Spring/Summer 2023 Icons Issue

LET’S OOH & AHH.

Experience a glass sculpture mecca like no other. Get up close to contemporary glass art from around the world inside the Imagine Museum. And then walk among, around and under the stunning sculptures on display at the Chihuly Collection. There’s more to explore just beyond the beach in St. Pete/Clearwater. Let’s shine—explore the Arts Coast at ArtsSPC.com

PARADISE PROTECTED

Florida is famous for its endless beachfront, it’s an archipelago after all. But where there’s surf, there’s also usually a stack of condominiums perched on the dunes or a resort community shadowing the sandcastles. St. Lucie County—home to the city of Fort Pierce, the city of Port St. Lucie and the beaches of Hutchinson Island—is located in the southeastern part of the state and bucks that trend. Nearly half of its 21 miles of coastline are protected: preserved in natural beauty through the county or state, an exceptional thing for a vacation oasis situated in South Florida, which is known for its dense development. On the contrary, the sands of St. Lucie offer more public access per square mile than any other area in the Sunshine State.

And yet, that’s only the most obvious draw for outdoor enthusiasts looking for a weekend getaway or an extended holiday with ample opportunities for kayaking, hiking, biking, camping, guided excursions, wildlife watching and nature education sessions. It’s an ecotourist’s delight. St. Lucie County boasts more than 35,000 acres of nature preserves—10 percent of its land mass—including three state parks: Fort Pierce Inlet State Park, with a landscape ranging from beach to lagoon; Avalon State Park, its sandy satellite; and Savannas Preserve State Park, featuring the largest expanse of freshwater marsh in this part of Florida.

The geography, topography and tropical/temperate climate make the

county’s wide-ranging habitats a mecca for wildlife enthusiasts, attracted to the area’s abundant biodiversity, nurtured across prairie, hammocks, pine flatwoods, tributaries, rivers, estuaries, freshwater wetlands, savannas and endangered scrub habitat.

“It’s a best-kept secret for nature lovers that want a taste of Old Florida,” said Mike Middlebrook, assistant director of the county’s Environmental Resources Department, noting how St. Lucie is situated on the cuff of the old Everglades, with relic barrier islands that connect the St. Lucie River, Savannas Marsh, St. Johns River, Lake Okeechobee, and the Indian River Lagoon—one of the most biodiverse estuaries in the northern hemisphere.

In season, birding is spectacular. Middlebrook lists an array of resident and migratory species that includes crested caracaras, bald eagles, kites, sandhill cranes, painted buntings, woodpeckers, wading birds, and various coastal seabirds and shorebirds, such as the American oystercatcher and least tern. While glimpses of a Florida panther or black bear are less frequent, visitors are likely to spy manatees, bottlenose dolphins, bats, bobcats, otters, deer, coyotes and foxes, as well as rarer species that abide there, such as the Florida Scrub-Jay, gopher tortoise and indigo snake. “Fishermen know us as the sailfish capital,” Middlebrook continued. “But less known is that the North Fork St. Lucie River Aquatic Preserve provides nursery habitat for many unique sportfish and several endemic tropical fish species including six species of snook, bigmouth sleeper and other rare gobies, and the opossum pipefish.”

Besides the obvious appeal to surfers and sunbathers, St. Lucie’s pristine beaches also provide a critical nesting habitat for three protected species of sea turtles (green, loggerhead and

leatherback). Hutchinson Island resident Ellen Butler, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences master naturalist, is a super fan. “People love sea turtles because there is something mysterious and almost mystical about these large creatures,” she said. “They spend most of their life hidden from us in the ocean, yet they visit every year and travel vast distances to dig nests and lay eggs on our beaches.” Visitors eager for the deep dive can take a nighttime sea turtle excursion through permitted organizations such as Ecological Associates, Inc. and Inwater Research Group, who run tours during summer months.

For a more immersive experience wading into the area’s unique outdoor wonders, download the Visit St. Lucie Nature & Wildlife Pass, an interactive passport with insight into each location. Visit all nine nature-based attractions—including hiking trails, ecocenters, nature preserves, and botanical gardens—and receive a free eco-friendly water bottle.

Why not dive into a more pristine, classic Florida this spring and summer? Step out of the shadows of high-rise resorts looming over busy beaches and get back to uncrowded nature by discovering St. Lucie’s version of paradise protected. Visitstlucie.com

St. Lucie offers a laid-back South Florida retreat for nature lovers looking to get away and get outside.

Visitors eager for the deep dive can take a nighttime sea turtle excursion.

Rootedin carefree getaways

Rootedin carefree getaways

rejuvenate your mind. Escape

estuaries and nature preserves begging to be explored or sink

Unplug, unwind, and rejuvenate your mind. Escape into the miles of untouched estuaries and nature preserves begging to be explored or sink your toes into the pillowy sand of our relaxed beaches. St. Lucie County, Florida offers an expansive list of ways to spend your time - on land, in the water, or on the town. Whether you choose to do everything or nothing at all, our sunny days and good vibes will be everything a vacation should be.

all, our sunny days and good Come explore. Visit us at VisitStLucie.com

Come explore. Visit us at VisitStLucie.com

Mediated Terrain: Perspectives of a Reenvisioned Landscape

Eugene Ofori Agyei: Where Is Home?

Home is Where I Belong

What’s New? Recent Acquisitions

Together Again: Local and Global Connections

In Our Eyes: Women’s, Nonbinary, and Transgender Perspectives from the Collection

Elsa María Meléndez: Vengo de una isla de confusión / I Come from an Island of Confusion

June 1, 2023 – August 27, 2023

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

Romare Howard Bearden (American, 1911-1988) Memories (from the series Ritual Bayou), 1971, lithograph collage, 16 1/2 x 21 1/4 in., Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Gardner. 1983.34.4

© 2023 Romare Bearden Foundation / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY Eugene Ofori Agyei (Ghanaian, b. 1993) Help Me Carry My Bag, 2022, Earthenware clay, fabric, yarn, 37 x 40 x 80 in., Courtesy of the artist

Candida Höfer (German, b. 1944) Spiegelkantine Hamburg III 2000, 2000, C-print, 61 7/16 x 61 7/16 in., The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art at Rollins College, Gift of Barbara ’68 and Theodore ’68 Alfond. 2021.1.36 © Candida Höfer/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2000

Yinka Shonibare (British, b. 1962) Athena (after Myron), 2019, Fiberglass sculpture, hand-painted with Batik pattern, and steel base plate, 82 3/4 x 35 3/8 x 27 5/8 in., The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art at Rollins College, Gift of Barbara ’68 and Theodore ’68 Alfond. 2019.2.17 © Yinka Shonibare CBE. All Rights Reserved, DACS/ ARS, NY 2023

June August (American, b. 1967) 3 Muses Blue, 2014, Silk screen on BFK Rives 300gm paper, 34 1/2 x 31 1/2 in., The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art at Rollins College, Gift of Barbara ’68 and Theodore ’68 Alfond. 2017.6.42 Image courtesy of the artist

Elsa María Meléndez (Puerto Rican, b. 1974) Adalicia en el país de los hardcorosos (detail), 2009, Intaglio on padded and sewn paper, wooden box, 23 x 18 x 10 in. Image courtesy of the artist

Thought-Provoking THREADS

Using thread, fabric and repurposed clothes, artist Elsa María Meléndez plays with the constructs of reality to create entirely new perspectives on social policies and gender roles. Born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, in 1974, Meléndez uses her upbringing on the island to serve as inspiration for her evocative installations, which express her thoughts on intersectionality, gender inequality and the metamorphosis of women, in Elsa María Meléndez: Vengo de una isla de confusión / I Come from an Island of Confusion

Rollins Museum’s curator and fellow Puerto Rican, Gisela Carbonell, Ph.D., believes Meléndez’s art has a special place in Central Florida. “She is one of those artists I have had on my radar for a long time,” Carbonell said. “I am thrilled to have an entire art gallery at the museum devoted to her exhibition this summer.” The Greater Orlando area is home to the largest Puerto Rican population outside of the island, especially following the aftermath of Hurricane María in 2017. These Florida transplants bring a vivid new way of life to the growing metropolis and they, like all citizens, deeply long to see themselves reflected in the community.

As an artist, Meléndez uses materials traditionally associated with women’s labor, such as articles of clothing and other fabric swatches. By embellishing her works with screen printing and embroidery, she pulls apart the layers of society— gender, race, ethnicity and class—and rearranges them to create a new outlook on everyday life. In Aún así, Meléndez uses red thread to accentuate the smaller details of a woman’s body, disregarding her torso, and surrounding her with dozens of cushioned and shaded lips as a criticism of the fixed and unattainable beauty standards society imposes on women. In La isla de las nostalgias, a woman made of fibers and cloth stands tall and stares directly at the viewer. Her skirt, built out of used socks, slowly slips off her figure and on to the ground, scattering the repurposed pieces across the floor of the installation. The strong, fullbreasted maternal figure represents Puerto Rico, and each individual sock

symbolizes a native islander moving further away from their homeland because of harmful economic policies.

Though Meléndez’s work is heavily influenced by her life spent in Puerto Rico, the social issues she addresses are, unfortunately, a universal struggle. “Especially in Florida,” said Carbonell, “we are seeing the state government moving more and more in a dangerous direction, taking away the right of citizens to read certain books, learn more about some historical figures or present certain types of performances.” Meléndez invites viewers to think about how political policies affect their personal lives. Each work in Elsa María Meléndez: Vengo de una isla de confusión / I Come from an Island of Confusion is presented alongside an extended label, explaining each piece's themes and providing further context, including direct quotes from the artist herself. On June 27th, Meléndez will conduct an in-person conversation in Spanish about her exhibition, which is free and open to all. On July 7th, Carbonell will give a tour of the exhibition in English at 11 a.m. “As a teaching museum serving the Greater Orlando area, we are proud to present the first solo museum exhibition in the U.S. of Elsa María Meléndez’s work at this historical moment when women’s rights are being debated and limited,” said Carbonell.

Visit Elsa María

Meléndez: Vengo de una isla de confusión / I Come from an Island of Confusion from June 1 to Aug. 27 at the Rollins Museum of Art in Winter Park. rollins.edu/rma

Visit artist Elsa María Meléndez’s first solo museum exhibition in the United States, Elsa María Meléndez: Vengo de una isla de confusión / I Come from an Island of Confusion, this summer at the Rollins Museum of Art in Winter Park.

Above: Elsa María Meléndez (Puerto Rican, b. 1974) Lengua versátil (Versatile Language), 2016, Padded textiles, embroidery, synthetic materials and sequins, 6' diameter, Image courtesy of the artist

CONTENTS

FEATURES

48

BOUTIQUE BEAUTY

BY ERIC BARTON & JESSICA GILES

In search of somewhere bespoke to get your much-needed beauty rest? Discover 10 boutique hotels sprinkled around the Sunshine State worth booking for your next weekend away.

58

THE GREAT HONEY HUNT

BY JESSICA GILES

True tupelo honey is hard to come by—and even harder to make. Get to know the Florida beekeepers who harvest this delicacy, and find out why it’s not as plentiful as it once was.

68

THE DONS OF DOCS

BY CRAIG PITTMAN

What began as a grade-school friendship blossomed into an award-winning film company chasing down Miami’s most raucous stories. Meet the trio behind Rakontur.

76

A BREED ABOVE

BY NILA DO SIMON

A lavish new equestrian center is bringing horse enthusiasts to Ocala in droves and breathing new life into the “Horse Capital of the World.” Here’s why it’s not just for ponies and professionals.

19

WADING IN

20 /// THE SPREAD: Beat the heat with Florida-inspired hard seltzers.

23 /// MADE IN FLA: These creature comforts give you more bang for your bark.

26 /// THE STUDIO: A young Tampa artist helps us find a common thread.

28 /// FLEDGLINGS: Fernandina Beach’s Flipturn is our new indie obsession.

33 /// JUST HATCHED: Twelve new restaurants, hotels and bars to add to your bucket list

37 /// GROVE STAND: When life gives her lemons, pastry chef Summer Bailey makes lemon cake.

DEPARTMENTS

44

COLUMNS

44 /// CAPITAL DAME: Diane Roberts on why we should exercise the right to read books—especially the ones they don’t want us to

86 /// PANHANDLING: Travel inspires us to try new things, but where does Prissy Elrod draw the line?

104 /// FLORIDA WILD: A glimpse at the next generation of our state animal

90

ON THE FLY

92 /// BIRD’S-EYE VIEW: Where to wander in Winter Garden

95 /// DESIGN DISTRICT: Ty Pennington takes us inside his Palm Coast pad.

101 /// ROOST: These glamorous glass houses are goals.

107 /// THE TIDE: All the events where you’ll see us this spring and summer

112 /// FLORIDIANA: A beloved Central Florida pancake house turns the page.

Cover Photography by LESLIE UNRUH

On the cover: The pool at the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach exudes the island’s high-style, low-stress vibe.

