North Florida is a completely different region than South Florida. For those who want a more authentic old Florida experience, with fewer crowds, smaller cities and space, this is the place!
1 day
Park Withlacoochee, in the city of Dade, is an attractive scenic area. As part of the green desert wilderness reserve, the park offers nature trails, a picnic area, a playground, fishing, canoeing, a bird and intricate wood carving. As we walked along the bridge, we noticed an alligator swimming! We watched the birds, but saw only buzzards, ducks and geese. Oaks and Spanish moss were beautiful! We tried to visit the Dade City Depot, but found that it was closed. We liked to look around, with a 1950s style van loaded with citrus and family and an old truck with a driver.
Brooksville, in Hernando County, is another one of the main streets of Florida, USA. It was an outstanding Florida rural community in 2000. We looked at 5 buildings Rogers & # 39; Christmas shop! The rooms are decorated to show living rooms in a festive atmosphere. There are decorations for every taste and budget. Learning jewelry was fun! We left with ideas for Christmas dances in our heads. The city is full of old houses and shops. We ate on the main street. We had the best Cajun hamburger soup! Service and atmosphere were friendly! Our meal included half a sandwich for MaryJo and a Cuban for Greg and 2 teas with ice. The cost to the tip was 19 dollars.
Which archaeological site has 6 mounds and is the longest permanently pre-Columbian Indian site? If you answered the Crystal River, you are correct! The population probably reached 7,500. Today, the history of Native Americans is covered in the Visitor Center, with a schedule, tools and a diorama. Hidden (a bunch of discarded household items), kurgan barrows and a ceremonial stone on which suggestions were placed help us to understand more of a lifestyle that began around 500B.C. The site was used until 1300 AD. Did they build here? This is one of the Mysteries of History. The excavations began in 1903 by Clarence Moore. Tours and Ranger programs are available. Visitors can also fish in the waters and watch the birds. This is part of the Great Florida Bird Trail. Allow about 45 minutes, more if you are planning a picnic. The admission makes only 3 dollars for the car. Park with Rt. 19 near the city of Crystal River. Florida State Parks have been awarded the best parks in America. We liked our visit!
The display of the train surprised us at Rt. 98, not far from Hammock Bay in Levi County. It resembles the Patterson-Macinnis Railway, known in the area in the early 1900s, and part of the Patterson-Macinnis sawmill. The engine often threw 30 or 40 cars stacked with logs. Registration was an important industry in Florida. A small stream immediately behind offers a shadow and a moment of calm. This is an example of unexpected surprises when driving on the back roads.
Another surprise was the scene of giant sea creatures in front of the ornament for decorating the lawn or business ornament store. Huge sharks, crabs and fish hung in the air or climbed the fence. Right across the street was a lighthouse representing the church.
It was the end of the day, with dinner at the BBQ Bill on Sunday. Marydo could not resist on the sampler's platter, a delicious combination of chicken, ribs, beef and pork. Remains brought the next day lunch at a picnic! Greg had a taste for a steak stripper, also very tasty. The three sauces were tasty, although Greg preferred spicy. Two soft drinks with dressings finished the meal. Our waitress was cheerful and efficient. There was a total of $ 34 to the tip.
Day 2
We fell in love today - with a cedar key! It was a great start to the day! Cedar Key is a fishing village, shellfish community, historical territory and a colony of artists. This is a place where the pace slows down and visitors can enjoy important things in life. Fishing, poultry, swimming, boating, hiking, camping, shopping, eating and sightseeing are all activities that visitors can enjoy. The village is located in the Gulf of Mexico, among barrier islands with beautiful trees and shrubs and old Florida buildings. It was once a major supplier of seafood and timber. We loved the colors of houses and shops, whims - like a monkey on a tree, a tiny beach, shops, history, the Curdmudgeonalia bookstore and a lot of options to practice. We love Key West, and it’s like Key West, minus the crowds, high prices and a long hike to get there. We will be back for the long end of the week as soon as possible! It is about 45 minutes from the Main. Enough time! This is a pearl!
On the road, we knew that the Dakota Winery was waiting! The grounds say this is a special place. Antique Spanish cannon, windmill and antique winemaking belong to the eclectic range of decor. Inside, owners, Rob and Max Rietggers are enthusiastic, knowledgeable and welcoming! We enjoyed meeting with gentlemen. The tasting is free, without pressure, and we enjoyed the wines so much, we bought a few bottles. But wait, here's another! The morning pond is in the back, with food to feed our feathered friends and koi who share the pond. Shady grape arbor beckons. Inside the winery is visible, and a well-equipped gift shop can call your name. By the way, the name "Dakota" is the indigenous American word Lakota, meaning friend. Allow 30 minutes. We found another pearl!
