>>THIS PROGRAM IS BROUGHT TO YOU IN PART BY THE PAUL B HUNTER AND CONSTANCE D HUNTER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, A PROUD PARTNER OF WUCF AND THE CENTRAL FLORIDA COMMUNITY.

>>ON THIS EDITION OF FLORIDA ROAD TRIP, WE ARE ONCE AGAIN ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE STATE IN A CITY THAT'S KNOWN FOR ITS MASSIVE BRIDGE, ARTIST SALVADOR DALI, AND ALSO SHUFFLEBOARD.

JOIN US AS WE UNCOVER THE HISTORY AND THE INTERESTING STORIES ABOUT THE CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG.

ROAD TRIP IS READY TO ROLL.

[MUSIC] HELLO EVERYONE AND WELCOME TO ANOTHER EDITION OF FLORIDA ROAD TRIP, I'M BUDDY PITTMAN, THANKS FOR BEING WITH US.

THIS TIME, WE MOVE ACROSS TAMPA BAY TO ST. PETERSBURG, A CITY THAT ALLEGEDLY WAS NAMED AS THE RESULT OF A COIN TOSS.

>>IT'S A GREAT TALE.

YOU SEE IT IN WEBSITES AND STORIES AND PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IT.

I GREW UP IN ST. PETERSBURG AND I'VE ALWAYS HEARD THAT STORY, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THERE'S NO PROOF THAT THAT EVER HAPPENED.

THE CITY IS NAMED AFTER ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA.

PETER MENSCH, WHO OWNED THE ORANGE BELT RAILWAY AND BROUGHT IT TO PINELLAS COUNTY INTO WHAT IS NOW ST. PETERSBURG, HE ANNOUNCED HE WAS TAKING HIS ROAD TO ST. PETERSBURG IN HONOR OF THE CAPITAL OF HIS HOME COUNTRY.

A LITTLE BIT BEKNOWNST TO THE OWNER OF THE LAND, JOHN WILLIAMS, WHO HAD EVERY INTENTION OF NAMING US WILLIAMSVILLE OR WILLIAMSBURG.

SO THERE WAS DISCUSSION AND THEY AGREED TO LET HIM NAME IT ST. PETERSBURG.

SO THE TRUTH IS NOWHERE NEAR AS MUCH FUN AS WATCHING A COIN FLIP, BUT IT'S STILL - IT'S STILL A GREAT STORY.

AND THANK GOODNESS THAT THEY DID THAT BECAUSE WILLIAMSVILLE OR WILLIAMSBURG?

THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AWFUL FOR THIS TOWN.

ST. PETERSBURG IS A MUCH COOLER NAME.

>>THERE IS EQUALLY AS INTERESTING OF A TALE AS HOW ST. PETE WAS DUBBED "SUNSHINE CITY."

>>OUR NAME, THE SUNSHINE CITY, CAME FROM ONE PERSON, THE EDITOR AND PRESENT OWNER OF THE EVENING INDEPENDENT, WHICH WAS AN AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER, LOU BROWN.

HE IN 1910 PROCLAIMED THE SUNSHINE OFFER.

HE VOWED THAT AND THE SUN DIDN'T SHINE FOR 24 HOURS, IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD, THE NEWSPAPER WOULD BE FREE.

THE PROCLAMATION WHEN HE MADE THAT PROCLAMATION THAT THE SUN SHINES HERE MORE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD, AND HE'S SO CONFIDENT OF IT THAT HE WOULD GIVE AWAY HIS BUSINESS FOR FREE FOR A DAY MADE NATIONAL HEADLINES.

AND HE DUBBED US THE SUNSHINE CITY.

>>THE YEAR 1914 WAS A BIG ONE FOR ST. PETE.

IN THAT YEAR THE CITY WAS THE SITE OF THE FIRST EVER COMMERCIAL AVIATION FLIGHT.

YES, THE VERY FIRST SCHEDULED PASSENGER AIRLINE FLIGHT LEFT FROM RIGHT HERE IN ST. PETE.

>>IT HAD JUST BEEN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TEN YEARS OR MORE THAN TEN YEARS FROM THE TIME THAT THE WRIGHT BROTHERS FLEW FOR THE FIRST TIME AND AVIATION CONTINUED TO GROW.

AVIATION ITSELF WAS NOT SEEN AS A SENSIBLE OR A LOGICAL MODE OF TRANSPORTATION.

>>BACK THEN, FROM TAMPA TO ST. PETE WAS A SIX HOUR TRAIN RIDE, A SEVEN HOUR CAR RIDE OR AN HOUR AND A HALF STEAMBOAT RIDE.

>>A FELLOW BY THE NAME OF PERCY FANSLER CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF LET'S ORGANIZE THIS INTO A TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM JUST LIKE WE HAVE WITH RAILROADS AND JUST LIKE WE HAVE WITH WITH BOATS.

WE OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO DO IT IN THE AIR TOO.

>>FANSLER TRIED TO INTEREST TAMPA OFFICIALS IN THE VENTURE, BUT THEY TURNED HIM DOWN.

