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Most individuals go to Florida for a style of subtropical sunshine, glitzy theme parks, and white sand seashores, and so they seldom depart dissatisfied – however should you’re trying to get on the highway much less traveled, you may need to forged your internet additional North.
North Florida is quieter, extra rural, and endlessly lovely. It’s the place palm timber sway with out seaside balls knocking into them, the place luminous-blue pure springs stream into meandering rivers, and the place you possibly can catch your individual scallops off the Gulf shoreline.
There are various issues to do in North Florida, most of which contain getting open air and revelling in why that is referred to as the Sunshine State. A lot so it’s sometimes called Pure North Florida.
While you go to Pure North Florida, you’ll escape the standard Florida crowds and welcome in a quiet house and serenity.
Whether or not you’re in search of a weekend getaway, or embarking on a week-long highway journey, there’s all the time one thing to do in Northern Florida.
Disclaimer: We visited Pure North Florida on a paid partnership with Go to Florida and Go to Pure North Florida, however all ideas, concepts, and opinions on this information are our personal.
The place is Pure North Florida?
First, let’s outline the boundaries so we’re all clear on what consists of Pure North Florida.
The realm encompasses unbelievable pure range in North Central Florida between Gainesville to the east, Sopchoppy to the west, Cedar Key to the South, and the Florida-Georgia state line to the north.
It’s an space that sits between the capital, Tallahassee, and Jacksonville on the Atlantic Coast.
It consists of Florida’s panhandle area, however doesn’t lengthen to Pensacola Seashore or Navarre Seashore within the Gulf.
That can assist you visualise this, right here’s a map:
Issues to do in Pure North Florida
A part of the enjoyment of our journey running a blog life-style, is we will be launched to areas we now have by no means heard of earlier than, and so we are able to share their less-charted hidden secrets and techniques with you.
Listed below are our strategies for one of the best issues to do in North Florida.
1. Discover the Suwanee Wilderness River Path
The Suwanee River begins within the Okeefenokee Swamp in southeastern Georgia and travels 246 miles to the Gulf of Mexico.
The Timucuan Indians felt the river was sacred to the Solar God who introduced shade to the flowers of the earth.
Its river presents nature lovers the grandeur of unspoiled previous Florida and the great thing about out of doors journey.
The Suwannee River Wilderness Path begins in White Springs, Florida’s first vacationer city, and is an space that provides exploration of a quaint downtown stuffed with previous Florida appeal, state parks, and pure springs.
The river continues for 170 miles by way of towering pines, stately cypress lining the riverbanks, excessive limestone outcroppings, salt marshes and gently slowing banks because it widens on its method to the Gulf of Mexico.
For these searching for a singular journey you possibly can get pleasure from a multi-day journey canoeing the river stopping on the river camps spaced a days’ journey aside.
We’re saving that journey for an additional day, on this brief journey we visited a couple of of the star points of interest within the Suwanee River Wilderness Path.
Suwannee River State Park
The Suwannee River State Park is positioned close to the city of Reside Oak and presents a few of the greatest backcountry canoeing alternatives within the state.
This Florida State Park presents lovely mountain climbing trails by way of the woods alongside the river and encompasses historic ghost cities, and Civil Battle battlements, and remnants of a 19th Century steamboat.
Take the simple Suwanee River Path which runs for just below a mile alongside the riverbank and presents lovely views of its quickly working waters and the gorgeous stay oaks with Spanish moss dripping over the banks.
You may then proceed alongside the Balanced Rock, which toppled into the water years in the past, and is now solely seen when the water is low.
Because it was excessive, we turned again by way of the Lime Sink Run path, which is just below a mile and takes you previous a singular freshwater spring and weaves out and in of a hardwood forest lush with a wide range of crops and wildlife.
Take your mosquito repellant!
2. Swim at Madison Blue Springs
A few 20-minute drive from Suwannee River State Park, is what has been dubbed by USA At present, “one of the best swimming gap within the US.”
We didn’t expertise the total glory of Madison Blue Springs State Park and its typical luminous blue shade on account of rising river ranges and darker shade water, however that didn’t cease us from loving this refreshing technique to cool off from a scorching Florida day.
