Yeah, that South Okeechobee area is the one area I've never been to. Never really wanted to either!
So you grew up in Florida, but
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South Bay is a dump. Moore Haven and Clewiston not much better. That whole stretch of 27 is pretty desolate. We used to camp at Fisheating Creek - that was fun.
Other than some small towns in the Center part north of Lake Okeechobee and some small Georgia border towns in the panhandle west of Tally, I’ve been everywhere in Florida. I’ve been to all of the Keys you can drive to but I’ve yet to make it to the Dry Tortugas (planned to twice but both times storms stirred up the silt so there was no point to diving around there). I’ve got old clients in Miami, Naples, Sarasota, Jacksonville, Daytona, Boca, Orlando, and Tampa I have to visit at least once a year and I usually drive around and make a little vacation of it. I’ve got my own businesses in Panama City, Jacksonville, and Orlando. Then for pleasure I usually head over to Pensacola, Destin and the Seaside/Grayson area a couple of times a year; head down to Orlando, Tampa, Clearwater, Tarpon Springs, St Pete probably 15-20x a year (I spend more weekends in Central Florida in Tally or at least close to it) and try to get to the Keys at least every other year if not every year. The last probably 4 or 5 years I’ve gotten a state park annual pass to go with our national park pass, so we’ve hit up probably 2/3s if not 4/5s of the state parks around the state (every last one from Pensacola to Jacksonville and Central Florida, plus all of those in Southwest Florida and the Keys, I’m really just missing a few around Miami/Ft Lauderdale and some small ones in the Southern interior of Florida as I’m not a fan of those areas in general.
But yeah, Pensacola to Jax, Naples to Flamingo and all of the Keys I’ve hit up. Just missing towns most people don’t even know exist and the Dry Tortugas.
I’ve also hit up all of Georgia other than the extreme northwest side of the state.
But yeah, Pensacola to Jax, Naples to Flamingo and all of the Keys I’ve hit up. Just missing towns most people don’t even know exist and the Dry Tortugas.
I’ve also hit up all of Georgia other than the extreme northwest side of the state.
Nah, great bass fishing. I rented a guide there a few years ago and loved every moment of the trip.
Inglis eh? My Dad was the postmaster there after he retired from the Air Force and Honeywell for quite some time. One bit of trivia few people know is that the actor who played Radar on Mash lives/lived (don’t know if he’s dead yet) there. Another is that the mayor literally passed a law banning Satan from the town and posted signs about it everywhere. Also just outside of Inglis is where I was literally almost shot by a panicked cop.
Here’s a link to where Jon Stewart and Steve Carell made fun of Inglis.
http://www.cc.com/video-clips/5etugg/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-satan-laws-are-coming-to-town
Clewiston...I definitely took a guide from there on a bass fishing trip. I remember there was some little redneck place in town that made pretty amazing chicken, I’ll have to see if I can find the name.
Looks like it was Dixie Fried Chicken I was talking about, but apparently it’s now permanently closed as of some time in the middle of the year.
Interesting thread! I didnt grow up in Florida, nor live there, but I love Florida and go there 2 or 3 times a year. The last few years I seem to just alternate between Clearwater and Ft Myers, which I like both but I like hearing about the other options.
Check out Siesta Key. Right in between the two and lots of fun. Long boat or Anna Maria if you like more laid back. Lots of vrbos...
Clewiston is Big Sugar territory.
Some of those places are miles and miles and miles of citrus grove/crops.
How many of you have had the pie at Flora and Ella's in LaBelle?
Agree about the fishing but not an area I would want to call home.
I remember Clewiston had the Old South BBQ with all the Burma Shave-type signs for miles on either side of town. The Cypress Knee museum near Palmdale also had the same kind of signs.
US 27 had all the post-war motels and original theme parks and attractions. Definitely "Old Florida" compared to the Turnpike or I-95.
Been to every part of the state for a short period of time, even the Keys, but have never really been around the Everglades. Have only driven I-75 through to get to the east coast.
I obsess. I used to keep a state highway map where I highlighted every road I traveled and would go out of my way to cover northern Baker County, take a look at Paxton, check out Fort McCoy, Frostproof, Boca Grande, Key Biscayne, etc right down the state to Key West where my family arrived in Florida when I was two.
My work allowed me to appear before about 40 county commissions and maybe 60 city councils. I can say I touched land use and growth policies in every local government in the state.
Now I just go to FSU sporting events and try to forget.
