Candid Florida

Here at the tip of Punta Rassa, Jacob Summerlin, in the 1850s and 1860s, once oversaw massive cattle drives loading into ships bound for Cuba. Inside the lobby of the Sanibel Harbour Resort, exhibits portray this period of hustle and bustle along the waterfront on San Carlos Bay. From my picture window in the resort, I can relax and watch the modern bustle of sailboats and yachts slipping by, guests climbing in and out of the pool, and herons winging from island to island. It’s a quiet slice of calm with a Sanibel view.

The Dewey Litl Loj

When I think of libraries, I think of the Dewey Decimal System – that clever categorization (which I’ve yet to puzzle out) of books set up in such a way so you can keep adding books to a section of the library without ever having to renumber them.  Well, Melvil Dewey, creator of the system, settled in Lake Placid, New York and started a resort. When the Florida real estate boom hit, Dewey was retired and widowed, and decided to take a look at what Florida had to offer.  Arriving in this region of many lakes, he immediately dubbed it “Lake Placid” and bought up land to create a grand resort.

The Lake Placid Camp and Conference Center, recent site of the Regional Tourism Conference, encompasses what remains of Dewey’s Florida empire. We met inside the Dewey Litl Loj, a gorgeous testaments to 1920s architecture with delicate embellishments inside the hall.  Howard Hughes, Henry Ford, and Winston Churchill once walked these halls.  Now a Christian camp, the complex primarily caters to church and youth groups, but is available for retreats and conferences, with a variety of halls that seat up to 700 people … and some of the best on-site catering I’ve had in such a venue, with extremely healthful food on the buffet.  If you’re planning a conference, it’s well worth checking them out!

Lake Placid Camp and Conference Center
2665 Placid View Dr
Lake Placid, FL 33852
863-465-2197

Some folks know where to place a porch, and Mr. Fred Babcock was one of them. His Cypress Lodge is deep in Babcock Ranch, set on a creek draining into the Telegraph Swamp. On a visit there, I watched a gator sunning on the shore, wood storks and ibises winging their way above the dark water, and a squawking little blue heron in the shallows. This is one fine porch with a view.

Cypress Lodge is a treat within the Babcock Ranch, open for groups – family reunions, business meetings, corporate retreats – to rent. Formerly a hunting lodge, it now caters to a more laid-back crowd, but you’ll still see trophies on the walls and hunting-related artwork in the simple, sunny rooms.  Casey Bruni, resident chef and manager, can cater your breakfast or your meeting … and imagine sipping coffee in this setting. It’s marvelous.

Learn more: Cypress Lodge

Here at the Herlong Mansion enjoying breakfast while looking out over orange trees and azaleas. Starting a few days of meanders through North Florida in search of geocaches along some of the region’s most spectacular trails, with the La Chua Trail at Paynes Prairie first on the list. Stay tuned!

Herlong Mansion B&B

One of my whirlwind press trips last month involved scoping out what’s new in Punta Gorda to fill in some holes in South Florida: An Explorer’s Guide. A lot has changed since I worked on that first edition. Hurricane Charley hit a week after my initial visit, and I had to return much later – and delay the book – to see the rebuilding. Now that several years have elapsed, Punta Gorda is back on its feet, with new things to see and do opening all the time. The Wyvern Hotel is the latest addition to downtown, and scores big points as one of the most luxurious yet intimate hotels I’ve reviewed in Florida. With a Spanish-influenced restaurant, Lulu, on the first floor and a busy bar adjoining the rooftop pool, they’ll tempt you not to leave and walk a block to the downtown restaurant district … although I did, since I needed to add a couple more restaurants to my book.  I appreciated the large and elegant bath with tub and shower, the free wifi, and free parking, but the crown jewel? The bed. Rob says he’s never had a better night’s sleep. Comfy and fluffy in all the right places, it was a bed that was just plain hard to get out of in the morning, it was that good. Can’t wait to return!

Learn more about The Wyvern Hotel

It’s been years since I hung out with friends Tom & Susan Schmidt during their annual winter foray to Summer Haven, a tiny community along the sea south of St. Augustine. Back in the 1890s, Tom’s grandparents had a couple of oceanfront homes built for an escape … in a day when vacation escape meant by steamboat and rail … and thanks to good judgement and good genes, these two historic homes are still in the family and two of the last remaining examples of Old Florida oceanfront property.  (more…)