Give your lymphatic system time to regulate to the 68-degree year-round temperature. After the preliminary shock it’s divine.
There’s a robust present that can push you out to the sting of the Withlacoochee River and you may stroll again across the perimeter of the spring and benefit from the views.
Take your float and simply sit back. There are picnic tables within the space should you needed to make a complete day of it. This was one among our favourite issues to do in North Florida.
3. Go Spring Hopping from Excessive Springs
One of many greatest attracts to this area is for North Florida’s pure springs.
When you loved the Madison Blue Spring, you is likely to be eager to take a look at some others.
From the city of Excessive Springs, there are three fashionable springs inside a brief drive: Poe Springs Park, Ginnie Springs, Rum Island Springs, and Ruth B. Kirby Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park.
Additional south in North Florida are three different fashionable springs, should you’re not all springed out:
4. Camp at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park and Campground
The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park and Campground is 800 acres of out of doors tenting enjoyable located alongside the banks of the Suwannee River.
Not solely does it supply primitive and powered tenting, it has miles of mountain climbing and horseback driving trails, disc golf course, and canoeing and kayaking on the river.
You may as well keep in cabins right here like we did in our 2-bedroom cottage.
Suwannee is not only a spot to pitch your tent, it’s rated as one of many US’s high out of doors music venues.
It hosts a number of out of doors music festivals annually, plus common live shows, and campfire pickin’ session.
You realize we love our stay music right here and so have pegged this as a spot to return to as soon as the stay occasions begin once more.
We liked our little self-driving tour of the huge property and discovering issues like out of doors amphitheater and levels, lovely fishing lakes, hidden campgrounds, the river, and this gigantic troll.
Is that this not the good art work you’ve ever seen?
Associates let’s meet up right here one yr for tenting and stay music and troll hunts!
When you’re in search of a spot to eat, whereas based mostly close to or at Reside Oak, the next two locations are really helpful.
5. Eat at Massive Wooden BBQ & Grill, Reside Oak
We have been impressed by the scale and high quality of the meals at Massive Wooden BBQ & Grill.
All of us selected one thing completely different: blackened shrimp, child again ribs, and rib eye steak, and sliders – all have been implausible.
I used to be impressed by the standard of the grilled greens and baked potato – the seasoning on it was good.
6. Take pleasure in Southern meals at Dixie Grill
When you love pleasant Southern appeal, you’ll love eating at Dixie Grill.
The proprietor Charles walked round to greet every individual with a fist pump, a coupon chat catch-up, or a dialog to find extra about you (should you’re clearly not from spherical right here).
You’ll discover good home-cooked southern meals and beneficiant parts to get you thru the day.
7. Calm down by Steinhatchee River
“Gradual. Manatees round right here.”
The signal on the dock outdoors my lodge room immediately informed me I used to be in a cool place.
I hustled everybody out of the room to wander the superbly manicured lawns of the Fiddler’s Resort on the banks of the Steinhatchee River.
We quickly realized that swimming alongside the manatees are alligators and bull sharks and we’d not be becoming a member of them!
We definitely needed to affix the Key West boats cruising up and down the Steinhatchee River with music blaring and laughter ringing out.
This place will get me.
Scalloping within the Gulf of Mexico
In Steinhatchee, we had what the women dubbed, “probably the most enjoyable ever!’
We went scalloping out within the Gulf of Mexico with Captain Mike, a non-public constitution captain.
This is likely one of the greatest locations in Florida to go to for scalloping, an space generally known as the scallop capital of the US.
Yearly from June to August, individuals can free dive for scallops within the grassy shallows.
We spent 4 hours snorkeling among the many turtle grass, spying the scallops camouflaged and grabbing them with our fingers.
Fairly quickly you get the dangle of it and may spy their mouths opening and shutting.
There are limits on what number of every individual can catch, and we didn’t even come near that, ensuring we solely grabbed as a lot as we might eat.
I liked the nearer connection it gave me to nature. You’ve gotten a a lot deeper appreciation for the place meals comes from if you go to the hassle of catching it your self.