The Everglades are surprisingly nice. At Flamingo there’s a crazy amount of crocodiles which the average Floridian never sees. I certainly had never seen one in the wild, so when we went I was “hoping” I’d get to see some crocodiles....but yeah, they’re everywhere just like the horses on Cumberland Island. I’d say you have a 100% chance of seeing crocodiles in Flamingo as we saw tons from giant dinosaur sized monsters to the tiniest babies. Shark Valley (WAY further north) gives you the other side of the Everglades, ie the freshwater filled with regular alligators and tons of water birds. One thing I was surprised by is how few bugs there were and how pristine clear the water was in the Everglades (at least at Shark Valley). There’s a native underwater “Moss” that filters out the water so rather than tea brown or algae filled green like most swamps, it’s crystal clear. I’d highly rec planning a trip and incorporating the Miccosukee Native American village into it.
i haven’t covered every square mile; but just about.
HWY 19/98 is the most interesting area. So many beautiful rivers, creeks, Springs etc. Tons of wild life and lots of undeveloped land.
I’ve seen a black panther in between the islands that divide the highway. Saw a 7 to 8 foot alligator sunbathing on the side of the highway. Seen lots of wild turkeys. And the coolest thing Ive seen was an Eagle. This joker was grabbing a dead carcass on the road. It grabbed the carcass and flew right in front of our car, when the passed it, it was just about eye level flying right friggen next to us, it was awesome. Thought it was a vulture at first, but definitely not once we got close to it. Looked it up on the web and it was an adolescent Eagle, hadn’t quite gone to the bald eagle stage of life yet.
Anyhow, I really like that area. Very peaceful and very Country/Florida...my kind of area.
Also, if you go from Tampa to Jax by taking back roads, there is a lot of beautiful areas. Lots of equestrians and wide open land, looks like scenes out of the movies.
Driving North of the Okeechobee and then north west towards Lakeland is also a neat area. Lots of beauty, very Florida like, and not developed, I like that area a good bit too, just a little to swampy.
I know all of North Florida from Pcola to Jax. It’s not the best of areas unless you have a lake house or farm, then it can be beautiful. If you’re only driving through, not so great. Makes you think of meth labs and banjos.
HWY 19/98 is the most interesting area. So many beautiful rivers, creeks, Springs etc. Tons of wild life and lots of undeveloped land.
I’ve seen a black panther in between the islands that divide the highway. Saw a 7 to 8 foot alligator sunbathing on the side of the highway. Seen lots of wild turkeys. And the coolest thing Ive seen was an Eagle. This joker was grabbing a dead carcass on the road. It grabbed the carcass and flew right in front of our car, when the passed it, it was just about eye level flying right friggen next to us, it was awesome. Thought it was a vulture at first, but definitely not once we got close to it. Looked it up on the web and it was an adolescent Eagle, hadn’t quite gone to the bald eagle stage of life yet.
Anyhow, I really like that area. Very peaceful and very Country/Florida...my kind of area.
Also, if you go from Tampa to Jax by taking back roads, there is a lot of beautiful areas. Lots of equestrians and wide open land, looks like scenes out of the movies.
Driving North of the Okeechobee and then north west towards Lakeland is also a neat area. Lots of beauty, very Florida like, and not developed, I like that area a good bit too, just a little to swampy.
I know all of North Florida from Pcola to Jax. It’s not the best of areas unless you have a lake house or farm, then it can be beautiful. If you’re only driving through, not so great. Makes you think of meth labs and banjos.
Only places I have not stepped on are Dry Tortugas and Sannibel/Captiva. Have not spent a lot of time in the pan handle out by Pensacola but I have been there. Spent way too much time in Leesburg this year for work. Out of all of it my favorite is South Florida by far, which I know puts me in the minority.
You're referring to US 301. I drive the Hawthorne to Jax portion several times a year, and now that I've got a project in Tampa, the section down to I-75.
The last couple of times I've driven it, I noticed some of the horse stables/farms have turned over to housing. Sad, but inevitable.
Been there and yes they are everywhere. Got up in the morning the first night and there was one of those dadgum things right outside the sliding glass doors. The wildlife rangers there told everyone not to go off the beaten path.And for good reason.
That is sad...it’s been 2-3 years since I’ve driven.
It’s just a matter of time before all of those areas are developed. At least the non marsh areas
Planning director one county, zoning for another, recipient of at least 100 subpoenas at DCA, chewed on by legislative committees, fired three times. It's been interesting.
