Dick and Dee Weeks and Dee's brother Brad Smart enjoy a mural of fresh water, Largemouth Bass in downtown Lake Placid, FL while Brad's shirt sports another very popular Florida, salt-water game fish.

THE TOWN OF MURALS and CLOWNS--
and Artistic Trash Containers and...,  Lake Placid, Florida

Reader's Digest magazine has named Lake Placid, FL "The most interesting town in America".  It also is famous for its 44 murals painted on downtown buildings in this small town with a population of about 2,000 folks.

In 1995 and '96 it also was recognized as Florida's Outstanding Rural Community.  Nestled in the ridge highlands of south-central Florida it boasts near countless, freshwater lakes known for producing largemouth bass in the 18 inch plus range.  Bass over 9 pounds are not uncommon.

The showcase lake is Istokpoga, spreading across 27,692 acres near downtown. 

Lake Placid also claims the title of the Caladium Capital of the World, has its own clown college and museum, boasts artistic trash containers all over the place and challenges visitors to find clown and bird pictures as they wander about.


In this container (right) visitors place their trash through the driver's door window which swings when pushed.  That also was the location of a geocache I nabbed during my visit.
 
Artists also hid a variety of things in their paintings--or left some not-so-obvious things out--then challenged visitors to find the objects; a popular activity as tourists strolled the town.

About 1200 local acres are devoted to growing the Caladiums, a plant with colorful leaves, popular for landscaping because it is easy growing, shade loving, has no natural pests and requires no insecticide or fertilizer.

Daisy, the Red Hat clown, is popular as she greets visitors to the town's Chamber of Commerce.  When she winked at me I told her I thought I was falling in love.  She chortled, "Me too"!

Dr. Melvil Dewey, founder of the Dewey Decimal System, developed a club in Lake Placid, NY in 1895.  About 35 years later he discovered a place he thought well-suited for his wealthy NY friends and convinced the Florida legislature to change the name of that little town, Lake Stearns, to Lake Placid in 1927.

An unexpected highlight of the day for me happened during an impromptu visit to the town's newspaper, The Journal, where friendly folks met us on the sidewalk with a free copy of their current issue and the offer of free bottles of water.  A conversation ensued with the paper's veteran editor, Mat Delaney, who then offered me a job if we ever decided to relocate to their very desirable town.  Hmmmm.   

Brad is enjoying original paintings (above) submitted by artists for approval before work on the actual mural began.  The paintings are on display in the chamber's welcome center.  Sister Dee (below) is doing a shot of a clown mural while ever-wandering crowds enjoy yet another mural under a Spanish Moss-festooned oak tree (far below).