On

this spread: A timeless suite inside Kissimmee’s Ette Hotel Photography by ETTE HOTEL

Meet Me at The Colony

at Buccan, dancing at Cucina and lots of ridiculous antics in between that won’t be

Ga dash of dancing, a smattering of sightseeing, maybe a hike for our health and, of course, shopping. If you’re like me and my college friends, we revert to acting like our 21-year-old selves, channeling that inner sorority girl who still tries to make an appearance at 45, even though maybe—no, definitely—she shouldn’t.

At this moment, my three best friends from FSU and I have a group text going to decide when and where to travel for this year’s annual meetup. We live scattered across the U.S., so picking a time and place that works for all of us is challenging. Over the years, our quartet has rendezvoused everywhere from Los Angeles to London. It’s a tradition that bonds us, and we treasure it.

One of the most memorable of these reunions unfolded in Palm Beach, where we stayed at The Colony Hotel, the iconic pink tower tucked in the heart of the island. When the four of us weren’t darting around town in a tasseled golf cart, we were biking along the Intracoastal, oohing and aahing at local architecture and lounging by the pool with the latest issue of Flamingo. Our weekend hit list included: brunch at Ta-boo, shopping on Worth Avenue, drinks at HMF, dinner

destination but to another state of mind. It reboots and rewires us, diminishes our stress and refills our creative stores. It removes us from the rotation of our daily lives and creates space for new ideas and connections. And it’s a universal desire that we hope to help satiate through the pages of our Spring/Summer Icons issue.

Inside our latest collector’s edition, we unpack dozens of ways to reenergize and reinvent. In our cover story, which takes

us back to The Colony, we tuck in at 10 of the state’s coolest boutique hotels from the shores of Rosemary Beach to Miami Beach. Writer Nila Do Simon takes a ringside seat to watch some of the world’s best show jumpers compete at the World Equestrian Center in a fresh-faced Ocala. And regular contributor Craig Pittman goes behind the camera with the Miami filmmaking trio of such binge-worthy titles as Cocaine Cowboys. Deputy Editor Jessica Giles searches for one of our state’s disappearing treasures, tupelo honey, in the swamps of the Forgotten Coast. Take a home tour with HGTV star Ty Pennington as he shows off his luxury surf shack in Palm Coast, wade into the Everglades to find Florida panther kittens with conservation photographer Carlton Ward Jr., or jump in the car to discover one of our road trip-worthy events across the state from St. Pete Pride to Sandbar Sessions at Little Palm Island and so much more.

Flamingo is designed to take you on a Sunshine State journey unlike any other, one that is smart and beautiful, fun and thoughtful and that compels you to go out and try the things you read in our pages. Buy the art. Taste the food. Read the book. Take the trip. And while you’re out there, look for me and my crew. You might see us grooving to the music in the Keys, rooting for our favorite horse in Ocala or savoring sweet drops of tupelo honey in Apalachicola. You’ll know it’s us by the well-worn copies of Flamingo peeking out of our bags.

Editor in Chief & Publisher

let us know what you think. Email me at jamie@flamingomag.com

THE GOLDEN AGE OF TRAVEL IS BACK

IN THE PALM BEACHES

As America’s First Resort Destination®, The Palm Beaches have been the preferred getaway for discerning guests for over 125 years. From Jupiter to Boca Raton, discover sun-kissed beaches, alfresco dining, premier golf courses and world-class shopping. Less crowded and more relaxed, the gentler side of Florida awaits. | ThePalmBeaches.com

CONTRIBUTORS

NILA DO SIMON is an award-winning journalist and editor who has contributed to Condé Nast Traveler, Garden & Gun and The New York Times to name a few. Simon has written for Flamingo since 2017, with profiles on tennis star Sloane Stephens, the unique South Florida community of Stiltsville and the state’s best wellness resorts. In the latest issue of Flamingo, Simon rides off into the sunset with some of the world’s best show jumpers at Ocala’s World Equestrian Center on page 76 and goes into the studio with emerging Tampa-based artist Nneka Jones on page 26.

STEPHEN LOMAZZO calls Eau Gallie his childhood home. It was there that he was shaped by SpaghettiOs, Kool-Aid and Saturday morning TV in the late ’70s. He learned to drive in a 1931 Model A Ford and graduated from the Savannah College of Art & Design. Lomazzo has been a Flamingo contributor since 2016, and his work has ranged from black-and-white illustrations for “The Black Pioneers of Southern Football” to a captivating cut-paper portrait of the late Bobby Bowden, as well as his regularly appearing and humorous color illustrations for Prissy Elrod’s Panhandling column on page 86.

CRAIG PITTMAN is an author and journalist rooted in the Sunshine State. He has written stories for Flamingo since 2016 about springs, panthers, manatees, greyhound racing, python hunting and Ross Allen, the snake man of Silver Springs. His panther story led to his Cat Tale: The Wild, Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther. “As a native Floridian, I identify strongly with endangered species,” he says. He also writes a weekly column for the Florida Phoenix and co-hosts a podcast, “Welcome to Florida.” In this issue, Pittman chats with the masterminds behind Miami film company Rakontur, which created Hulu’s newest hit documentary God Forbid. Read about it on page 68.

winning photographer whose work has appeared on the covers of Time and ESPN magazines and in the pages of countless national and international media outlets. Koeth lives in Miami and has photographed for Flamingo since 2016. She’s chronicled every corner of our state from the back bays of the Everglades to the halls of the Versace Mansion. Find her work in this issue on page 58 capturing the state’s tupelo honey harvesters, on page 76 documenting Ocala’s horse culture and on page 68 showcasing the filmmakers behind Cocaine Cowboys

STEVE DOLLAR, a Tallahassee native and Flamingo contributor since 2017, has written about film, music, art and other popular culture for a wide range of publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GQ, Artnews, and Filmmaker magazine. Steve is also the artistic director for the Tallahassee Film Festival. Dollar frequently covers up-and-coming filmmakers and notable musicians for Flamingo. For our Icons issue, Dollar sits down with HGTV star Ty Pennington to talk about how he transformed a worn-down Palm Coast bungalow into a sleek, modern oasis. Find the story on page 95.

Where the land ends, vacation begins.

MaxDaytona.com

What awaits you in Daytona Beach? Warm sands. Gentle waves. Delicious food. And the brand new Max Beach Resort, o ering discerning travelers the freedom and exibility of a fully furnished private vacation rental on the beach complete with resort amenities. Plan your trip at DaytonaBeach.com.

FLAMBOYANCE

THOUGHTS FROM THE FLOCK

Fred is emblematic of Florida for sure. There are 1,000+ people a day that never go back to where they came from. Anyway, welcome to Florida y’all. Now that you’re here, hopefully you can find a positive way to contribute to our state so you can one day become a beloved local like Fred. (“Roots & Rails”) @bupdikeart, Highland Park, FL

I have a certificate from [Ross Allen] saying I held my first snake when I was about 4 years old. Probably the last snake I held too! (“Ross Allen: Florida’s Own Reptile Wrangler”)

— Sue DePaoli Molm, Jacksonville, FL

—

For Floridians. By Floridians.

EDITORIAL

Editor in Chief and Founder

JAMIE RICH jamie@flamingomag.com

Deputy Editor Jessica Giles jessica@flamingomag.com

Consulting Creative Director Holly Keeperman holly@flamingomag.com

Senior Designer Ellen Patch ellen@flamingomag.com

Contributing Designers

Jamie Ezra Mark, Ellen Swandiak

As a lifelong sufferer of wanderlust myself I approve of this article.

What’s Anna Leigh Waters going to be like at 18? I mean how much better can she get!?

Senior Writer and Contributing Editor Eric Barton eric@flamingomag.com

(“Queens of the Court”)

— @_ars_one, San Clemente, CA

It’s an exciting time to live in Brevard County.

Boomtown Vibes. (“Beam Me Up, Billionaires”)

— @barbara.umbel.jewelry, Indian Harbour Beach, FL

(“Bitten by the Travel Bug”) — @caribbeangirlintexas, Jacksonville, FL Why

My father fished [at Flamingo] at least one weekend a month throughout the ’60s. Absolutely his favorite fishing spot, driving over from north Dade. (“Putting It All on the Line”) — @steelejde, New Smyrna Beach, FL

At first I thought I loved Flamingo because I love Florida, too. Unlike other Southern magazines, I know Flamingo will show me more about the lovely state I call home. But then I went a little deeper and I think I have it figured out.

Flamingo Magazine gives me curiosity, from driving to far-flung restaurants for a new experience to learning history that inspires me or changes a long-held belief, every issue makes my life a little richer. Could you share my gratitude with your team for that? Have an awesome day!

— Larkin Ellis, Gainesville

It’s so elegant, but Floridian at the same time! You never know where it’s going to take you or what you’re going to find.

— Florida’s Finest

Cover to cover, I love the content: the articles are interesting, beautiful fun layouts and fabulous photos! I can’t really pick just one thing so I’ll say this: I save every issue so my guests can enjoy Flamingo during their stay. Oh! My hubby and I use it to decide on Florida adventures and restaurants to try. I love a lot about Flamingo

— Bird is the Word

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Join the flamboyance (a flock of flamingos) by signing up for our weekly newsletter at flamingomag.com and tell us what you think.

Contributing Writers

Steve Dollar, Prissy Elrod, Katie Hendrick, Bailey LeFever, Craig Pittman, Diane Roberts, Nila Do Simon, Carlton Ward Jr.

Contributing Photographers & Illustrators

Leslie Chalfont, Beth Gilbert, Mary Beth Koeth, Stephen Lomazzo, Alondra Vega, Carlton Ward Jr.

Copy Editors & Fact-Checkers

Patty Carroll, Amanda Price

Editorial Interns Amelia Simmons, Kristine Villarroel

SALES & MARKETING

Publisher JAMIE RICH jamie@flamingomag.com

Advertising Sales Director Janis Kern janis@flamingomag.com

Advertising Sales

Megan Zebouni megan@flamingomag.com

Advertising Sales Kelley Olson kelley@flamingomag.com

Marketing & Promotions Specialist

Emilee Perdue emilee@flamingomag.com

Contact Us

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P: (904) 395-3272 // E: info@flamingomag.com

JSR MEDIA

MOMENTS LIKE THIS ARE

POSSIBLE HERE.

THE SLICE

PRODUCTS + EVENTS + PROMOTIONS

Four Ways to Enjoy the Issue IRL

Parlor Bar Bee’s Knees

Makes one cocktail

1 1/2 ounces Barr Hill Gin

3/4 ounce tupelo honey simple syrup

3/4 ounce freshsqueezed lemon juice

Lemon (for garnish)

PREPARATION:

In a shaker tin, add gin, honey syrup and fresh lemon juice over ice. Shake well. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon twist. Read more on pg. 58

IMAGINE YOUR SURPRISE

after settling into your thatched bungalow at Little Palm Island Resort & Spa only to discover that the world-famous Gipsy Kings are staying in the luxury abode next door. Ole! Then you would certainly lose your mind later that evening when you arrive for your candlelit dinner on the sand to find this Grammy-Award winning ensemble tuning up their guitars for a private concert exclusively for you and the rest of the boutique resort’s guests. Such is the way of Little Palm Island’s exclusive Sandbar Sessions—intimate seaside serenades with some of music’s biggest names (think: Indigo Girls, Emmylou Harris, Stephen Marley, Keb’ Mo’). Announced about one month in advance, Sandbar Sessions are just one of the many overthe-top perks of staying at this luxury destination in the Florida Keys, the only island resort in the United States and one of Florida’s crown jewels. To find out who’s playing next and book your own rare musical moment, visit LittlePalmIsland.com

IN HIS LATEST BOOK , Path of the Panther, New Hope for Wild Florida, published by National Geographic, conservation photographer and Flamingo contributor Carlton Ward Jr. takes us deep into the Florida backcountry to share insights gained on his more than five-year journey capturing the plight of the Florida panther and other native animal and plant species trying to survive and thrive in Florida’s shrinking wilderness. Learn more about Ward’s work in his Florida Wild column on pg. 104.

FOR

THE WHITE SAND

WONDERLAND that is Panama City Beach has so much more to offer than its 27-mile stretch of picture-perfect Gulf Coast beaches. Practice your swing at the Bay Point Golf Club, cruise through St. Andrews Bay to see the world’s largest population of resident bottlenose dolphins or power shop more than 100 stores in Pier Park. Then top off your trip with a sunset spin on the SkyWheel, with its panoramic views of the Gulf Coast shoreline. From the Gulf Coast Jam music festival to a competitive fishing rodeo, there are countless reasons to head west this summer. Visitpanamacitybeach.com

LATEST HAPPENINGS, PHOTOS & VIDEOS, FOLLOW @THEFLAMINGOMAG

Blue Haven

Frida Kahlo’s Mexican sanctuary comes alive this spring and summer at Naples Botanical Garden.

