Floridiana Magazine

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Year in Review: Natural Florida

Florida is home to 175 state parks, trails, and historic sites, with countless other wildlife refuges and wildlife drives.  Looking back at 2018, we visited numerous places we consider to be natural Florida – some of them more than once.  Links to the original posts are embedded within the descriptions.

Pioneer Park, Zolfo Springs

Encompassing more than 115 acres, Pioneer Park sits at the intersection of U.S. Highway 17 and State Road 64 in Zolfo Springs in Hardee County.  The picturesque Peace River meanders through the park and serves as the source of many activities, from kayaking to canoeing, and even fossil hunting.

Other points of interest include the Hardee County Wildlife Refuge, the old pool house and the Cracker Trail Museum.  One of our favorite spots is the Pioneer Village which houses an old cabin, a blacksmith shop, and an old locomotive.

If you plan to visit, you might want to plan for February 28 through March 2 in order to experience the 51st Annual Pioneer Park Days.  You can find out more about the event in our original post here.

Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive

It’s hard to imagine someone living in the city relishing a two- or three-hour, eleven-mile drive.  But what if that drive steers you away from the clogged highways and winds through a wildlife paradise?  Whether you are looking for a leisurely way to spend the day or a chance to see Florida’s wildlife up close, the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive is well worth the time.

From the moment you enter the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, the melody of Mother Nature replaces the sound of the city.  On both sides of the single-lane, hard-packed shell road, birds wade along the shoreline, alligators glide through the water, and osprey circle overhead. It is a photographer’s playground and a wildlife lover’s wonderland.

Since it is only 20 minutes from home, we have been to the drive four times over the past year. Each time provided a new experience for us – whether it was a bird or animal we hadn’t seen before or the sheer number of alligators out sunning themselves.

Make sure to take along your camera and binoculars because there are so many photo opportunities.  To truly enjoy the drive, plan on at least two hours and remember to be patient.  Even though there are areas to pull over, most of the drive is single-lane and it’s not uncommon to be in a line of slow-moving cars with occupants looking at all there is to see.

The Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive begins at Lust Road and ends on Jones Avenue, and is open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from sunrise to sunset.

Sweetwater Wetlands Park, Gainesville 

Sweetwater Wetlands is a man-made habitat located on the north end of Paynes Prairie in Gainesville.  The park, which is said to be shaped like an alligator head, was created to improve the water quality in the Alachua Sink and the Floridan Aquifer.  With more than three and a half miles of easy trails on 125 acres, Sweetwater Wetlands offers amazing views of plants, animals, and more than 215 species of birds.  If you’re lucky, you will be able to see the wild horses or bison that roam the prairie. Of the two times we have been to the park, we have been able to see some of the horses.  Viewing platforms, trails and boardwalks provide an up-close view of nature at its finest.

The park is open seven days a week, even on holidays, from 7:00 a.m. until sunset. There is a $5.00 entrance fee for the park.

FM Notes

With a renewed annual pass to Florida State Parks, we will be adding more to our 2019 calendar.  Leave a comment with your favorite park to visit in Florida.

 

Sweetwater Wetlands Park

Traveling the state, visiting “old Florida,” provides many opportunities to experience life the way it used to be.  But there are times when those travels drop you off in the midst of some of the state’s most picturesque locations, yet close enough to the real world.

Sweetwater Wetlands Park | Photo by Doris Keeler, Floridiana Magazine

One such location is Sweetwater Wetlands Park in Gainesville.  Sweetwater Wetlands is a man-made habitat located on the north end of Paynes Prairie.  The park, which is said to be shaped like an alligator head, was created to improve the water quality in the Alachua Sink and the Floridan Aquifer.  With more than three and a half miles of easy trails on 125 acres, Sweetwater Wetlands offers amazing views of plants, animals, and more than 215 species of birds.

Our most recent visit gave us a closeup look at some of the wild horses that live in Payne’s Prairie.  Six of them grazed just off the main trail, and at times, on the trail.  Of all the wildlife seen this day, it was easy to circle back and watch these beautiful animals.

Wild Horses at Sweetwater Wetlands Park | Photo by Doris Keeler, Floridiana Magazine

Viewing platforms, trails and boardwalks provide a look at life in the wetlands and the ponds, from alligators lurking in the hydrilla to great white herons keeping a watchful eye for an afternoon snack.

Boardwalk at Sweetwater Wetlands Park | Photo by Doris Keeler, Floridiana Magazine

Gator lurking at Sweetwater Wetlands Park | Photo by Doris Keeler, Floridiana Magazine

A lot of wildlife to see at Sweetwater Wetlands | Photo by Doris Keeler, Floridiana Magazine

Although we did not see any, there are also bison that roam the Prairie and the park.  To learn more about the history of Paynes Prairie and Sweetwater Wetlands visit the website. Oh, and don’t forget to leave a note for others about what you saw during your visit.

