Patsy Ittner, Your Premier Broker Selling St. Augustine Real Estate

It was in 1859 that Alligator, Florida renamed itself Lake City. Up I95 to 295 and west on Rt. 10, it's about a 100 miles and a fairly easy ride to the closest city to Ichetucknee Springs State Park, our real destination.

We headed out this morning, February 23, 2008, just to explore the area and find an interesting restaurant before heading to the springs. We didn't. However, Wendys was on the way and as any Wendys affectionado will tell you, there are good Wendys and bad Wendys. This one was very good. So no fine dining, but we did find Keith Goodson, a muralist at work and decided to stop and say hello. Keith is an artist with national recognition and has an extensive portfolio that you can visit HERE. We watched him paint for a bit, but with a canvas the size of the side of a building, it's hard to follow his brush. This particular work appears to be a triptych, the first part completed, and he was working on the second. I could see the sketches, or photos of his studies, in his hand.

Aside from being a fantastic artist, he's a very nice fellow, willing to talk about his work and friendly about my photographing his activities and art. He said this project would take about six weeks to complete, and coincidentally the mural is about the Ichetucknee River, a major tubing destination for all of north Florida.

We were sorry we missed any points of interest in Lake City but we had to ask directions a few times, and once again we were not surprised to find some of the friendliest people in America.

Patsy Ittner, RN, Broker/Owner, Little Fox Realty, 904-687-3665, www.littlefoxrealty.com, Serving the real estate needs of Saint Augustine and Jacksonville, Florida.

Just because the springs dried up doesn't mean there isn't anything to do in White Springs, Florida. Hmm? I wonder why they left off the word "sulphur" when they named the town? Either I75 or I10 will take you almost to the front gate of this sleepy town of about a thousand people.

Reminiscent of one of those sulphur spring towns in West Virginia that we used to frequent when we lived near D.C., White Springs is complete with hills, twisted roads, and Victorian architecture. And this picturesque town has more than a few attractions. Of course there's the Suwannee River, the Stephen Foster State Folk Cultural Center, and The Historic Telford Inn and Restaurant (which inexplicably has no website). But we also found the Visitor's Center to be as commodious as anyplace else in the entire town. Staffed this day by two very knowledgeable and friendly people, the building is flanked by huge porches. One to keep an eye on the non-existent road traffic, and the other to watch the lazy Suwannee River float by. We chose the latter and spent the better part of an hour reading some of the voluminous amounts of local cultural, historical, and sightseeing literature offered for free. There are locally-crafted quilts and other artistic exhibits. The hanging porch swings are the nearest I've come to perpetual motion machines, with just the right height and angle for some serious "sitting-up" sleeping. Just listening to the river will knock you out quickly.

The biggest draw here are the Big Shoals of the Suwannee River. Purported to be the only Class III whitewater in the State of Florida, raft and canoe enthusiasts from around the region migrate here like geese in the wet spring.

There's a wild azalea festival in March which we have every intention of attending. So come back to my ActiveRain localism site for an update, and perhaps then I can provide more information about accommodations and dining at the Telford Inn.

Patsy Ittner, RN, Broker/Owner, Little Fox Realty, www.LittleFoxRealty.com, 904-687-3665, serving the real estate needs of Saint Augustine and Jacksonville, Florida.

2/09/2008

Due west of Gainesville, and about an hour and a half drive from Saint Augustine is Dudley Farm Historic State Park, (DudleyFarmHistoricStatePark) a working 19th century farm now owned by the Florida Park Service. What drew us to this day trip was the website definition of "working." There were a few cattle, a mule, a small horse, and four turkeys, but I couldn't find anything yet growing, purposefully planted, or otherwise viable on this farm.

What I did find were very friendly people, probably volunteers; one of whom was feeding hay to the horse and mule, and another who was shelling pecans on the back porch of the original farmhouse.

There is a visitors center that has a running video loop of the history of the farm, and that was very interesting. The main gatekeeper was also knowledgeable about the farm, and the picnic tables out front were the perfect spot to put our basket after our drive. We probably spent as much time eating, reading the Sunday paper, and taking in the quiet as we did touring the farm. Everything was on the honor system, and self-guided, but the map provided could have been clearer and more comprehensive.

These inadequacies were eclipsed by the beauty of the area. Note I said area, and not the farm in particular. The house was not in great condition, and the pecan sheller indicated they intend to keep it "original" and "true to the era". I agree, except for the fact that I was tripping over fallen branches and obscured fence-wire everywhere, and there were nails sticking out of boards on the sides of several buildings, inexplicable in their function and dangerous for anyone who ventured near them. The kitchen building was the highlight with a fantastic and authentic cook-stove. The photographs illuminate some of the obsolescence, and we simply chalked it up to lack of funding and advertising. Having said that, in the two and a half hours we were there on this picturesque 70 degree and sunny Sunday (February 10, 2008), there were about 10 other cars in the parking lot when we left. At $4 per vehicle, well, you can do the math.

