Goethe State Forest: Paradise for Horses, Birds
Equestrians know Goethe State Forest as a top-notch spot for trail riding, carriage riding and training at nearby Black Prong Equestrian Center, a 250-acre facility and lodge where world champion equestrians train. Even if you’re not a world-class horseman, you can experience Goethe on horseback or on foot. Hike amid the lupine looking for bobcat …
Get a Sweet Taste of New Orleans at Big Easy Snowballs
Tallahassee’s dining scene is known for farm-fresh produce and time-honored spots where power brokers dine. But it’s also one of the only places outside of the Big Easy where you can enjoy an authentic New Orleans snowball. Take what you know about snow cones and toss it out: A snowball is a super-fine shaved ice …
Special Occasions at the Avera-Clarke House, Monticello
Staying at Monticello’s Avera-Clarke house is a treat: In addition to the honeymoon cottage, which is the oldest building in Jefferson County, the inn also offers a second-story balcony, a fascinating history and beautiful details, such as this painted cardinal. What guests don’t always notice is that in addition to overnight accommodations, the Avera-Clarke House …
Get Lost in the Labyrinth at O’Toole’s Herb Farm
Full disclosure: Unless you’re a field mouse, you can’t literally get lost in this labyrinth. It’s not the kind of labyrinth with tall hedges that form a maze. It’s the contemplative, meditation-style variety, where you walk along a narrow path, nearing the center of the maze. Why? For one, it’s gorgeous. Set amid the fields …
What Makes a Mayhaw a Mayhaw? Find Out in This Video
At Golden Acres Ranch, you’ll find goats, sheep, even bees, but what really gets Southerners’ hearts going pitter-pat is the mayhaws. When the Goldens bought their property in Monticello, they had no idea it contained a mayhaw pond. It didn’t take long, though, until folks around town pointed it out, drawn in by the promise …
Old Fashioned Pest Prevention: Water-filled ziplock bags
If you’ve ever been out in the country and seen bags of water with pennies in them hanging from the eaves of a porch, then you’ll know what I’m talking about. They look like the remenants of some strange hillbilly ritual, accidentally left behind by the cleanup crew from the night before. If you’ve …
Spice Up Your Tailgate With Ward’s BBQ!
One of the coolest things about BBQ is the fact that you often find the best BBQ at unexpected places. BBQ just doesn’t feel authentic unless you’re buying it out of a truck on the side of the road, or in a gas station just outside of town. Ward’s is no exception to this rule. A …
Meet Natural North Florida’s Own “Buck”
There’s been plenty of buzz lately about the documentary “Buck,” a biography of horse whisperer Buck Brannaman. But North Florida has its own Buck, Trey Young of Crawfordville’s 3Y Ranch. Like Buck, Trey is a master of Natural Horsemanship, where trainers use calm, gentle interactions to introduce a colt to riding or to remediate problem …
Ancient Mysteries at Monticello’s Letchworth-Love Mounds
Bucket by bucket, the earth was gathered more than a thousand years ago to form the nearly 50-foot temple mound at Letchworth-Love Archaeological State Park. Stop by the open-air visitors’ center on your way to the mound, and you can lift a recreation of just how heavy that basket of dirt would have been. It’s …
Behind the Scenes at Full Moon Apiary in Monticello
For Becky and Tony Hogg, owners of Monticello’s Full Moon Apiary, a beekeeping business began with their daughter Katherine’s fear of bugs. Becky knew that a girl growing up in Florida can’t be scared of creepy-crawlies, so the family came up with a way for Katherine to conquer her fear: keeping bees. The rest, as …