It additionally gave me a deeper sense of gratitude and honor for the scallop that gave me one thing to eat.
It is a apply indigenous cultures have world wide – taking time to bless and honor every animal that gave its life so we might eat.
Captain Mike was a implausible information with a simple going, pleasant nature.
He took us to a sand bar on the way in which house – once more waist deep, the place we might swim and hunt although the sand for sand {dollars}.
Fortunately, he was capable of finding a pair and we obtained a better take a look at these superbly designed animals.
Captain Mike organized for our sea scallop bootie to be shucked again on the marina, after which Fiddler’s Restaurant at our resort cooked them up or us and we loved them with a chilly drink and stay music on the newly constructed deck overlooking the river.
Leisure scalloping begins on June 15 and ends on Labor Day.
That is positively top-of-the-line issues to do in Florida with children!
8. Eat at McDavid’s Cafe
Seize your conventional Southern breakfast at native’s favourite McDavid’s Cafe.
Remember to seize a field of heat cinnamon donuts in your method out.
The ladies have been delighted to have these to snack on throughout our scalloping journey. (And okay, the subsequent day too as we drove to Wakulla Springs!)
Video: Scalloping in Steinhatchee, Gulf Coast Florida
9. Keep on the Fiddler’s Resort
We loved the simplicity of our keep at Fiddler’s Resort. The resort is laid-back and blends in lovely with the beautiful pure setting of its Steinhatchee River location.
Rooms have a screened in porch and grassed sections outdoors crammed with big jenga, corn gap, swinging chairs and fireplace pits.
Employees are pleasant and accommodating and have plenty of insights on the encircling space.
One other should not miss in Steinhatchee is the nightly stay music outdoors on their new, spacious deck overlooking the water.
Each artists we noticed have been unbelievable and the proper technique to finish an excellent day in North Florida having fun with the sunshine and pure magnificence.
10. Discover Wakulla Springs State Park
Wakulla Springs is likely one of the largest and deepest freshwater springs on the planet. Its sapphire waters are considerable with wildlife together with manatees, alligators, turtles, deer, and birds.
The cypress mangroves rising out of the swamp offers it an eerie and ethereal really feel and it’ll really feel acquainted to you.
Hollywood liked its primeval setting and filmed scenes from Tarzan and the Creature of the Black Lagoon right here.
We have been so dissatisfied we couldn’t take the glass backside boat to tour the springs, really helpful as one of many high issues to do right here.
There’s a small swimming part out the entrance of the historic Wakulla Lodge, which was inbuilt 1937.
The water is a refreshing 70 levels and there’s a diving platform for further enjoyable. We selected to swim in our personal quiet space. The jungled canopied views surrounding it have been beautiful.
Staying at Wakulla Lodge for a few nights was a tranquil expertise and the meals of their eating corridor was wonderful.
11. Calm down on a Gulf Seashore: Alligator Level
In order for you a hotter ocean swim, a thirty-minute drive from Wakulla Springs will take you to Alligator Level with this white sandy seaside on the Gulf Shore.
The water is the standard brown shade this area is thought for, however nonetheless great for swimming and snorkeling among the many grassy beds.
It’s not one of the crucial lovely seashores in Florida however this area shouldn’t be famed for the ocean.
Tiki bar lovers will get pleasure from grabbing a day drink from the Oasis Tiki Hut simply down the highway on the small marina.
We extremely suggest stopping in at The Sieneyard Rock Touchdown on the way in which house for scrumptious seafood on the water.
Time it for sundown and you should definitely reserve a desk!
12. Discover the historic and charming Monticello
Monticello was the proper finish to our pure North Florida highway journey and a chance for us to get to know the historic and cultural heartbeats that make up this lovely area.
This charming, historic city is positioned 24 miles east of the state capitol, Tallahassee and has a inhabitants of simply 2,000.
It’s the seat of Jefferson County, which is called the Keystone County for its unspoiled magnificence and gentle local weather providing the ‘keys to high quality dwelling.’
