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Escape
the hustle and find the real Florida.
Bed, Breakfast & Barn: Part
lll
By
Georgia Brown
Although
Florida's population growth continues to press inland and
raise densities in agricultural areas, finding an escape to
the natural side of Florida is still possible.
State forests, greenways and smaller county preserves offer
unforgettable riding experiences on trails shared by non-motorized
recreational sports like biking and hiking. The innkeepers
who live along the boundaries know they are close to paradise
and are pleased to invite guests to take a piece home with
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The
World Wildlife Fund declared the Withlacoochee State Forest
one of the "10 Coolest Places in North America."
With a total of 128,471 acres, there are miles of all weather
trails that wind through central Florida's hardwood hammocks,
longleaf pine and scrub oak, through ravines and past creek
bottoms and cypress ponds.
The bed and breakfast inns close to the Gulf that offer riding
are hidden away in places that look nearly the same as they
did in the 19th century when settlers were just beginning
to trickle into the state. These innkeepers have the special
honor of living in an environment that belies their proximity
to cities.
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1.
Buckingham Place B & B
5751 Higginbotham Rd - Fort Myers, FL 33905
Nearest Interstate: I-75, Exit 141
When
approaching the Hoving's private 10-acre farm at the end
of Higginbotham Road there is little to hint at the Old
Florida farmland that unfolds beyond it. On one side is
a 60-acre county conservation tract that was formerly a
cattle ranch, and it still has a few cows roaming its borders.
On the other side are 120 acres of farmland that were homesteaded
many years ago. Nearby is the Caloosahatchee Regional Park,
which offers 11 miles of trails through fields and oak hammocks.
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Karen
and John built the secluded cottage behind the main house
for guests and then decided to turn it into a bed and breakfast.
It's a comfortable haven furnished with a charming claw foot
tub, antique sink, handmade quilts and Old Florida furnishings.
Sitting on lounge chairs on the screened porch, guests will
hear nothing except the sound birds and the rustle of breezes
through the palms and pines.
Next to the cottage is a shady, two-acre pasture for your
horses. Karen is happy to ride out with her guests or pack
them a picnic lunch. When guests return they can enjoy the
luxury of soaking in the spa or heated swimming pool surrounded
by lush tropical plants.
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The Hovings, a couple who once lived on Sanibel Island, enjoy
sharing this tranquil rural retreat close to the bustle of
Ft. Myers with their guests. "We like meeting different
people and have formed many new friendships with our repeat
clients," said Karen.
Call innkeepers Karen and John Hoving at 239-694-0910 for
additional information or make reservations online at www.Iloveinns.com.
2. Equus Meadow B & B and Riding Stable
6812 George Road Tampa, FL 33634
Nearest Interstate: I-275 downtown Tampa, Exit Hwy 60
It's
hard to believe but true. Just 10 minutes from the Tampa
airport is a country estate with a stable and a private
lake that borders the Town and Country Greenway. Bridle
paths in the area pass meadows and overgrown jungle areas,
up hills and over canals.
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The
main house with Victorian appointments is new, but the stable
has been occupied since this was a quiet farming area 10 miles
from downtown. All the doors, including some with stained
glass, were salvaged from a 1920s era home. Ken and Sandy
Rousse gathered European antiques and family heirlooms to
make their home an unforgettable escape from the ordinary.
They imported an exquisite 1870 French hand-carved, walnut
queen-sized bed that has survived two world wars. Sandy's
mother, Milly, who also collects antiques, does the beadwork
that is seen on original works of art in the home.
From the third floor private parlor above one of the bedrooms,
guests can see Equus Meadow Pond and a dock that is a popular
spot to sit and listen to the sounds of guinea hens, roosters
and many colorful wild birds that make their home here. |
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"Our hallmark is personal service. We try to do a bed
and breakfast in the old fashioned way," said Sandy.
She serves breakfast in the formal dining room with tall tapers
in the candelabra. "I have always liked candlelight,
and I enjoy serving on a different set of china each day,"
said Sandy. She also enjoys changing the figurines on the
table as the whim or season inspires her. She asks repeat
guests to fill out a questionnaire so that she has a record
of their preferences and favorite foods.
Ken matches guests with one of seven horses, ranging from
a Percheron to a Shetland pony, for guided trail rides. "These
are our own personal horses that we've trained ourselves and
we enjoy sharing them with guests," said Sandy.
"The highest compliment we receive is when departing
guests say they are totally relaxed and can't wait to come
back," said Sandy.
