Tag: Gulf Coast
Florida Gulf Coast University may be getting all the buzz this week with their March Madness wins, but Fort Myers (a.k.a. Dunk City) is more than just home to the talent behind this Sweet Sixteen Cinderella story.
The Weekend: Explore the inner Gulf Coast. A trio of Tampa-area cities — Brooksville, Dade City and Floral City — delivers the back-in-time charm of 1880s Old Florida with plucked- from-the-past town squares, historic architecture and even an Out of Africa experience.Start Here: The historic Mary Coogler Cottage (352-796-6857), a 1930s bungalow, is tucked along a canopied street just a short stroll from downtown Brooksville, which is a great place to base yourself.
Weekend To-Dos:
1. Old Florida shopping is tops in downtown Brooksville. Look for Native American jewelry at Peacetree Trading and antique furniture at House of Passage, which also sells Simply Caprine, the fragrant Floral City-made goat soap stashed in MTV Movie Awards celebrity swag bags. Indulge in high tea under the oaks at the Tilted Teacup or hop in the car for the right-from-Sicily flavors of Papa Joe’s.
2. Please feed the animals in nearby Dade City. Enjoy a motorized or camelback safari of the 47-acre Giraffe Ranch, a farm and wildlife preserve, and you can hand-feed giraffes, pygmy hippos, zebras, warthogs and the hybrid donkey-zebra, aptly called a donkra. Tours are offered twice a day, but must be reserved in advance.
3. Floral City is the midpoint of the 46-mile Withlacoochee State Trail. To explore in style, hop on a rental recumbent bike from Hampton’s Edge. The paved and mostly flat linear park passes rolling equestrian estates and plantations and even an 1800s graveyard. Visit the Shamrock Inn for a cold one after the ride, before exiting town via the 125-year-old Avenue of the Oaks.
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