Sweetwater Wetlands Park Location and Rules

Sweetwater Wetlands Park is located at 325 SW Williston Road in Gainesville. If you are traveling on Interstate 75, use Exit 382 and drive about three miles east.  The entrance will be on your right.  A few rules before you get there:

  • No pets
  • No horseback riding, biking, camping or cars
  • No fishing
  • No drones

There is a $5.00 fee per vehicle, or $2.00 per person for bicyclists, pedestrians or buses.

Park Activities

Activities at the park include guided tours, birding walks, and sunrise wildlife walks.  Check the calendar on the website for dates and times of the events.

Sweetwater Wetlands Park Hours

The park is open seven days a week, even on holidays, from 7:00 a.m. until sunset. If you visit during the summer, make sure to take a bottle of water with you, although there is water at one of the viewing platforms.

Mom and baby gators | Photo by Doris Keeler, Floridiana Magazine

Here are a few more of our photographs from our visits to the park.

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Micanopy: The Town that Time Forgot

A quiet Saturday morning on Cholokka Boulevard in Micanopy.

A Saturday visit to Micanopy demonstrated the laid back way of life in this small Florida town.  Closing in on 10:00 a.m., the streets were void of cars and the shops had not yet opened.  The only life in this little town at that time of the morning was at the Coffee n’ Cream Café.  Guests sat outside on the porch, having their morning coffee and catching up on each other’s lives.  They were the early birds.  We were told most people didn’t start showing up in town until sometime between 10:00 a.m. and noon.

Micanopy is the oldest inland community in Florida and was named for Seminole Indian Chief Micanopy.  The town started out as an Indian trading post in 1821.  When a 45-mile road from present-day Palatka to Micanopy was built in 1822 by a select group of settlers and craftsmen from New York, it opened the area up to what would become a vegetable growing hub and busy market town in this section of the state.

The town fell into some hard times during the Second Seminole War in the 1830s and had to be rebuilt. Some of those buildings are now on the National Register of Historic Places.

Just one of the buildings holding this distinction.

 

Known as “The Town that Time Forgot,” Micanopy is home to about 600 people.  The main street through town, Cholokka Boulevard, is lined with gift shops and antique stores, from the eclectic to the traditional.  Those shops are a draw for tourists.

Another draw is The Herlong Mansion Historic Inn and Gardens which epitomizes the charm of Micanopy.  A long brick sidewalk leads to the front doors of this bed and breakfast.  Built in 1845, the mansion now hosts a series of suites, rooms and cottages.

An inviting entrance to the Herlong Mansion

The charm of this little town has also been the backdrop for a couple of movies.  Micanopy was the setting for Cross Creek in 1985 and then in 1991 turned into Grady, South Carolina for a few short months during the filming of Doc Hollywood, starring Michael J. Fox.  If you look close enough, you can see where the building that served as the garage where Dr. Stone’s car was repaired.

This building served as the garage in the 1991 movie Doc Hollywood starring Michael J. Fox.

Not everything is always quiet here.  One weekend out of the year, the town transforms into a two-day arts and crafts festival which draws in tens of thousands of people into the small downtown area.  The main boulevard is closed off for vendors from around the state for the Micanopy Fall Festival.

Food, crafts and art.  A winning combination for Micanopy.

Crowds are the norm for the Micanopy Fall Festival.

A descendant of the original Florida Highwaymen shows off his talents at the festival.

Once the festival ends, the town goes back to the way it was:  one of those little gems that can be found off the main highways.  If you want to get out early on a Saturday to do a little antique shopping, wait until after 10:00 a.m.  But if you’re looking for a quiet way to start the day, this little town is the perfect place.

A quaint little town.

This antique store is permanently closed. FM Facts

The 42nd Annual Micanopy Fall Festival will be held Saturday and Sunday, October 28 and 29, 2017.

Wood and Swink General Store and Post Office Evinston, Florida

When the Evinston post office opened in 1882, the cost to mail a first class letter was just three cents!  Since then, stamp prices have increased, the landscape of the town has changed (although not drastically) and the hours of the post office have been cut back.   But one thing has never changed: the importance of this building to the residents of Evinston.

When we pulled into the parking lot of the Wood and Swink, there were no other cars in the parking lot.  A flag flew above the building, and an old mail slot could be seen on the outside with a sign that read “Letters” above it.  The old wooden door stood open – an invitation to take a step inside to a time when running into the local general store for a bottle of soda or your mail meant running into your neighbors and chatting the day away.

