The Herlong Mansion Historic Inn and Gardens

Sometimes we need the roar of the crowd or the hustle of a city; the lure of excitement just pulls us there. I love going to museums, shows and events, but like the Griswold's vacation, without a lot of time or the fortunate circumstance of living in close proximity we tend to warp speed through these fantastic outings.  Let's face it, time is precious these days so we try to cram it all in and we often return from these packed adventures completely drained. What we all need more of is a little southern hospitality.

Not far from exhaustion myself these days, I decided to celebrate my birthday relaxing with good friends. Our plans, my good friend Lindy and I, were to celebrate our birthdays with a big outdoor cookout party with a band. Well, we went from big plan to low key. The music wasn't eliminated it just went from rock band to fingerstyle guitarist (x2), which I honestly prefer, and the food was simpler but superb. In lieu of a band occupying the porch we moved the dining room table outdoors. The menu was fresh swordfish steaks wrapped in banana leaves with a pineapple curry chutney (Martha Stewarts got nothing on Lindy), shrimp and pineapple kabobs, vegetable pad thai and corn on the cob. YUM! Oh, let's not forget the cheesecake and homemade brownies for dessert and, as usual, the wine flowed.  I'm thinkin' Bob and Lindy should convert pastures into vineyards, but then they probably already see enough of me. The whole weekend was grand, but besides the great company and the great food there was also the wonderful southern hospitality style accommodations.

Not too far from "civilization" but far enough to provide tranquility and seclusion is The Herlong Mansion Historic Inn and Gardens.
The Herlong Mansion dates back to the 1800's and was built by the Simonton family who were among the original settlers of Micanopy.

It was a simple farm house back then and remained so until 1910 when a Simonton married a Herlong and his prosperity afforded them the wealth necessary to transform the simple home into the Southern style colonial mansion it is today. With its ornately carved columns and beautiful grounds passers-by find it impossible to resist a stroll up the front walkway. The interior with its very Arts and Crafts style leaded glass windows, fine wood paneling and wood floors is elegantly decorated with antiques but is not at all stuffy. I think it has something to do with the touches of whimsy throughout, such as their collection of walking sticks and canes in vessels around the house.
The smell of fresh baked cookies will lure you downstairs in the late afternoon where you'll find them set out for guests near the caraf of wine. In the evening port and brandy are available in the parlor. Warm touches are the signature of a well done Inn or B and B and this one exudes southern hospitality and charm!

We stayed in the Herlong Suite a very spacious and beautiful room. All the rooms throughout the mansion are sumptuously decorated to the point of alluring, but my favorite part of the house has to be the hypnotic upstairs porch. Our room connected to the porch and we spent our mornings on it sipping coffee and evenings sipping wine.  Nothin' could've been finer except perhaps to have had the sounds of Bob Brounley's extraordinary fingerstyle guitar music floating on the breeze from downtown to this porch*. This town, this place give you such a sense of belonging even in the briefest of stays.
It beckoned to us in barely audible whispers, "come, relax, take a nap, read" and for a few days all the stress of life vanished with a whisper.

*Bob's music-have a listen to this tunepak.

The Road Less Traveled

I have to admit north central Florida (the Gainesville area) was never my first choice of places to visit or even my 41st. I'm more of a perimeter girl or, should I say, beach girl. If you've read my blog before you've seen the pattern. In my defense we do have 1100(+) miles of spectacular coastline and I am the offspring of a lifeguard and a nurse that met on the beach, BUT perhaps I haven't given the charming interior parts of Florida enough coverage.

When it comes to the Gainesville area I had long since catalogued it as the gateway to party U. The huge school and its love of all things football (Go Gators!) overshadowed anything else it had to offer like theme parks do in Orlando. If you have Gator friends you probably understand why and if you've never been to the University of Florida well, let's just say, the blue and orange are a bit overwhelming.  For decades it's been known as the party college. A friend put it this way, "That's why it took me six years to get a four year degree" and once my own sorority and beer bong days were over the area lost its appeal. Fast forward to now and I confess the school grew up (the school is now ranked among top public universities in the country), but an education, football and drinking aren't the only things this area has to offer.  So my post is not really about the school. I just needed to confess I'd been giving it a bad wrap. The surrounding areas offer a different appeal to my more grown up self; communities with names like Alachua, Micanopy, McIntosh and Cross Creek.

