- December 20, 2024
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Local spots take the mind off work-a-day world.
Getting from one place to another these days can be a stressful. You wait at a stop light. Then race to the next one. Wait again. Then race to the next one.
That’s why the traffic light at Granada and Nova can be a nice break. After a few minutes of staring at the light, I notice I’m hunched forward and my shoulders are tense. I tell myself to relax. You’re not going anywhere anytime soon. Sit back.
In addition to long traffic lights, there are other places to relax out on the roadway. There are several in the city, but today’s topic is South Beach Street.
Not far south of Granada Boulevard you’ll find Ames Park. I stopped by there on a whim, and immediately saw I was in the right place. The signage in the gazebo welcomes you to Whim Garden. The city bought the land from the Ames family in 1972 and it’s now a park.
The Ameses started the garden in 1914, and it’s relaxing to walk by the ponds covered in lily pads, and the various sculptures that were created by the mother and daughter.
If you walk out on the dock, a “walrus” greets you from the water.
At least, all of the historic literature and signage at the park says it’s a walrus. But, it’s a columnist's job to stir up controversy, so I’m going to say it’s a manatee.
Even if you showed me a diary written in 1914, saying, “Today, I sculpted a walrus,” I would still vote for manatee.
The Ames family probably saw manatees in the river. The little bay just north of the Granada Bridge is a known manatee birthing place. It’s not likely that a walrus ever reared its head from the river off Whim Garden.
But I digress. A visit to the park is a relaxing break. Benches and flowers have been added in recent years to aid the enjoyment of the views and breezes provided by the Halifax River.
A nice feature is a sheltered seating area on the river bank. Facing south, it’s a good place to enjoy the view when a cold winter wind is blowing.
Traveling on down South Beach Street, across the border in Holly Hill, is another place that takes the mind off the stress of the day: the Home of the Gnomes, at San Robar Drive. There’s a little door built into the base of a tree, and outside are many trinkets that people have left. Local legend has it that you can leave a note with a wish for the gnomes.
The house was built for the gnomes in 2003 by a Holly Hill resident, after getting permission from the City of Holly Hill.
The lady who built the gnome home wrote in her blog that the three original gnomes were Hall, Lee and Hill. Later, a gnome named Harry Davidson rode down from Milwaukee to join the family, and a fifth was dropped off later.
Are the gnomes real? Can you prove they don’t exist? It’s a nice break to think about it.