We were greeted by Mike Ballard, Evinston’s PSE (or postal service employee), as he calls himself.  He only works part-time, since the post office hours have been cut way back.  Ballard is used to people just stopping by and asking about Florida’s oldest working post office.  And he’s more than happy to share the history.

The Evinston Post Office takes up a small corner just inside the Wood and Swink General Store. The original 16 mail boxes are still in use but are surrounded by newer ones. There are about 90 boxes in all, with 50 to 60 rented.  There are no rural routes in Evinston.  All mail is delivered to the post office.

The original boxes are to the left of the silver ones.

The building was purchased by H.D. Wood in 1906 and has been in the Wood family ever since.  One of those family members, Freddie Wood, Jr. is still a fixture at the store.  Freddie works in his garden in the morning, brings his produce to the store and takes his usual seat inside this old wooden structure.  He offers up the history of the building and of the community to anyone who wants to listen.  Wood admits some people find it fascinating his family served as postmasters for about a hundred years.

“I am the grandson of a postmaster, the nephew of a postmaster, the son of a postmaster and the husband of a postmaster!”

His dad was postmaster for 44 years – the longest in Florida history.

The post office isn’t the only reason residents stop by the Wood and Swink.  They come to share stories, catch up on news of the locals or just to say hi.  With current Saturday hours of only 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., Saturdays are typically slow.  Ballard says, “Either no one shows up or everyone shows up!”  And then there are the curious who have heard about the post office and make a special trip to this little piece of history – sometimes just to have a post card cancelled with the Evinston post mark.

The shelves are still stocked with items that were either sold or used in the store.  A collection of Elvis memorabilia is prominently displayed (Freddie’s wife is a big Elvis fan), old albums fill wooden crates and old family photos are hung from the shelves.

The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 and efforts are in the works to raise funds through the Wood and Swink Preservation Society to restore and protect the old building.  Who knows how long this gem will survive in today’s economy, but it’s a must-see for those with an interest in old Florida.  Not only can you get a glimpse of history, but you can also hear a local story or two and buy some of the freshest produce around!

NOTE:  The Wood and Swink General Store and Post Office is located on County Road 225 in Evinston on the Alachua – Marion County border.  They are currently open Monday – Friday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

It’s always a good idea to check their website for hours ahead of time.

Dudley Farm Historic State Park

Growing up in the 70s, I remember watching “Little House on the Prairie” and reading books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  The amount of work it took to run their farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota seemed foreign to me.   I couldn’t imagine how families could survive.

Visiting the Dudley Farm Historic State Park in Newberry rekindled some of those childhood memories and curiosities. Stepping back in time to the mid- to late 1800s, had me asking those same questions all over again.  How could life be so simple, yet so difficult at the same time?

As I walked up to the farm and took a quick look around, I saw what I was expecting: a main farmhouse, a variety of other structures, pastures for the livestock and a garden.

The open gate invites visitors up the path to the two-story main farmhouse – the heart of the farm.  The old house, complete with its original furnishings, provides a glimpse into how the family lived.  The ground floor consists of four rooms – three bedrooms and a living room, all the same size, arranged around a central hallway. Looking inside the bedrooms, you can only imagine how 14 people slept in the house.  No one got their own room.  In fact, with several beds in each, four or maybe five children shared each room and at least one of the rooms served a dual purpose.  A quilting frame hangs from the ceiling and can be raised when not in use.

 

When not in their bedrooms or working, a living room with old wooden chairs arranged in front of the fireplace set the stage for family time.

Off the back of the house is a separate kitchen with dining room – built apart from the main house to prevent damage from fire or smoke from cooking on a wood stove.  It was a place for the family to gather for meals after a long day on the farm, a place to share their daily stories of farm life.

 

Other buildings on the farm include the outhouse, a dairy shed and canning house, a smoke house for preserving hog meat, and a general store, which was originally located outside the front gate. There is also a working cane syrup complex.   Of course, life on the farm wouldn’t be complete without livestock.  Cracker cattle and mules can be seen in the pasture; turkeys and chickens can be seen in their pens.

 

There are days when the farm is in full operation, when visitors get to see volunteers in period clothing demonstrating some of the chores and experiences of farm life.  It was a quiet Saturday when we visited, so we were able to take a self-guided tour.  And while it is nice to leisurely roam the farm on our own, I can only imagine it abuzz with activity.

If you want to check out this living history working farm for yourself, Dudley Farm is located about seven miles west of Interstate 75 on State Road 26 (Newberry Road), between Gainesville and Newberry. The park is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  There is a $5.00 fee per car to visit the park.

Historical Note: The Dudley family moved to the area from South Carolina before the Civil War.  The farm, as it is today, was developed in the 1880s.  It was donated to the Florida Park Service in 1983 by Myrtle Dudley – the last of three generations to live and work here.  Dudley Farm is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.