HE GOT A BETTER RECEPTION, THOUGH, IN ST. PETERSBURG.

>>AND I DON'T THINK HE EVEN PROBABLY FINISHED THE FIRST SENTENCE.

AND WE'RE LIKE, "WE'RE IN."

BECAUSE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH TOURISM THAT WOULD BRING PEOPLE TO ST. PETERSBURG, WE WANTED ALL OF IT, RIGHT?

ON JANUARY 1ST, 1914, AT 10 A.M., TONY JANNUS WAS THE PILOT, AC PHEIL WHO WAS A FORMER MAYOR OF THE CITY AND LOCAL BUSINESSMAN WAS THE FIRST PASSENGER.

>>THAT FLIGHT TOOK ABOUT 23 MINUTES.

THE AIRLINE OPERATED FOR ONLY ABOUT FOUR MONTHS, BUT OVER THAT TIME CARRIED SOME 1,200 PASSENGERS.

THE REGULAR FARE, $5.

>>THE FLIGHT HELPED TO REALLY PROMOTE THE IDEA OF ORGANIZING AVIATION AND PUT THE IDEA OUT THERE THAT THESE PLANES COULD BE ORGANIZED INTO A SUCCESSFUL TRANSPORTATION BUSINESS.

>>EVERYBODY CREDITS, OBVIOUSLY, THE WRIGHT BROTHERS WHO CAME UP WITH THE IDEA MECHANIZED FLIGHT.

BUT THE WHOLE IDEA OF TRANSPORT HAPPENED HERE.

>>ON NOVEMBER 18TH, 1963, PRESIDENT JOHN KENNEDY SPOKE AT THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY CEREMONY FOR THAT FIRST AIRLINE FLIGHT IN ST. PETE.

>>AND I'M GLAD TO COME HERE TO TAKE PART IN THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF A FLIGHT FROM TAMPA TO ST. PETERSBURG BY TONY JANNUS.

BUT BECAUSE OF TONY JANNUS, BECAUSE OF OTHERS LIKE IT, THIS COUNTRY IS NUMBER ONE IN AVIATION, NOT ONLY IN THIS COUNTRY, BUT AROUND THE WORLD.

>>THAT SPEECH IN ST. PETE WAS MADE JUST FOUR DAYS BEFORE JFK WOULD BE ASSASSINATED IN DALLAS.

SO NOW WE KNOW THAT THE FIRST COMMERCIAL AIRLINE FLIGHT HAPPENED IN ST. PETERSBURG IN 1914.

BUT ALSO IN THAT VERY SAME YEAR, SPRING TRAINING BASEBALL ALSO BEGAN IN ST. PETERSBURG.

>>FOR YEARS, ST. PETERSBURG HAD ALWAYS HAD THIS LOVE AFFAIR WITH BASEBALL.

AND THERE WERE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WERE TRYING TO CONVINCE SOME OF THE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAMS TO COME FURTHER SOUTH FOR SPRING TRAINING.

>>THANKS MOSTLY TO THE EFFORTS OF A RETIRED LAUNDRY OWNER FROM PITTSBURGH NAMED AL LANG, THE BALL LITERALLY GOT ROLLING.

>>HERE'S AL LANG THE MAN WHO YEARS AGO BROUGHT BIG LEAGUE BASEBALL TO ST. PETERSBURG.

>>AS A YOUNG MAN, HE WORKED IN A LAUNDRY AT A HOTEL WHERE THE VISITING TEAMS OF THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES WOULD STAY.

AND SO HE BECAME FRIENDLY WITH ALL THESE PLAYERS.

HE WOULD, YOU KNOW, FOR EXTRA MONEY HE WOULD DO THINGS LIKE CLEAN THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR MITTS AND THEIR SHOES.

AND HE BEFRIENDED THEM.

AND AS TIME WENT ON, A LOT OF THOSE PLAYERS BECAME COACHES OR MANAGERS OR WERE IN THE FRONT OFFICE OF THESE CLUBS.

SO HE CONVINCED, IN 1914, THE ST. LOUIS BROWNS TO COME TO ST. PETERSBURG.

SO THEY CAME HERE FOR SPRING TRAINING AND THAT WAS OUR INTRODUCTION TO SPRING TRAINING.

AND FROM THERE IT EXPLODED.

THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES FOLLOWED THE NEXT YEAR, MORE TEAMS STARTED LOOKING AT FLORIDA.

EVERYTHING CHANGES FOR US, THOUGH IN 1925, WHEN THE NEW YORK YANKEES COME TO TOWN, IT'S JUST A WHOLE 'NOTHER WORLD.

>>AND WHEN THEY CAME, OF COURSE, THIS WAS 1925.

THEY BROUGHT BABE RUTH WITH THEM, WHO WAS THE GREATEST BASEBALL PLAYER OF ALL TIMES.

AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THAT REALLY PUT ST. PETERSBURG ON THE MAP.

IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW THE WORLD'S FIRST AIRLINE STARTED HERE, YOU CERTAINLY KNEW THAT BABE RUTH WAS GOING TO HIT HOME RUNS IN ST PETERSBURG DURING THE SPRING.

>>OBVIOUSLY, HE'S THIS HUGE NATIONAL ICON AND HE FALLS IN LOVE WITH US.

I MEAN, HE BUYS A NUMBER OF PIECES OF PROPERTY HERE IN ST PETERSBURG.

AND EVEN AFTER HE RETIRED AS A PLAYER WOULD COME DOWN IN THE WINTER AND ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE SPRING TRAINING MONTH, YOU KNOW, TO WATCH BASEBALL AND HANG OUT AND ESPECIALLY TO PLAY GOLF, THAT WAS HIS THING HERE PLAYING GOLF.

>>AL LANG STADIUM IS NOW THE HOME TO THE TAMPA BAY ROWDIES SOCCER CLUB.

BUT BACK THEN, LANG SPRING TRAINING VISION WAS NOT JUST FOR ST. PETE.

>>AND HE ACTUALLY CHAMPIONED SPRING TRAINING FOR ALL OF FLORIDA, NOT JUST FOR ST. PETERSBURG, BUT HE ENVISIONED THE ACTUAL BREAKTHROUGH, HE ENVISIONED THAT THESE TEAMS WOULD COME DOWN HERE AND PICK DIFFERENT CITIES.

AND DURING THE THE MONTH OF SPRING TRAINING, THEY WOULD TRAVEL AND PLAY EACH OTHER.

AND IT'D BE GREAT FOR TOURISM AND FOR THE ECONOMY THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF FLORIDA.

>>AND INDEED, IT WAS.

EVERY PLAYER THAT HAS BEEN INDUCTED INTO THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME IN COOPERSTOWN HAS AT ONE TIME DURING THEIR CAREER, PLAYED ON FIELDS IN FLORIDA.

OF TODAY'S 30 MAJOR LEAGUE TEAMS, ONLY SIX HAVE NEVER HELD SPRING TRAINING IN FLORIDA.

>>TED WILLIAMS, MR.

BASEBALL HIMSELF IS UP NOW.

THERE GOES THE BALL OVER THE RIGHT FIELD WALL, BRINGING IN THREE RUNS FOR BOSTON.

>>AND THE METS ENDED UP COMING HERE, THE CARDINALS, THE ORIOLES.

AND AT ONE TIME WE HAD EIGHT DIFFERENT TEAMS HERE.

SO WE BECAME THE CAPITAL OF BASEBALL.

SO THE MONTH OF MARCH WAS ALWAYS HUGE HERE ECONOMICALLY, AS WELL AS JUST MAGICAL AND FUN HERE IN ST. PETERSBURG DURING SPRING TRAINING.

>>FOR ANY BASEBALL FAN, THE ST. PETE HISTORY MUSEUM HAS A MUST-SEE EXHIBIT.

IT'S THE WORLD'S LARGEST COLLECTION OF AUTOGRAPHED BASEBALLS.

>>SCHRADER'S LITTLE COOPERSTOWN, THE ENTIRE COLLECTION IS OWNED BY ONE GENTLEMAN, AND IT'S ON LOAN TO THE ST. PETE MUSEUM OF HISTORY.

DENNIS SCHRADER STARTED THIS COLLECTION WHEN HE WAS A YOUNG MAN AND ACTUALLY WAS IN AL LANG'S STADIUM WHEN THE YANKEES WERE TRAINING, HE WOULD HELP OUT WITH A BAT BOY AND HE WOULD COLLECT SHAG BALLS.

ONE TIME HE WAS GATHERING SOME BALLS AND A PLAYER, YOU KNOW, SAID, "HEY, KID, YOU WANT ME TO SIGN THAT?"

SO THE PLAYER SIGNED THE BALL AND IT WAS MICKEY MANTLE.

SO THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO START A COLLECTION.

YOU HAVE MICKEY MANTLE SIGNED YOUR FIRST BALL.

>>SCHRADER'S COLLECTION CONTINUED TO GROW AND NOW HAS OVER 5,000 AUTOGRAPHED BASEBALLS AND HAS BEEN CERTIFIED BY GUINNESS AS THE WORLD'S LARGEST COLLECTION.

>>THE EXHIBIT ACTUALLY USES BASEBALL TO TEACH AMERICAN HISTORY.

IT TOUCHES ON WOMEN'S RIGHTS, IT TOUCHES ON CIVIL RIGHTS.

IT HAS A HISTORIC TIMELINE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT - THAT COMPARES BASEBALL HISTORY TO SPECIFIC EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

>>THE COLLECTION IS NOT JUST BASEBALL PLAYERS.

YOU HAVE BALLS SIGNED BY CELEBRITIES, BY PRESIDENTS, BY SPORTS ICONS, AND LEGENDARY BROADCASTERS.

AND EVEN A DICTATOR.

>>THERE'S A BALL SIGNED BY FIDEL CASTRO.

MANY PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT THE NEW YORK GIANTS OFFERED FIDEL CASTRO A BASEBALL CONTRACT.

