Tag: Northeast

The Weekend: Go cycling in Micanopy. You can’t help but love Micanopy. With its shady boulevards lined with live oaks, it’s an Old South spot tailor-made for rustic rides.

Start Here: Rest up for your ride at the Herlong Mansion B&B, where the master suite boasts a king-size mahogany four-poster bed and French doors that lead to a second-story veranda.

Weekend To-Dos:

1. Fuel up before hopping on your bike with breakfast by Herlong owner Carolyn West. Marigold yolks come from farm-fresh eggs laid by hens raised just down the road, while the savory potato pancake-like fritters have a secret ingredient: creamy grits. Don’t pass on the sour-cream banana bread either; you’ll work those calories off on the trail.

2. Take a two-wheeled excursion on the Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail. Start at the Rochelle trailhead at the intersection of County Roads 234 and 2082. From there, an easy five-mile ride leads to the La Chua Trail, one of the prairie’s most spectacular vistas, where migrating sandhill cranes flock in winter. The tree-lined trail is mostly flat, with just enough dips and turns to keep it interesting.

3. Need a breather? Stop at one of the cell-phone tour markers to dial up an overview of the area’s wildlife and history. The paved trail passes through Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, where wild horses and bison roam. 

The Weekend: See the cultural side of St. Augustine.

Start Here: Convenient to downtown's shops and restaurants, the Old Powder House Inn whisks you back to another era with its old-fashioned décor and attentive staff. Sit on the porch of this quaint Victorian (where gunpowder was once stored), sip a cocktail and listen to the click-clack of horse hooves as they pass on the brick streets. Guests rave about the homemade cookies — grab one in the lobby as you make your way out to explore.

Weekend To-Dos:

1. Plan your trip for the first Friday of the month, so you can enjoy the First Friday Artwalk downtown. Hide Tide Gallery is just down the street, where you'll find ocean-inspried works by a slew of Florida artists.  From there you can pick up a map of the other participating galleries, accessible on foot or via a free trolley that runs from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

2. The next day, visit the Lightner Museum — housed in Henry Flagler’s former Hotel Alcazar — where Thomas Edison’s 1877 phonograph and a Tiffany stained-glass window of St. Augustine are highlights. Take the winding stairway to find off-the-radar pieces like the 19th-century Balloon Back sofa from Burma and a huge antique button collection. 


3. For dining, try 95 Cordova.  Tucked inside the Casa Monica Hotel, the cozy hideaway gets a Middle Eastern vibe courtesy of lush fabrics, Moorish archways and the gorgeous ceiling, hand-painted with 24-karat gold. For an appetizer, try their unique take on fried green tomatoes with creamy smoked jalapeno sauce, goat cheese and basil oil. 

The Weekend: Sample history in Jacksonville. Base yourself in the charming historic neighborhood of Riverside and get a glimpse of this modern city as it used to be. 

Start Here: The downtown Riverside neighborhood used to have more than 50 Victorian homes, but only two are still standing today. Stay at the Riverdale Inn, an original Victorian charmer that dates back to 1901. Of the 10 guest rooms, we love the one named St. John’s, with its deep-red tones, century-old headboard and view of the city’s skyline. Make time for a nightcap at the inn's Gum Bunch Pub; the bar itself is handcrafted from the home's original doors. 

Weekend To-Dos: 

1. Just three blocks from the inn, the lovely Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens contains works by the likes of Norman Rockwell and Thomas Moran. But it's the garden that really shines, blooming with azaleas, jasmine, sweet peas, pansies and camellias, and showing the design of prominent landscape architects from an earlier age. 

2. Riverside is also home to the Five Points shopping center, a vibrant district that dates back to the 1920s and is now home to eclectic boutiques, pubs, restaurants and tea shops. The center point of the district is the independent Five Points Theatre; opening its doors in 1927, the historic movie venue was the first theatre in Florida to show talking picture shows. But that's not the only theatre with some history: the art deco-inspired San Marco Theatre, just two miles from the Riverdale Inn, was built in 1938. Bonus: For a small corking fee, you can bring your own wine to the show. 

3.  For dinner, head to Black Sheep in the Five Points shopping center and claim a spot at the rooftop bar for a view of the St. John’s river. Don’t miss the poutine: fries with cheese curds and short rib, spiced up with the Cajun flavors of tasso ham and drizzled with gravy.