Key West Live Cam

This territory still remained wild for many years after the west was already conquered. Throughout Florida's history, fearless explorers have come here to face an untamed and challenging land; to penetrate lush places full of wildlife, bathed by the sea. Today the sense of adventure remains strong.

Sea kayaking has become the latest tourist attraction for environmentalists along Florida's coastline, where you can join full moon dolphin watching tours and more. On land, there are more than 1,600 kilometers of canoeing and kayaking trails that offer fabulous views of the local wildlife.

Visitors who enjoy canoeing the Everglades' Wild Waterways often camp overnight on wooden platforms covered by Indian-braided straw huts. And this is just one of the many exciting experiences when it comes to camping in Florida. You can also, for example, camp right on the beach at the Bahia Honda State Recreation Area in the Florida Keys, or at one of the many private seaside camps where basic comforts are available to visitors.

Walking and Biking: Land adventures present challenges and variety on the Florida Trail, whose primary purpose is to connect the Big Cypress National Preservation Area in southwest Florida with the Gulf Islands National Coastline in the northwest region, with its 2,000 kilometers of continuous walking trails. Other trails within Florida's national, state and county parks allow tourists to get a closer look at local habitats, whether hiking through woods, swamps or beaches.

A cordial reminder of Florida. We ask that you always remember to treat our natural resources, landscapes and wildlife with respect. It is our wish that the beauty of Florida be preserved so that your children and grandchildren can enjoy it in the future too.

Whether on the water, on land or up in the air, Florida adventures have no limits. You can go fishing in our bountiful waters, catch a fantastic wave or even venture out into the air on a virtually year-round skydiving tour.

Anglers from around the world come to test their skills here in Florida. The Florida Keys is a mecca for deep-sea anglers looking for the thrill of catching large specimens such as marlins, tuna and sailfish. In northwest Florida, Destin is known as "The Luckiest Fishing Village in the World" and is home to the largest fleet of manned charter boats in the state, sponsoring numerous famous fishing tournaments annually.

Cedar Key on the Gulf Coast west of Ocala, Boca Grande Pass in southwest Florida and Stuart on the east coast are all great destinations for anglers. Freshwater fishermen flock to Lake Okeechobee in South Florida, the second largest lake in the United States. Lake Okeechobee covers an area of about 200,000 hectares and offers fishermen a great abundance of spotted perch, bream and broadmouth perch.

Exciting adventures in Florida waters include surfing (especially in the fantastic central east coast near Sebastian Inlet and Cocoa Beach), individual water vehicle rides ("jetski" or "waverunner") and sailing. In Winter Haven, Central Florida, schools, rental equipment and local attractions make waterskiing the sport of rage. Florida's undersea world is as diverse as its wonders on land.

Licensed divers will be able to participate in some of the best diving expeditions to explore reefs and wreck sites in the world. Our warm waters are home to reefs and shallow wreck sites where mask divers can often delight in the same landscapes found by deep sea divers. Clear-bottom boat rides offer visitors a taste of Florida's aquatic life.

There is a multitude of landscapes to be explored by sea lovers in Florida. Many coastal and lakeside marinas offer guided tours, shuttle boats and boat rentals for island explorers and other marine adventure buffs.

Home to the Women's Professional Golf Association, the new World Golf Village and many other prestigious golf courses, Florida offers golfers the chance to experience some of the best courses in the world. With a huge variety of terrain types, Florida is a great attraction for golfers of all categories.

Florida is also a tennis player's paradise. With around 7,700 tennis clubs, there will be no shortage of space for you to demonstrate your expertise.

Hot air balloon rides and open-cabin biplane rides take Florida adventures to the next level. For a totally amazing experience, come see one of the state's skydiving schools and visit the Sunny State from the clouds.

Whether it's the strong scent of cigars in Miami's Little Havana, or the serene beauty of a Japanese garden, or the flamenco dancers of Ybor City in Tampa with their vividly colored costumes, Florida's cultural and ethnic mosaic is a feast for the senses.