Nearly 70 years after her death, Frida Kahlo remains one of the most recognizable figures of the 20th century—known especially for her self-portraits featuring ornate floral hairpieces. Unsurprisingly, for an artist so associated with flowers, inspiration came largely from her garden.

Kahlo spent much of her life at La Casa Azul, “the Blue House,” her birthplace, marital home and death place in Coyoacán, Mexico. At age 6, she contracted polio, enduring months of isolation and taking comfort in the home’s courtyard, originally decorated with manicured rose beds and imported palms. When she was 18, a devastating bus accident left her with serious injuries, including a broken spinal column. During her recovery, she took up painting, with the garden as her sanctuary and muse. Over time, she and her husband, muralist Diego Rivera, transformed the property to reflect their cultural pride, painting the exterior a cobalt blue, building an Aztec-style pyramid in the garden and filling it with native plants.

Through Sept. 10, you can step into Kahlo’s world through Frida and Her Garden, a special exhibit at Naples Botanical Garden. Its centerpiece features a re-creation of La Casa Azul, which was immortalized as a museum after the artist’s death in 1954. It depicts Kahlo’s creative refuge and the flora that inspired her, such as cactus, bougainvillea, sunflowers, calla lilies and snake plants. A lover of fauna as well, Kahlo had many beloved pets, including parrots, ducks, peacocks, monkeys and deer. Visitors will also find animal sculptures adorned with folk art, reflecting this influence on Kahlo’s life and work. Additional highlights include a kitchen garden,

Frida and Her Garden resonated with the Naples Botanical Garden staff who imagined an immersive experience that would enchant visitors and educate them on the importance of conservation.

“Mexico is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world, and we already had a lot of its native plants reflected in our collections,” says Naples Botanical Garden Director of Marketing and Communications Renée Waller. “We wanted to celebrate a tropical area, with a climate similar to Southwest Florida’s, with a habitat and native species that are crucial to protect.” Kahlo’s legacy, while tragic, is also uplifting and attracts a wider audience to this powerful message, she explains. “Whether people visit because they love art or they’re fascinated by Frida, we believe they’ll leave the exhibition with a greater appreciation for conservation, as well as the impact plants have on our well-being.”

Preliminary research for the exhibit began three years ago and, in the summer of 2022, staff began preparing space between the Kapnick Caribbean and Brazilian gardens and scouring nurseries for plants that appear in Kahlo’s paintings and reflect Mexico’s culture and ecosystem.

Erin Wolfe Bell, director of exhibitions and special programs for Naples Botanical Garden, believes Frida and Her Garden illustrates the significance of nature for boosting creativity and providing peace. “The Blue House and her personal garden, which is what this exhibition is exploring, were [Kahlo’s] most rooted places her whole life,” Bell says. “Through turmoil and trouble and tragedy, her garden was her refuge, and we all can relate to that.”

Visitors can find countless moments of calm exploring the 170-acre botanical garden, which specializes in tropical ecosystems. Summer marks the return of two favorite annual events and is a prime time to experience the garden’s beauty and riches. During Tasting the Tropics, July 1, guests can sample tropical fruits and learn about uncommon varieties grown on-site. Waterlily Weekend, Sept. 2–3, captures vibrant aquatic plants in full bloom and includes special tours to learn about the diversity of plant shapes, sizes and colors in the garden’s collections. For more information on these and other exhibits, naplesgarden.org.

Above and clockwise: The staff assembled Kahlo’s bright blue abode; The Water Garden is located in the heart of the property.

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1 World Golf Place 904-385-9121

staugustinefoodandwinefestival.com

“One of Florida’s Top 10 Food & Wine Festivals,” according to USA Today, May 3-7, 2023, with local and celebrity guest chefs and all-inclusive food and drink tickets. Enjoy great cuisine, hundreds of wines, beers and spirits, live music, cooking demos and more.

St. Augustine Sailing 3076 Harbor Drive 904-829-0648 sta-sail.com

Find

— Floridians, fare, finds —

WADING IN

The Spread

—

Find your favorite fizzy Florida flavor

MADE IN FLA —

These Florida makers are in the dog house

the studio

The movement behind the murals

Fledglings

From the garage to the grand stage

Just Hatched

Twelve new spots to eat, stay and play

grove stand

Meet the darling of decadent desserts

WADING IN :THE SPREAD

FLORIDA-FRESH BITES & BEVS

By Jessica Giles • Photography by Alondra Vega

FLORIDA Fizzy

The Sunshine State’s endless summer vibes inspire some of the most popular hard seltzers on the shelves.

This page: The Freshie Strawbae Paloma cocktail mixes fruity with fizz for the perfect summer evening aperitif.

“We want to change how people think of drinking alcohol and provide like-minded people with a clean organic cocktail so they can feel better about sticking to their fitness or dietary regimen while still having some fun,” the Isemingers wrote to Flamingo Freshie comes in three varieties—lime, blood orange habanero and grapefruit guava—and its bubbly smooth finish makes it an excellent mixer if you’re looking for a libation on the stronger side.

For those who fancy a fruit-forward profile, FLORIDA SELTZERS have made a splash in the category for being one of the most flavorful brews. Developed by innovative beverage

Funky Buddha Citrus Savage

MAKES ONE COCKTAIL

2 ounces bourbon

1/2 ounce Aperol

2 ounces blood orange juice

2 dashes orange bitters

1 can Funky Buddha Blood Orange Black Cherry hard seltzer

PREPARATION: Add bourbon, Aperol, bitters and blood orange juice to shaker. Shake well, and pour into glass filled with ice. Top off with Funky Buddha Seltzer.

up one of these seltzer-based cocktails at your next summer soiree.

WADING IN

If you’re the type of dog parent whose camera roll is full of your furry family member, opt for a sentimental hand-painted portrait from this Tallahassee artist. Add a mat and frame and your new personalized wall art will last for

come.

Life is a party—make sure your dog is dressed for it. This beautiful blue floral bandana from Winter Park-based Rifle Paper Co. is whimsical and machine washable. Snag it in three different sizes and a variety of patterns. $28 riflepaperco.com

2. Rethreaded, Cat’s Best Friend Handmade in Jacksonville, these toys filled with organic catnip and made with upcycled fabric are both environmentally and feline friendly. Every purchase benefits survivors of human trafficking who power this nonprofit. $15 rethreaded.com

3. Lello Co., Pet Portrait

years to

$400 lelloco.com

4. Rifle Paper Co., Garden Party Bandana

1. SwiftPaws, Flirt Pole Designed for the pup with endless energy, this durable all-aluminum Flirt Pole can withstand hours of rough-and-tumble play to keep your pet engaged. Running around the backyard with this fun lure will give you and your hound a workout. $49.99 swiftpaws.com

a custom brass nameplate with your phone number for some extra peace of mind should they wander too far. $73 overunderclothing.com

MADE IN FLA

Does your pet have so many essentials she needs her own purse? Toss her supply of treats, toys and other necessities into one of these stylish tote bags with clever sayings from Sunny Dog Co. for easy traveling. $25 etsy.com/market/ sunny_dog

chic spot for you to rest your glass and for your cat to rest their head. Its cushion underneath is removable for easy cleaning, it’s cozy enough for catnaps and stylish enough to seamlessly blend into your home. $149 naturallife.com

the curb and opt for these grain-free gourmet treats made in Jacksonville. An array of flavors including chicken meatballs, beef liver and chicken liver should satisfy even the pickiest pup’s palate. $12.90 thebarkboutique.com

Beds, Original Orthopedic Bed Tired of sharing the bed with your bullmastiff? Give him one all his own, complete with humangrade memory foam, a waterproof liner and a 20-year warranty. Scooch over, Fido. $229.99 bullybeds.com

6. Over Under Clothing, Durable Leash Set No matter where your wet dog wanders, this waterproof leash and collar set can stand up to a good soaking. Add

7. The Sunny Dog Co., Personalized Pet Tote Bag

5. Corkcicle, Dog Bowl This doublewalled stainless steel bowl keeps water ice cold through even the longest beach days. Covered in sand and slobber? This trendy dog drinkware is dishwasher safe. $39.95 (16 oz.) corkcicle.com

WADING IN :THE STUDIO

FLORIDA ARTIST PROFILES

By Nila Do Simon

A Canvas Connection

Tampa artist nneka jones uses paint, embroidery and a few unconventional mediums to make people think.

On a sunny Saturday at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park in downtown Tampa, amid a bustling crowd at the 2022 Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, a woman sheds a tear. She pauses in front of a mixed-media art piece—a combination of complex hand-embroidered threads and other unconventional materials—and studies it before crying.

The pieces themselves feature the somber faces of female subjects who are looking straight at the viewers, as

if imploring them for help—or at the minimum, craving to be seen. Created in response to the rise of sexual abuse and trafficking of young women and girls, her Target series is both artist Nneka Jones’ public appeal and personal statement.

“She just felt so connected with the piece,” Jones recalls about the Target image that had the onlooker in tears. “It showed me that people do appreciate artwork that’s real and raw, and maybe uncomfortable. People seeing it will ask about it, and a conversation will start. And

that’s what counts.”

As the depicted girls stare forward through the center of a bull’s-eye, the viewer can’t help but be pulled in. Upon closer inspection, the piece reveals itself to be even more complex than from afar. A tapestry of ebony, chocolate and caramel hand embroidery becomes the countenance of each girl, developing an undulating texture of fiber that paint alone could never achieve. And the scope that encircles them is a much more unconventional material: condoms. Dozens of unwrapped condoms fill the canvas, and their purpose

Above from left: Incognito, 2022; Red Light Shooting Range, 2020; New Era, 2022

is multifold: “Condoms are a symbol of sex, and I wanted them to be a way to draw people in,” Jones says. “People don’t typically see artwork like this that is raw and that can make you uncomfortable, but it’s all for the message that we need to protect our girls.”

Almost immediately upon graduating from the University of Tampa in May 2020, with a degree in fine arts and a minor in marketing, Jones’ profile skyrocketed. For its Aug. 31–Sept. 7, 2020 issue, TIME magazine commissioned Jones to create a cover image after seeing on her Instagram profile her realistic depiction of victim George Floyd that spoke to where America was at that moment, when the Black Lives Matter movement and civil unrest gripped the nation. She embroidered an American flag using only black and red thread, leaving the ends unfinished and tucking the needle she used into the last stripe, exactly how a sewer would step away from an unfinished project.

“At the time, what needed to be done was some type of statement to unify the U.S.,” she says. “With the American flag, it’s a strong symbol of pride for me. Yet with this piece, you can see the needle still on the cover, and it feels like there’s more work to be done to be more unified.”

Jones has been a creative since she was a child living in Trinidad. She picked up fiber arts on a whim in college after an art professor challenged the class to “paint without paint.” When deciding upon which non-paint medium to use, Jones channeled her days as a young girl, sitting with her mother, Arva, as she sewed clothes, draperies and curtains. As mother sewed, daughter would paint and sketch.

“I remember my love of being in that space with her,” Jones says. The needles, the thread, they had always been close to Jones, so when it dawned on her that she could use embroidery to create modern fine art, her worlds collided.

“My original intention was to be a hyperrealistic painter,” she says. “And when I had to remove paint completely, it was my chance to experiment.”

While Jones’ textile and fiber arts may have earned her national acclaim at a

young age, her portfolio offers a wide range of disciplines, including paint. Earlier this year, the 26-year-old artist was commissioned to create a mural at Disney Springs Art Walk, a popular dining and shopping destination in Lake Buena Vista. Her Create Your Spotlight portrait shows a smiling young Black woman wrapped in a glowing halo that symbolizes optimism and empowerment. “This one is for all the soul seekers who are creating their own spotlights and movements,” Jones says.

And while her message for Create Your Spotlight is a bright and positive one, Jones says there’s always a deeper meaning to take away. Even though the viewer might see a wide grin in Create Your Spotlight, there’s space to talk about empowering women and girls within that same frame.

“With my artwork, I’m not afraid to be out of the norm and discuss heavy and uncomfortable topics,” she says.

Above: This year, Jones painted Create Your Spotlight, a mural in Disney Springs, to share positivity and open the discussion about empowering women and girls.

Above: The Trinidad native graduated with a degree in fine arts from the University of Tampa in May 2020.

WADING IN:FLEDGLINGS

FLORIDA MUSICIANS ON THE RISE

By Emilee Perdue

FLIPPING OUT With Flipturn

This indie-rock band quickly outgrew their Fernandina Beach garage and now plays sets at the biggest music festivals in the nation.

