Tallahassee, Florida

First Impressions

Topography. Hills dominate the roadways in Tallahassee. The impediment is not so great, but it is something to be aware of for drivers new to the area.

Sweet Spot. Due to the abundance of rundown shopping centers leading into the downtown, our initial impressions of Tallahassee were fairly negative. We were pleased, however, to find the city center more appealing for on-foot sightseeing.

Trip-Worthy

Historic Capitol. We were concerned there might be a stuffy air about the Historic Capitol, so we approached skeptically. Fortunately, the only salient feature of the air was the aroma of oranges emanating from the trees in front. Inside, the staff was extremely friendly, while the exhibits and portrait gallery were fairly enjoyable. To spot the Historic Capitol, just look for the red and white striped awnings, which may have been our favorite feature of the building.

Florida Capitol. Located directly behind the Historic Capitol, Florida’s contemporary Capitol is a bit of an eyesore. What it lacks in beauty, however, it makes up for in height. After passing through a security checkpoint, we found an elevator and zipped up to the 22^nd floor to get a panoramic view of Tallahassee. Taking a break from overlooking the scene below, we laughed at the colorful black and white photos framed on the walls showing a wide variety of Florida’s finest.

Florida State University. We didn’t have much time to see FSU, but we liked what we saw. Stone buildings and tropical plants dominated our walk, as did the knowing looks of students that sensed we were out-of-towners.

Pitaria. We found the Greek food at Pitaria to be a suitable meal. It’s rear parking lot looked dingy, but the restaurant itself was very bright and spacious, with plenty of FSU students inside. We could understand the popularity of Pitaria when we gobbled up our vegetarian pitas and pita fries in delicious tahini sauce.

Goodies. For a light lunch in the center of town, Goodies served delicious sandwiches and soups for a low price. We recommend the Zebra sandwich on pumpernickel, with cheese and fresh vegetables.

Skip-Worthy

Museum of Florida History. This state-sponsored museum proved to be uneventful, motivating us to walk through its underground exhibits quickly. Although the museum presented us with a bounty of information about Florida, the lackluster presentation and the warehouse atmosphere failed to capture our interest.

Lasting Impressions

We experienced some difficulty filling our time in Tallahassee. Strolling around the downtown was definitely the highlight of our stay, something that can easily be accomplished in one day.

Confessions

Parks. Regrettably, we found the recreational parks to be unreliable, as we encountered a disconnect between the information online and over the phone. When we arrived at one park, we observed that the area was in an unsafe part of town. Despite our best efforts, they just did not work out for us.

Challenger. Although the Challenger Learning Center looked impressive, we were deterred by the price, and opted to walk around outside instead.