Maclay Gardens

Maclay Gardens is a great place to go on a sunny afternoon. Although the peak spring season is over, flowers of different types are blooming all year. The Maclay Gardens are located on Thomasville Highway just north of Interstate 10. The entrance fee is $4 dollars per person. Bring your own picnic basket and enjoy a leisurely lunch or dinner. The gardens are located on the premises of a state park, so there are other activities there as well.

On May 2nd,the Friends of Maclay Gardens, Inc. is holding the 14th Annual Tour of Gardens. Mark your calendar now.

From the website:
These beautiful ornamental gardens were first planted in 1923 by Alfred B. and Louise Maclay after they purchased the property for their winter home. A masterpiece of floral architecture, the gardens feature a picturesque brick walkway, a secret garden, a reflection pool, a walled garden, and hundreds of azaleas and camellias. Lake Hall provides opportunities for swimming, fishing, canoeing and kayaking. Only boats without motors or with electric motors are allowed. Pavilions and grills along the lake shore provide the perfect setting for a picnic. For walking enthusiasts, two short nature trails meander through the woods overlooking the lake. Hikers, bicyclists, and equestrians can enjoy five miles of multi-use trails winding through the woods surrounding Lake Overstreet, located on park property adjoining the gardens. High blooming season is from January 1-April 30 with the floral peak in mid-to-late March. During these months, the Maclay house is usually open daily, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. The park is Located one-half mile north of I-10 on U.S. 319.

Three Rivers State Park-2 Miles

Directions-From Tallahassee, get on Interstate 10 and head west. Take exit 158 and travel north into the town of Sneads. At Sneads, turn left (west) onto Hwy 90. Turn right (north) onto River Road at the flashing yellow light. The park is located two miles north of Sneads.

What to bring-insect repellent!, water, binoculars, snacks, camera, sunscreen. It's dog friendly, but I believe park rules require a leash. There are also good facilities for grilling out. Fishing is abundant and canoe rentals are available. Two dollar entrance fee is required and you need the proper amount as no change is given.

Difficulty-The terrain is rollings hills with some steep climbs (for this area). The trail is narrow but dry. I would call the difficulty easy due to the short length. There are two trails which equal approximately 2 miles (however, the eagle trail is longer; I did not hike it). The short length makes the hike very easy, even with the hills.

What you might see-Gray fox, bobcat, alligator, great blue heron, grebes, cormorants, and unusually colored fox squirrels. Also, if you go in the spring, the hills are covered with the red blooms of thousands of trilliums and white lilies. April is too late. I only saw one lily and one trillium.

Here is the brochure for the park. Here is a map of the park.

The trail head to the shorter trail (1/2 mile) is located just south of the picnic area. (The trail is longer if you do the eagle trail portion-approx. 1 3/4 miles more-as well). The other trail head (trail length about 1 1/2 miles) is more difficult to find but is located just up the road from the boat ramp. Both trails are loops for those that don't like to backtrack. Both hikes are through hilly terrain. The area is heavily forested and thus nice and cool due to the shade. Unless you come to go fishing, canoing, or picnicking, I recommend only making the trip to do this hike when the flowers are in full bloom. Thousands of red and white blooms are worth the trip. Otherwise, the trails are too short and too forgettable.

Backwoods Bistro

The Backwoods Bistro is located the little town of Sopchoppy, right next to city hall. It is approximately 30 miles south of Tallahassee. To get there simply take 319 south from Tallahassee. Make sure to veer right in Medart. The bistro is in the heart of Sopchoppy.

From the menu:

Backwoods Bistro is currently housed in the old
Sopehoppy Drug Company which was built in 1912
and was home to a full blown pharmacy soda
fountain and doctois office in the 1940s.

The business continued until the 1950s when
Corine Hedge opened up a dress shop, kept the
soda fountain and sold over-the-counter goods.
This was a favorite hang-out for the young folk.
The first ice cream in the county was served from
this location. It was also an Emergency Alert Cen-
ter during World War II

The historic brick building sat vacant for over a
decade until Nelson Martin bought the building
and renovated it to it’s current status, complete
with the unique alligator tile counter. In 2002,
Martin and partners Robert Seidler and Dave
Pierce opened up Sopchoppy Outfitters and Back
woods Pizza. The restaurant was a welcome addi-
tion to the town and brought new life into the
downtown. In Jan. 2006, the owners closed the
restaurant and moved onto other endeavors.

In Nov. 2006, the Rice family re-opened the res-
taurant with a fresh look and a new name, Back-
woods Bistro. Randy and Winky and their three
sons are running the operation. Sons, Jesse and
Tyler both wOrked at the restaurant over the years
fulfilling all the various duties from dishwasher to
chef~ Jesse, now the head chef, interned at several
five star restaurants in Nashville TN

Everyone’s favorite pizzas, sandwiches, entrees
and salads are still being served-everything
homemade and fresh, Chef Jesse is continually
adding new desserts, appetizers and entrées.

Other enhancements include wireless Internet
café and live music on Saturday nights. The res-
taurant plans to serve as a community venue for
local musicians and artists. Plans are also under-
way for special movie nights, youth nights, and
competitive cooking events.

