The live nativity at Good Shepherd is one of central Florida’s favorite ways to celebrate Christmas. The living pageant, held the weekend before Christmas, includes both a walk-thru and a drive-thru experience. Admission is free. The annual celebration draws thousands of visitors to Ocala each year from around central Florida. The event has grown for […]
Florida Day Trips
Hiking Chernobyl Memorial Forest
The whisper of the wind in the long-leaf pines gives this forest in Ocklawaha the perfect atmosphere for contemplation. Part of the Ocklawaha Prairie Restoration south of Ocala, this 314-acre forest was dedicated a decade after the Chernobyl disaster to honor the victims and survivors of the 1986 disaster half a world away. The hike […]
Wild Bison Call this Florida Prairie Home
The typical picture of “buffalo” roaming the great North American plains understates just how far the bison ranged in their heyday. In the 18th century they could be found as far afield as Alaska, New York . . . and, yes, even Florida. So when the Florida park service in 1975 reintroduced a small herd […]
Florida’s Towering Tourist Attractions
Paris, Pisa . . . and Polk County. No visit would be complete without visiting their famous tourist towers. And Florida has not one but three historic towers that draw visitors near and far to experience a bird’s-eye view of the sunshine state. Perched on hilltops along the Lake Wales Ridge (an ancient sand dune […]
The Barberville Yard Art Emporium
The truth is — and the owner of this head-turning marketplace freely admits it — there’s nothing at the Barberville Yard Art Emporium that you need. But on that rare occasion when you’ve got an unusual hankering for a 19-foot aluminum giraffe, monster chicken, dinosaur or life-sized herd of buffalo . . . . Well, […]
Amazing History of Drag Racing at Don Garlits
About the only thing missing from the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in Ocala is the roar of engines and the smell of exhaust. What you will find is a comprehensive history of the sport of drag racing curated by the father of the sport, “Big Daddy” Don Garlits.