Most of you are familiar with the work of a writer named Rowling, only the one I'm thinking of is Rawlings and lived in Cross Creek, FL.  She didn't make magic with a wand but Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings did make magic with words.  In fact her words won a Pulitzer.  Friends with Ernest Hemingway, Thomas Wolfe, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Robert Frost and Margaret Mitchell you might not think that Rawlings would be the type to love life in the backwoods of Florida, but she did.
She wrote, "We at the Creek need and have found only very simple things. We need above all, I think, a certain remoteness from urban confusion, and while this can be found in other places, Cross Creek offers it with such beauty and grace that once entangled with it, no other place seems possible to us, just as when truly in love none other offers the comfort of the beloved."  
Much of her work was taken from her experiences here and thanks to the local's sense of preservation, time and progress have not been allowed to erode this areas history. Visiting the area is like stepping back into Florida's past.  Of course there are big city conveniences nearby due to the huge University, the charm however, lies in its back country. Rawlings' stories are a "must read" and her home is designated as a National Historic Landmark.

Close by is Micanopy which offers about a 1/2 mile stretch of shops and a restaurant or two housed in old buildings sporting everything from vintage postcards and carriages to Fiestaware and Depression glass.  For me its crown jewel is the Herlong Mansion B and B.  This place is authentic and beautiful and will be the focus of an upcoming post.

A stones throw from Micanopy is the town of McIntosh. A spattering of old wooden churches, homes with wrap around porches, some fishing cottages and an abundance of huge oaks draped with Spanish Moss make up the old neighborhood nestled lakeside. Orange Lake boasts 12,706 acres of water purported to be filled with Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Black Crappie and Redear and it truly dwarfs the little towns that dot its edges. Whether you're inclined to stay at a fishing cottage or the Herlong in Micanopy or at one of Gainseville's numerous hotels it's an area well worth exploring. Fall festivals are a great way to discover old Florida and I highly recommend taking an unguided tour. Just get lost! You might just find yourself stopped in the middle of a country road taking photos of an oak canopy.
"Cross Creek belongs to the wind and the rain, to the sun and the seasons, to the cosmic secrecy of seed, and beyond all, to time." MKR

Bob Brounley - Fingerstlye Guitarist

I must acknowledge my reconnection to the area is through dear friends, Lindy and Bob. If you're lucky you might find Bob playing his amazing music on a weekend in Micanopy (Bob's on ReverbNation.com). 
They live on a horse farm just outside of McIntosh and have given me more insight to the area than I could have discovered on my own. They are among the most wonderful people a person could hope to know. They even introduced me to the Mayor of McIntosh.  Horse Farms and dinners with the Mayor?  Sounds like I've been hobnobbing! Well, a girls got to do what a girls got to do.

Search Amazon.com for marjorie rawlings books
Historic Micanopy, Florida, 1821

Chillin' at The Whale's Rib

This place brings back memories! When I was 22 (a long, long time ago) I helped open this raw bar and it was quite the youthful experience! The owners at the time, Ben, Dale and Jennifer, were great and the fun never stopped. For the next little while I learned how to shuck oysters like a pro, steam seafood to perfection, make "Whale Juice", purple coleslaw and lobster bisque. After that experience you'd think I'd be a better cook! Oh well! Anyway, it was a crazy, wild time in my life so this place holds some fond memories for me.

Nostalgia has drawn me back here to this beachside comfort food over the years but I admit to having been less than thrilled with their food the last two times I stopped in. Not that the tourists would notice because the food is still good, it just wasn't what it once was. This trip however I was more than thrilled to see that they've had a revival of sorts. Everything from the Whale Fries to the Key West sandwich to the steamers was just like it use to be - GREAT!  

It has tripled in size since I worked there and has been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network but it still has an intimate charm with its interior of rustic barn wood and nautical references. The usual array of local bar photos and license plates from travelers adorn the walls.  Rumor has it that Dale (one of the original owners) is still there and perhaps is the reason its back on track.
The Whale's Rib menu still has most of the same great simple fresh recipes and many of the same clientele still frequent.  So it's not surprising that I ran into my 87 year old cousin Molly and her son Roger just coming out as we were going in.  It is mighty popular with the natives!
The hardest part about being there is deciding which of my favorites to order on this visit; Ipswich clams, the Key West or The Whale sandwich, lobster bisque or rock shrimp.  Usually I just start with one of their awesome Bloody Mary's until I can make up my mind.  I have to admit it's much better being on this side of the bar.  So the next time you're on the southeast coast of Florida and in the mood for comfort food do it Florida style have comfort seafood at The Whale's Rib.