Outdoor Activities ...
As we travel, we like to pursue some of our interests (such as astronomy and bird watching).
When in Watkins, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Watkins and the surrounding area.
- Weather ...
- Before heading outdoors, you should check the weather:
- The National Weather Service forecast for Watkins
- Astronomy & Satellites ...
- Whether using binoculars, a small telescope or the naked-eye, the Heavens-Above website can help you to find your way around the night-time sky. In addition to detailed sky charts, their website will help you find planets, asteriods, comets, satellites and their tracks across the sky.
- To give accurate results, Heavens-Above requires the latitude and longitude of your location. As a starting point, when we link to Heavens-Above, we pass this GPS location for Watkins:
- 28.074600, -82.163800
- Once you're on the Heavens-Above website, you can improve its accuracy by giving a more precise longitude and latitude as your actual position.
- The Heavens-Above Website, centered on Watkins
- Bird Watching ...
- We enjoy finding new spots for bird watching and we use the eBird website for local sighting reports and to help identify hotspots.
- The eBird website is organized on a county-by-county basis. We have selected Hillsborough County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
- eBird sighting report for Hillsborough County
- Since Watkins is near Pasco County and also Polk County, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
- eBird sighting report for Pasco County
- eBird sighting report for Polk County
- Waymarking ...
- Looking for somewhere out of the ordinary? Find a unique place and want to share it with others? Then it's time to visit Waymarking.com:
- Waymark.com
Communities Also Named Watkins ...
We found 26 communities that share the name Watkins.
Within Florida, the name Watkins is unique.
Beyond Florida, we know of another 26 communities that are located throughout in the United States.
- Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Boone County
- This community is historic<2> and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Arkansas community of Watkins [Boone County].
- White County
- We found mention of this community, but have little information.<3> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Arkansas community of Watkins [White County].
- Colorado
- Adams County
- This Watkins is located in Adams County and lies 1,510 miles [2,430.1 km]<1> to the northwest of the Watkins that is located in Hillsborough County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Adams County community of Watkins.
- Arapahoe County
- We found mention of this community, but have little information.<3> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Colorado community of Watkins [Arapahoe County].
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Dade County
- This community is historic<2> and although located in Dade County, we don't know where within the county.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Dade County community of Watkins.
- Miller County
- This Watkins is located in Miller County and lies 910 miles [1,464.5 km]<1> to the northwest of the Watkins that is located in Hillsborough County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Miller County community of Watkins.
- Montana
- Madison County
- This Watkins is located in Madison County and lies 2,005 miles [3,226.7 km]<1> to the northwest of the Watkins that is located in Hillsborough County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Madison County community of Watkins.
- McCone County
- This Watkins is located in McCone County and lies 1,838 miles [2,958 km] to the northwest of the Watkins that is located in Hillsborough County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the McCone County community of Watkins.
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Davidson County
- This community is historic<2> and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Tennessee community of Watkins [Davidson County].
- DeKalb County
- This Watkins is located in DeKalb County and lies 583 miles [938.2 km]<1> to the north northwest of the Watkins that is located in Hillsborough County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the DeKalb County community of Watkins.
- Texas
- Pecos County
- We found mention of this community, but have little information.<3> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Texas community of Watkins [Pecos County].
- Terrell County
- This Watkins is located in Terrell County and lies 1,199 miles [1,929.6 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Watkins that is located in Hillsborough County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Terrell County community of Watkins.
- Van Zandt County
- This Watkins is located in Van Zandt County and lies 881 miles [1,417.8 km] to the west northwest of the Watkins that is located in Hillsborough County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Van Zandt County community of Watkins.
- Virginia
- West Virginia
Curious and Interesting Names Near Watkins ...
As we travel, we always see a community with a name that gives pause. While there are names which are interesting or familiar, some catch our attention or strike our fancy. We always wonder about such a name. If time permits and the community is not too far, we'll usually try to make a side-trip.