You haven't truly lived in Fl until you've had to paddle a canoe across a river to get booze cause the side you are on is in a dry county.
Anyone else ever drive down Pensacola across Capital Cir to buy beer at 2am?
Ashamed to admit I did on many of occasions. Thank god no one ever got hurt.
Yeah there was that one jiffy mart or lil champ just outside of town that sold beer after 2am.
Not that this adds much to the conversation, but my father was a county tax collector when I was growing up, and back in the day Florida's license tags started with a number that identified which county issued the tag. Dade was 1, Duval was 2, Leon was 13, etc. The second number would indicate the order in which the tag was sold in any given year for each type of vehicle. For example, the first tag sold in Dade county each year would be 1 - 1. They didn't use stickers in those days, so you had to get a new tag each year. The new tags would have different colors (no designs or pictures) each year, and it was always exciting to see what they came up with (it didn't take much to excite us back then). People were always pressuring my father to give them a tag with a certain number...birth dates, ages, etc...I'm sure a lot of people wanted number 1. I don't know how my dad handled all that, but I know our car tag always had the number for our county followed by the same number...the privileges of office I assume.
Somewhere in junior high I set a goal of having an example of a numbered tag from each county and would stop at gas stations or general stores as we traveled around looking for old tags. I made a lot of stops, but I can't remember if I got them all or not. And I have no idea what happened to my collection.
Somewhere in junior high I set a goal of having an example of a numbered tag from each county and would stop at gas stations or general stores as we traveled around looking for old tags. I made a lot of stops, but I can't remember if I got them all or not. And I have no idea what happened to my collection.
The area around Lake Okeechobee is great for motorcycle riding. I have been to many small towns on the bike that I never would have seen by car. Like someone else mentioned, I like to drive a different route each time I travel. I have made some awesome memories just taking the long way there.
Very true..:many biker type bars along 2 lane highways. Always wanted to ride that area and get wasted along te way burning stuff down.
And then I get back into my Ford Escape, buckle up, check my gas, put in drive and pull off....laaaame
I NEVER EVER drink and ride. Water only when on the bike. Never understood bikers drinking and riding. It is hard enough to ride sober and avoid the idiots. Just saying.
My old man spent time in most of the 69 counties for work and my brothers and I often traveled with him in the summer. I can’t remember hitting all of the western panhandle spots (I was born in the little sawmill town of Century north of Pensecola) or the far southwest, but have memories of most everywhere else. Only one trip to the Keys, but it was a great one.
I miss the old Florida spots that Dad would hit, not so interested in the newer developments. It seems like there is always a new town showing up that did not exist when I was a kid. For instance, how old is The Villages? Central Florida was such a cattle farm area that most today would never believe. Bramha cattle were everywhere.
Was it Saenole who referred to the old system of tags that were numbered 1-69 for the population of the counties? Leon was number 13 and we knew lots of them by heart.
I miss the old Florida spots that Dad would hit, not so interested in the newer developments. It seems like there is always a new town showing up that did not exist when I was a kid. For instance, how old is The Villages? Central Florida was such a cattle farm area that most today would never believe. Bramha cattle were everywhere.
Was it Saenole who referred to the old system of tags that were numbered 1-69 for the population of the counties? Leon was number 13 and we knew lots of them by heart.
Using county numbers on license tags started in the mid-30s and was based on county population at that time. When this system was junked in the mid-70s, the numbers were no longer very reflective of the number of people living in each county. I remember some grousing from the Broward folks that Duval was 2 while they were 10. Leon being 13 was also a cause of some irritation.
The Everglades are a treasure. As you mention, such diversity in the different areas. I used to love making the trip down to Flamingo to fish. If you go far enough up into Whitewater Bay you may not see another soul for hours at a time and there's wildlife activity everywhere. It's also one of the quietest places I've ever been.
I was wondering about that. I grew up in Palm Beach County and they were #6. They've been the third largest, behind Dade and Broward, for quite a while.
I think there are 67 counties, but tags went up to 68 and that number was only sold in Leon County?
That is Sarasota area right? I hear Sarasota is really nice, but I havent been there. I like in between laid back and fun, if that makes sense. I was in Clearwater beach a couple weeks ago and watched playoff football and enjoyed it like I always do there, except the weather caught me for a surprise! This was the first year I went in winter, and I know it has been an abnormally cold year everywhere and I knew it wasnt going to be 85 degrees or anything, but I had no idea central florida could as cold as it was.
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