Last summer they were playing music festivals for more than 300,000 people, slinging their guitars like certified rock stars and celebrating more than 50 million streams on Spotify alone. But on this sunny Monday morning, just one day before embarking on their nationwide Shadowglow tour (which runs Feb. 1 through Oct. 21), the three founding members of the indie-rock band Flipturn sit around their kitchen table in Fernandina Beach swapping road stories with this Flamingo writer like we’re old friends. Despite not having a single guitar pick packed, Dillon Basse (vocals), Madeline Jarman (bass) and Tristan Duncan (lead guitar) are nothing if not laid-back and unhurried, much like their band’s breezy tracks. The trio started Flipturn in Jarman’s garage as high school seniors in 2015. Inspired by 2010 indie-rock hits and classic film scores, the teenagers merged cinema with summertime to find their introspective yet uplifting sound. When the three went off to college (the University of Florida and University of North Florida), they discovered Mitch Fountain (guitarist/synthesizer) and Devon VonBalson (drums), to round out Flipturn. Over the past three years, the band has gone from playing intimate shows at Gainesville’s Heartwood Soundstage to captivating the crowd at Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and other iconic music festivals. Before they hit the road again, we learned some of the eccentric secrets to their success.

Above from left, clockwise: Mitch Fountain, Devon VonBalson, Dillon Basse, Madeline Jarman and Tristan Duncan

WADING IN:FLEDGLINGS

HOW DID GROWING UP IN FLORIDA IMPACT YOUR SOUND?

Dillon Basse: The fact that it’s the Sunshine State, we are surrounded by very nice weather, so I think that had something to do with the mood we were in when we were writing songs. Being surrounded by beautiful weather and sunshine has led to our more uplifting music.

YOU HAVE AN UNCONVENTIONAL PRE-SHOW RITUAL. CAN YOU EXPLAIN PRINCE PRAYER TIME?

DB: One of the first shows our drummer, Devon, played with us was this weekend set in Gainesville. They were outdoor shows because it was during COVID-19, and it was raining all weekend. Before one of the first shows, Dev was like, “Alright. We gotta come together. Who is someone that’s had an iconic show in the rain?” Prince, “Purple Rain,” that whole thing. We got in a huddle, and Devon said a little prayer to Prince. We ended up playing a great show, and the rain held off for the most part. Now it’s just kind of this thing to loosen us up before we walk out

onstage. Every time we haven’t done it, it’s been a really bad show.

YOU PLAYED SOME HUGE FESTIVALS IN 2022. IS THERE A MEMORY THAT STANDS OUT?

DB: Bonnaroo, when Tristan did this barrel roll onstage with his guitar, and he kept playing. Everybody was losing their minds. I think that was my favorite experience from one of the festivals.

Tristan Duncan: I was panicking. I’ll be honest, I slipped, and my feet just stopped working.

DB: It was impressive the way you caught yourself and turned your body last minute to keep playing.

Madeline Jarman: It was very rock ‘n’ roll. I would say another cool memory would be when we played Lollapalooza and played the song “Chicago” in Chicago. We were pleasantly surprised by the people that showed up to our set. Same with Shaky Knees in Atlanta. I think that was one of the first big festivals we

played that summer, and the crowd was just amazing.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO PLAY IN FLORIDA?

MJ: Gainesville is a special place because that’s truly where we got our start. Even before Jacksonville, we were playing in Gainesville for months—probably over a year— before we actually could book gigs in Jacksonville, before people would respond to our emails. Heartwood Soundstage is where we held our Playground Music Festival, and the staff there is amazing.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS AFTER THE SHADOWGLOW TOUR?

DB: Writing a new record. Keep on the lookout for some more Florida shows. We’ll be back!

Know a band with Florida roots?

SCAN THE CODE AND TELL FLAMINGO !

This page: The Shadowglow nationwide tour runs from Feb. 1 to Oct. 21.

RETIRED DOESN’T MEAN TIRED

In a place you call home you’re not just you. You’re you-er. Bolder. Artsier. Happier. Because just like the ocean we never stand still. We never slow down. We go where the tide takes us and make routine feel far from routine. Discover your Miami Beach at M MBFindYourWave com/locals

WADING IN :JUST HATCHED DEBUTS

TO PERUSE

By The Editors

(NORTH)

a new plant store, cafe and bar in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Jacksonville. Owners Lauren Henry and Jennifer Ness wanted to create a space that felt like walking into a friend’s house—if that friend was a serious flora fanatic. String of hearts plants dangle from above and fiddle leaf figs sprout up from behind the vintage velvet couch. When night falls, this lush wonderland takes on a whole new ambience. The neon pink sign above the bar casts a glow on the indoor jungle while experienced bartenders craft artisan cocktails such as the Petal Bomb, a floral libation featuring rosé vermouth, butterfly pea flower and Can Sumoi La Rosa. thegreenhousebar.com

LIONS AND LANTERNS INN ST. AUGUSTINE

JOSEPHINE

JACKSONVILLE

Although this Avondale addition might feel a little more glamorous than grandma’s house, the heaping plates of hearty Italian food taste like they’re straight from nonna’s kitchen. Inspired by and named after owner Josh Floyd’s own grandmother, Josephine serves a mix of traditional and innovative takes on Italian favorites such as pinwheel lasagna, rib-eye steak pizzaiola and even pizza rolls. Whether you slide into a sleek olive-green booth in the lounge or opt for a spot opposite the arched mirrors at the bar, Josephine’s upscale interior sets the scene for a meal rivaling one you’d find in a big city. And while you may be tempted to overindulge on the entrees, the desserts are just as deserving of your

attention. Since Josephine opened in November 2022, the olive oil cake, served with orange marmalade and whipped mascarpone, has left such an impression on diners that some say they wake up thinking about it the next morning. josephineavondale.com

THE HUB AT FEATHER OAKS TALLAHASSEE

From a former wedding venue to a newly founded gathering spot, The Hub at Feather Oaks fosters community in the depths of nature. Katrice Howell and her husband, Scott Carruthers, who’ve owned the property for more than 30 years, decided to reimagine the space after exploring nature trails in the Northeast. Up there, pit stops on the trails for a pint and lively conversation are common, so

the duo wanted to bring that same levity to Tallahassee. The revamped Hub at Feather Oaks, which opened in January 2023, includes a bike shop, farm and tap room, and gives those enjoying the nearby Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway trail plenty of space to unwind. Relax in The Tasting Bar(n) with a local brew while your bike gets a tune-up, or refuel from one of the rotating food trucks parked on-site. Maybe you’ll head back out to the trail with a new biking buddy you met at the bar. thehubatfeatheroaks.com

THE GREENHOUSE BAR

JACKSONVILLE

It’s science: Houseplants make us happier. Combine them with a glass of sangria or a cappuccino and you’ve created one happy haunt. That’s the recipe for The Greenhouse Bar,

Jocelyn Fastner spent two years traversing the country in an RV, three years sailing the Bahamas and most of the pandemic tearing up dirt roads in Minnesota. It wasn’t until she stumbled across the Ancient City that putting down roots sounded better than roaming. So, with the help of her friend, and now co-owner, Adam Schouten, Fastner set out to build a boutique hotel worthy of the city that lured her to stay. Each of the six rooms at Lions and Lanterns Inn has a custom Bohemian design inspired by icons around St. Augustine. One of the most Instagram-worthy rooms is Firme, named after one of the lion statues that stands guard over the Bridge of Lions. Here, an enormous window brimming with flowers frames the king-size bed, making it the perfect spot for a photo op. lionsandlanterns.com

Above: The menu at Josephine is modeled after owner Josh Floyd’s Italian grandmother’s cooking.

WADING IN :JUST HATCHED DEBUTS

TO PERUSE

(CENTRAL)

GOOD INTENTIONS

ST. PETERSBURG

At Good Intentions, vegans don’t have to stick to sides in order to cobble together a meal. The fully vegan owned and operated bar and restaurant, which opened in September 2022, offers a wide variety of plant-based dishes and craft cocktails. Wednesday through Sunday this health-conscious hotspot offers a diverse dinner menu ranging from chimichurri tempeh to grits and greens. On the weekends, indulge in all your brunch favorites like French toast stuffed with cream cheese and, of course, avocado toast. Affectionately called Goodies by the locals, this bright and airy eatery lends its space to more than just good eats. From popup vendor events to holidaythemed parties, this addition to the St. Pete scene is all about amplifying the good vibrations of its customers. Whether you stop in for a quick espresso martini or you linger for hours with your loved ones over a grazing board, Good Intentions is beloved by vegans and voracious carnivores alike. goodintentionsfl.com

THE ALIBI COCKTAILS & BITES

COCOA BEACH

ROUGE BEAUTY LAB

OCOEE

Rouge Beauty Lab proposes luxury beauty done your way. Opened in Ocoee in November 2022, the Beauty Lab lets customers create their own lipstick, lip gloss, foundation and concealer with the guidance of in-house experts. Rouge was born out of founder Niki Shah’s struggle to find foundation shades that matched her skin tone. So, she dreamed up a space where everyone can

create their perfect match using only the cleanest ingredients. “Every customer teaches you new things,” Shah said. Some are searching for a seamless shade of foundation, others want a lipstick hue that doesn’t wash them out, and some just want to mix up makeup with their friends. It’s an inclusive experience that reinforces Shah’s belief that everyone belongs in the world of beauty, no matter your shade.

rougebeautylab.com

The prohibition era might be over, but The Alibi Cocktails & Bites keeps the speakeasy spirit alive through its intimate and exquisite ambience. The cocktail bar and restaurant offers an elevated selection of craft drinks and bites reminiscent of a trendy lounge you might find in Manhattan. With its dark walls, classic leather booths, wood tabletops and Moroccan lamps, the space feels like the perfect cozy spot to kick off a date night, but The Alibi is

just as welcoming to laid-back beachgoers who stumble across it after a long day on the sand just across the street. Today’s Alibi is actually a reinvention of the original, which opened back in the 1950s and was a popular hangout spot for astronauts. While you don’t need an engineering degree to snag a seat at the bar nowadays, the mixology happening here looks like chemistry. Of course you’ll find classics like a smoked old fashioned, but we recommend getting a little adventurous with your aperitif. Try one of their specialty cocktails like the Waste Management, a fruity vodka beverage served in a little trash can, or The Sting, a bright blue gin drink crowned with smoke. thealibicocktailsandbites.com

THE TAMPA

EDITION HOTEL

TAMPA

Luxury knows no limits at The Tampa Edition. The 26-story, 172room hotel situated in the Water Street Tampa neighborhood welcomes the poshest of guests with great hospitality and lavish services. Seven bars and restaurants, including a rooftop dining experience from Michelinstarred chef John Fraser, make this a foodie’s playground. With the city’s only rooftop pool, Edition brings a new level of luxe to a destination on the rise. For evening entertainment, book a table beside the stage at the Arts Club, a Radio City Music Hall-inspired space featuring an undulating ceiling of 350 mirrored balls of various sizes and theatrical ruby-red velvet drapery. For a glam night of conversation and cocktails, settle into the Punch Room, inspired by Tampa’s historic ties to swashbuckling pirates. editionhotels.com/tampa

Above: The Lobby Bar at The Tampa Edition Hotel is filled with lush greenery.

WADING IN :JUST HATCHED DEBUTS TO PERUSE

KLAW

MIAMI

Housed in the historic Miami Woman’s Club, Klaw offers a five-star surf-and-turf experience in a storied setting. This culinary adventure unfolds over three levels inside a Spanish Renaissance-style building with panoramic city views. Ascend to Edgewater’s only rooftop bar to begin with an aperitif or two overlooking the port of Miami. Don’t let too many Manhattans make you miss your reservation downstairs, though. One of the most celebrated items on the menu is Klaw’s Norwegian king crab, which is flown in from the Arctic Ocean, prepared tableside and served with a lemon butter garlic sauce. Although the seafood hails from faraway places, the beef is cultivated in Florida, thanks to partnerships with local Cracker cattle ranchers. klawrestaurant.com

ARLO WYNWOOD

MIAMI

Arlo Wynwood brings a fresh edge to Miami’s hospitality landscape. What began as a stark white property became a canvas for local creators, from the massive swirling mural on the exterior wall by Miami artist Hoxxoh to the kaleidoscopic staircase painted by Felici Asteinza and Joey Fillastre of Milagros Collective. The area’s artistic sensibilities carry over into the culinary offering. Helmed by award-winning chef Brad Kilgore, MaryGold’s is a Florida spin on a traditional brasserie, meaning you’ll find savory beignets filled with jerk oxtail and layered brioche topped with orange blossom honey on the menu. Higher Ground, a cocktail bar on the

third-floor terrace, is the perfect perch for happy hour, while the 76-foot-long heated rooftop pool tempts visitors year-round. The hotel’s team describes the experience as “where relaxation meets inspiration—and good vibes are guaranteed.”

arlohotels.com/wynwood

COLDWATER OYSTER MARKET FORT MYERS

At Coldwater Oyster Market in Fort Myers, owners Adam and Erin Nardis bring a different breed of bivalve to the table.