“The last border of Florida” is “Horseshoe”. A walk for the most part scrub leads here a curious visitor. We settled in the park for our picnic lunch. The view was very beautiful, with pelicans and islands. There are several attractive houses and boats with interesting names, such as “Hell on Reels”. Our remnants gave us lunch. However, there is no swimming beach. Next to the city is the Jackson Trail Park, a picnic area, named after President Andrew Jackson, who has the dubious honor of performing two British objects nearby and almost causing a war before he even became president.
When we reached Perry, we were ready to call it a day. Days Inn offered a lot - $ 133 for 2 nights. They had a pool. Old Mexico at Byron-Butler Parkway was a pleasant restaurant with good food. We had a small language problem, and Greg had a drink with an aquarium, and Marrido had herri instead of chardone. Dinner was 40 dollars.
Day 3
A good southern breakfast can be found at the Country Kitchen Hill in Perry. There may be mushrooms, cookies, and even catfish. Caution: southern, tasty, sealed and a lot of carbohydrates. Our breakfast was 14 dollars: 3 eggs of omelet with semolina and biscuits and 2ggs, brown hash and bacon with 2 coffee.
Forest Capital Museum and Cracker Homestead worth seeing! Did you know turpentine is an important branch in Florida? Pine embedding is about 5000 other products. Wow The independently leading museum covers the forest industry and the local wildlife. Nearby is the 1864 Cracker Homestead, which has a house, barn, outbuilding, chicken coop, and other farm buildings. Cracker is a term that refers to the native Floridians and is due to the hacking of a Florida wolf cowboy! The garden produces food throughout the year. When we were there, sugarcane grew. Grapes are also grown for fresh fruit, jelly and wine. The smoke house was used to preserve meat so that the family could eat it all year round. Take your time and imagine life as it was then. Women wash their clothes outside, pounding them on the workbench. They were cooked in a separate kitchen to avoid the risk of fire in the house. Men hunted and raised food. We think it will be an adventure to try this life for a few days, but we are glad that we live in the 21st century. Allow an hour. Admission is $ 2 per person. A picnic area and a playground are nearby.
Poppa Jim is a good place for lunch. Fresh oysters are removed right in front of you. Our server is the granddaughter of the originator. She explained that the dinner table was so wide, because Popp, the retired teacher, wanted to have a place to hold waiting oyster trays. Greg had a fresh oyster and a braised oyster! Marigot had a Greek salad with fresh crab slices and tiny shrimps. Everything was good, although the salad seemed to have been a little bit. Our bill was 19 dollars. Other items include gumbo, fried seafood, the swamp cell (old Florida classics) and boys. We asked about swimming beaches and said that there are no beaches for swimming in this area. Most locals go to the “pen” to swim.
The city center is historic and attractive, but small. It seems that there were no eateries after five. This is a good platform for fishing, hunting and hiking.
Day 4
We had breakfast in hardy. Yes, it is a chain, but South to heart, bless their hearts. On the breakfast menu, there were roasted bologna beans, pork chop and biscuit sauce, and strangled potatoes. Each of us chose a delicious and more reasonable breakfast. Greg added hash browns, and Marigot shrank. With 2 coffee, the tab was 10 dollars. One of our best deals! Energizing, we aimed our reliable car at the north and the "handle" of Florida.
The priority for us was the San Marco Lighthouse, part of the “Lost Coast” Lighthouse Tour of Florida. We really wanted to climb the lighthouse, but unfortunately for us it is closed to the public. However, we did watch the trekking, the birds and the butterflies. We were rewarded with some magnificent butterflies, a few birds and a conversation with the lighthouse keeper.
The lighthouse was built around 1829. The first lighthouse was built with hollow walls to control humidity. However, the plans required solid walls, so the lighthouse was demolished and rebuilt! The lighthouse keeper should illuminate 15 whale oil lamps every night, and then extinguish them every morning and clean all the glass! It took a few hours!
We took Levi Trail Lighthouse, right in front of the lighthouse. On the way, we saw gulls, pelicans, herons and herons. Monarchs, ordinary serfs, Vikcherias and the Gulf of Freellari danced. Prickly Pear Cacti have just bloomed and were ready to collect from anyone who knows how to make a purple fruit. It was used by American Indians. Sabal Palm, also known as cabbage palm, grows on the trail. The natives used the palm for roofing weaving and eating berries. Other plants included red cedar, wax myrtle and bee balm.
The attractive park, St. Mark offers hiking and cycling routes, a visitor center and an open boat start. Entry for only $ 5 per car! Visitors could spend anywhere from an hour to a day.
