“Vacation: Florida” is a 1950s-era amateur color home movie documenting a trip from Washington, D.C. through America’s southeast coast to Florida. The film contains footage of various motels and sites along the way. Once in Florida, the film features ample footage of popular tourist attractions and historical sites such as St. Augustine City Hall, Marineland, Cypress Gardens, and the Miami Beach area.
Music plays; title page (0:15). Travel brochures, postcards “Silver Springs” “Marine Studios” “St. Augustine;” Gulf Oil travel maps (0:26). Washington Monument (1:10). Wayside Motel, U. S. Hwy. 301 Wilson, NC (1:34). Woman poses for camera in 1950s-era bathing suit from motel pool (2:24). Southern live oak trees, palm trees line roads; Sign that reads “Welcome to Florida” (2:54). Same woman now wears red 1950s gingham dress, poses besides small palm tree (3:47). Retro signage for Casa Marina Motor Court motel (4:02). Sight Seeing Trailer Train takes tourists around St. Augustine, Florida (4:20). Trinity Church, St. George & King Street, St. Augustine (4:26). View bell and clock tower of Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, framed by palm trees (4:46). St. Augustine City Hall (today Lightner Museum) (5:35). Orbs of St. Augustine City Gates (5:45). The “Oldest House” also known as González-Alvarez House (5:52). Entrance gate Fountain of Youth Archaeology Park (6:06). Castillo de San Marcos: various shots of tourists lined up at entrance; fortress walls and fortifications (6:17). Bridge of Lions (7:14). Entrance gate to Oldest Wooden School House at 14 St. George Street; Stone sculpture at entrance of early settlers riding in cart; Wooden school house (7:25). Tourists walking along manicured grass near Castillo de San Marcos (8:10). Another view of Trinity Church (8:18). Montage quiet, historic streets of St. Augustine (8:25). Dolphins, turtles, fish and other aquatic life at perhaps Marineland (8:44). Marineland Dolphin Adventure show, trainer feeds and performs tricks with dolphins as tourists look on from seats (9:50). View underwater of trainer wearing 1950s dive suit or hard-hat/copper hat equipment (11:02). Colorful tropical fish underwater (11:42). St. Augustine beach front large homes/ hotels line beach front, colorful umbrellas available for rent; Perhaps Ford Mainline drives along beach (12:08). Fleet of glass-bottom-boats at pier (13:17). Southern Belles in vintage dresses at the Cypress Gardens theme park in Winter Haven; Tropical flora and fauna around manicured gardens – hibiscus flower, birds of paradise flower (13:40). Cypress Gardens Water Ski team of young women perform stunts; Man performs tricks on wakeboard or surfboard; Co-ed performance male skiers hold, balance female performers on shoulders among other stunt performances (16:11). Female performers do pyramid stunt while carrying Confederate battle flag (20:13). Trio of waterskiing clowns do stunts and perform in water (20:28). More shots of Southern Belles in vintage dresses around gardens, some wave at camera (21:05). Bok Singing Tower, Bok Tower Gardens (22:10). POV driving along The Overseas Highway Key West (22:47). Herrings throughout marshlands (23:04). Fontainebleau Hotel, Miami Beach (23:22). Mansion built in Andalusian/ Spanish Colonial style (23:33). Emerald Isle on the Ocean hotel (23:42). Kenilworth Hotel (23:49). Biltmore Hotel (23:58). Perhaps bird sanctuary (24:16). Still image of sun setting in distance over water; Film ends (24:37).
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