For more information visit www.equusmeadowinn.com or contact
innkeepers Sandy, Ken and Milly at 813-806-5566 or by email
equusmeadowinn@verizon.net. |
3. H & L Ranch & Blueberry Farm
24537 Evaline Street Brooksville, FL 34601
Nearest Interstate: I-75, Exit 309 West
When
Karen and Bill Harley bought the place, they didn't realize
that part of their property was covered with a dormant patch
of blueberry bushes. They saw only dried up shrubs and planned
to clean them out. After the word spread, their neighbors
came by offering to dig them up and carry them away for
them. Wisely, they declined.
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Today
their country breakfast includes blueberry pancakes or blueberry
muffins and fresh eggs from their hens. When the berries are
ripe, May to early July, guests can join the U-pickers to
gather their own succulent bounty.
From the ranch, guests can ride directly into the Croome Tract
of the Withlacoochee State Forest. Karen and Bill will gladly
act as guides or pack a trail lunch if you wish. One of their
favorite pastimes is sharing stories with horse people. Some
of their regular guests have bought places nearby and are
now neighbors.
The secluded manufactured home surrounded by a pasture that
the Harleys call "The Cabin" has two bedrooms and
plenty of privacy. You can lock the gate behind your horses
and listen to them munching grass under your window as you
drift off to sleep.
Deer are seen frequently in the blueberry fields, and hawks,
wild turkeys and eagles are also spotted. This country setting
is so remote you can still ride your horse to a nearby restaurant
for lunch. For the convenience of riders who drop in, there
is a water trough and hitching post. Dine in or out, it's
your choice.
To learn more about H&L Ranch visit www.thebarnbook.com/hlranch.html
or call innkeepers Karen and Bill Hartley at 352-797-0822.
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4.
Farmer Brown`s Bed and Breakfast
456 Myers Road Brooksville, FL 34602
Nearest Interstate: I-75, Exit 293
In the
rolling hills of west central Florida near Dade City, Fred
and Marcia built a traditional farmhouse that is the centerpiece
of their bed and breakfast. On this 45-acre working farm,
guests relaxing on the wrap-around porch can start to count
the pine trees on the property (there are more than 1,000)
and watch the friendly goats grazing in the front pasture.
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"It
was always my dream to be a farmer once I was semi-retired,"
said Fred, who was raised in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Marcia
grew up on Long Island but has quickly adapted to the sound
of a rooster crowing in the morning.
They offer three rooms, each with private entrances. Two on
the second floor have outside stairs and their own private
porches overlooking pastures. The third is handicapped accessible
with a wood burning fireplace, kitchenette and private bath.
Guests join Fred and Marcia for the fellowship of a hearty
country breakfast where a fresh country eggs are always on
the menu. A morning trail ride can begin by following the
fence lines, which is a good way to get a horse used to the
sight of sheep, chickens, ducks and geese. "They can
get up close and personal with our farm animals, or they can
relax and take a nap in the hammock under the pine trees,"
said Marcia.
The farm has hayfields, a 10-acre grove of Hamlin juice oranges,
and protected wetlands that are home to many wild creatures.
Fred doesn't use herbicides on the grove, instead he bought
an old John Deere tractor with a sickle bar to trim the vines
and brush around the trees.
The Trilby trail head of the Withlacoochee State Trail is
located nearby. North of SR 50, across the horse trail bridge,
the State Trail continues through the Withlacoochee State
Forest, passing near Floral City, Inverness and Citrus Springs,
to the end of the trail just south of Dunnellon at Gulf Junction.
To plan your visit, email mlbrown66@earthlink.net or call
innkeepers Fred and Marcia Brown at 352-799-9996.
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5.
Cypress House Ranch Bed & Breakfast
5175 C.R. 631C Bushnell, Florida 33513
Nearest Interstate: I-75, Exit 309
Cypress
House is located on 10 acres of oak thickets and grassy
meadows. From the highway the mile long road passes cows
and horses grazing in pastures and a few homes on acreage.
Have you ever thought about turning the ranch into a bed
and breakfast? Jan Fessler has proved it is a very rewarding
way to retire. Her years as an elementary school teacher
in Fort Lauderdale gave her many tools that help in managing
a small inn. "This is actually easier than dealing
with principals, parents and the system," she said.
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The mile long driveway is the first leg of a relaxing journey
to a totally different part of Florida, full of tall oaks
and meadows whose edges are alive with wildlife. Riding horses
on the various horse trails of the Withlacoochee State Forest
is the main attraction. Jan's horses are extensively trail
ridden and in summer are used for lessons for a local girls
camp. You can choose one of her Paso Finos, Tennessee Walkers
or American Quarter Horses. She also offers pasture board
for your own horses.