Salty Southern oysters grown in warm waters are plentiful on plates around the Sunshine State, so the Nardis’ wanted to offer something unusual. Drawing from their years of experience running the National Hotel in Rhode Island, the Nardis’ know

that oysters grown in the Atlantic Northeast’s frigid waters have a distinct flavor— crisper and sweeter than their Southern siblings. The menu showcases oysters from both the East and West Coast. Order them raw, and let the sweet meat speak for itself or have them dressed up with vodkasmoked gouda cream, spinach, bacon and truffle crumbs. Venture beyond the bivalves though, because the Maine lobster roll earns rave reviews, perhaps for the sheer volume of buttery meat that overflows from the toasted brioche bun. coldwateroystermarket.com

CAROUSEL CLUB

HALLANDALE BEACH

Sometimes, you just want to feel like a kid again, and the Carousel Club in Gulfstream

Park gives you permission to do just that. With 14,000 square feet of open-air gathering space reminiscent of an upscale carnival, this new entertainment venue is the perfect place for girl’s nights, bachelor parties and happy-hour hangouts. Cast off your adult cares beneath the sparkling lights of a merry-goround, the club’s crown jewel, or find a quiet spot among the lush, tropical greenery on the lawn. This pastel-themed party spot overlooks Gulfstream Park’s racetrack, so guests can bet on their choice horse. At night, the Carousel Club comes alive with carnival-themed aerial acrobatic performances, stilt walkers and euphoric EDM shows. Here, whimsy and nostalgia reign, so if a few mojitos have you not acting your age, you’re not alone. carouselclub.com

Above: Arlo’s kaleidoscopic staircase painted by Felici Asteinza and Joey Fillastre of Milagros Collective

WADING IN: GROVE STAND

By Eric Barton

This page: Bailey studied at the French Culinary Institute in New York City in 2011.

WADING IN: GROVE STAND

SEASON’S EATINGS

Back in the summer of 2020, when locked-down New Yorkers took to their balconies every evening to bang pots and pans in support of healthcare workers, pastry chef Summer Bailey found herself locked out of the kitchen at New York’s Nexus Club, where she worked and, like a lot of people, wondering how she would survive with no income and no health insurance. Before the pandemic, she was whipping up some of the city’s best desserts, having risen quickly through the ranks of its top kitchens— even after finding her culinary career late in life. But when the industry shuttered and she lost her livelihood, it was a job in an Amazon factory picking products that sustained her.

Less than three years later, the 45-year-old is now the executive pastry chef at Boulon Brasserie, the hottest new restaurant in downtown Tampa. How she turned things around so quickly isn’t surprising to Bailey. “The thing is, I’m a strong woman,” she says. “I’ve been through a lot in my life.”

It’s true too, because Bailey can list a good dozen things that would knock down any of us—hurricanes, divorce and the worst kind of loss imaginable. And yet, if you talk to the pastry chef, it’s clear she runs on the power of positive thinking, always seeing the world bathed in early morning sunshine.

Grandmother’s New Orleans Pecan Pie

Serves 4 to 6

FOR THE PIE CRUST:

6 sticks unsalted butter

3 cups pretzels, finely ground

5 ounces granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

FOR THE FILLING:

8 ounces pecan pieces

10 ounces light corn syrup

8 ounces sugar

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla paste

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 pinch ground cinnamon

1 pinch ground cardamom

1 dash grated nutmeg

1 stick unsalted butter

PREPARATION: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

To make the pie crust: Melt six sticks of butter and combine with the ground pretzels, sugar and salt. Spray a 9x13 pie pan with a nonstick spray, and press the crust mixture firmly into the pan. Bake the crust for 12 minutes.

Let cool.

To make the filling: Toast the pecan pieces in a dry, nonstick pan until slightly charred, and set aside to cool. Slowly brown the remaining stick of butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until golden, and set aside to cool. Use a paddle mixer to combine the remaining ingredients in the order listed, mixing well after each addition. Add the browned butter, using a hand whisk to incorporate. Pour the pie filling into the cooled crust, and bake uncovered in the bottom of a 300-degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 250 degrees, and bake for another 10 minutes. The pie is done when the center of the filling is firm and doesn’t move when tilted slightly from side to side.

Butter Cake

Serves 8 to 10

6 sticks butter, softened

18 ounces sugar

1/2 pound cream cheese, softened

6 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

16 ounces all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 ounces sour cream

PREPARATION: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a springform pan, then sprinkle just enough sugar to coat the bottom and sides well. Add butter, sugar and cream cheese to your stand mixer, and cream together with the paddle attachment until light, fluffy and no longer grainy. Add eggs one at a time, and continue mixing until fully incorporated. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the mixer, and add vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, combine the salt and flour. Alternate pouring the flour mixture and sour cream into the stand mixer, starting and finishing with the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the mixer, and pour the batter into your greased pan. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Let rest about 15 minutes before releasing cake from the pan.

This page:

A 4-inch butter cake from Boulon

WADING IN: GROVE STAND SEASON’S EATINGS

It starts back in Morgan City, Louisiana. She had an idyllic start to life: cheerleader, class president, prom queen and even runner-up in the Miss Louisiana pageant. Then she got married and took a job in public relations that just wasn’t for her. She lost a child and went down a long, painful road of trying unsuccessfully to have another. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina took nearly everything from her parents, and then Hurricane Rita swept away most of what she owned that same year. It was tragedy after tragedy for many years—until a single cake turned everything around.

It happened 16 years ago when a friend mentioned buying some fancy dessert from a New York City bakery for a baby shower. Bailey offered to make one instead, watching YouTube videos about how to make fondant and cover it in colorful flowers. Everyone who saw the finished cake said she should make a career of it.

Her dad, a seasoned restaurateur, didn’t agree. He knew how difficult the industry could be. Then the lung cancer that he had beaten came back, everywhere. Bailey went to visit him one day in the hospital, and he had a change of heart. “Summer, I thought about it.

I told you not to get into the culinary industry

because it’s hard, and you don’t make a lot of money,” he said. “But look at me. I’m only 59, and I’m dying. I want you to do what you love.”

So in 2011, she enrolled in The French Culinary Institute in New York City (now the International Culinary Center) and then landed an internship at Momofuku Milk Bar, headed by Christina Tosi, best known for her multilayered Funfetti cake. “It was really intimidating at first to be honest with you,” she says.

Bailey devoured the laid-back nature of the place, showing up to shifts in checkered chef pants cut into shorts and a bandana over her hairnet. She dissected the secrets of the cookie dough, the layers of the croissants, the frosting and especially a dessert that had become a darling of the internet: the crack pie.

Then a serendipitous assistant pastry

My mom was a foodie before foodie existed. I didn’t have fun cereal. I didn’t have chicken fingers.

Above from left: Boulon Brasserie opened in Tampa earlier this year; the French eatery offers over 50 different types of wine; Boulon’s popular dishes include the scallop risotto, lobster pot pie and moules frites.

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WADING IN: GROVE STAND

SEASON’S EATINGS

cook opening at The Dutch in 2012 led Bailey to her next mentor, acclaimed pastry chef Kierin Baldwin, who hired her on the spot. “I got yelled at a lot, but I learned so much,” Bailey recalls. Baldwin left The Dutch, and in 2014 Bailey found herself in charge of designing her own dishes for the first time. She created a blackout doughnut with chocolate cake and a pretzel with salted caramel for Father’s Day. People went nuts for them. “Kierin was the pie queen, and I guess I was like the pie princess,” Bailey laughs.

with her mom to Brennan’s and Mr. B’s Bistro in New Orleans.

BOULON

— LOCATION — 1001 WATER ST. TAMPA

— HOURS —

TUES-WED. 11:30 A.M.–2:30 P.M., 5–11:00 P.M.

“My mom was a foodie before foodie existed. I didn’t have fun cereal. I didn’t have chicken fingers. I had lots of veggies and fresh fish and was always encouraged to try new things.” With all that she’s been through, Bailey says there’s no shame in letting it hurt. “Of course, I’m sad sometimes, but you have to persevere and move forward.”

THURS-FRI. 11:30 A.M.–2:30 P.M., 5 P.M.–1:00 A.M.

SAT. 11 A.M.–2:30 P.M., 5 P.M.–1:00 A.M.

SUN. 11 A.M.–2:30 P.M., 5 P.M.–10:00 P.M. CLOSED MONDAY boulontampa.com

Another personal setback hit when her mother died of salmonella in 2017. Her mom went from healthy to gone in two weeks. As a kid, Bailey tagged along

So, when fears of COVID-19 shut down restaurants across the nation, Bailey found herself a bit unmoored. Suffering from a thyroid disease called Hashimoto’s, she needs health insurance to manage it, which is why she “sucked it up” and took the job at Amazon. Not long after, her boyfriend retired from the New York City Fire Department and started talking about a move to Florida. On a trip to Tampa, she spontaneously replied to a listing she saw for a pastry chef at the storied Bern’s Steak House. She started there in October 2021.

Slowly, Bailey sprinkled in her own sweets on Bern’s age-old dessert menu, adding an olive oil cake, an apple pie and a molded cherry dessert with a cherry marmalade “pit.” Her specialty is desserts that aren’t too sweet, often with a good amount of saltiness. She hadn’t imagined leaving Bern’s, but then the executive chef, Hab Hamde, took a position at Boulon, a French brasserie that

opened in January 2023 in the new Water Street development. Bailey agreed to join him and took over the pastry program for the restaurant’s parent company, Next Level Brands. At Boulon, she makes a warm butter cake with blueberries, a traditional creme brulee with berries and a bananas foster bread pudding that is reminiscent of home. Today, Bailey’s creations are an amalgamation of her life. Her pecan pie is her Cajun grandmother’s recipe, but she adds cardamom and a pretzel crust as her secret weapons—with salt, of course. “Everything I do is a play on things I enjoy in life.”

Her desserts are salty and sweet—not unlike life, with its endless ups and downs. To be sure, she relishes the ups. There’s something special, Bailey says, about knowing she’s ending someone’s day on a sweet moment. “People are still searching for their purpose, and I have found mine,” she says. “I’m very grateful.”

popular brunch dishes.

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— Unfiltered Fodder —

Capital Dame

By Diane Roberts

Bad Books

Diane Roberts reminisces on the palace of her youth, FSU’s Strozier Library, and why books have been banned throughout history.

I used to live in a palace. Not the kind you’re thinking of, with rooms of gilt carvings, silk carpets, chandeliers and doors of faceted glass leading to more rooms with secrets and wonders. My palace was the nearly deserted fifth floor of the Robert Manning Strozier Library, where the old Dewey Decimal System books, the ones not yet given their Library of Congress numbers, sat higgledy-piggledy on metal shelves,

unloved and largely untouched. There were newer, nicer editions downstairs, but I preferred these scruffy old volumes. In the seventh grade, this place was my refuge and my treasure house. The ceramics class my mother taught three days a week didn’t finish until 5 p.m., so I’d walk from my school on the western edge of the Florida State University campus to the library to wallow in words till she could come pick me up. Sitting on the linoleum floor, fortified by smuggled

Lance Nip Chee crackers, I’d pull out book after book, entering the halls of the Aesir, the drawing room at Mansfield Park, the bedroom where Emma Bovary lies dying, a dark wood outside Florence, the yard at a Virginia plantation where a woman is being whipped. I read promiscuously, barging into unknown worlds, wandering down dark corridors, always happening on the unexpected, the weird, the glorious, the heartbreaking, the

hilarious. No window or door in what Henry James called “the house of fiction” was ever locked. No book was ever forbidden.

I was lucky, growing up when I did, in a home full of books, all of which I was encouraged to read. I went to a school where the library did not restrict what I could check out. I remember reading The Eve of St. Agnes, a poem about a young nobleman sneaking into his love’s bedroom at night, in seventh grade. Much of it was beyond me. I got the parts about food, those candied apples and jellies and cinnamon syrup; I missed the parts about sex. Happily, my English teacher was allowed to talk to me about John Keats’ gilded eroticism. Apparently, I wasn’t permanently scarred by reading “Ethereal, flush’d, and like a throbbing star/Seen mid the sapphire heaven’s deep repose;/Into her dream he melted … ”

Stories That Scandalize

These days Florida’s education authorities work feverishly to ban books from schools and libraries and classes as if what’s inside will destroy the moral character of anyone who encounters them. Teachers are so scared of being fired or even arrested, they’re taking books off classroom shelves. Librarians are subjected to “retraining” on what books the state might deem objectionable. That’s hundreds of books in some districts, books about Pocahontas, former President Barack Obama and Rosa Parks, books about being raised by two mothers, books about Latina grannies and Chinese railroad builders. In Duval County, an “instructional materials” supervisor decided teenagers must not be allowed near The Best Man by Richard Peck: apparently a happy scene of two men getting married undermines the American way of life. Orange County has “removed” two books (Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe and Juno Dawson’s This Book Is Gay) which discuss sexuality; Flagler County doesn’t allow school libraries to offer Jesse Andrews’ novel Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (sex and “bad language”) and 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher (drugs, booze

and suicide). An outfit called Florida Citizens Alliance wants to deep-six a slew of books it finds unpalatable, including Judy Blume’s Forever and Angie Thomas’ young adult novel The Hate U Give, which explores how a smart young girl struggles to deal with the death of her friend at the hands of the police. A little too militant for Florida schools, I guess; a little too Black Lives Matter. The so-called Moms for Liberty and their acolytes have called The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, “pornographic.” A woman who appeared before the Hillsborough County school board hadn’t read the novel, but she confidently

bus drivers, artists, segregationists and progressives. I write about how Florida has been a place of death: The conquistadors killed untold numbers of native peoples, both by the sword and with the pathogens they spread; and the land-hungry white Americans who arrived in Andrew Jackson’s bloody wake grew prosperous off the cotton worked by enslaved people. I also write about the beauty of this place, the turquoise waters, the ancient oaks, the panthers and the manatees and the wetlands singing with birds.

asserted that it was too shocking and dirty for even advanced students to read. She knew this because a “review” of it mentioned “every single different type of sexual encounter that you can imagine, including a graphic incestuous rape of a father to [sic] his 11-year-old daughter.”