Driving the coastal road cave us abundant scenery. The Gulf of Mexico was often in sight. At the Vakulla Visitor Center, we learned that some of the Tarzan films of the 1930s and 40s with Johnny Weissmuller were shot in Waculla Springs. Directly across the street from the center was a spring park, which was once very popular. The belief that water will cure anything from headaches to serious illnesses has led many people to the area. Today there are sources here, but all the bath houses are gone.
Further, after more scenic driving, in Bald Point Park, we stopped at our picnic lunch break. The view was great! The sand dunes, sea oats, birds and butterflies were so beautiful! We saw a myrtle tree covered with monarch butterflies! A walk on the bright white sands was exciting! Several people were surfing. Driftwood was on the beach, and cypress knobs straddled the coastline.
On the coast there are many localities, including Panacea and Carrabel. Carrabelle is a small town with an emphasis on fishing. It boasts the smallest police station in the world. The station is a telephone booth! Often a squad car sits next to the cab, waiting for a call. It should be great to live in such a low crime zone!
Crooked River Lighthouse, another lighthouse lighthouse, is open to the public on Saturday, but visitors can visit the lighthouse keeper’s house at any time for free. This is a copy of a four-room house in 1895. The exceptions are air conditioning and modern plumbing. The lighthouse was made of iron and steel, and during the repair the structure had to be sandblasted and repainted - it was in this excellent repair! On the territory there is a picnic area with a pirate ship with a length of 70 feet for children, called “Carabella”. There are native plants and many species of birds. Free admission. If it is not on Saturday, allow 15 minutes, unless the children are with you. Then enough time to play!
Home for the next 2 nights is the Park of the Holy Peninsula. It is located in the bay and is in miles from any city. There are no concessions, but the toilets and showers are clean and modern. The two-day camping was $ 53 for our tent. For $ 5, we had firewood, and for $ 2, a bag of ice. Our site at the Sandy Pines Campground is very beautiful and private. However, it is located on the edge of the swamp and is so wet. We heard the owl buzzing as we ate our homemade chili food! Another campground is Breeze Bay.
BP station is the center of commerce. Rentals at Scallop Cove BP include kayaks, canoes, bicycles, deck chairs and fishing equipment. Baits, groceries, ice cream, lunch, clothes and souvenirs. They also have charter fishing trips. They have a corner in the market!
Day 5
A quick breakfast of coffee, fruit and toast began us on our day. The owl was walking during breakfast! Cycling along the coastal roads, renting, of course, from BP, gave us the opportunity to look into some of the beautiful beach houses, see butterflies and birds, watch the plants and play sports. Cute names such as Jamaica, Leto and Bey Breeze were street names. The houses were called Coquina, almost there and Haven. We saw two dead snakes and remembered how the ranger told us that rattlesnakes are protected now, because so many people, of course, kill them! Rattlesnakes have their own use - killing rats is one thing! The cost was $ 7 per hour per bike.
Exercise prepared us for dinner, so we headed to Cone Heads, one of the only places to eat. We found the building in the shape of a ship, painted in bright blue, with tiki umbrellas covering patio tables and an open pool table. They also sell products! Each of us had a grill sandwich with a glass of potatoes and a glass of wine. Delicious! Our tab was 30 US dollars. Other foods include hamburgers, salads, chowder and desserts. There are some vegetarian items! Prices range from $ 3.99 to $ 13.99.
The beaches here are fine white granulated sugar. Dunes are protected, so do not go on them! The trees are gorgeous, and the Spanish mosh is draped over the branches as decoration. There were very few people here when we were here in early November. Most of the few companies in the area are closed for the season. Boating, fishing, poultry, swimming and hiking are some of the outdoor activities. History is rich in territory. The natives were here long before the Europeans, as evidenced by the remnants of tools and ceramics. Spanish explorers were here in the 1500s. The settlers began to move here in the 1800s. The American government bought most of the land in 1940 for military training.
Jellyfish, sea turtles, rays and sharks belong to marine life. On land, you could see rats, snakes and mice. While we were registering, the woman called the ranger and said that there was a snake in her camper! There are many birds here: terns, sandboxes, woodpeckers, toasts, woodpeckers, hawks and ducks. Please pay attention to alligator warnings on the side of the bay and central areas. Always be careful in the desert or save!
One of the local beasts decided to check our cooking container overnight. It was closed and contained no food, but the wreck woke us to discover the contents spilled on the ground.
Greg decided to catch our lunch and enjoy surfing. Whiting bit, and within an hour he had 6 of them and a flounder for preparation. He had so much fun! Marydo guarded the bait and fish from marauding sea gulls and swimmers! It was nice to swim in the cool water. Nothing like fresh fish fried on a fire! The owl, buzzing in the swamp, had a pleasant emphasis on food.
Day 6
Removing the tent and camp is an easy start when the weather is beautiful! We partially relate to this area, although it is far away. Port St. Joe - a picturesque town, which we passed on the way from Panhandla.