Breakfast is served buffet style with a selection of breads,
teas, fresh cut fruit, which could be melon or citrus in season.
The main dish changes every day and may be Jan's egg casserole,
a vegetable quiche or hearty pancakes with sausage. Once Jan
gets to know you she will remember whether you drink coffee
or tea. "Regulars are like old friends, except they pay
you," she says.
There are three rooms with private baths and two rooms that
share a bath in the hall, which are sometimes used by family
groups who visit the Florida National Cemetery nearby. Her
granddaughter helps with laundry and is learning the innkeeping
business.
To plan your get-away, call innkeepers Jan Fessler or Steve
and Stephanie Tanguay at 352-568-0909.
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6.
Bayer's Lair
11751 SE 16th Lane Morriston, FL 32668
Nearest Interstate: I-75, Exit 358
If driving
is your passion, the Lair's location on the edge of the
53,000-acre Goethe State Forest gives direct access to miles
of wide gravel carriage ways that were formerly logging
roads. Narrow sandy trails through woods of pine, oak and
magnolia attract endurance riders from October to April.
The trails pass through old growth forest shaded by oak
and magnolia trees as well as planted pine tracts. The self-guided
map is easy to use, and the trails are well marked.
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Innkeeper Beryl Bayer is an equine artist known for her fluid
watercolors, which she describes as a blend of expressionism
and impressionism. "My work is most famous for its action
and the multiple ways I express it," said Beryl.
Her brand of hospitality is ideal for those who prefer privacy
and roomy accommodations, and the spacious rooms have large
walk-in closets and luxurious baths. Guests with pets will
love the large suite with a private dog run just outside,
and a studio apartment has a kitchenette and a large, private
screened porch entrance.
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Beryl
provides an elaborate continental breakfast for guests in
the morning, and each room is also well equipped with a coffeemaker,
microwave and small refrigerator for longer stays.
This quiet, 10-acre farm has four separate paddocks with run-in
stalls for your horses, and it's wise to make reservations
early. Beryl has a steady stream of guests in the winter because
of her proximity to the 250-acre Black Prong Equestrian Center.
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The
camaraderie of horse people reaches a peak in the winter season.
Morriston is an extremely horse-friendly, rural community
where the neighborhood restaurant, Willard's, offers a country
pub atmosphere that attracts trainers and owners. If you don't
mind the 20-mile drive to Ocala, there are other dining establishments,
but most evenings you'll find the horsemen eating dinner at
Willard's.
For more information go to www.thebayerlair.com or contact
innkeeper Beryl Bayer at 352-486-4314 or email RodeoArt@aol.com.
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7.
The Carriage House Farm
7230 NW 60th St, Chiefland, FL 32626
Nearest Interstate: I-75, Exit 354
In September 2005, Pam and Ray Knisley traded the bustle of
Fort Pierce for 80 acres of solitude in the rolling hills
of the Nature Coast. Their new home, sprinkled with oak trees,
pastures and clusters of woods, is a quiet retreat for those
equally in need of a little peace.
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The
Knisley's offer two guest bedrooms in the main house as well
as a three-bedroom duplex surrounded by the quietude of the
farm. "What our guests enjoy most is looking out the
window and seeing horses grazing. It makes a nice picture,"
says Pam.
Guests at the duplex have satellite television, dining room,
living room and kitchen where they can prepare their own breakfast
if don't want to join the other guests at the main house where
Pam serves a continental buffet.
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A
five-stall barn with turn-out paddocks is available for guests
who bring their own horses. In addition to wandering the trails
on the Knisley's property, riders can trailer the short distance
to the Goethe State Forest for a change of scenery. For show-goers,
the Carriage House is only 25 minutes from Black Prong Equestrian
Center.
Non-riders will enjoy the Suwannee River hiking trails only
three miles away. A dinner excursion to Cedar Key, a mere
25 minutes away, offers fresh oysters, outstanding Gulf Coast
cuisine and seasonal art and seafood festivals.
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more information on The Carriage House Farm, visit www.thecarriagehouse.com.
To make reservations, call innkeepers Pam and Ray Knisley
at 352-490-9852. |
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Georgia
Brown is a freelance travel writer who frequently writes
about horses. She raised horses for several years and learned
many life lessons while competing in dressage and distance
trail riding with a gentlemanly Arabian stallion that lived
to the ripe old age of 33. She currently lives in Sarasota,
Florida.
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