The thing is, this country includes Native American people, Black people, Asian people and Latinos. Kids experiment with sex and drugs; kids struggle with gender; some kids are abused by their parents; some kids even kill themselves. This stuff is real and important. Are writers just supposed to ignore the world we live in?

I write books of my own, books about the history of my family, who were dirt farmers, Pilgrim Fathers, plantation owners, politicians,

I also teach at FSU, in an old brick building not far from my original palace of imagination. My fellow professors and I are given to understand that we’re not supposed to assign certain books or talk about certain topics. We’re told to stay away from Pulitzer Prize-winner Nikole Hannah-Jones’ The 1619 Project, for example, because it allegedly undermines our simple, reverential understanding of the American Revolution and contradicts the state Department of Education’s claim that the U.S. is a uniquely good and virtuous nation. Sure, America accidentally enslaved some people but hey, the British did it first. Somehow, this highly praised—and also substantially criticized— collection of essays, poems and studies of how slavery shaped the United States has been defined as a cancer on the nation, instead of what it actually is: a provocative reframing of American history through the presence of Africans on this continent. It doesn’t always make for comfortable reading, no matter what color you are. Yet there are some who insist books should not trouble us, scare us or cause us “anguish”—as one of Florida’s new education laws put it. Yet many of our fellow citizens have suffered far more in real life.

The Right To Read

Literature has always been seen as a threat to the social order. In 1762, a teenage debutante named Kitty Hunter ran off with a married

You become equipped to recognize the toxic nonsense that batters us like a tornado.

Capital Dame

UNFILTERED FODDER

aristocrat. London society blamed novels for feeding Kitty’s romantic tendencies. Two centuries later, Ayatollah Khomeini, the supreme leader of Iran, was so freaked out by the 1988 novel The Satanic Verses, he accused author Salman Rushdie of blasphemy against Islam and offered a fat reward for killing him. Antebellum Southern states

1960, when the publishers of D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover were tried under Britain’s Obscene Publications Act. In the courtroom, a lawyer acting for the Crown asked, scandalized, “Would you approve of your young sons, young daughters—because girls can read as well as boys—reading this book? Is it a book that you would even wish

are poisonous and based on fear and lies. Ideas that have been tested in the crucible of honest interrogation and free inquiry help to set us free. Despite my freedom to read, I didn’t question some culturally embedded ideas, that, say, nature was eternal, or that Reconstruction was a disaster for the nation. But then getting my hands on Rachel Carson and Bill McKibben showed me that we are poisoning our only home, perhaps irrevocably. Black Reconstruction in America by W.E.B. Du Bois, Liberty and Union by David Herbert Donald, and anything by Eric Foner revealed that the period from 1865 to 1877 actually empowered Black people for the first time in American history.

There are dishonest books, yes, bad books, lying books. Yet the more you read, the more you know how to judge the story you’re being fed. You learn how to find information. You become equipped to recognize the toxic nonsense that batters us like a tornado. Knowing more is better than knowing less. Florida is supposed to be “free,” right?

declared Uncle Tom’s Cabin illegal: It might inflame abolitionist passions. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, published in 1885, was promptly banned in Concord, Massachusetts, and other respectable burgs for ridiculing religion and irredeemable vulgarity. Then in 1905, the New York Public Library removed Twain’s masterpiece from the children’s reading room on the grounds that Huck is an unhygienic child, always itching, always scratching. In the last quarter of the 20th century, Huck Finn got banned in various school districts for completely different reasons, mostly because the N-word appears in the text 200 times.

One of the most telling examples of what really drives book banning occurred in

your wife or your servants to read?”

Yes, girls read: even the parlormaid! The prosecuting barrister Mervyn Griffith-Jones inadvertently revealed what censorship is really about. The powerful and the sophisticated might find certain books distasteful but see themselves as sufficiently tough-minded to withstand naughty literature’s siren songs. Those with less status and supposedly more malleable minds might stumble onto a text that could destroy their innocence, suggesting that sex might be fun, and love comes in all forms.

Books give you ideas, and ideas can be terrifying, inspiring and world changing. Some ideas are just stupid, shortsighted and hateful: white supremacy, climate change denial, antisemitism, misogyny, general bigotry. Those

When you hear that some politician or preacher or pundit says a book should be banned, exercise that freedom. Get it, and read it. I hope I never have to say to my students that certain wings of the palace of imagination are off-limits to them, that the labyrinth in the basement is too dangerous to enter—there might be a Minotaur down there!—or that windows looking out onto that enticing knot garden have been painted over and nailed shut. This is not education. This is not freedom.

Diane Roberts is an eighthgeneration Floridian, educated at Florida State University and Oxford University. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian and . She has also authored four books, including Dream State, a historical memoir of Florida.

Above: Several of the books, from both the past and the present, that are banned in different states across the nation.

BOUTIQUE BE AUTY

By ERIC BARTON & JESSICA GILES

From North to South, here are 10 of the hottest Sunshine State indie hotels offering an authentic Florida stay.

you can be sure that no two properties are the same. From historic inns nestled in Panhandle fishing towns to European villages in the heart of Miami—and a variety of hotel types and towns in between—these 10 retreats are replete with individuality and ready to inspire.

THE GIBSON INN

APALACHICOLA

Previous spread: The reception area of Ette Hotel; the facade of Esmé hotel in Miami’s South Beach

Below: The Old Florida interior of The Gibson Inn lobby

Right: The historic Gibson Inn first

best trips are the ones that change us. The ones where the culture we touch and the locals who touch us renew our spirit and inspire us with ideas that linger long after we return home. The vacations where every meal, moment and memory leave a lasting mark that we talk about with friends and family for years to come. Finding those truly authentic travel experiences can feel impossible without an inside connection. And while the Sunshine State has no shortage of beautiful, award-winning resorts and hotels, few of them stand out as ones that offer stays emblematic of the cities where they stand. No matter where you find yourself in Florida, we’ve rounded up some of the best independent hotels. And since every slice of the state has its own distinct personality,

Rich in history and rooted in place, this storied boutique hotel in the heart of Apalachicola is the perfect retreat for those in search of authentic Old Florida charm. Since the moment siblings Steven Etchen and Katharine Etchen Couillard purchased The Gibson Inn in August 2018, they set out to create a hideaway steeped in the area’s history as a port city and longtime oyster-harvesting hub. This ode to its origins begins in the lobby, which is wrapped in original native heart pine walls, decorated with double Chesterfield leather sofas and anchored by a sweeping staircase. The Etchens used a photograph of the original lobby from when the Gibson first opened in 1907 to replicate the layout, and then infused it with their own modern touches, such as the custom Gibson Inn wallpaper above the oyster shell quartz check-in desk. Perhaps one of the most endearing aspects of this Panhandle property is that each room has its own personality. Retire to the Captain’s Room, appointed with nautical decor and a luxe clawfoot bathtub or sleep in a Signature Deluxe room on a king-size bed beneath a sprawling roseate spoonbill mural. The hotel’s draw lies truly in the details, such as gallery walls featuring Old Florida art and artifacts; the five-star service at the on-site restaurant, Franklin Café; and the inn’s Bentley, which is available to chauffeur guests around the Forgotten Coast. Having spent their childhood summers playing on the porch of the old Gibson Inn, the Etchen siblings feel a sense of pride in helping to usher this Apalachicola gem into the 21st century. “To actually see it come to life on a daily basis has been really gratifying,” Steven Etchen says. In spring 2024, Gibson guests will have even more space to unwind with the addition of 24 rooms, a fitness center, a corner cafe, a spa and a long-awaited pool as the centerpiece of the courtyard. gibsoninn.com

HOTEL HAYA TAMPA

Named after the stogie giant Ignacio Haya, who opened the first cigar factory in Ybor City, Hotel Haya represents a resurgence of one of Tampa’s most beloved neighborhoods. Just as Ybor City was a melting pot for Italian, Spanish and Cuban immigrants in the early 1800s, this modern sanctuary blends these three influences through its cuisine and design, which features clean lines, decadent gold accents and an abundance

GATELY WILLIAMS, MARY BETH KOETH, PREVIOUS SPREAD: ETTE HOTEL, JEN CASTRO

of windows to let in the light. Each of the 178 rooms, which range from suites overlooking bustling Seventh Avenue to standard rooms with a pool view, shine with Ybor touches such as handblown round lamps by artists from the nearby Morean Glass Studio, custom catchall trays by local ceramicist Kari Kinder and abstract maps depicting landmarks from Haya’s life created by Kristin Texeira. The ultra-Ybor experience goes deeper than decor, and culinary concepts inside Hotel Haya have attracted a fan base of their own. Start the morning at Café Quiquiriquí with a cafe con leche and a pastelito to power a day of exploring the surrounding neighborhood or simply sink into one of Hotel Haya’s cabanas and order an endless stream of poolside cocktails. Once the sun sets, dine at Flor Fina, the hotel’s main restaurant, for a taste of coastal cuisine and a Painkiller served in a peacock glass (although a chicken glass might be more fitting considering the throngs of wild roosters and hens roaming Ybor City). Hotel Haya brings an air of urban elegance accented by a deft touch of local flavor to this historic Tampa district. It’s a balancing act they’ve accomplished by using the talents of longtime natives at every turn, from the architectural plans to the interior design.

THE COLLECTOR LUXURY INN & GARDENS

The Collector, as it might sound, is a collection of sorts. Situated in the heart of St. Augustine, the luxury property brings together nine late 18th-century homes encompassing 30 rooms. The homes, formerly preserved as part of the Dow Museum of Historic Houses, are now providing a trip into the history of the town. Many of the structures were built with coquina, limestone rock harvested from the ocean and

emblazoned with imprints of shells, which was made famous at St. Augustine’s Fort Matanzas. The entire adults-only property feels a bit like a village of its own and spans an entire city block. From there, meander the historic district’s maze of shops and eateries. If eating out isn’t your thing, each of the homes are outfitted with kitchenettes and selected suites offer shared verandas overlooking the property’s old-world courtyard where afternoon happy hour unfolds. Grab a drink from The Well bar and relax in the walled gardens while you soak up the charm of Florida’s oldest city. thecollectorinn.com

THE COLONY HOTEL PALM BEACH

On an island where the well-to-do live in homes as big as grand hotels, you’d think visitors would have their pick of suites and guest houses. But it’s The Colony Hotel that serves as the true guest house on the island, a place for a visiting cousin or business partner or where that old pal from prep school will spend the summer living the life of a Great Gatsby character. The Colony turns 76 this year, and to celebrate, the owners referred to old photos and vintage postcards to help guide a renovation of the 89 rooms, making sure the place keeps its unapologetically pink sense of Palm Beach style. Mimi McMakin of Kemble Interiors incorporated pinks and teals, Flamingothemed wallpaper, patterned curtains, wicker and bamboo to create charming rooms that look like the background of a vintage family photo—if the family’s last name happens to be, say, Rockefeller. Over the years, this style has attracted the likes of Judy Garland, John F. Kennedy and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor—and maybe also, on your next holiday, you. thecolonypalmbeach.com

ESMÉ MIAMI BEACH

In 1926, the Miami News wrote of the Esmé: “In all the world, no place so quaint.” Nearly a century later, it just might still be true. Esmé sits at the end of South Beach’s storied Española Way and feels, on its own, like a little Spanish Village, complete with a European-like alleyway running through the

This spread from left: The Colony Hotel offers complimentary beach cruisers; the entrance to Esmé’s Bar Pintxo; The Colony Hotel’s interior design features whimsical wallpaper.

