| The Heart of Florida Scenic Trail is calling |
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| April 18, 2008 |
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If you are ready to get off the Interstate and see the Heart of Florida, there is a brand new scenic trail guide hot off the press for you. This is a trail you do by car, stopping often for cultural assets, local haunts and natural treasures along the way.
The very first "Heart of Florida Scenic Trail" guide covers Alachua and Marion Counties. It is a meandering memory maker taken on back roads through Gainesville, Old Florida, Horse Country, Ocala and the Rainbow River area.
This guide, produced by Florida's Eden, has it all from well-known museums like the Harn in Gainesville to the Appleton in Ocala, to off the beaten path places like the Kika Silva Pla Planetarium at Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville, the only public planetarium within a 100-mile radius of Gainesville. Every section also includes suggested places to eat.
The arts are well represented. In the Alachua section there is a listing of Gainesville cultural offerings including music, literary scene, theatre and dance. Then another page lists artist's studios with addresses and contact information in the Gainesville area.
Environmental concerns, including water and eating organic, are on Eden's top burner. You'll read how to "Eat Well" by getting into the "Eat Local Challenge". This is something I and some friends are trying to do this year - eat organic, locally grown produce - not only healthy but saves on gas, both to produce and get the produce. We carpool to local farmer's markets.
The Ocala section takes you to Central Florida Community College, Downtown, the Historic District and Silver Springs. A handy resource is a sidebar for the Ocala/Marion County Chamber of Commerce listing their contact information and also every Festival for the year and their dates. Knowing festival dates is great for planning a visit.
The Collector's Commemorative First Edition (2008) of the Heart of Florida Scenic Trail Guide is free and comes with a full color map and audio CD featuring Florida songs, poems and stories. The guide is magazine size and loaded on every page with beautiful photographs. I felt like I had an encyclopedia in my hands - it is that loaded with information gathered from Convention and Visitors Bureaus, community colleges, area museums, arts organizations, state parks, local conservation efforts and the local business community.
The guide is available at all stops along the trail including the Alachua County Visitors and Convention Bureau at 30 East University Avenue, Gainesville, and the Visitor's Center at the Ocala/Marion County Chamber of Commerce, 110 E. Silver Springs Boulevard, Ocala.
In conjunction with releasing this first trail guide, Florida's Eden sponsored a Paint Out of the Heart of Florida. After painting on location for a week, the artwork goes on display and sale tonight, Friday, April 18, from 6-10 p.m. at the Thomas Center in Gainesville.
Florida's Eden has as its mission portraying, preserving and prospering the natural and creative assets of North Florida. It is the primary project of the Artists Alliance of North Florida, Inc., a non-profit organization. |
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| An artist capturing a historic home in Micanopy during the 2008 Paint Out for the Heart of Florida. |
| Credit: Lucy Beebe Tobias, VISIT FLORIDA Authentic Florida Expert |
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