Families
It’s Springtime In Natural North Florida–Plan Some Festival Fun!
By the time mid-February rolls around, folks in our Natural North Florida region are really tired of all those “cold” 50-degree nights and 70-degree days. Yes, we’re spoiled! In February we’ll have a few quick, wet and windy, cold fronts move through the area and we’ll have to bundle up with a sweater and maybe …
Four Unforgettable Pit Stops Off I-75 That Fit Your Schedule
Whether you’re trekking up north to visit friends and family, or heading to south Florida for a beachy vacation, spending hours driving on I-75 can be a real drag. Thankfully, there are some great pit stops just off the interstate that capture the beauty and culture of Natural North Florida. Our family-friendly guide to I-75 …
10 Wonderful Waters For Summer Heat in Natural North Florida
For folks looking to escape the summer heat, Natural North Florida provides countless opportunities to cool down with its extensive collection of springs, rivers, lakes, and coastline. Most of Florida’s 700 identified freshwater springs are located in North Florida or along the Gulf Coast, and more than 40 are open to the public. Our section …
A Beginner’s Guide to Bay Scallop Season: Catching, Cleaning & Cooking Fresh Gulf Scallops
Scalloping is the Natural North Florida’s alternative to South Florida’s lobster season. It’s a combination of complete madness at boat ramps and marinas, motels filled to capacity, family fun, and some of the best eating around. Here is our comprehensive guide to scalloping in Natural North Florida to prepare you for the upcoming season. Read …
Day Trip Idea: “Plinking” For Free at Lake City’s Osceola Gun and Archery Range
Located near downtown Lake City, the Lewis D. Whitacre shooting range is a free and open to the public. It offers covered 25, 50 and 200 yard target ranges for rifles and pistols, as well as an archery range with a high stand. The range is open during daylight hours, but may be closed …
Day Trip Idea: Florida’s Citrus History at Gainesville’s Matheson History Museum, Through 8/26/16
Although our Natural North Florida region is no longer an important player in Florida’s citrus industry, there’s still lots of history and images to remind us how valuable “liquid gold” was to the area in past decades. As “cooler” weather crept northward, freezes killed many commercial groves, and only a few remain, mostly near lakes …
Warmer Winter Afternoons Make For Great Fishing in Dixie County’s Horseshoe Cove
Sometimes the best fishing is where it’s hard to go. That’s especially true of Horseshoe Cove, south of the Horseshoe Beach community in Dixie County. And when the day starts out cold and warms through the early afternoon, it’s worth a trip to Horseshoe Cove! Whether you’re launching your boat at Horseshoe Beach (there are …
Live the North Florida Coastal Lifestyle
Welcome to the coastal-living area of Taylor County, a fisherman’s paradise. Its untouched, undeveloped coastline is home to some of the best inshore and offshore fishing, scalloping, kayaking, boating and birdwatching the state of Florida has to offer. Although the activities to do in Taylor County are endless, here’s a list of three popular sites …
Small Town Escape: Newberry in Western Alachua County
Many consider Newberry to be a “suburb” of busy Gainesville, the county seat of Alachua County, Florida. Located at the crossroads of US27 and SR26, it seems Newberry is often overlooked by folks traveling through the downtown. Newberry’s official Main Street is US27, but it’s along east/west SR26 (Newberry Road/University Avenue if you’re heading west …
Small Town Escape: Alachua, the Main Street of Natural North Florida
Don’t be fooled by all the new development, gas stations and fast food outlets when you exit I-75 at Exit #399, US441. You’re in the town of Alachua (pronounced Al-ach-u-way) in rural Alachua County (pronounced Al-ach-u-wah). And you’re in a real gem of a Natural North Florida town. The restoration of downtown Alachua is impressive, …