Visitors can explore the pioneering spirit of Florida's African Americans on the Trail of Black Tradition, including stops like Jacksonville, the birthplace of poet James Weldon Johnson, Eatonville, the oldest African American township in the United States, Downtown Florida A&M Black History Archives Research and Museum; University in Tallahassee; and the new Broward County African American Research Library and Cultural Center, one of only three centers of its kind in the US.

The Spaniards have ties to Florida dating back to Ponce de Leon's arrival in Saint Augustine in 1513. Historic attractions include the Castillo de San Marcos, the Casa Mais Antiga and the Nombre de Dios, where the first Catholic Mass was held in the city. New world. Key West, the city located at the southern tip of Florida, and Ybor City (in Tampa), share historic ties to Cuba and the cigar industry. Known as the "Gateway to the Americas," Miami is home to the Tower of Freedom, where nearly half a million Cuban refugees were screened for entry into the United States for the first time. The Little Havana district of that city became the attraction of the Hispanic community.

The Asians, who originally arrived here as farmers, have distinguished themselves in commercial, governmental and artistic activities, thus helping to form the unique character of our state. In Miami, visit Ichimura Japanese Gardens. In Delray Beach, The Morikami Japanese Museum and Garden is the only museum in the United States dedicated exclusively to the living culture of Japan.

Okeechobee County

County Seminole War forts: Fort Lloyd. (or Floyd) Colonel Taylor established this camp and left here to engage the Seminoles at the Battle of Lake Okeechobee.

Fort Drum, west of Fort Capron, was another fort used to supply troops searching for Seminoles in the Kissimmee River and Lake Okeechobee area. A group of soldiers from the fort getting water at a nearby lake were ambushed and killed by Seminoles.

"The Battle of Okeechobee" from a 19th century history book. Sometimes it is obvious that the people who do these old sketches know almost nothing of what really happened at the battle.

The Battle of Lake Okeechobee was fought on the north shore of Lake Okeechobee on Christmas Day, December 25, 1837. This had the second largest number of casualties in one battle during the war. (First place goes to Dade's Battle in Sumter County.)

In the fall of 1837, many of the important Seminole and Miccosukee leaders were captured by military force or betrayal by whatever means necessary. King Philip and his camp at Mosquito Inlet were captured. Osceola was captured under a flag of truce. Coacoochee was also captured, and Micanopy soon surrendered. Even Jumper gave up at the Kissimmee River. It was believed that a big strike against the Indians fleeing south could soon end the war and round them up for removal from Florida.

In November 1837, after rounding up large number of Florida Indians, the U.S. Army started the largest campaign against the Seminoles in Florida. Besides the large number of regulars and militia soldiers, the Army also brought many Delaware and Shawnee guides from up north.

This campaign involved a large number of Missouri Volunteers. Several months earlier in Washington D.C., President Martin Van Buren and Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton made an agreement to muster up a force from that state. It all started during a discussion, when Van Buren stated that unlike Florida, Missouri was free of Indians. (That was like saying that in World War II, Germany was free of Jews.) Benton said that the Missourians could deal with the renegade Indians better than the Army or anybody else. So on a political promise, a Missouri force was soon mustered under command of Major General Richard Gentry. Gentry was made a colonel so he wouldn't outrank the commanding officer, Colonel Zachary Taylor of the 1st Infantry Regiment. Things didn't go good from the start, and by the time that they reached Tampa, 25 percent of the troops had deserted, and two-thirds of the horses had died. Only 220 men of the Missouri force were left.

Colonel Zachary Taylor commanded the column heading from Tampa, over the Peace River, and down to the Kissimmee River. Forts were established along the way to supply the large command of over 1,000 troops. All they found of the Indians were a few abandoned camps and villages. They had seen signs of large groups of Indians and knew they were on the trail, but the moved much slower than any Seminoles.