Call ahead and your food will be ready to take out
or dine in with us!



The Backwoods Bistro is definitely worth the drive. The pizza and burgers are good. The salads are excellent. The portions are ample. Fancier dishes are available as well, although I haven't yet ordered one. Entrees include Blackened Grouper, Alfredo, and Lasagna. See the menu to the left. Bands play on the weekend and internet access is available. There is outdoor seating street side and in the back on a deck. The inside decor is interesting with the highlight being the gator counter top.


The Backwoods Bistro gets 4 skillets out of five.

Leon Sinks-4.2 Mile Hike

Directions-From Tallahassee, get on to 319 going towards Crawfordville. The entrance is on the right about seven miles south of Tallahassee. There are clean restrooms. There is an entrance fee as well.

What to bring-insect repellent!, water, binoculars, snacks, camera, sunscreen. It's dog friendly, but I believe park rules require a leash. Bicycles are not allowed.

Difficulty-The terrain is rollings hills with some steep climbs (for this area). The trail is narrow but dry. I would call the difficulty above average for this area due to the hilliness. There is a cross trail in the middle if you don't want to do the entire 4.2 miles.

What you might see-black bear, feral hog, raccoon, deer, turkey, gopher tortoise, various species of snake. I saw an gopher tortoise and a water moccasin.

I would print this map to the left or pick one up when you get there. The website also has a lot of useful information.

The trail head is immediately off the parking area. The marked trails form a figure eight. The upper circle has the majority of the sinks with the highlight being Hammock Sink (see the first pic above). The lower trail winds its way through three swamps and its highlight is the natural bridge. I did the full outer trail. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with this hike. The short hike takes you through every inland environment the Big Bend area has to offer.. And as I noted above, Hammock Sink was the highlight and is absolutely beautiful. It's stunning to see an inland body of water that color in this part of the country. This hike certainly gets my highest recommendation.

Goodwood Gardens

During the spring in Tallahassee, I highly recommend heading to Goodwood Gardens or Maclay Gardens. The azaleas, camellias, and dogwoods are pretty spectacular this time of year. The Goodwood Gardens are located on Miccosukee Road near the hospital. A map can be found at the link above. There is no entrance fee into the gardens but the old plantation house costs 5 dollars a person to enter. Bring your own picnic basket or get a snack at Paula's Cabana Cafe which is on the premises.

St. Marks NWR-Panacea Unit-4.5 Mile Hike

Directions-From Tallahassee, get on to 319 going towards Crawfordville. Stay on 319 until you get to Panacea, about 30 miles away. Once in Panacea, look for Otter Lake Road. Be on the lookout because there is not a sign pointing to the NWR going south, but their is a sign if you are coming north. The road is on the right as you head south. If you see the Coastal Restaurant (the restaurant does not have a link, but see this blog), you've gone too far. The NWR entrance is about a mile down Otter Lake Road. Once in the NWR, you will see the trail head almost immediately and a small parking area (not paved). Park here. Also, there are clean restrooms and picnic facilities closer to the lake. There is no entrance fee.

What to bring-insect repellent!, water, binoculars, snacks, camera, sunscreen. It's dog friendly, but I believe NWR rules require a leash. Bicycles are also allowed.

Difficulty-The terrain is slightly hilly in parts but mostly flat. The trail is wide and dry. I would call the difficulty average for this area due to the length. Do a shorter hike if you are out of shape.

What you might see-brown pelican, wood duck, heron, black bear, coyote, feral hog, otter, raccoon, deer, turkey, gopher tortoise, pine warbler, peregrine falcon, and a number of other species. I saw an alligator, various duck species, and heron.

I would print this hiking trail map before you leave. The "trails" in the NWR are actually old logging roads and there are many of them that criss cross the area. Having a map helps you keep track of where you are and shows you other routes you can take.

The trail head, as noted above, is just past the refuge entrance. The trail, number 316, crosses the road and goes in both directions. Start on the 316 which is on the left side of the road. Take 316 for a little over a mile until you get to 330, which we be on your left. While on 316, you may want to take short side trips down 328 and 327, both of which are spurs, one leading to a small lake, the other going over to Otter Lake. There are also various ponds along the way as you stroll through the wiregrass, pine, and scrub oak. After you get on 330, you will shortly come to a large meadow/open area. There are various lakes you can go over to. Try to spot a sunbathing alligator as I did, but be very careful. 330 runs along the lakes and eventually joins 320 near a shed. Go left and head back into the pine forest. At 321, veer left again until 319. 319 links up with 316 and back to the trail head. Enjoy the hike and head over to the Coastal Restaurant or Angelo's or the Backwoods Bistro afterwards.

Riverside Cafe

The Riverside Cafe is located at the end of the Woodville Highway in the city of Saint Marks, about 20 miles south of Tallahassee.

The decor is simple and so is the food. However, the cafe sits right on the river and is quite pleasant. Even though simple, the fish is fresh and the prices are moderate. There is also a good selection of beer as you can see from the menu available through the link above. Live music can be found there on the weekend.

The Riverside Cafe gets 3 skillets out of five.