HE TURNED IT DOWN TO RETURN TO CUBA TO START THE REVOLUTION.

AND, YOU KNOW, WHO KNOWS WHAT THIS WORLD HAD BEEN LIKE, HAD HE SIGNED THAT CONTRACT.

SO IT'S A VERY UNIQUE COLLECTION OF A WIDE VARIETY OF HISTORICAL EVENTS THROUGHOUT OUR - OUR HISTORY HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.

IF YOU'RE NOT A BASEBALL FAN AND YOU JUST LOVE HISTORY, SCHRADER'S LITTLE COOPERSTOWN EXHIBIT IS DEFINITELY A MUST SEE.

BUT IF YOU'RE A BASEBALL FAN, THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN MISS THIS EXHIBIT.

WE HAVE A HALL OF FAME COLLECTION THAT YOU WALK THROUGH IT, AND BASICALLY IT'S A WHO'S WHO OF THE PAST IN BASEBALL TO SEE, YOU KNOW, SHOELESS JOE JACKSON'S AUTOGRAPH AND THE STORY OF HIM.

JOE DIMAGGIO, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A BALL SIGNED BY JOE DIMAGGIO AND MARILYN MONROE, WHICH IS INCREDIBLY RARE.

YOU KNOW, WHEN WHEN TEAMS ARE VISITING, I'LL WALK THROUGH THE MUSEUM AND YOU SEE A LOT OF LIKE YANKEES T-SHIRTS OR RED SOX T-SHIRTS OR ORIOLES T-SHIRTS WANDERING THROUGH THE EXHIBIT SO, YOU KNOW, AND THOSE TEAMS ARE IN TOWN.

THEIR FANS ARE FOLLOWING THEM.

SO IT IS DEFINITELY A MUST SEE FOR ANYONE WHO IS A BASEBALL FAN.

>>IF YOU HAVE VISITED ST. PETERSBURG IN LET'S SAY OVER THE LAST HUNDRED YEARS OR SO, THERE'S A GOOD POSSIBILITY THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE STOPPED BY ONE OF FLORIDA'S ORIGINAL ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS, SUNKEN GARDENS.

>>WHAT'S REALLY FASCINATING ABOUT SUNKEN GARDENS IS IT'S RIGHT HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF ST. PETE.

AND A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T EXPECT TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS, THIS BOTANICAL LUSH GARDENS IN THE MIDDLE OF AN URBAN CITY.

IT'S ONLY AROUND FOUR ACRES, IT FEELS LIKE IT'S 30 ACRES.

AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE OLDEST PLANTS IN THIS AREA OF FLORIDA.

AND IT'S BEEN HERE SINCE 1903.

GEORGE TURNER PURCHASED THE PROPERTY AND AROUND 1936 HE OPENED IT TO THE PUBLIC FOR $0.15 ON A SEASONAL BASIS.

THE CITY OF ST. PETE PURCHASED IT IN 2000, AND IT'S BEEN HERE FOR OVER 100 YEARS.

THIS BEING A HISTORICAL BOTANICAL GARDENS AND ONE OF THE OLDEST GARDENS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, IT'S VERY UNIQUE.

YOU KNOW, GEORGE WAS A PLUMBER, SO HE REALLY WASN'T A BOTANIST OR ANYTHING.

AND HE HAD A PASSION FOR PLANTS.

BUT TO HAVE OVER 50,000 TROPICAL PLANTS ON A FOUR ACRE PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT'S 100 YEARS OLD IS VERY, VERY SPECIAL.

>>ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC PLACES IN ST PETERSBURG IS THIS MOST UNUSUAL BUILDING.

IT'S A LANDMARK THAT HONORS A MOST UNUSUAL ARTIST.

>>GREETINGS, I AM SALVADOR FELIPE JACINTO DALI Y DOMENECH.

AND, I AM BACK >>THE DALI MUSEUM HAS BEEN IN ST. PETE FOR OVER FOUR DECADES, AND SINCE 2011 HAS LIVED IN THIS BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED STRUCTURE THAT, LIKE DALI'S PAINTINGS, IS A WORK OF ART.

>>WHEN THEY COME TO THE DALI MUSEUM, THEY CAN EXPECT TO BE BOTH ENTERTAINED AND DELIGHTED.

WE HAVE A COLLECTION OF AN ARTIST WHO'S KNOWN AS A SURREALIST, SO A PAINTER OF DREAM IMAGERY.

BUT HE'S ALSO JUST THIS EXTRAORDINARY FIGURE WHO HAD A GREAT INTEREST IN SCIENCE AND IN MATHEMATICS AND NOT JUST ART, BUT ALSO PHOTOGRAPHY AND WRITING.

AND SO ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE ARTISTS ARE FOUND IN PARTS OF OUR COLLECTION, AND THERE IS A SURPRISE AT EVERY TURN IN OUR GALLERIES.

BUT ONE OF THE THINGS DEFINITELY THAT PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS ASTOUNDED BY IS DALI'S ABILITY TO CREATE ILLUSIONS.

