This past Sunday, Barbara and I traveled south with our friends Scott and Lori to see the Bok Tower Gardens.
In 1922, Edward Bok purchased a 14-acre property know as Iron Mountain, 298 feet above mean sea level, at that time the highest point in the state of Florida. Bok then hired famed landscape architect Frederick Olmsted Jr. to transform the arid sand hill into what is known today as the Bok Tower Gardens. Olmsted spent the next five years diligently planting a mix of native and exotic plants that would thrive in the humid climate and provide food and shelter for migrating birds and other wildlife.
Later a carillon was composed of 60 bells with a range of 5 octaves which were cast by the John Taylor Bell Foundry in Loughborough, England. These bells do not swing; instead each bell is rung by a clapper from inside. The instrument is fully mechanical and is played by a clavier (keyboard) using both the hands and feet of the musician. The largest bell, called the Bourbon, weighs 22,400 pounds while the smallest bell weighs just 16 pounds. The total weight of the bells is 62 tons. The bells are housed in the top of the 205 foot Singing Tower, made of marble and coquina (seashells) with its tile mosaics, animal carvings, and custom iron works. The carillon is highlighted during the daily concerts. The tower sits at the now highest point in Florida at a new elevation of 324 feet mean sea level.
This is a beautiful place with its lush foliage and wildflowers, some of which are only found here and no other place on the planet. On this day we enjoyed the carillon concert, acrobatic performances, and an abbreviated version of the Nutcracker Ballet. If you are ever in central Florida, near Lake Wales, I highly recommend that you visit the Bok Tower Gardens. It is a wonderful place to explore.
RV There Yet? 