Was it worth the drive? I think the drive itself is worth the trip to the farm. We took back roads to Gainesville, and then circumvented some of the high traffic areas to get to the farm. With the right weather, it's a great drive. Is the park different in the summer? I imagine it's hot, and hope they will spruce things up for summer visitors. Did I enjoy myself none-the-less? Yes. I just wish they'd removed the decrepit farm vehicle dumped in one of the sinkholes, and instead turned both sinkholes into the park-like, geological treasures they could be.

Patsy Ittner, RN, Broker/Owner, Little Fox Realty, www.LittleFoxRealty.com, 904-687-3665, Serving the real estate needs of Saint Augustine and Jacksonville, Florida.

Stephen Foster never set foot in Florida but he wrote our official state Song: Old Folks At Home (Swannee River). There's an interesting story about how he dropped a syllable to make the cadence of the song more viable, but this is not my story.

A bit over 100 miles from St. Augustine, The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park qualifies as a day trip, and is an excellent destination point. The park itself, when not hosting a festival or jam, is quiet, friendly, and easily negotiated by car. If you're interested in this park and its events, visit www.musicliveshere.com. However, if it's quiet, not music, you have come to experience, this section of the Suwannee River can be a great place to unwind.

Banks of soft white sand interspersed with limestone crops make the water color even more surreal than advertising photos portend. Like southern sweet tea, the Suwannee River begins its 266-mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico in the Okefenokee Swamp, owing its rich, almost black color, to the tannic acid left by an inestimable number of rotting leaves and Palmetto roots. We watched as a canoe caused a small wake that, when illuminated by the winter sun, turned the water a dark purple. It's a sight my camera could not quite capture, but it was mesmerizing to see.

This river, which meanders at an average of 2.5-3 miles/hour, changes in size, configuration, and depth, depending upon location. All of it has alligators, and all of it is dark and foreboding while simultaneously eliciting calm and contentment to anyone who rests on its shores.

Home to over 60 springs feeding the Suwannee, to me the highlight of the river, and any who journey down it, would be the sense of going back in time. Not quite to a primordial epoch, but instead to a time of the discovery of Florida, when the banks of this stunning river were home to Timucuan Indians.

Canoe rental outfitters are aplenty, but most are hidden to protect the beauty of the experience. Enjoy these pictures taken 9 February 2008. And take my word for it. If you tire of our First Coast beaches and want to try something different, this was one of the best day trips we've ever taken. Enjoy.

Patsy Ittner, RN, Broker/Owner, Little Fox Realty, http://www.littlefoxrealty.com/, 904-687-3665, Serving the real estate needs of Saint Augustine and Jacksonville, Florida

Moving from Washington, D.C. to Saint Augustine, Florida changed my life in a variety of ways; ninety-nine percent of them good. But do I miss walking to the Metro from my Arlington apartment and the next rental car I'm in is in Europe? You bet I do. Jacksonville's airport is efficient, clean, consumer-friendly, and filled with nice people and fast-moving lines. So what if I have to "connect" in Atlanta or New York. That's the price I pay for yesterday's weather (February 3, 2008) of 75 and sunny making every moment of waiting in a connecting airport worth it.

But some of that waiting may change. Not that we'll ever have direct flights to Europe, Skybus is in town and there are some future destinations in their hopper that we'll definitely take advantage of. For instance, Richmond, Virginia. Unless you take the train, and get a sleeper if you're smart, you have to drive. Either way, it's long, boring, expensive, and if you are driving, dangerous.

Skybus will soon offer flights, non-stops we hear, to Richmond, and that can't happen soon enough. I got so excited, after I signed up for their email newsletter with tips and trips, I went to our little Saint Augustine airport just to get a look-see myself. And the Skybus (Airbus 319) was there waiting to pick up a record crowd of about 15 people. Makes me wonder how long this will last. The attendant at the counter was less than forthcoming. Her answer was the same to every question I overheard asked: "Go online. That information is on-line." But who cares?! Air service to somewhere, right from our own little airport, that's progress.

Our terminal building is made of cloth (really) but the security was conspicuously evident, there are plenty of seats in the waiting area, and parking is cheap ($5 a day).

If anyone reading this is thinking of traveling to Saint Augustine, try Skybus and the Saint Augustine Airport. If we don't use it, we will, of course, lose it. Oh, and yes, there was a cab parked nearby, and three car rental agencies. And a coke machine! What more could you want!

Patsy Ittner, Broker/Owner, Little Fox Realty, 904-687-3665, www.littlefoxrealty.com Serving the real estate needs of Saint Augustine and Jacksonville, Florida