Wednesday night of our week in Florida, we went down to John’s Pass for a little shopping and some seafood. I’ve always loved the history of that area, with the drawbridge, the ancient creaky wharf, and the fishing fleet that docked there. Our last visit there was in 2003. Now, 3 years later, someone has redesigned the area, and it’s all about bright Mediterranean-colored stucco and neon lights. The fishing boats are sharing space with wave runners and parasails. The wharf that always gave you a glimpse of the past is hidden now behind bikini stores. A very cool Buffett-esque shop that is ran by a couple of old hippies has had to relocate from the wharf down to all the glitz on the road, because tourists with their money usually won’t venture too far from the neon. (From their website: "Unfortunately, the Boardwalk shop was permanently closed on September 6, 2005 and is scheduled for demolition, along with the other shops at Hubbard's Marina as part of the redevelopment of the Hubbard's Marina property.")
The night found one question on my mind: “What has our money done to this area?”
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