LESLIE UNRUH, JEN CASTRO, BRANTLEY PHOTO

center. Built in 1925, the property has kept its art deco charm, including an outdoor bar shaded by a bamboo roof. There are quaint mail slots behind the check-in counter where you can, and should, ask if you have any messages, and second-floor balconies look out onto the pedestrian-only boulevard below. Down that long alleyway cutting through the property, there’s a speakeasy bar that serves as the waiting space for Sushi | Bar, an intimate omakase serving up some of the city’s most original bites of nigiri. The rooms are stylishly designed, each one uniquely themed in dark greens or reds, with wicker furniture, sconces and rich drapery giving them the feel of a guest room for a 1920s seaside getaway. The property includes Casa Matanza, a stand-alone guest house across Drexel Avenue that once served as Al Capone’s underground gambling den. The property describes itself as a former “colony for artists and outcasts” and “a transportive village where the past informs your future”—descriptions that feel fitting even today. esmehotel.com

MAYFAIR HOUSE HOTEL & GARDEN

COCONUT GROVE

When historic hotels in Florida reopen after major renovations, they typically have the same style: the Spanish-Mediterranean revival that became popular just when Henry Flagler was laying his railroad tracks down the east side of the state. Mayfair

House offers an entirely different bit of nostalgia, a throwback to a glamorous ’60s era Florida. It’s not mid-century modern as much as it is disco glam. That vibe is captured in a mustard couch that matches an amoeba-shaped coffee table; a big semicircle tufted headboard that seems stolen from a Nixon-era Disney resort; gold-edged mirrors; walnut-looking room dividers; and a thousand other details that all seem like a Hollywood prop designer was hard at work. The hotel, with its Gaudílike facade, opens up into a center courtyard full of fountains and foliage, a look that continues up, every balcony above covered in enough plants to fill a botanical garden. The renovation to the 1985 building by New York-based interior design studio Goodrich cost $50 million, and it’s now a gem in the very-hot-at-the-moment Miami neighborhood of Coconut Grove. There are clawfoot tubs in the bathrooms and balconies with their own little gardens featuring outdoor showers. The restaurant group Lost Boy & Co. took over the Mayfair Grill restaurant on the bottom floor and the rooftop bar with views of the Miami skyline. Across every inch of it, from the distinct, very tiny lobby to the platform in the center of the courtyard where a jazz band plays on the weekends, it reads of a different era. If you go, be sure to pack your platform shoes. mayfairhousemiami.com

THE PEARL ROSEMARY BEACH

In the John Steinbeck classic The Pearl, a massive jewel brings hope of untold wealth that upends a native village. In Rosemary Beach, the arrival of The Pearl brought an entirely different kind of attention to the otherwise sleepy Panhandle beach town: a jewel of its own that keeps earning accolades. The Pearl looks almost like a European downtown, with its four-story clock tower, steeples, dormers and balconies shaded by black-and-white striped awnings. A night’s stay affords access to a private beach, the hotel’s spa, and amenities such as golf and kayaking at related properties through the hotel’s parent company, the St. Joe Company. All of it is enough for the 55-room property to earn four stars from the Forbes Travel Guide, and the wine list at its restaurant, Havana Beach Bar & Grill, to receive an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator thepearlrb.com

WHITE ELEPHANT PALM BEACH

There’s a common backstory in Palm Beach. It begins in New England, where years as a socialite and association with the old-monied power structure led to the kind

This spread from left: An aerial view of The Pearl’s pool; The Mayfair House Hotel & Garden incorporates lush greenery indoors.

of wealth that allowed the addition of a home along the Florida seashore. It’s the exact story of White Elephant, which began life in Nantucket in the 1920s as the dream of socialite Elizabeth T. Ludwig. In 2018, White Elephant owners bought the Bradley Park Hotel on the northwest side of Palm Beach’s business district and began a two-year renovation on the historic property. Boston-based Elkus Manfredi Architects was brought in to handle the delicate renovation to a building that began its life in 1924 as a private casino for E.R. Bradley and other city founders. The result is a property defined by a neutral color palette and Mediterranean vibes pulled straight out of historic photos of Palm Beach, full of hardwoods and Carrara marble and woven rugs. The hotel’s 32 rooms include two penthouse suites on the fourth floor with private rooftop terraces that offer breezy coastal views. The restaurant, Lola 41, came south

as it is to contemporary art collectors. Owned and operated by Greg and Julie Schwartzenberger along with Greg’s sister, Stevan Brown, the property was once a popular motor court motel, built in 1947. After several decades, a complete renovation and rebranding, Hotel Palms now modishly welcomes discerning travelers with its small-town charm and urban cool, making it a cultural hub for both locals and visitors to Atlantic Beach. Much more than a place to unwind at the end of a beach day, Hotel Palms is an unorthodox art gallery. Julie cultivates the hotel’s interior design, while Greg builds relationships with cutting-edge artists, whose work is featured inside and outside the hotel (think: modern geometric murals). Throughout the year, the trio hosts multiple events featuring independent makers and artists, including its annual Art Camp, a weeklong residence for 10 artists from across the nation. thehotelpalms.com

ETTE HOTEL

KISSIMMEE

from Nantucket, and if its largely Asian-inspired menu doesn’t cut it, there’s a fleet of BMW 7 Series cars for hotel guests to drive themselves, or be chauffeured, elsewhere. The property has been lauded often: The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach extolled its renovation. Starting at about $1,000 a night during the high season (and twice that for a weekend night), it’s not the most expensive hotel on Palm Beach, but it just might be the property that’s most true to the island’s history. whiteelephantpalmbeach.com

HOTEL PALMS ATLANTIC BEACH

Situated in the heart of Atlantic Beach in Northeast Florida, Hotel Palms is a one-of-a-kind, 11-room boutique hotel emanating a laid-back style equally appealing to surfers and skaters

If holistic hospitality is what you’re looking for, Ette Hotel delivers on its clean-living ethos. This latest addition to the Sunshine State’s boutique scene opened in spring 2022. The chic hotel’s organic luxury unfolds from the lobby to the guest rooms to the spa, with a neutral palate, elevated by rich textures and luxe materials such as Italian marble throughout the property. Situated a short distance from the Disney theme parks, Ette Hotel offers an antidote to the mass-market excess of other nearby accommodations. Led by Michelin-starred Chef Akira Back, Ette’s multiple dining concepts include Salt & the Cellar, with a Mediterranean-Asian fusion menu, and LIPA, a rooftop destination turning out new-world Asian haute cuisine along with knockout mocktails from the zero-alcohol bar. Don’t let Ette’s sober situation turn you off to its earthy elegance, as the hotel allows guests to BYOB, even providing a personal thermos bag for toting libations from the pool to the patio. ettehotels.com

This spread from left: The pool deck at White Elephant Palm Beach; Hotel Palms is a hub for artists; Hotel Palms’ guest rooms have a modern beach aesthetic. CHI-THIEN NGUYEN/ELKUS MANFREDI ARCHITECTS, JESSIE PREZA

The Great Honey Hunt

A trip to the banks of the Apalachicola River, where Tupelo honey once flourished, reveals why this Florida icon isn’t flowing like it once did.

By JESSICA GILES // Photography by MARY BETH KOETH

Early morning sunlight filters through the clouds on this crisp February day as I roll west down Florida State Road 71 in Gulf County, the heart of Florida’s Panhandle. Van Morrison croons through the speakers with one of his classics: “She’s as sweet as tupelo honey / Just like honey baby, from the bee.”

Outside the car window, fields of cotton flash by, along with stretches of what once was pine forest—the treetops snapped off like pretzel sticks during Hurricane Michael. The jagged trunks stand as evidence of the carnage, leaning like dominoes frozen mid-fall.

Passing roadway signs hint that I’m getting close to my destination. “Welcome to the City of Wewahitchka. Home of the Dead Lakes & Tupelo Honey.” I’ve driven five hours from my home in Jacksonville to Wewa, as the locals call it, in search of a golden Florida icon that has inspired legendary songs and Oscar-nominated films with its sweet nectar and the reason it’s not flowing like it once was here in the Sunshine State.

They say that true tupelo honey is unmistakable. Hold a bottle up to the sunlight and the pale amber liquid’s subtle green hue reveals itself. Bring it to your nose, and you’ll inhale the sweet aroma of citrus and vanilla. If it crystallizes, it’s crap. But the true test comes when you slip a spoonful into your mouth. Seasoned tupelo tasters will know right away if it’s a fraud.

Although they can’t all seem to agree on what it tastes like—buttery, citrusy, floral, maybe a hint of cinnamon—they know decisively what it’s not. And the producers of this coveted honey are quick to point out the heap of phonies on the shelves. The true tupelo harvesters are few and far between— and they like to live a little off-the-grid.

Tupelo trees like “wet feet,” and they flourish here along the banks of the Apalachicola River and the Dead Lakes— when they’re not getting pummeled by a Cat. 5 ’cane. Since tupelo honey is such a rarity, it can feel like the world revolves around this sticky delicacy in these parts. Businesses such as

the Honey Hole Restaurant and Hive & Home Construction hint at how integral this product is to the personality of the region. And the beekeepers who harvest it? Well, they’re personalities themselves.

A Family Affair

As I pull into the dirt driveway of L. L. Lanier & Son’s Tupelo Honey, Glynnis Lanier is coming down the steps of the old homestead with her husband, Ben, on her heels. Their 19-yearold son Heath hangs in the doorway, hoping the frame might shield him from my questions. Ben seems to have dressed up for the occasion, his collared baby-blue button-up tucked neatly into his blue jeans. His warm greeting drips with the kind of Southern drawl that makes every sentence feel slow, even when it’s delivered with the cadence of an auctioneer. He asks me where I’m from, and then he points to the whiteframed window just behind his shoulder.

“My daddy was born right there in that house,” he says.

The Lanier family is a legend in the tupelo industry. Ben’s great-great-grandfather started the business back in 1898, and now 125 years later, the Laniers are still beekeeping and bottling out of the same honey house. Ben and Glynnis even consulted on the film Ulee’s Gold to help director Victor Nunez make the beekeeping as accurate as possible. All of the swampland and bee yards in the movie? Those belong to the Laniers. The trio have amassed a customer base that spans the globe. In fact, while we chat in the front yard, a couple with Canadian plates pulls into the driveway looking for the famed Lanier tupelo honey.

The city of Wewahitchka’s water tower stands over the Lanier’s old seafoam green homestead like a sentry. The family doesn’t live here full time anymore but the house does serve as the honey headquarters—although it feels more like a museum. Photos of family members hang on nearly every inch of the pecky cypress paneling inside and cardboard boxes filled with glass bears of honey line the baseboards. When Hurricane

My daddy was born right there in that house.

Ben Lanier

Previous spread: An aerial view of tupelo trees blooming in the swamp

This spread: Heath Lanier, 19, holds up a frame from one of the family’s hives.

Michael hit, Ben stacked these boxes up against the windows to keep them from blowing in.

One glance around this home teeming with memories and it’s clear that tupelo runs deep in the Lanier family. It’s all Ben has ever known. Now 65 and with three stents in his heart, working the bees isn’t like it used to be, he says, and it’s not just because he has a few more years on him.

Making a living that depends entirely on a fragile insect and an equally temperamental tree is nothing short of crazy, Ben admits, but in recent years, it feels like everything—Mother Nature, local government, even other beekeepers—is working against him.

Weather Woes

Tupelo honey is all about timing. The white tupelo trees that the bees gather nectar from to make this rare varietal only bloom for two to three short weeks between mid-April and mid-May. Just as these clusters of small greenish white flowers begin to blossom, beekeepers move their hives to the banks of the river so the bees will collect nectar from this special source—and ideally, only this source. Then as soon as the flowers fade, they extract the honey from the hive to keep it as pure as possible.

The process relies on a lot of things working together to near perfection. During the 2019 harvest, Hurricane Michael put the trees under so much stress that they bloomed nearly five months early. Rough wind and rain can strip the trees of their flowers. A surprise cold snap can ruin the bloom, and the bees don’t like it much either. It’s a fragile field, says Brian Bertonneau, owner of Smiley Honey Co. Bertonneau

purchased the bottling and sales side of Smiley Honey Co. from its founder, Donald Smiley, back in December 2012.

“It is true that over the last 10 years there have only been two or three really good years,” he says. “Then there have been several average years and several bad years.”

Even if you do manage to time it just right, Mother Nature doesn’t always play nice.

“We’ve had a number of years where there have been two weeks of outstanding weather, and the bees are going crazy, and they’re packing the honey into the hive, and everybody’s rubbing their hands with glee. And then the last week, it’ll rain seven days solid, [and] the bees will turn around and eat half of what they made,” Bertonneau says. “It can just turn on a dime.”

To account for all of the unpredictability, the Smiley Honey Co. owner sources tupelo honey from beekeepers in both Florida and Georgia so if one area is hit with calamitous weather, he can lean on the other to make up his losses. But for people like the Laniers, who handle both the apiary and the bottling aspects of the business, they’re subject to the whims of the weather.

Hard times for honey

Today, the forces of nature are in our favor.

“You need a beautiful, sunshiny day like today to work the bees,” Glynnis says as I hop into her white SUV. So that’s exactly what we do. It’s not quite time to move the hives down to the swamps, so they’re divvied up between different plots of land in the woods around Wewahitchka. Glynnis instructs me to pull my hair back and hands me a veiled hat designed to protect from bee stings. As I cinch the drawstring nice and tight, she points to my jacket.

“Take that black jacket off; they do not like black.”

