Eco – Gardening Writer Gives Library Presentation Who: Lucy Beebe Tobias, Florida writer and Ocala resident What: Slide show/talk/book signing of “Florida Gardens Gone Wild” Where: Marion County Public Library, 2720 East Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, phone (352) 368-4507 When:…
Naples Street Concierge there for you
IN FOCUS – Florida Feature Story by Lucy Beebe Tobias Susan Becker is a Street Concierge in Naples, Florida. Say what? Naples may be the only place in the country to have Street Concierges, located at the Third Street Concierge,…
Olde Englewood Village Plus Charlotte Harbor
Come to the second annual Authors Book Fair! Admission is free. Parking is free. Saturday, Oct. 15 from 11-3 at the Deltona Regional Library. It is an event so full of energy and creativity you will come away inspired and…
Knott House Museum and more history
History walks and talks at the Knott House Museum on Park Avenue in downtown Tallahassee. Knott House Museum has ties to the Civil War Built in 1843 by a free black builder named George Proctor the house in 1865 served…
Fernandina Beach Sings a Beach Song
Are you fed up with summer simmer and showers? Ready to break out of the house? Well, buckle up. Have I got a super road trip just for you. Fernandina Beach, 23 miles north of Jacksonville, combines the gracefulness of…
Florida Photographers Ready for Their Close Up
Florida photographers are ready for their close up. From documenting the culture of Florida’s last stand to capturing eternal moments in the Everglades you can see their work showcased in exhibits and their own galleries. Plus, and this comes as…
Greek Cooking & More in Tarpon Springs
We ate our way through Tarpon Springs from one end of the Sponge Docks to the other. Seriously, how could we resist? After all when the Greeks are cooking, you know the drill – just show up and enjoy. A…
Florida Rivers & Lakes are Calling You
A perfect trifecta – The sun is shining, the water is clear and the fish are feeling suicidal. That’s how it was fishing on the Ocklawaha River last week. Twenty assorted brim ended up in the boat cooler and later…
Apalachicola is a Time Travel Trip
Time travel. It is out there somewhere – the ability to step through a door and, whoosh, go back in time. Time travel is possible in Florida. Seriously. It takes a bit of driving instead of a magic door but…
Florida Butterfly Gardening is Addictive
They flap. They glide. They flutter. What can it be? Butterflies. Their beauty makes us gasp. Here is another gasp – full immersion native butterfly gardening turns your yard into a butterfly world. Admission is free every day. Butterflies on…
Funky Florida, Cedar Key at the End of the Road
This small Florida town calls itself a city. Pretentious? Heck, when you live at the end of the road and are a throwback to a slower time then you can be whatever you want to be. The City of Cedar…
Manatee Festivals, Oh My!
Holy guacamole! Can you believe it? Two manatee festivals take place on the same weekend this month! What were they thinking? (That would be the festival planners, not the manatees; they are just trying to stay warm). Ah, the choices…
Florida birding festivals take flight
Somewhere in a drawer or under a pile of file folders you can, with a little luck, locate your wish list of adventures in Florida you haven’t done yet. Oh, I know you have one. Yep, I’ve got one of…
DeLand Lives up to its Founder’s Dream
Here are your quiz questions for today – who wanted to build the Athens of Florida and what city is it? Tick tock. Tick tock. Time is up. Got your answer? The correct answer is: Henry DeLand, the baking soda…
History Reenactments Fire Away on Weekends
The past refuses to lie down and be quiet. Instead it sits up with a volley of gunfire, the rustle of petticoats and language not heard in these here parts for 150 years or more. History Reenactments bring Florida’s past…
Paddling & Floating in Florida
Just the thought of getting in and out of a kayak seemed daunting to Eileen Hoppert of Oak Run in Ocala. Then her book club read “Twenty Wishes” by Debbie Macomber and a friend suggested that Eileen make a list…
Bird Sanctuaries Fill a Need in Florida
Can you roll your R’s and say these words – Rescue – Repair – Rehabilitation – Release? Say them with me now. Congratulations, you’ve just described the amazing world of bird rescue. And, you can go see this world in…
Dog Friendly beaches in Florida
Dog days of summer are here. There is only one cure – grab your leash and water bowl and head for the beach! Obi, a Welsh Corgi, and I did just that, winding our way down A1A south of St.…
Picking blueberries in June
Yumm. June is here and that means the time has arrived to get it in gear and get out the buckets. They won’t be empty for long. This is the season to pick blueberries. Picking Blueberries and the month of…
Loving the Levees in Florida
Levees are elevated structures built by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to impound and hold back high water. Building levees causes “unintended consequences” as they like to say in political speak. The “unintended consequences” in this case turn out to…
Accept the Florida Lighthouses Challenge
Are you up for the challenge? April 24-25 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. is the Forgotten Coast Lighthouse Challenge. Visit Cape San Blas Lighthouse, Cape St. George Light, Crooked River Lighthouse and St. Mark’s Lighthouse. Tickets are $10 per…
Florida Museum of Natural History wants you
The Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville wants you to see Florida’s natural beauty with fresh eyes. From Feb. 6 through April 25 the Quilters of Alachua County Day Guild have 100 original quilts on display in a juried…
Give a Day, Get a Day, Clean Up & More
In the chill of early morning a line of cars blinked their left turn signals to get into Lake George Ranger District parking lot. Orange cones directed cars into two lanes. I rolled down my window and pulled up to…
DeLeon Springs Boat Tour shows history’s wake
Breakfast at the Old Spanish Sugar Mill Restaurant inside DeLeon Springs State Park is an event. The tables have built in griddles. Our waitress showed us the button to turn on the griddle (gee, that was the hard part, it…
Native Plants Bring Birds & Butterflies
Jeff Nurge went native eight years ago. He planted native flowers, bushes and trees in an effort to attract wildlife. You can’t really tell from the front – native trees and bushes are spaced apart. It is the sides and…