AN IMAGE THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BECOME SOMETHING ELSE AND THEN SHARE IT WITH THE VIEWERS POTENTIALLY, I THINK SUGGESTING THAT THE WORLD MAY BE DIFFERENT THAN WE THINK IT IS.

>>THE MUSEUM CELEBRATES THE LIFE AND THE ART OF ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL AND INNOVATIVE ARTIST IN HISTORY.

AND A VISIT TO THE DALI IS A VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE.

>>ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE THAT ALLOWS US TO SEE DALI IN A VERY DIFFERENT WAY IS WE HAVE DALI LIVES, WHICH ALLOWS DALI TO COME TO LIFE AS A CHARACTER, SHARING HIS INSIGHTS INTO PAINTING AND THE THINGS THAT DRIVES HIM IN A VERY PERSONAL AND DIRECT WAY WITH OUR AUDIENCE.

SO IT'S AS IF DALI IS WITH THEM, TALKING TO THEM.

>>THERE COMES A MOMENT IN EVERY PERSON'S LIFE WHERE THEY REALIZE THEY ADORE DALI.

>>WE ALSO HAVE MASTERWORKS IN AUGMENTED REALITY WHERE WE'VE TAKEN EIGHT OF OUR PAINTINGS AND WE'VE EXPLORED THEM IN AR TECHNOLOGY SO THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THEM START TO COME TO LIFE AS A MOVIE AND FIND OUT MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE MEANING BEHIND THE PAINTINGS.

AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE DREAMS OF DALI, WHERE WE'RE INVITING VISITORS TO EXPERIENCE THE PAINTING AS IF IT'S A WORLD UNTO ITSELF USING OCULUS RIFT, WHERE THEY CAN EXPLORE EVERY ASPECT OF THE PAINTING, CRAWL AROUND IN IT, HEAR THE SOUNDS OF THE PAINTING.

AND IT'S JUST THREE REMARKABLE WAYS TO UNDERSTAND DALI IN A VERY DIFFERENT WAY THAN ANY NORMAL MUSEUM COULD.

>>DALI PASSED AWAY IN 1989, BUT HEY, HOW ABOUT A SELFIE WITH THE MAN HIMSELF?

>>BEFORE YOU LEAVE, YOU WILL TAKE A PICTURE WITH ME?

>>SURE!

>>WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO SEND YOU THIS DREAM PHOTOGRAPH?

>>I GUESS IF THERE WAS ONE THING THAT REALLY SUMMARIZES DALI, IT'S THE ABILITY TO SEE THE WORLD DIFFERENTLY AND TO INVITE OTHERS TO EXPERIENCE IT HOW HE EXPERIENCED IT AND THIS COLLECTION SHOWS YOU HOW WE CAN EMULATE DALI AND ALSO SEE THE WORLD FROM A VERY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.

>>LIKE NEW YORK'S BROOKLYN BRIDGE OR SAN FRANCISCO'S GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE.

ST. PETE ALSO HAS A LANDMARK BRIDGE OF ITS OWN.

THE SUNSHINE SKYWAY BRIDGE.

>>WHEN YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY WATER ON THREE SIDES, YOU HAVE TO HAVE BRIDGES, RIGHT, TO GET TO OTHER COMMUNITIES.

AND ST. PETERSBURG STARTS TOUTING ITSELF AS A MAJOR TOURIST DESTINATION, WHICH, OF COURSE IT GREW INTO.

WHEN THE GANDY BRIDGE OPENED IN THE 1920S, IT CONNECTED TAMPA WITH ST. PETERSBURG AND FROM ST. PETERSBURG TO MIAMI, THEN, OF COURSE, YOU HAVE TO CROSS TAMPA BAY.

>>BACK IN THE 1920S, FOLKS CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF HAVING THE FERRY SERVICE BETWEEN ST. PETERSBURG AND MANATEE COUNTY, OR BRADENTON WAS THE CLOSEST TOWN THERE, AND THAT CUT ABOUT 40 TO 50 MILES OFF OF THE TRIP, IF YOU WERE GOING THROUGH ST. PETERSBURG AND GOING SOUTH.

SO THAT FERRY OPERATED UNTIL THE MID 1950S WHEN THE FIRST SKYWAY BRIDGE WAS BUILT.

AND OF COURSE THAT PUT THE FERRY BUSINESS OUT OF BUSINESS.

>>IN 1954, THEY CONSTRUCT AND OPEN THE ORIGINAL SUNSHINE SKYWAY BRIDGE.

AT THE TIME, IT WAS THE LONGEST CONTINUOUS BRIDGE IN THE WORLD.

IT OPENED UP AS ONE SPAN, A SECOND SPAN WAS ADDED.

IT CUT TRAVEL TIME DRAMATICALLY.

IN THE EARLY MORNING OF MAY 9TH, 1980, TRAGEDY STRUCK.

A FREIGHTER CALLED THE SUMMIT VENTURE SLAMMED INTO THE SKYWAY AND A HUGE PORTION OF THE BRIDGE COLLAPSED.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, NEARLY 40 PEOPLE DIED IN THE ACCIDENT.