- Ancient Oak
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ancient Oak have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ancient Oak
- Ancient Oak is located in Hillsborough County
- Cattlemans Cove
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cattlemans Cove have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cattlemans Cove
- Cattlemans Cove is located in Hillsborough County
- Cooks Cove
(Less than 2 miles to the west)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cooks Cove have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cooks Cove
- Cooks Cove is located in Hillsborough County
- Flowers
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west) - Gator Trail
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gator Trail have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gator Trail
- Gator Trail is located in Hillsborough County
- Ham Oaks
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east) - Hawk Woods
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hawk Woods have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawk Woods
- Hawk Woods is located in Hillsborough County
- Horn Acres
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Horn Acres have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horn Acres
- Horn Acres is located in Hillsborough County
- Knights
(Less than 2 miles to the east)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knights
- Knights is located in Hillsborough County
- Leaning Pine
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Leaning Pine have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leaning Pine
- Leaning Pine is located in Hillsborough County
- Mark Hall Acres
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mark Hall Acres have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mark Hall Acres
- Mark Hall Acres is located in Hillsborough County
- Miley Trace
(Less than 2 miles to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Miley Trace have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Miley Trace
- Miley Trace is located in Hillsborough County
- Continue List (8 more) ...
- Paradise Oaks
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Paradise Oaks have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paradise Oaks
- Paradise Oaks is located in Hillsborough County
- Ramblin Oaks
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ramblin Oaks have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ramblin Oaks
- Ramblin Oaks is located in Hillsborough County
- Roach
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south) - Rustic Oaks
(Less than 2 miles to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rustic Oaks have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rustic Oaks
- Rustic Oaks is located in Hillsborough County
- Rustic Oaks Plantation
(Less than 2 miles to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rustic Oaks Plantation have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rustic Oaks Plantation
- Rustic Oaks Plantation is located in Hillsborough County
- Shaded Stand
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shaded Stand have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shaded Stand
- Shaded Stand is located in Hillsborough County
- Shepherd
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest) - Windcall
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Paradise Oaks
How Far From Watkins to ...
We spend a lot of time looking through Gazetteers & Almanacs that were published in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Many of the Gazetteers include the distance from a community such as Watkins to various places of note, such as the White House.
With a nod to our favorite Gazetteers, the straight-line distance beginning in Watkins and extending to:
- Tampa, which is the Seat of Hillsborough County, lies 19 miles [30.6 km]<1> to the west southwest. If you could walk a straight line from Watkins to Tampa, with an average speed<5> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take just over a day to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take 6 hours.
- Tallahassee, which is the State Capital of Florida, lies 207 miles [333.1 km] to the northwest (NW). Driving, with an average speed of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, would take a little over three hours, a buggy would take 8 days and walking would take 12 days.
- The White House (Washington, DC) is 803 miles [1,292.3 km] to the north northeast (NNE). Driving would take just about two full days, a buggy would take 32 days and walking would take 46 days.
- The shortest distance<6> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,600 miles [10,621.7 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>
- The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 7,268 miles [11,696.7 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<8>
- The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 5,167 miles [8,315.5 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<9>
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Watkins. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for Hillsborough County: www.hillsboroughcounty.org/
The official website for State of Florida: www.myflorida.com/
Footnotes ...
| <1> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Watkins) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Watkins. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 28.0746, Longitude: -82.1638 In this case, the coordinates for Watkins have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). |
| <2> | We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Watkins, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <3> | If we encounter the name of what might be a community, our methodology is to add that name to our Gazetteer as a placeholder. As we find more information about that community, it will be added to our Gazetteer. Just as a reminder: Our definition of a community is rather broad and includes those places (or areas) where several families lived and had a name which identified that place. For example, you might hear somebody say that they are going over to Rock Creek to see Pete ... Rock Creek is just a gas station and a couple of homes at the crossroads. While it might not be on the map, everybody in the area knows it by that name. Places of interest include buildings at a crossroad, several families clustered in a hollow or maybe the location of a way station. It also includes places like mines, lumber camps, ferry crossings, etc. The community might still exist, is now gone or only existed for just a short period of time. Also keep in mind that Watkins could have been on the original document by mistake, misspelled, the original/alternate name of a community that we've listed elsewhere or was placed in the wrong county. Sometimes a post office or train station would have a different name than the community where it's located, so two names might be referring to the same community - we're working to straighten it all out. |
| <4> | The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required. |
| <5> | While we have tried to pick reasonable speeds, the rate of travel is very theoretical - obstacles like fences, hills, lakes, river crossings and rest stops have been ignored. When we say 'Days' of travel, we're assuming 8 hours of travel per day. |
| <6> | The shortest line can be visualized by stretching a string on a Globe from Point A to Point B - this is known as a Great Circle Route. Where you might expect the shortest route from Watkins to the Middle East to be East and South, the Great Circle Route actually lies to the North and East. |
| <7> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 310.683 degrees. |
| <8> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 305.074 degrees. |
| <9> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 309.771 degrees. |