The Battle of Natural Bridge

Though somewhat outside the theme of this blog-hiking and eating-I will from time to time post about interesting local events. One that occurs in early March every year is the reenactment of the Battle of Natural Bridge. The reenactment takes place at Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park. Admission is free but arrive early. A few thousand people attend the event and parking is limited in the park. But don't worry, if you don't arrive early, just park along the side of the road like everyone else. The reenactment is VERY LOUD, so I don't recommend it for easily frightened dogs or small children. However, children may enjoy the civil war era encampments and soldiers and southern belles dressed in historic garb.

Some History:
Between March 1 and 3, 1865, a Union flotilla arrived in Apalachee Bay. General John Newton and Naval Commander William Gibson had a joint assault plan in mind to cripple Confederate forces. On March 3, 300 seamen surprised Confederate pickets and captured the East River Bridge, four miles north of the St. Marks lighthouse. The following day, Navy gunboats commanded by Gibson ran aground in the shallow waters of the St. Marks River. Gibson spent the next two days desperately trying to get upstream to Port Leon but was unsuccessful.

Gibson's unexpected delay provided just enough time for a Confederate messenger to travel to Tallahassee and warn the citizens of the danger to the Capitol caused by the Union landing. In an effort to defend the Capitol, every man and boy who could bear arms volunteered to join the thin ranks of the Confederate Army. The forces were made up of wounded confederate soldiers home to recuperate, men as old as 70 and cadets as young as 14 from West Florida Seminary (now Florida State University). The Confederate troops, commanded by General William Miller, were taken to Newport to prepare a defense.

On March 5, Union General Newton advanced past the East River Bridge, causing Confederate troops from the Fifth Cavalry to withdraw to the Newport Bridge on the St. Marks River. The Confederate cavalry was joined by the volunteers from Tallahassee, where they gained enough strength to force Newton to take a round-about route to Natural Bridge. Miller, who had second-guessed Newton's attempted surprise crossing, sent Confederate forces under Lt. Colonel George Scott on an overnight march to defend the crossing.

In the pre-dawn hours of the following day, a series of skirmishes lasting about 10 hours occurred along the narrow natural bridge. Confederate forces, made up of 500 to 700 men, fought off three major attacks and several minor attempts by Union forces of nearly equivalent strength. The Union troops, having decided that the bridge was impassable, began a hasty retreat.

By sundown on March 7, Union soldiers were in the protection of their own fleet. Newton, feeling that he had not been adequately supported by the Navy, took his troops back to Key West. Union losses totaled 21 killed, 89 wounded and 38 captured. Confederate losses were three killed and 22 wounded.

Saint Marks NWR-Saint Marks Unit-6.8 Mile Hike

Directions-From Tallahassee, head south to Capital Circle SE and turn onto Woodville Highway (county 363). Pass through Woodville and head into Wakulla (the city). Turn left onto 267. Turn left again on Highway 98 and head to Newport. Cross over the Saint Marks River and immediately look for Lighthouse Road. Lighthouse Road will take you into the NWR. Remember that the entrance fee is five dollars or buy an annual pass if you plan to come here often.

What to bring-insect repellent!, water, binoculars, snacks, camera, sunscreen. It's dog friendly, but I believe NWR rules require a leash. Bicycles are also allowed.

Difficulty-The terrain is flat and the trail is wide and dry. I would call the difficulty average for this area due to the length. (I consider Angel's Landing in Zion NP to be difficult) Do a shorter hike if you are out of shape.

What you might see-brown pelican, wood duck, heron, black bear, coyote, feral hog, otter, raccoon, deer, turkey, gopher tortoise, pine warbler, peregrine falcon, and a number of other species. I saw a raccoon, a peregrine falcon, various duck species, heron, and deer.

Once in the park, I recommend stopping at the visitor center and getting a hiking trail map. The "trails" in the park are actually old logging roads and there are many of them that criss cross the refuge. Having a map helps you keep track of where you are and shows you other routes you can take.

The trail head is on the left approximately one mile past the visitor center. Look for the sign. There's a small parking area on the left side of the road. The trail starts on old logging road 105. As you start out you'll pass through pine/wiregrass forests and the occasional swampy area. This will last about 1.9 miles. Make a left onto road 114. The beginning will be pine forest but as you get closer to the coast, you'll notice the change to hardwood swamp.









You're on road 114 for about 1.7 miles before turning right onto 127. By this time, you'll reach an open area surrounded by marsh.

This is an excellent bird watching area for those so disposed. You'll be in the open marsh for about 1.4 miles as you travel down road 127. Turn right onto road 106 and head back into the pine forest. This is the home stretch. After 1.2 miles the road will dead end into road 105, turn left and continue back to the trail head 0.6 miles ahead.

Enjoy the hike. If you're hungry afterwards, you could make the short trip over to the city of Saint Marks and eat at the Riverside Cafe. See a future post for the review.

Welcome

The big bend area offers the outdoor enthusiast and food aficionado a variety of hidden gems, from little used hiking trails to cracker country restaurants, bistros, and cafes. As I explore the area, I hope to pass on these off-the-beaten-path treasures to visitors to the area as well as residents.