We found a spot stuffed with journey, distinctive and pristine magnificence, historic and academic experiences, and a neighborhood centered on supporting native companies and a vibrant life-style.
Wander across the quiet downtown, dip into vintage outlets and boutiques, and sit again with a superb guide in a quiet cafe. It’s the proper place to easily chill and let life’s stresses ebb away.
You may learn extra concerning the great issues we did in Monticello.
13. Airboat Journey on the Wicassa River
The Wacissa River is a primary magnitude clear, spring-fed stream that’s fed by about 20 springs at its headwaters at Wakulla Springs.
Simply seeing the great thing about this area is sufficient to fulfill you, however we extremely suggest exploring the springs and the river by kayak or, as we did, airboat.
We joined Captain Brad Cooley from 5 Rivers Journey who took us on an 11-mile airboat journey zig zagging over the eelgrass and brilliant inexperienced lilies masking river, navigating by way of slim channels canopied by Spanish moss cypress and oak timber, chasing egrets and bald eagles, and quick diving alligators.
It was an exhilarating journey made all that a lot better by Savannah’s tight grip on my arm and squeals of equal terror and delight. The Wacissa River captured my coronary heart.
It’s really one of the crucial pristine and delightful locations in Florida (and the USA) I’ve visited.
You may learn extra of this journey, and the subsequent one, in our in-depth put up on Exploring the Wacissa River and take a look at this different wonderful airboat tour in Sebring, Fl.
14. Kayaking the Slave Canal
We traded our airboats for kayaks and set off on an exhilarating and difficult journey by way of the Slave Canal, which connects the Wacissa to the Aucilla River.
The Slave Canal was initially constructed by the slaves for plantation house owners to move cotton right down to the Gulf.
Blocks of limestone stay and are a reminder alongside the way in which of the arduous work compelled by slaves.
It’s greatest to take this journey with an skilled information.
The Slave Canal is marked however you could possibly simply get misplaced and regardless of the rapidly shifting water aiding your paddling.
It’s fairly a technical paddle as you navigate slim areas, fallen logs and the overhanging branches of historic oaks, cypress and palmettos draped with Spanish Moss.
Hold a watch out of the alligators poking their eyes above the water watching you!
Watch the video under of our Wacissa River adventures:
15. Discover Cedar Key
Step again into the times Hemingway roamed by way of Key West. Cedar Key on the Gulf Shore is likely one of the most unusual north Florida seashores experiences that retains previous world appeal.
There’s no bling or over-development right here. It doesn’t want it. It’s considerable with quiet, pure magnificence and journey.
We liked its small city, fishing village vibe and sloth-like tempo. It’s about gradual morning dawn begins, mild day time paddles, scrumptious seafood, and sundown views.
Listed below are the do-not miss issues to do Cedar Key.
Kayaking the Cedar Keys Nationwide Wildlife Refuge Islands
The Cedar Key Nationwide Refuge is an space composed of 13 offshore islands jutting into the Gulf Coast.
Cedar Secret is nestled amongst many of those small islands 4 miles out into the Gulf of Mexico and about half a mile out from Cedar Secret is Atsena Otie, which was the unique village till a hurricane blew it down.
You may kayak over to discover the island. It’s a simple paddle over, and if fortunate, you’ll have dolphins as your companions.
There’s a small seaside for swimming and remnants of the previous pencil manufacturing facility and cemetery.
These wishing for an extended journey can paddle the additional 1.5 miles across the island and thru the inside marshes.
Formidable paddlers can go on to different close by islands of the Cedar Key Nationwide Wildlife Refuge. They’re stated to have good seashores.
You may as well discover these islands by boat.
Seafood at Steamers, Cedar Key
Florida is the place to eat recent native seafood.
Since 95% of farm-raised clams are harvested within the clear waters of Cedar Key, we suggest grabbing your self a bowl of steamed clams in a white wine sauce at Steamers, a seafood restaurant.
Suspended on stilts over the water, you get prime Gulf views over Atsena Otie and different islands of the Cedar Key Nationwide Refuge.
There are massive home windows that permit for views should you want to sit inside.
