Jefferson County Fair and BBQ Cook-Off, November 12

  The Monticello-Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce has announced the 2nd annual – Jefferson’s County Fair and BBQ Cook-Off scheduled to take place on November 12 and will be hosted in Lloyd, Florida at the Lloyd Arena.  The festival, will host a variety of food contests aimed at BBQ fans, providing various entertainment shows that …

Fishing October’s Lower Tides on the Gulf Coast

One thing I can’t predict is the weather or wind, and it turned out that we had a fair amount of the latter this past weekend when Hurricane Matthew chewed up Florida’s east coast.  Big storms like Matthew produce winds on both coasts. However, it looked like our fish didn’t really care. Trout and reds …

Gainesville Downtown Art Festival and Show, November 5 & 6, 2016

“Natural North Florida’s art scene begins its fall art season on November 5 and 6 with the   Downtown Festival & Art Show. The streets of downtown Gainesville will bustle with crowds strolling the many vendor booths–displaying art and providing good things to eat.  More than 100,000 visitors are expected.  The festival features 240 local and …

2016 Cedar Key Seafood Festival, October 15 and 16

The town of Cedar Key, located in western Levy County, juts into the Gulf of Mexico and has been a long-standing source of excellent seafood.  And, since the 1990’s, it’s been the epicenter of commercial clam aquaculture, recognized nation-wide.  This year, Hurricane Hermine pushed as much as 9 feet of storm surge water onto shore, …

AlligatorFest at Florida’s O’Leno State Park, October 14-16, 2016

The United States’ Civil War came to Florida, as well as much of the eastern half of the country.  However, much of the “action” came in the form of blockades of ports and the capture of important salt works, there were few actual “battles”.  Before that bloody war, Florida experienced the removal of Native Americans …

Florida’s 2016/2017 Stone Crab Season Opens October 15th–Great Eating Ahead

The result of stone crabbers’ hard work–a plate of mighty fine eatin’ There’s nothing more tasty than a Florida stone crab.  And some of the best come from the ports of Natural North Florida. Florida’s stone crab population is highly regulated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).  Not only do regulations apply …

Looking For Some Great Cycling? Download Our Ultimate North Florida Cycling Guide

The Visit Natural North Florida Biking Guide is online and ready to use. You can read it online, or download it as a PDF.   It features 26 one-day cycling trips and 2 multi-day trips, all linked to the RIDE WITH GPS app that’s available for smartphones or certain Garmin GPS units. To use the …

Natural North Florida Ultimate Springs Guide Now ONLINE

Our Natural North Florida region has a greater concentration of freshwater springs than almost any area its size in the world.  Ranging from smaller springs along the Suwannee, Withlacoochee and Santa Fe Rivers to major springs bubbling up in what looks like dry land, our springs provide incredible opportunities to snorkelers, swimmers and paddlers.  And …

5 Florida Autumn Activities That Will Make You Forget All About Colorful Leaves

Here in #NaturalNorthFlorida, we may not have the colorful foliage or crisp autumn air like our Northern friends do this time of year. But warmer weather means more outdoor adventures to be had without the need for hand warmers or woolly layers. Many of our favorite summer activities and destinations are just as fun in …

Fishing The Big Bend Marsh–The Closer You Get, The More Reds You’ll Catch!

In the fall, high tides flood, pushing water well into the creeks and marshes all along Levy, Dixie, Taylor, Jefferson and Wakulla Counties, on Florida’s Big Bend.  We don’t have many mangroves, but we do have lots of spartina grass which offers comfort to redfish, or red drum. When the reds get back in the …