A visit to Thomas Edison's Winter Home

After touring the Thomas Edison Winter Home and museum, I have come to believe that the world would be a much different place had he never been born.  He has 2332 patents world wide.  He held patents in batteries, cement, telegraphy and telephony, phonograph, sound recording, mining and ore mining, motion picture, electric light and power.  He requested his first patent at age 21.  He is the fourth most prolific patent holder in the US.  

The Edison & Ford Winter Homes includes 30 acres of botanical gardens, 9 historic buildings, a museum and the Edison labratory.  Thomas Edison first visited Florida in 1885.  He so loved the area that he brought property along the Caloosahatchee River and build a winter vacation home.  His friend Henry Ford visited him frequently and purchased the home next door several years later.  Both homes can be visited.

The first thing we saw at the home is the enormous Banyan tree.  We had seen the same tree in 1996 when we last visited.  We were told it is smaller-not larger than it was back then because some of the tree had to be cut back due to illness.  

The Edison & Ford Winter Estates boasts over 20 acres of botanical gardens, nine historic buildings including Edison’s Botanic Research Laboratory and the Edison Ford Museum which contains an impressive collection of inventions, artifacts and special exhibit galleries. - See more at: http://www.edisonfordwinterestates.org/about/what-youll-see/#sthash.Ka5hqVWb.dpuf

The Edison & Ford Winter Estates boasts over 20 acres of botanical gardens, nine historic buildings including Edison’s Botanic Research Laboratory and the Edison Ford Museum which contains an impressive collection of inventions, artifacts and special exhibit galleries. - See more at: http://www.edisonfordwinterestates.org/about/what-youll-see/#sthash.Ka5hqVWb.dpuf

Steve & Mina Edison

Thomas Edison inside the Banyan Tree

The Edison & Ford Winter Estates boasts over 20 acres of botanical gardens, nine historic buildings including Edison’s Botanic Research Laboratory and the Edison Ford Museum which contains an impressive collection of inventions, artifacts and special exhibit galleries. - See more at: http://www.edisonfordwinterestates.org/about/what-youll-see/#sthash.Ka5hqVWb.dpuf

The Edison & Ford Winter Estates boasts over 20 acres of botanical gardens, nine historic buildings including Edison’s Botanic Research Laboratory and the Edison Ford Museum which contains an impressive collection of inventions, artifacts and special exhibit galleries. - See more at: http://www.edisonfordwinterestates.org/about/what-youll-see/#sthash.Ka5hqVWb.dpuf

The Edison & Ford Winter Estates boasts over 20 acres of botanical gardens, nine historic buildings including Edison’s Botanic Research Laboratory and the Edison Ford Museum which contains an impressive collection of inventions, artifacts and special exhibit galleries. - See more at: http://www.edisonfordwinterestates.org/about/what-youll-see/#sthash.Ka5hqVWb.dpuf

It looks like the tree has wings reaching down anchoring it to the earth.

	Joy