

Then there was the photo op.

Then it was on to the tanks of injured turtles.  This big guy almost died when he was injured by a boat propeller.  They didn't think he would survive, but after several surgeries he is now scheduled for release later this summer - a success story!

We learned that their shells do not grow back.  Instead, heavy scar tissue forms over the injured site.

The turtles lay their eggs on the beaches across the street from our RV resort.  It is against the law to disturb their nests.  They only hatch at night and the baby turtles head for the water guided by the reflection of the moon on the water.

If they make it to the water, the babies then swim to a reef 15 miles away where they have some hiding places to feed and grow for a while.

Out of the 1000 eggs a female lays, only 1 baby turtle will survive to adulthood.  They definitely need our help!

Next time:  Our Road Trip to Key West!

It's Been a Busy Week!

Ceekay from Thinkin' of Home has been visiting me here in sunny Florida and we have been busy!!  It will take many many posts to show everything we have been doing.  Here's just a small taste.

We've been shopping for souvenirs.

We've been eating at wonderful restaurants on the water.

We took a road trip to Key West.

We went to the beach.

And today we toured the beautiful Whitehall Mansion that is the Flagler Museum where

we had a delicious Mother's Day Tea.

There will be many more blogs to follow next week after Ceekay heads back home to dry Arizona.

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful mothers!