Nevertheless, to make your meal right here a memorable expertise, we suggest grabbing one of many nooks on the deck.
The surface deck is a well-liked spot for sundown views.
It’s slim so there are about 4 personal nook areas the place you possibly can sit with entrance row seats of the view, the balmy breeze in your pores and skin, and dolphins frolicking in entrance of you.
Cedar Key Sundown
Chances are you’ll get colours within the sky at Steamers for sundown.
In any other case you possibly can run across the nook to the pink Seashore motel for one of the best sundown views in the primary space,
The native’s tip for the final word sundown was the Tiki Bar somewhat out of city.
It’s an adults solely bar, which is why its on our listing for a future go to to Cedar Key (with babysitters!)
And Savannah has put her foot down and demanded we come again to Cedar Key for a for much longer Florida Island seaside trip.
16. Keep at Harbor Grasp Suites with wonderful dawn views
Harbor Grasp Suites has entrance row stilted place on D Road with straightforward strolling distance to in all places.
We stayed within the two-bedroom, Pearl Suite with a dwelling space and kitchen. We couldn’t consider we had all the high deck to ourselves.
We had a spot for morning espresso and dawn views over the Gulf, a spot for afternoon drinks, after which one other hidden screened in porch that missed the road for later at night time when the ocean views have been gone and the individuals watching simply began.
See extra in our video of Cedar Key:
17. Micanopy
In order for you extra rural Florida, head to Micanopy, a tiny city in Alachua County, which has a inhabitants of 648 as of 2020.
It’s identified for its quaint environment and vintage outlets, it’s an awesome place to spend a day trying to find treasures in Shady Oak Gallery or Delectable Collectables, an vintage store identified for having an eclectic assortment of issues.
It’s additionally the gateway to Paynes Prairie Protect State Park, which has a wild colony of horses and bison, together with deer, alligators, and greater than 300 species of birds.
Hike the 16-mile Gainesville-Hawthorne State Path for an entire view of the park.
18. Scuba dive in Satan’s Den Prehistoric Spring and Campground
The identify doesn’t fill you with confidence, I do know, however Satan’s Den is a singular attraction to not miss!
Satan’s Den Prehistoric Spring, is an underground spring buried under the floor inside a 120-foot large cave.
Scuba divers can dive into this refreshing pool and discover an underwater cave system that dates again to the Pleistocene Age.
19. Satan’s Millhopper Geological State Park
A unusual pure phenomenon in america that may solely be present in Florida, is Satan’s Millhopper Geological State Park.
The park is known for its sinkhole which has been crammed with a miniature rain forest.
This bowl-shaped panorama is stuffed with thriving and plush vegetation – it’s really distinctive.
Giving again to Pure North Florida
As a part of the marketing campaign partnerships we do with native tourism boards, we donate again to native non-profits or native companies that help the atmosphere or native communities we journey by way of.
As so lots of our wonderful reminiscences from our Pure North Florida highway journey got here from our interactions with the beautiful magnificence we discovered right here, we donated to 3 causes that touched our hearts.
- The Tall Timbers Analysis works to guard to preserve land within the Monticello/ Tallahassee Area. No Wal-Marts and subdivisions allowed! Solely pure pure magnificence.
- The Fish and Wildlife Basis of Florida works to guard the area’s excellent animals and crops and the lands and waters they should survive.
- The North Florida Wildlife Middle in Monticello companions with animal conservation initiatives world wide.
- Our ladies fell in love with the endangered lemurs due to our go to right here and need to assist defend them. You may be taught extra about that have in our Monticello put up.
Remaining Ideas
Regardless of touring the globe for 22 years, I nonetheless handle to seek out locations that amaze me and maintain me tapped into the magic of newness, awe, and surprise.
This area of Florida had me in shocked by its pure magnificence, appeal, and recent native delicacies thrown in.
We hope this information helped you propose a visit to this lovely area and gave you some inspiration for issues to do.
Click on right here for extra Florida journey concepts in our Florida Bucket Record put up!
Video: Watch our Pure North Florida Highlights
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