Stacks of cooters in Inverness
Cooters at Cooter Park, Inverness
Have you driven US 41 through Inverness anytime lately? If not, you’re in for a treat. Seems several years ago the city took on a serious cleanup and park creation project right along the downtown pondfront at the municipal complex, and the end result is Cooter Pond Park, notable for its big stack of faux cooter turtles at the corner with US 41. The boardwalk complex, which zigzags over the sizable pond, is an ideal place for birding.
I’ve been there several times since it opened, and it never fails that I encounter some large bird – a red-shouldered hawk this last visit – on the boardwalk railing by the gazebo. Look down into the pond, and you’ll see the namesakes of this waterway, docile and placid, and you might scare up a few gators, too. The boardwalk is a good half-mile-plus round-trip from the city lot, and offers little games and puzzles for the littlest ones.
Hernando’s got a rim of chocolate around its mouth, and it’s all Denny Lynn’s fault. This candy factory has been a fixture at the junction of SR 200 and US 41 as long as I can remember. When they moved from the strip mall to their own little building under the oaks, things just got better and better. Now, with room to move, they’re moving out creative candy like never before. I was barely off a fudge mix direct from Mackinac Island when I stopped here with my friend Phyllis to savor the possibilities, among them seafoam – a crunchy chocolate-dipped candy – and yummy maple walnut fudge. They offer so many creations, you just can’t go wrong!
Now Lake Butler is truly a Florida backroads town, huddled along the shores of a beautiful cypress-lined lake that they keep all to themselves. It’s another railroad town dating back a century and more, and quiet as the day is long. I know of it mainly since the Florida Trail cuts right through the middle of town, and hikers are encouraged to ask for permission to camp in the city park along the lake. I’ve stopped here before and dined at the Butler Seafood House to my satisfaction before, but this visit had a challenge attached – we were warned the food wasn’t as good as the last visit. And I learned my lesson. Don’t order beef in a seafood restaurant! The burgers, sadly, were uninspired. But the country buffet sure looked good. If it weren’t for all the eager teachers swarming across it, we might have ordered it. I’m not giving up on them yet, especially since the cashier was nice enough to give us a discount for waiting so long for the clouds of young teachers to clear the room. I’d suggest, however, sticking with country favorites and fried seafood.
It’s not often I’m up in the upper tier of the state, pressed against the Georgia border, but a recent visit to Charleston, SC set up the conditions for us to meander through Macclenny and a few other backroads communities. Along US 90 and the railroad tracks, this is a quiet Florida town, the county seat of Baker County, with a small historic district, a genealogical library, and a historic courthouse that now serves as an education center: the public library.
One of the things I really like about Okeechobee is the Brahman Theatres. I’ve been here for many a film with friends during the annual Big O Hike, as it’s a nice cool getaway after a morning on the trail.
An exploration for another day: Fort Center is an archeological complex located within Fisheating Creek WMA west of Lake Okeechobee near Lakeport. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission built this beautiful observation deck over a remnant of prairie – a nice spot for birding, accessible by wheelchairs – and has blazed a combination trail – bicycle and hiking – out to a significant archeological site. Round trip is over 3 miles. The day I stopped in, my exploration was stopped short by dense smoke and beyond, a wall of flames. Seems a prescribed burn was going on, and there wasn’t a warning at the trailhead. Oops! Common sense ruled, and I beat a hasty retreat. I’ll get back here later this year to spill the full story of this site for