Exploring Destinations Florida’s Lynyrd Skynyrd Trail

when served with Rodeo Cafe’s house-made sweet butter. “We have wonderful hot sandwiches and high-quality food,” Holt says. “We buy higher-end meats and have great breads, like rye and sourdough. But probably our No. 1 seller is our hamburger. It’s a half-pound on sourdough bread and people rave about it. The Bodacious is the bacon cheeseburger, the Cripple Creek is the cheeseburger, and the Wagon Boss is the plain hamburger. We have fun with the Western names.” Even better, Rodeo Cafe maintains affordable prices so that families can fill up without breaking the bank. In fact, post-meal soft-serve ice cream is always on the house, which has been a hit with all ages. “Our price point is reasonable so that people can come out and eat a steak, and not just for a special occasion,” Holt says. “People love the atmosphere, too. We get a lot of five-star reviews. Plus, we train our folks to take care of the customers. They understand the importance of quality service.” Indeed, the fun, family-friendly concept has attracted visitors not only from neighboring towns, but from far beyond the region. Lately, for example, Holt has noted many out-oftowners passing through on their way to Florida. “They’re coming from Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa — you name it,” he says. “They all think it’s a great experience. And we know Holly Springs has a smaller population, so we were always hoping to pull people from Oxford, Memphis, and Tupelo. It’s a nice trip for motorcyclists to see the square, stop and eat with us.” Next up, Holt and Thomas are looking to expand even further. By fall, the duo will install a small retail area and a mechanical bucking bull for kids and adults alike to try their luck at the rodeo life. Then, by mid-2022, the owners plan to have outfitted an entire upstairs area with more seating and room for live music. An old Western bar — the non-alcoholic kind — will serve up ice cream treats and sodas from the fountain. “Upstairs, we have a beautiful, old stamped-tin ceiling that runs across the length and width of the whole building, and there’s room for 300 to 350 more people up there,” Holt says. “With live entertainment and a bar serving up root beer floats and banana splits, plus our good food, we think people will enjoy coming out.” Aside from the visitors that flock in, Holly Springs locals have also come out to support the restaurant from day one. With second and third phases planned to improve his establishment even further, Holt believes it’ll only attract even more visitors in the future. “We have a unique feel and something very different, with the Western theme,” Holt says. “It’s just a fun place to take the whole family.”

facebook.com/rodeocafeofficial

Based in Oxford, Miss., Tracy Morin is an award-winning freelance writer and editor with a passion for covering food, beverage, beauty, and boxing.

Skynyrd display credit Clay County. Photo by Mike Cella

Temporary Skynyrd exhibtion credit Clay County. Photo by Mike Cella

Rockin’ Northeast Florida

By Pamela A. Keene Photography Credits: Vintage Photos and Jeff Carlisi, Courtesy of Jeff Carlisi. Photos of Reception: Clay County/Mike Cella All other photos: Pamela A. Keene

Clay County offers unique Southern Rock heritage of Lynyrd Skynyrd and .38 Special.

All that’s left of Hell House, the sort-of secret songwriting and jamming site for the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, is a piece of raggedy cinder block in the Clay County, Fla., archives. Located in the Old County Jail, the archives attracts Southern Rock music fans who want to be part of history.

“We’ve had people come by just to have their picture taken with that piece of cinder block,” says Clay County Archives Specialist Vishi Garig. “You’d be surprised that they come here on a quest to find out about this area as the one of the birthplaces of Southern Rock in late 1960s and early 1970s.” Back then, Clay County was one of a couple of Florida hot spots where the band, regular guys who grew up as neighbors and friends, started jamming and later made music history. Members of Lynyrd Skynyrd came together at Hell House to play and jam; its remote location ensured privacy. Once in a while, they’d include their friend, guitarist Jeff Carlisi, to join them at Hell House. “The guys in Lynyrd Skynyrd and I had similar musical tastes and would invite me to come out,” says Carlisi, who with Donnie Van Zant and Don Barnes, went on to found .38 Special. “It was a good ways out, a perfect place along Black Creek to get away, practice and write music; we always kept it a secret,” he says.