Meander through Macclenny
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.
Early in the morning, there wasn’t much going on, but I was sorry to see that the antique shop where I’d bought a copy of the WPA book on Florida for $10 was now gone. There’s a yarn store – the Local Needle – and one other long-standing antique shop in a historic home, plus a corner shop filled with fancy fabric purses, but otherwise all’s quiet in downtown Macclenny, and I bet they like it that way.
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.
Groaning under the weight of used paperbacks – more than 12,000 books stuffed into this little 1908 white and yellow Cracker cottage – Crackerhouse Books in Arcadia is somewhere to stop if you’re bibliophiles like us, especially if you collect paper ephemera. They’ve got it! Hours are a little offbeat, but call ahead if you’re headed to the heart of cattle country.
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!
When I’d heard (thanks to the Pensacola News-Journal’s Twitter stream) about the fire in downtown Milton, I was very distressed. The historic downtown here is one of Florida’s finest, and the fire broke out in the heart of it, putting the Imogene Theatre at risk. This multi-story theater was also home to the local historical museum. On my drive out to Pensacola, I swung through Milton to assess the damage. The adjoining buildings were a total loss, but the Imogene was saved, thanks to the diligent efforts of the local firefighters. Milton isn’t far off I-10, and is worth the jog on your drive to or from Pensacola to visit the art galleries, antique shops, historic sites, and the riverwalk along the Blackwater River.
Arriving late in Blountstown after an afternoon of hiking hilly terrain around Lake Talquin, I was up for a hearty meal. Thanks to my friends Marti and Jeff Vickery, who supply the always-so-tasty Big River Coffee to this hometown bistro, I had dinner with them and their son Wesley at the Wisteria Cafe, a fun and funky restaurant just down the street from the Florida Trail and just off SR 20 in a lovingly restored Cracker home on the west side of town.