Vintage Images

Chronicling Indians and aviators, stock cars and sand traps, Florida's First Coast is a delightful collection of vintage images and local lore, sure to enchant newcomers and residents alike.

p>A well-loved local, retired U. S. Navy Captain Jack Pate decided to tell others the story of the First Coast Beaches after falling in love with the area himself. Using the extensive collections of the Beaches Area Historical Society, Captain Jack introduces the history of the people who settled the Beaches area and their love-hate relationship with the two bodies of water that define it: the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean.

33154: The zip code for paradise.

One of the most affluent zip codes in the United States, 33154 encompasses Bal Harbour, Bay Harbor Islands, Indian Creek Village, and Surfside, just north of Miami Beach. Part of the Miami-Dade miracle settlements that sprang from mangrove marshes into exclusive havens in little more than a generation, it's by far one of the most beautiful areas in all of Florida, and millions of visitors from around the world agree. Each community has an extraordinary history of dreamers, daredevils, and entrepreneurs who transformed open fields and tangled undergrowth into four of the country's most desirable destinations.

Known for its pleasant climate and inviting gulf coast waters, St. Petersburg has always attracted sun lovers in search of their own piece of paradise.

As with many Florida cities nestled next to the Gulf of Mexico, St. Petersburg has experienced growth and change that has left few reminders of the once easy-going lifestyle that defined the city. As early as 1905, the city of St. Petersburg began creating postcards to attract not only tourists, but also business-minded individuals seeking an opportunity to take part in the area's growth. Depicting the area's beloved beaches and other sources of natural beauty, as well as a number of local businesses, these surviving postcards offer a glimpse of St. Petersburg in a golden age that is often forgotten.St. Petersburg, Florida: A Visual Historyby local author Wynelle Deese revisits a treasured time in St. Petersburg's past through the vintage postcards of this fascinating Florida destination. The images depicted in these postcards allow readers to travel back to the St. Petersburg of the early 20th century and relive the early innocence of the Sunshine City.

Sarasota, Florida, is one city that has always possessed all of the elements--beaches, sport, sun and fun--that draw so many to the Sunshine State every year. As with other popular tourist destinations, there are the year-round inhabitants who, while always ready to share the beauty of their surroundings with visitors, remember their hometown with a much simpler and relaxed fondness.

Sarasota in Vintage Images by longtime resident, historian and columnist Jeff LaHurd is a visual stroll through the Sarasota of yesteryear. With a feel for the nostalgic, Jeff offers readers a pictorial glimpse of Sarasota from the roaring 1920s through the transforming 1960s.