The Seminoles and Miccosukees knew Taylor was coming. They had an incredible intelligence network, they knew of the large troop movements from the very beginning, and were waiting for them. Also amazing is the size of the combined Indians force that was waiting for Taylor. 380 warriors are said to have been at the Battle of Okeechobee; an amazing number when you considered the defeats that they had suffered over the last year. Even among the different groups at the battle, they did not have the same language. They had coordinated a large force and were waiting for days on the shore of Lake Okeechobee to fight Taylor. The Seminole and Miccosukee forces were commanded by the best leaders still in Florida: Alligator, Sam Jones (Arpeika), Coacoochee (Wildcat), and Halleck Tustennuggee. This would be the last time that this large a force of Florida Indians coordinated together.

The Indians set a trap for Taylor's force, and Taylor walked right into it. At a Hammock on the north shore of Lake Okeechobee, the side opposite the lake was burned and cut, making a clear field of fire. Trees were notched to steady fire. The Army troops would have to cross a swampy area three feet deep in water, mud, and sharp sawgrass to reach the Indian position.

Taylor decided to fight them head on, under objections of Colonel Gentry. The Missouri volunteers would lead the attack. Not wanting to be called a coward or disobey orders (crimes worse than death those days), Gentry followed orders. As Taylor ordered the volunteers to lead, he kept most of his force back. In fact, the offensive force deployed by Taylor was much smaller than the defensive Indian force. Taylor watched from a ridge in the back. As the force approached the Indians, the firing commenced, and heavy casualties resulted. The Missouri forces were decimated. Gentry was mortally wounded. Gentry's son, who served as sergeant major, was shot in the wrist, but not fatally.

The 6th Infantry Regiment followed behind the Missouri forces and also suffered heavy casualties. The 4th Infantry Regiment was behind the 6th, and was tricked by the Seminoles. At one time during the battle, they saw Indians at their side and thought that they were the Delaware guides. They asked them, "Are you Delaware?" And the response was, "Yes, Delaware, Delaware!" But they were the Seminoles or Miccosukees, and the infantry troops ignored them and made a fatal mistake.

The 4th Infantry finally reached and overwhelmed the Indians in the hammock, but the Indians escaped on the other side. The Seminoles said that their casualties were small, which is probably true, seeing how well they planned and conducted the battle. Next Taylor sent in his soldiers from his own regiment, the 1st Infantry; but by this time the battle was over. Later Taylor was accused by the Missourians for not exposing his own regiment to any danger.

Of the soldier's casualties, 26 were killed and 112 wounded. The highest numbers were from the Missouri Volunteers. Taylor still showed distaste towards the volunteers and wrote up a bad report that said that they sat in the back and refused to advance. The Missourians were so mad at Taylor in the conduct of the campaign, that back home they had their state court lead an official investigation. The volunteers complained that Taylor showed total lack of respect and, "treated them like Negroes."

But Taylor had friends in high places and was proclaimed a hero, and the battle called a victory. (They said it was a victory because they chased the Seminoles off their position.) Some victory; what did they really gain? No clear objective was accomplished. After the battle, everybody left, and Lake Okeechobee would be forgotten for many years. Taylor gained more victories during the war with Mexico, and soon after was elected President of the United States. Taylor was one of the few commanding general officers that gained fame during the Second Seminole War.

Today, the site of the battlefield is not saved. Part of the area is under a housing development. Like most places where battles were fought and men died in the Second Seminole War, nothing much has been done to preserve ground purchased in blood. From 1792 to 1859 there were over 150 battles fought in Florida between the Florida Indians and the United States. Less than a dozen of these battle sites are saved. Around 1600 soldiers, sailors, marines, and militia soldiers died during the Second Seminole War, the nobody remembers them today except a memorial in St. Augustine that few people know about. The Seminoles and Miccosukees have no memorials to their dead erected by the national, state, and local governments in Florida. (My estimates is that the Indians maybe lost up to one-fifth of their population in the war.) Because of the three Seminole wars, 90% of the Florida Indian population was either killed or removed to Arkansas Territory.