>>YOU KNOW, WE LOST THAT - THAT LINK SOUTH THERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

BUT THE STATE CAME THROUGH AND HELPED TO REBUILD THE BRIDGE.

>>FINALLY, IN 1987, THE BRAND NEW SUNSHINE SKYWAY WAS BUILT.

AND THIS IS THIS IS NOT JUST A BRIDGE.

THIS IS AN ICON FOR TAMPA BAY.

IT IS MUCH BIGGER, MUCH TALLER, AND THE SPANS ARE MUCH WIDER.

AND IT'S ALMOST LIKE THIS MAGNIFICENT PIECE OF ART THAT HANGS OVER TAMPA BAY BY THE WAY IT'S CONSTRUCTED.

I MEAN, ESPECIALLY NOW THE TECHNOLOGY THAT'S USED WITH LED LIGHTING THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO LIGHT THE BRIDGE AND CHANGE COLORS FOR - FOR DIFFERENT EVENTS, LIKE WHEN THEY WHEN THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING WON THE LAST STANLEY CUP, THE BRIDGE WAS BLUE FOR YOU KNOW, FOR THE LIGHTNING.

IT TRULY BECOMES THIS AMAZING PIECE OF ART THAT SITS ON TOP OF TAMPA BAY CONNECTING US WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD, BECAUSE, AGAIN, WE'RE ON A PENINSULA HERE.

AND TO GET ON AND OFF THIS PENINSULA, WE DEPEND ON THESE BRIDGES.

>>THE CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG HAS A RATHER UNUSUAL POST OFFICE LOCATED ON FOURTH STREET IN DOWNTOWN.

UNUSUAL BECAUSE SINCE ITS INCEPTION, OVER 100 YEARS AGO, IT'S BEEN AN OPEN AIR POST OFFICE.

>>THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST EVER BUILT AS FAR AS OPEN CONCEPT THERE TO GET THE MAIL 24 HOURS A DAY OUTSIDE.

>>THE ORIGINAL FACILITY WAS BUILT IN 1907 AND WAS THE CONCEPT OF THEN POSTMASTER ROY HANNA.

BY 1915, THE CITY HAD GROWN TO THE POINT THAT IT NEEDED A BIGGER POST OFFICE AND THE NEW DESIGN, LIKE THE ORIGINAL, WAS OPEN AIR.

>>YOU SEE THE WALL DESIGNS, THE ARCHITECTURE, STEEL FROM THE 1900 ERA, AND YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF ARTS, MEMORABILIA, STILL FROM THAT ERA.

SO IT'S BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME.

THIS IS ONE OF THE HISTORIC MONUMENTS I KNOW THAT BECAME HISTORIC IN 1975 WHEN THEY BECAME A LANDMARK.

THE CUSTOMERS HERE LOVE IT.

I THINK THIS BUILDING IS JUST A MONUMENT OF ST. PETE.

>>EQUALLY AS INTERESTING IS THAT ST. PETERSBURG IS ONE OF ONLY A COUPLE OF CITIES IN THE ENTIRE NATION THAT DELIVERS THE MAIL ON BICYCLES.

>>BECAUSE OF EASY ACCESS, THEY CAN GET IN AND OUT OF THE TRAFFIC AND MOVE AROUND THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND DOWNTOWN AREA EASIER ON THE BIKES VERSUS VEHICLES.

HALF THE STATION IS STILL RUN IN BIKE ROUTES IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.

>>THIS TRADITION OF DELIVERING THE MAIL ON BIKES HAS BEEN GOING ON IN ST. PETE'S SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING.

>>IT'S VERY INTERESTING DELIVERING MAIL AROUND HERE BECAUSE IN THE BIKE ROUTES THAT'S HOW THEY USED TO DELIVER GROCERIES BACK IN THE FIFTIES, BACK IN THE SIXTIES, IT'S VERY UNIQUE, THAT'S WHERE THE IDEA CAME FROM.

IT IS A WORK IN PROGRESS.

ONCE YOU GET ON THE BIKE, WE GO OUT WITH CERTAIN MAIL FROM THE POST OFFICE AND UNTIL IT RUNS OUT, WE GO TO A RELAY BOX.

THAT RELAY BOX IS TO LOAD UP MORE MAIL SO YOU CAN DELIVER IT THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE ROUTE.

SO BIKE IS A VERY UNIQUE WAY TO DELIVER MAIL I THINK.

>>ONE OF THE ORIGINAL ATTRACTIONS IN ST. PETE WAS NOT A THEME PARK OF THE BEACH, BUT RATHER A DRUGSTORE.

DOC WEBB CAME TO ST. PETE IN 1926 AND OPENED A SMALL PHARMACY, BUT THAT WAS JUST THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL.

>>OVER THE YEARS, THAT LITTLE DRUG STORE KEPT EXPANDING, AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, IT IS A SEVEN SQUARE BLOCK SHOPPING MECCA.