Being on past pasture, manor, small settlements, small cities, forest and water, we finally reached the State Park of the River Suvanni next to the beautiful small town of Living Oak. The park is dominated by live oaks, red cedar and pines. Bathrooms and showers are modern and well maintained. Когда мы были здесь, не было много отдыхающих, поэтому у нас было много уединения. Кроме того, мы были одной из единственных палаток! Дерево и лед доступны на станции Ranger, а также на каноэ. Рейнджер сказал нам, что ближайшим местом для пополнения запасов является Wal-Mart в Live Oak, примерно в 9 милях от него.
С наступлением темноты, после приличного заката, у нас был наш костер, пылающий и наслаждающийся нашими сердечными бутербродами. Воздух стал намного прохладнее.
Day 7
Температура в 40-градусном состоянии заставила нас заглянуть в город на завтрак! Просто слишком холодно, чтобы мы стояли вокруг кулинарии, если нам это не нужно. К счастью, мы нашли Dixie Diner, хорошую закусочную южную кухню, которая предлагает свиные отбивные и яйца, крупы, печенье и соус из лиственницы, горячие пирожки и хороший горячий кофе. У Мэриджо были отбивные и яйца, в то время как Грег выбрал мужественный завтрак Пола Буньяна, соус из соломы и печенье, бекон, картофель-фри и яйца. Всего для нас обоих до наконечника было 17 долларов - хорошая сделка для хорошей еды с хорошим обслуживанием.
После еды прогулка вокруг Live Oak была интересной и информативной. Исторический музей округа Суванни, хотя и небольшой, привлекателен, увлекателен и просветлен. Экспонаты включают в себя 192-кантри-кухню, самогон, еще телефонный коммутатор 195-0, и корзину для пони, принадлежащую первому правителю Флориды Чарльзу Дрю. Вход свободный. Рэнди Торранс, куратор, волнует нас какой-то историей города и болтает о текущих мероприятиях, которые спонсирует музей. Разрешите не менее четверти часа. В то время как в городе, проверьте здание суда, старый придворный дом, методистскую церковь и подарки Мак-Хейл, волшебный, дракон и магазин волшебников и многое другое!
Не более чем в нескольких минутах езды от отеля White Springs находится государственный парк Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center. Мероприятия включают в себя кемпинг, туризм, шоппинг, рыбалку и верховую езду. Центр посвящен памяти Стивена Фостера, писателя примерно из 200 песен в основном в 1850-х и 1860-х годах. Титулы включают «Я мечтаю о Джинни со светло-коричневыми волосами», «Камптаунские гонки» и, конечно же, «Река Суани». Как ни странно, Стивен Фостер не был южанином, но родился в Питтсбурге, штат Пенсильвания. Он никогда не посещал Флориду и был только на Юге. Он умер в 1864 году в возрасте 37 лет. С тех пор он стал чем-то вроде легенды. В зрительном зале показаны изысканные диорамы ручной работы некоторых из его песен. На выставке присутствуют пианино и оранты того времени, в том числе клавиша клавиатуры. Это необычайно необычная клавиатура с 6 различными рядами клавиш, изобретенная в 1882 году. Это впечатляющий вид! На территории находится Мемориальный карильон Стивена Фостера, в котором есть 97 колоколов, один из крупнейших в мире. Музыка воспроизводится на регулярной основе. Кроме того, есть торговый район и ресторан. На территории проводятся специальные мероприятия, такие как Фестиваль народной жизни Флориды. Прихватывая черепаху, аллигаторов, осетровых заливов и другую дикую природу зовут парк домой. Весной на территории отеля проводится Фестиваль народной жизни Флориды. Вход в парк составляет всего 5 долларов. Разрешить час, минимум.
«Белые Спрингс» когда-то был туристическим городом; известный своими целебными свойствами минеральных вод. До этого коренные американцы занимали этот район как священный, из-за якобы вулканических источников.
Теплый полдень вызвал прогулку на каноэ на реке Суванни. Мы гребли вверх по течению, грелись на солнце, а также скальные образования, деревья и песчаные берега реки. В какой-то момент осетр перемешивал воды! Окрестности очаровательны, вода прохладная, и поездка обратно легко! Сначала восхождение вверх позволило нам отступить. Не забудьте принести воду, чтобы выпить, и надеть солнцезащитный крем раньше времени. В течение 2 часов плата составляла 10 долларов США.
Ужин из курицы с перцем, луком и испеченными ямами на огне был восхитителен! Сидеть рядом с костром нам уютно! В атмосферу добавился бокал вина!
В Северной Флориде есть что посмотреть и что можно сделать! Мы рекомендуем эту поездку всем, кто хочет сойти с троп!
