I met Stephen Simchak in 1970 in the first science class I taught at Panther Valley. But that was not this Steve - that was Steve the father. Around 1990 - Stephen Simchak Junior became one of my all-time favorite students. Stephen was on one of my student trips to Florida - he also flew out to visit us in Hawaii. Now he was one of the first to visit our home in Tallahassee.
Stephen is 30 now and handles Computer Technical Services for the Federal Aviation Administration in Washington DC. Stephen also earned a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science at the University of Maryland and loves the great outdoors.
While Stephen was here - we went GeoCaching - which is using a GPS to find things other people have hidden. We took the bikes and the paddle boat down to the Gulf of Mexico. We explored the St. Mark's Wildlife Refuge and had Steve's passport stamped there. We enjoyed lunch at the Riverside Restaurant looking through the floorboards at the St. Marks River. We ended the first day with a sunset jungle cruise on the Wakulla River at its source Wakulla Springs where Manatees, Bald Eagles and lots of Gators accompanied us.
Next day - we viewed Tallahassee from the obervation deck on top of the Capitol. Then we visited the Old Capitol Museum and the Florida History Museum.
Steve had flown into Tampa for a wedding. But he had time to spend so he drove a rental car the 4 hours to Tallahassee. He also planned to visit his sister who is a school teacher in Fort Myers - about 8 hours away. Then he will return to Tampa for the wedding where his wife Annelise will join him.
In the picture you see Stephen voting for Al Gore on the famous "butterfly ballot" at the Old Capitol Museum. Knowing Stephen - he is probably one of the few people that used that ballot that "really" wanted to vote for Pat Buchanon.
We had a great visit with Steve that was way too short.
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