AGAIN, THIS IS 1926 WHEN HE ARRIVES.

HE IS LIKE THE ULTIMATE SHOWMAN, AN UNBELIEVABLE MARKETEER WHEN IT COMES TO BUSINESS.

DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION, WHEN BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT FLORIDA WERE STRUGGLING TO STAY ALIVE, HE CONTINUES TO EXPAND.

THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, THAT TINY LITTLE DRUGSTORE BECAME HALF THE BLOCK AND THEN THE FULL BLOCK AND THEN MORE AND MORE BLOCKS, AND THEN BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, HE CREATES THIS THING CALLED WEBB CITY.

THIS WAS A MALL BEFORE ANYBODY KNEW WHAT MALLS WERE.

AND AT ONE POINT THERE WERE 77 SEPARATE STORES THAT YOU COULD GO TO.

HE OWNED THEM ALL.

YOU COULD JUST PULL INTO WEBB CITY AND PRETTY MUCH TAKE CARE OF ALL YOUR NEEDS.

AND IT WASN'T JUST SHOPPING, IT WAS LIKE A FULL DAY OF JUST CRAZY ENTERTAINMENT.

HE HAD AN AREA THAT BECOMES FAMOUS FOR THE DANCING CHICKEN.

THERE WAS A KISSING RABBIT.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE LIVE MERMAID SHOW.

AND HE CLOSED HIS PARKING LOT OFF AND HE'D HAVE THREE RING CIRCUSES IN THIS PARKING LOT.

HE WAS JUST THIS AMAZING EVENT MARKETING PERSON THAT JUST HAPPENED TO OWN STORES.

HE UNDERSOLD EVERYONE.

HIS MOTTOS WERE STACK IT HIGH AND SELL IT CHEAP.

>>SO HE DROVE THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PEOPLE CRAZY BECAUSE HE WAS ALWAYS UNDERCUTTING THEIR PRICES.

>>BRUSH-A BRUSH-A BRUSH-A GET THE NEW WHITE VAN.

>>HE UNDERCUT THE PRICE OF IPANA TOOTHPASTE.

AND HE WAS ACTUALLY SUED BY THE IPANA COMPANY FOR DOING THAT, FOR NOT SELLING IT AT THE RECOMMENDED RETAIL RATE.

AND THE CASE WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLORIDA SUPREME COURT AND HE WON.

>>HIS ADVERTISING WAS SPECTACULAR.

HE WAS THE LARGEST ADVERTISING IN WHAT WAS THEN THE ST. PETERSBURG TIMES.

HE NEVER WANTED TO TO BE OUTSOLD BY ANYONE.

HIS WHOLE MARKETING PLOY WAS TO BRING PEOPLE TO OUR CITY, NOT JUST TO SHOP THERE, BUT TO ACTUALLY BRING THESE TOURISTS TO ST. PETE AND NOT TO OTHER PARTS OF FLORIDA.

AND IT WORKED.

>>ANOTHER OF THE CITY'S LONG STANDING LANDMARKS IS THE ST. PETE PIER.

>>PIERS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A PERMANENT FIXTURE IN ST. PETERSBURG.

IN THE BEGINNING THEY WERE MOSTLY FOR INDUSTRIAL REASONS.

OUR VERY FIRST TRUE PIER ACTUALLY WAS CALLED THE RAILROAD PIER THAT THEY WOULD DESPERATELY NEED FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.

FIRST OF ALL, THE SHIPS WERE GOING TO COME IN CARRYING SUPPLIES, SO THE TRAIN WOULD GO OUT ON THE PIER, PICK UP THOSE SUPPLIES AND BRING THEM BACK INTO THE CITY.

THE OTHER REASON IS TO TAKE PRODUCT OUT.

SO THE RAILROAD PIER STARTED IT AND AGAIN, IT WAS IT WAS PURELY INDUSTRIAL.

>>A NUMBER OF PIERS STARTED POPPING UP UNTIL THE CITY FINALLY BUILT THE MUNICIPAL PIER.

THAT WOODEN STRUCTURE, HOWEVER, WAS DESTROYED BY A HURRICANE IN 1921.

THE CITY REBUILT THE PIER, BUT THIS TIME OUT OF CONCRETE.

>>IT WAS KNOWN AS THE MILLION DOLLAR PIER BECAUSE IT COST THE CITY $1,000,000 TO BUILD.

AND SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT CONSTRUCTION TODAY, IT ACTUALLY WAS COMPLETED BEFORE THE DEADLINE AND CAME IN CHEAPER THAN THE ACTUAL QUOTE.

SO THE MILLION DOLLAR PIER AT THE VERY END OF IT HAD A MEDITERRANEAN REVIVAL STYLE BUILDING THAT WAS KIND OF LIKE THE HUB OF ACTIVITY FOR THE CITY.

THERE WAS DINING AND DANCING AND IT STILL BECAME THE CENTER OF ACTIVITY FOR YEARS.

>>THAT PIER GOT REPLACED BY THE INVERTED PYRAMID.

