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By Sue Kovach
Need a quick trip to relax your body and soul? Try any of these five great Florida getaways that are unique and memorable.
LAKERIDGE
WINERY AND VINEYARDS
Take a free tour to learn about the winemaking process.
Afterwards, taste the unique, flavorful Muscadine wine -- perhaps eat a
grape or two -- at the daily wine tastings, then browse the well-stocked gift
shop for goodies to take home. Art
and music festivals are held monthly at the winery, and the late June and
mid-August harvests bring celebrations and wine-stomping festivals. Accommodations for your trip can be found in the quaint town of Mount Dora about 40 minutes from Lakeridge, which offers bed and breakfast inns, antique shops and good restaurants. Photo by Sue Kovach LAKERIDGE WINERY & VINEYARDS
CEDAR
KEY
Look north, not south, to the tiny Gulf Coast keys directly west of Ocala
to find this quiet island community rich with Old Florida history, natural
beauty, and abundant seafood. The
tranquil village of only 1,000 residents still tells time by the tides.
One of the oldest ports in the state, Cedar Key is the country’s top
producer of farm-raised clams. It’s
also a haven for artists and writers, its quiet, unspoiled environment the
source of many an artistic inspiration.
Visitors can stroll historic streets to browse shops and galleries, rent
canoes and kayaks, explore marshy bayous, go fishing and birdwatching, or relax
and soak up spectacular Gulf coast sunsets.
Special events include the yearly Sidewalk Art Festival in April, a grand
July 4th celebration, and a seafood festival in October.
Accommodations range from quaint motels and B&Bs to condo rentals.
Local residents advise visitors to bring a few good books, a camera –
and leave your watch at home. Directions: I-75 to Ocala, US 27 north to Bronson, State Road 24 west to Cedar Key. Photo by Sue Kovach
HISTORIC
BOK SANCTUARY
The Bok Tower and its 157 acres of lush tropical gardens were a gift to
the American people from Dutch-born Edward W. Bok, a Pulitzer prize-winning
author, environmentalist, and philanthropist.
Hand-wrought iron work and reflecting pools surround the “Singing
Tower,” a 205-foot artistic structure of Georgia marble and Florida coquina
stone so nicknamed because it houses a carillon, a keyboard instrument comprised
of 57 tuned bronze bells. The
musician, or carillonneur, depresses the keys to activate the clappers on five
octaves of bells weighing from 17 pounds to nearly two tons. Live carillon music is played most days at 3:00 PM, and recorded carillon pieces are played on the half hour. The tower has one of the finest carillons in the world.
In the peaceful gardens under towering cypress draped in silvery moss,
you can listen to a ethereal symphony of bells and nature.
Bring a picnic lunch -- the gardens have been voted best picnic area in
Florida -- Admission is $8 for adults, $3 for children 5-12, and free for members and children under age 5. Group rates are available for minimum of 15. Photo
by Sue Kovach HISTORIC BOK SANCTUARY
SEMINOLE
INN AND SWAMP RANCH
The Seminole Inn and Swamp Ranch [www.seminoleinn.com]
is in South Florida, but can make you feel worlds – and time – away Think
“Old South” as you enter the inn and are greeted by grand winding
staircases, open fireplace, bronze chandeliers, and pecky cypress ceilings.
Those who are “inn” to resting can relax in the cultivated butterfly
garden, loll at the pool, or participate in an old traditional pastime, porch
rocking.
To get back to nature, tour two ranches and a nature reserve, including
the unique 2,700 acres Swamp Ranch, where cattle roam free-range among cypress
hammocks on uncleared natural Florida swamp land.
Options for touring include group wagon rides, private truck and walking
tours, and horseback expeditions for experienced riders on working ranch horses. Rates start at $65 for double to $125. Photo
by Sue Kovach
JULES'
UNDERSEA LODGE
The name is no marketing gimmick. You
actually have to dive 21 feet into the sea to enter the world’s only
underwater hotel, Jules' Undersea Lodge [www.jul.com]
which
is still a functioning underwater research lab and named for author Jules Verne
(“20,000 Leagues Under The Sea”).
The cottage-size building has all the comforts a landlubber could want,
including hot showers, well-stocked kitchen with microwave and fridge,
telephone, books, music, videos – and comfy beds where you can snuggle up and
watch teeming sea life outside your round 42-inch window.
The hotel is situated in a mangrove lagoon filled with tropical
angelfish, parrotfish, barracuda, sponges, oysters, anemones and more. How do non-divers get there? Take an intro to scuba diving class. In about three hours, you’ll know enough to get to the hotel. There’s no other way to get to the lodge but to dive there. Typically two couples or a group of six friends can stay at the lodge at one time, or a couple can reserve it exclusively for a romantic getaway in “inner space.” Cost ranges from $295 – 395 per person, depending on meal options and the amount of time spent underwater.Photo courtesy Jules' Undersea Lodge JULES' UNDERSEA LODGE
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