Begin Your Cycling Adventure at Gainesville’s New Depot Park
At first glance, Gainesville’s new Depot Park seems to be just a great big playground. It is, but for adults as well as kids. The formerly-semi-industrial site of the Gainesville train depot, located on South Main Street, is also the Trail Head for the Gainesville-Hawthorne Bike/Hike trail that follows an old railroad route. The trail …
“Hooking Up With Heroes” Tournament, Horseshoe Beach–September 17, 2016
As we all know Horseshoe Beach is certainly enjoying a bountiful scalloping season this year and everybody shares in that enthusiasm. From Denis Buckley at Horseshoe Beach Marina” “We have planned a very special event for our Veterans who we could never do enough for us on September 17th 2016.”
2016 Bay Scallop Season Continues Despite Heavy Rains on the Big Bend
Yes, we’ve had plenty of rain this summer, but don’t think that our bumper crop of tasty bay scallops has dwindled. While the Gulf waters may be a bit more “brown” than usual, there’s still enough visibility to find scallops in 3 to 4 feet of water. When there’s no danger of lightning with frontal …
Anderson’s Outdoor Adventures–4 Locations on 2 Rivers in Natural North Florida
If you’re interested in exploring either the scenic Santa Fe River or the historic Suwannee River, in Natural North Florida, check out Anderson’s Outdoor Adventures. They offer rentals of canoes, kayaks, paddle boards and pontoon boats from their 4 locations. The Santa Fe location is located at the FL47 bridge. There, you can park and …
Redfish Turn Red in Tannic Creeks After Big Rains
If you’ve ever wondered why redfish (red drum) are red, head to a Gulf-facing coastal creek just after a big rainstorm. On Florida’s Big Bend, big summer storms often bring multiple inches of rain. It usually backs up into the swamps and filters through the coastal swamps to the Gulf, bringing significant amounts of tannin …
Attention Equestrians! Visit Florida’s R.O. Ranch Equestrian Park
Located about halfway between Mayo and Steinhatchee in Natural North Florida, R.O. Ranch offers unique opportunities for horsemen and horsewomen looking to camp with their mounts. Operated as a joint venture with the Suwannee River Water Management District, R.O Ranch is a spectacular 2500 acre equestrian park located in rural Lafayette County. The trails …
Hungry For Mexican Food? Just Head To Gainesville’s La Tienda Latina Restaurant
Natural North Florida has no shortage of Mexican restaurants. That’s likely due to our growing and industrious Latin population. After all, many of us speak Spanish as a second language and Florida’s geographic location has made us the focus, and possibly the ‘capital’ of Latin America. While there are plenty of upscale sit-down Tex-Mex eateries …
Our Seagrasses, And What They Mean To Big Bend Anglers (And Snorkelers!)
The largest natural preserve, our Big Bend Seagrasses Aquatic Preserve is huge–almost a million square acres. And it’s a big part of the reason that our Gulf coastal fishery is so good. It stretches from Waccasass Bay in Levy County to St. Marks in Wakulla County and serves as a nursery for small bait fish, …
Fishing Feature: Kayaking in Fishbone Creek
If you’re camping at Shired Island, staying at Horseshoe Beach or Cross City, or just making a day trip with your kayak to the Dixie County coast, don’t miss launching at the headwaters of Fishbone Creek and heading out to the bars in Horseshoe Cove. On higher tides, these backwaters flood well into the …
Get Your Seafood Dinner “Fresh From The Shrimp Boat Restaurant” in Horseshoe Beach
As one of the locals told me, “It don’t get no fresher”. And despite the grammar, when you know your seafood was recently swimming in local waters, that’s all that counts. The Shrimp Boat isn’t hard to find. It’s on Main Street (the MAIN street!!) just across from the boat ramp. There’s plenty of parking …