YOU HAD A PLATFORM AND THEN YOU HAD THIS V-SHAPED BUILDING GOING RIGHT UP TO THE TOP.

SO THE ADVANTAGE OF THAT WAS IT DIDN'T BLOCK THE VIEWS.

YOU STILL HAD THE VIEWS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE VIEW THERE, BUT AS YOU WENT UP, YOU GOT MORE AND MORE SPACE, MORE AND MORE SQUARE FOOTAGE.

>>WHEN IT FIRST OPENED, A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T LIKE IT, BUT THEY DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE ARCHITECTURE.

IT WAS LITERALLY AN INVERTED PYRAMID WITH IT SITTING ON ITS POINT.

SO THAT STRUCTURE STAYED IN PLACE UNTIL JUST RECENTLY.

>>THAT PIER WAS CLOSED IN 2013 AND REPLACED WITH THE NEW CURRENT STRUCTURE THAT OPENED IN JULY OF 2020.

>>THE PIER THAT'S OUT THERE TODAY, THE NEW ST. PETE PIER AND THE WHOLE ST.PETE PIER DISTRICT IS JUST SPECTACULAR.

IT EXTENDS OUR DOWNTOWN WATERFRONT PARKLAND ON THE WATER, WHICH IS JUST AN AMAZING THING TO SEE.

>>IN A CITY LIKE ST. PETERSBURG WITH A LOT OF RETIREES, YOU MIGHT EXPECT SOMETHING LIKE SHUFFLEBOARD TO BE A VERY POPULAR PASTIME.

WELL, THAT WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

THE ST. PETE SHUFFLEBOARD CLUB IS THE LARGEST SHUFFLEBOARD CLUB IN THE WORLD.

>>OUR FIRST TWO COURTS WERE BUILT IN 1922, THEN OUR CLUB WAS FOUNDED IN 1924.

BY THE TIME OF THE FIFTIES, THERE WERE ABOUT 7,000 MEMBERS AND THERE ARE 110 COURTS.

IT WAS PACKED DAY AND NIGHT.

WE HAVE THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE LONGEST RUNNING SHUFFLEBOARD CLUB IN THE WORLD AND ALSO THE LARGEST SHUFFLEBOARD CLUB IN THE WORLD AND BY THAT I MEAN WE HAVE 80 COURTS.

OUR CLUB IS ALSO - HAS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING WHERE THE MODERN RULES OF SHUFFLEBOARD WERE FINALIZED.

ALL THE CLUBS AROUND FLORIDA WERE PLAYING WITH THEIR OWN RULES AND THE SCORING WAS DIFFERENT.

AND SO WHEN THE CLUBS WANTED TO START PLAYING EACH OTHER IN TOURNAMENTS, THEY COULDN'T.

SO IN 1928, ALL THE CLUBS CAME HERE, FORMED THE FLORIDA SHUFFLEBOARD ASSOCIATION.

IN 1931, THE NATIONAL SHUFFLEBOARD ASSOCIATION WAS FOUNDED HERE.

AND THEN IN 1979, THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION WAS FOUNDED HERE.

I LIKE TO SAY WE'RE THE WIMBLEDON OF SHUFFLEBOARD OR THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY OF SHUFFLEBOARD.

>>THE ST. PETE CLUB CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 2,300 MEMBERS.

THEY HOST TOURNAMENTS AND REGULAR LEAGUE PLAY, BUT THEY'RE ALSO OPEN TO PLAYERS OF ALL SKILL LEVELS.

>>IT IS A GAME THAT YOU CAN LEARN TO PLAY IN ABOUT 5 MINUTES AND GET ON THE COURTS AND HAVE FUN, HAVE A GREAT TIME.

BUT IT'S ALSO A GAME THAT TAKES A LONG TIME TO MASTER SO YOU CAN SPEND YEARS WORKING ON THE STRATEGY AND IT'S A GAME THAT SOME PEOPLE TAKE REALLY SERIOUSLY.

JUST LIKE WE WERE INFLUENTIAL IN THE TWENTIES AND THIRTIES, SPREADING SHUFFLEBOARD, WE'RE INFLUENTIAL NOW, SPREADING SHUFFLEBOARD AROUND THE COUNTRY.

WE ARE REALLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PLACE IN THE WORLD FOR SHUFFLEBOARD AND EVERYBODY AROUND THE WORLD THAT PLAYS SHUFFLEBOARD, THEY KNOW ST. PETE.

>>AND THAT WRAPS UP THE ST. PETERSBURG EDITION OF FLORIDA ROAD TRIP, I'M BUDDY PITMAN, THANKS FOR BEING WITH US.

JOIN US NEXT TIME AS WE CONTINUE TO EXPLORE THE RICH HISTORY THAT SURROUNDS US ALL EACH AND EVERY DAY.

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] >>THIS PROGRAM IS BROUGHT TO YOU IN PART BY THE PAUL B HUNTER AND CONSTANCE D HUNTER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, A PROUD PARTNER OF WUCF AND THE CENTRAL FLORIDA COMMUNITY.