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Lake Wales is a poor crummy little whislte stop a little east of Tampa and Brandon on route 60.
Lots of despair and unemployment.
Poor blacks, farm workers and not a lot of hope, just like a lot of towns out there.
Only thing worth a crap there is Bok Tower.

I just happened to be a few hundred yards away from this mess on US27. I live about 15 miles north in Winter Haven and needed an oil change in my motorcycle so I headed to Lake Wales Skypower Motorsports. On my way, I was passed by no less than four county sheriffs at very high speed. When I arrived at my destination, a chopper was circling low a few hundred yards behind the service area and the staff was standing out back watching. None of them knew what was going on, but some were calling their friends in the dept. to find out, however, they weren't getting through. They said at there were around 50 cop cars from all agencies that had arrived including the boat pulling fish and wildlife officers with lights and sirens. I looked around and asked if anyone else was armed if it turned into another Ft. Hood or Orlando? They all looked at me and I became their new, best friend.

Side note: Needed the oil change so I can ride over to the Tea Party Express II in Orlando Thursday. Any other central FL Freepers plan on riding over on their bikes?

We were just out there Saturday to hear the Orlando Symphony and the Carrillion Bells - we'd seen the cutoff sign for Bok Tower and Spook Hill. Last time we were out there we'd tried it - as I recall you can put your car in neutral and it appears to roll up hill ...

Anyway, no GPS on Spook Hill, I guess we had a guide book last time - so at the cutoff I flipped a U turned into a "7-11" and the gals all went into a tizzy! "Don't stop! Don't Stop!" - While I get that all the time (;-) I agreed and we buzzed out of there ... the "patrons" all looked like they's just left state prison and every eye was on us ... we still looked around for it but failed and just went on home ... like you say - except for Bok Tower - not a pretty place. ;-)

Joe,
you said:”Lake Wales is a poor crummy little whislte stop a little east of Tampa and Brandon on route 60.
Lots of despair and unemployment.
Poor blacks, farm workers and not a lot of hope, just like a lot of towns out there.
Only thing worth a crap there is Bok Tower.”

In the Florida I remember, Lake Wales was a beautiful town. Slim chance of my getting downstate to see it again, so it will remain that way in my memory.

Sad to say, all that is left of beautiful Florida is memories - they paved paradise and put in a parking lot.

Kind regards,
TL