I trade in my jacket for one of the khaki button-ups Glynnis keeps in her truck. I wouldn’t want to incite their rage. Ben and Heath don’t bother with the veils; Ben’s been stung everywhere you could possibly be stung.

“You don’t even wanna know!” Glynnis laughs.

I’m bangin’ my head against the concrete trying to figure out what’s going on with my hives.

Ben Lanier

This particular plot is nothing more than a slab of concrete with overgrown weeds eating at the edges. Wooden pallets with hives, some stacked two or three high, rim the concrete. Square dirt marks are the only evidence that there used to be more hives in this bee yard.

At the end of last year’s tupelo season, the Laniers had 600 hives. But in early July 2022, they started to die off in droves. Today, they’re down to about 50.

“I’m bangin’ my head against the concrete trying to figure out what’s going on with my hives,” Ben says.

One by one, Ben and Heath open up each hive to check how healthy it’s looking. As soon as the lid is off, Ben knows it’s not right. He’s expecting a balloon of bees to emerge when they open the top; instead, only one or two fly out as Ben reaches down to remove a frame, where the bees store food, raise brood and, eventually, make honey.

“That oughta be slap full of bees!” Ben huffs.

It isn’t just one virus or parasite responsible for the pervasive bee die-offs the Laniers are experiencing—and it’s not just the Laniers. Beekeepers across the United States have experienced significant colony loss. From April 2020 to April 2021, beekeepers lost an estimated 45.5 percent of their colonies, according to survey responses gathered by Bee Informed Partnership, a nonprofit that conducts research surrounding the health of U.S. honeybee colonies. The preliminary results for 2021 to 2022 show a slightly lower average loss of 39 percent. And if the Laniers’ bee yard is any indication of next year’s results, they’re shaping up to be pretty grim.

The pest problem

Each hive that Ben opens reveals a new enemy. The first one has a small hive beetle hiding inside, indicating a weak colony, Ben says. The beetle larvae tunnel through the hive, feeding

Above: Glynnis and Ben Lanier hope to hand the family business down to their son.

along the way. Another has wax moth larvae inside. Much like the beetle larvae, these pests will burrow through the colony, chew into the frames and damage the honey comb.

Even his biggest hive, the one that he deems “beautiful” when he removes the lid, is housing an assassin bug. Despite its name, these pests are actually one of the less severe nuisances to honey bees. Although it will feed on bees when given the chance, it’s not usually present in large enough quantities to decimate a colony.

Ben’s excitement builds with each frame he removes from the big hive. Finally, he’s found a winner. He starts pointing out the drones, and the brood and the worker bees toting pollen on their legs. Before his enthusiasm bubbles over, he sticks his finger inside a cell of larvae to check for what’s become one of his biggest problems: the varroa mite.

The varroa mite is considered to be the most devastating pest to honeybees worldwide. These mites feed on bee larvae and pupae as well as the hemolymph of adult bees, basically their blood. Varroa mites can kill bees in their pupae stage, spread viruses and decrease the foraging ability of adult bees, meaning that even if they survive to tupelo season, they’re not going to produce the same amount of honey as a healthy hive.

Ben’s spent thousands of dollars on chemical strips that supposedly kill the varroa mite, but he says they just aren’t doing the trick. The best defense is to prevent them from infiltrating the hive at all.

That’s what Florida’s mandated apiary inspections are supposed to do: prevent the spread of honeybee pests and diseases. Beekeeping is a largely migratory business, meaning that beekeepers will drive their bees around the country to pollinate different crops—almonds in California during the winter, blueberries in Maine and Michigan during the spring and summer

Above: Nathan Rish, left, and his dad, James Rish, own and operate Rish Tupelo Honey in WeWahitchka.

and cherries in Washington in early spring. All this travel can lead to the rampant spread of disease if left unchecked.

When a beekeeper enters the state of Florida, they need a Florida certificate of registration or a health certificate issued by the state they’re coming from, says Branden Stanford, who’s been Florida’s state apiarist since May 2022. In order to obtain a beekeeper certificate of registration in Florida, the apiary needs to have been inspected by the state within the last year. During these inspections, a state official looks for evidence of pests and diseases, primarily American Foulbrood, a rapidly spreading bacterial disease that can only be stopped by burning the hive. Even if they have a health certificate from another state, they must register by law with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and have their hives inspected within 30 days of arrival.

The thing is, it’s up to the beekeepers to notify the department that they’ve entered the state and need an inspection.

“It either relies on them to tell us what they’re up to or us reaching out to them and being very proactive,” Stanford says. “But with as small as we are and how many beekeepers [there are], it’s kind of hard.”

Florida has 10 apiary inspectors and two supervisors handling these inspections.

“They’re spread pretty thin because we have about 5,500 beekeepers across the state,” he says.

Stanford says that when a beekeeper notifies the department that they’ve arrived, the region’s apiary inspector will go out and inspect the hives within a week or so. The Laniers seriously doubt that.

“There are not enough bee inspectors to inspect all these bees,” Glynnis says. “That is impossible.”

sticky sabotage

These days, Ben has to think about a whole new kind of pest, one that’s more conniving than all the others: fellow beekeepers. Tupelo honey is one of the most expensive varieties on the market—most 16-ounce bottles start around $16—because of its unique composition, flavor and rarity. And as with anything, more dollar signs often means more drama.

“We actually had somebody steal about 20 hives from here this year,” Glynnis says about the bee yard we’re standing in.

The theft seemed to be done by someone who knew their

There are not enough bee inspectors to inspect all these bees.

Glynnis Lanier

Apalach Dispatch

Spring is the perfect time to head out on your own tupelo honey hunt and perhaps catch the annual Tupelo Honey Festival in nearby Wewahitchka. If you have the hankering, these are our favorite spots to taste, stay and play in and around the Apalachicola area.

welcoming hungry diners who can appreciate the recently updated ambience as much as they do the classic seafood dishes and impressive wine room.

SHIPWRECK RAW BAR

way around a beehive, she says. Some hives are made up of multiple boxes stacked on top of one another. Instead of taking the box on top, the thief went down into the bottom box and took the frames where the queen and all her brood were, then put the lid and all the other boxes back in their place. You couldn’t even tell the heart of the hive was missing, Ben says. The Laniers reported the theft to the Gulf County Sheriff’s Office but the culprit hasn’t been caught. Ben doesn’t expect them to be. Most of these thefts happen in the dead of night, so some local beekeepers, like the Rish family, have put up video surveillance on their bee yards to catch potential thieves.

Where to STAY THE GIBSON INN

This 45-room boutique hotel exudes Old Florida appeal. Here, Southern hospitality meets thoughtful design for a stay in the heart of downtown Apalachicola that feels simultaneously laid-back and luxurious.

Where to TASTE

APALACHICOLA BEE COMPANY

Belly up to the bar and let beetenders guide you through a sampling session of regional artisanal honey— including the famed tupelo variety. If the jalapeno tupelo leaves

wash it down with one of the meads on tap (that’s an alcoholic beverage made from honey). You might even leave with a little buzz.

THE FRANKLIN CAFÉ & PARLOR BAR

Located inside the historic Gibson Inn, this inviting watering hole serves up the best rendition of the classic bee’s knees cocktail. With the help of locally sourced Rish Tupelo Honey and Barr Hill Gin, this Gulf County take on the traditional Prohibition-era libation is dangerously easy sipping. After happy hour, continue your epicurean trip next door at the Franklin Café, with a menu featuring locally farmed oysters, fresh catch and Key lime pie.

THE OWL CAFE

This Apalachicola icon stands guard over the downtown strip,

Journey down to Port St. Joe for a seafood experience you’ll only find on the Forgotten Coast. While you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, the Bee Sting Shrimp, sauteed in a signature spicy tupelo honey sauce, often outshines all of the entrees.

Where to SHOP BECASA

This fashion-forward pit stop is a little splash of hot sauce in the heart of oyster town. Shop highend women’s clothing, accessories and gifts (sorry, no honey). While you’re there, don’t forget to look for the Saints of Old Florida coffee table book, co-authored by the shop’s owner Emily Raffield.

APALACHICOLA SPONGE COMPANY

As the name suggests, you’ll find locally harvested natural sponges, paired with an eclectic range of scented handmade soaps, honey, of course, and a slew of other coastal inspired gifts.

Stanford, the state apiarist, agrees that this crime can be easy to pull off without detection. Like the Laniers, a lot of commercial beekeepers keep their hives on wooden pallets. With the help of a forklift, you could load up multiple pallets of hives and drive off in minutes.

Some saboteurs don’t even need to touch the hives for their dirty work; instead they’ll poison them with pesticides or herbicides.

“This one’s tricky,” Stanford says. “People claim it happens quite a bit.”

When someone reports to the state that their hive was poisoned, Stanford’s team works with Florida’s Division of Agricultural Environmental Services to test for misuse of pesticides. They’ll also check for the presence of pests and diseases that could have contributed to the death of the colony. Stanford says it can be difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of death of a hive because it’s often a combination of factors. If the colony is stressed from preexisting disease or pests, exposure to even a moderate amount of pesticides (an amount that wouldn’t be considered a “misuse of pesticides”) can kill the bees because their immune system is weak. Since becoming the state apiarist in May 2022, Stanford says he’s never had a lab result come back indicating a misuse of pesticides.

Above: At the Parlor Bar, the bee’s knees cocktail is made with Rish Tupelo Honey.

In more recent years, overcrowding in the swamps is becom ing an issue for beekeepers as the tupelo craze grows. Bees typically forage within two to three miles of their hive, so the closer to the target nectar source, the better. As more and more migratory beekeepers want in on this pricey product, they’re all vying for a spot near the swamps where these trees thrive. If they’re one of the lucky ones who snag a piece of this cov eted land, they’ll often stick as many hives as they can fit there.

“Because tupelo became such a popular honey and the demand has been ever increasing, beekeepers keep getting closer and closer to each other with these bee yards and then that absolutely reduces your yield,” Bertonneau says.

Just like the beekeepers are vying for the same land, the bees are all after the same nectar. On agricultural land, there are no restrictions around how many hives you can place per acre or how far away they need to be from the property line. It’s up to the beekeepers to work it out among themselves if they have crowding issues with their neighbors, and no one is too keen on getting rid of some of their hives—and in turn their honey—to make their neighbors happy.

Keeping the buzz ablaze

When I ask Ben if he’s thought about putting up video surveillance to protect his bee yards from theft, poison and all the other unseemly antics, he grows real quiet. Ben Lanier is rarely speechless, and this silence is heavy with something. It’s not quite defeat, but it’s definitely exhaustion.

“I like working the bees, I like doing a little bit, but I’m about ready to just let my son have this,” he says.

Ben took over the business when he was just 16 years old, and he was working the hives alongside his father as soon as he could hold a smoker. He’s devoted more than 50 years of his life to learning the language of the bees—what they like, what they don’t and how to protect them from each new pest that pops up. But he’s running out of energy. His heart can’t handle long days in the heat like it used to—and it can’t handle the drama either.

Glynnis says she’s tried to get local commissioners to address the overcrowding issue by creating new setbacks, or rules that would require beekeepers to put their hives a certain distance away from another apiary. Beekeepers used to do this on their own because it was better for everyone’s production, but that courtesy has fallen by the wayside as more and more migratory beekeepers bring their hives to the region for the tupelo season, she says. Glynnis thinks that a two-mile buffer would be sufficient, but she can’t get any traction with her local government.

“We have had no success with our commissioners,” she says. “They talk about it, and that’s the end of it.”

Glynnis is tired of wasting her breath on a commission that doesn’t seem to care about the regional rarity it plasters all over its roadway signs and social media. And Ben has no interest in the politics of it all. He just wants to work the bee yards like the old days.

“I always say he’s a real beekeeper,” Glynnis says. “Ben cares about his bees just like he would care for your child. That’s the way he’s always been.”

Once the smoker fizzles out and all the hives have been opened, we remove our veils and pile back into Glynnis’ SUV to head back to the honey house. Just as I’m about to swing my door shut, Ben runs over, hollering.

“Hey, Jessica! You see! You see!”

I had asked him earlier why he sticks with a field that’s so unpredictable, so messy. The answer has finally hit him.

“Do you see how excited I am when I see a good hive?” he says. “I’m just like a kid again.”

This spread from left: The Laniers sell tupelo honey in various sizes; the wooden sign that welcomes guests to the Lanier homestead; the WeWahitchka water tower stands watch over the honey house.

Ben cares about his bees just like he would care for your child. That’s the way he’s always been.

— Glynnis Lanier

Donsof Docs

By CRAIG PITTMAN //

KOETH

Photography by MARY BETH

Miami documentary filmmakers Billy Corben, Alfred Spellman and David Cypkin have shaped the national conversation around some of Florida’s most salacious events in their wildly popular films.

Above from left: Alfred Spellman, Billy Corben and David Cypkin

fade in...

Lively salsa music plays. The audience sees an exterior shot of a sign for Highland Oaks Middle School in Miami. The camera zooms past the sign, through the school’s front door, down a hallway, turns a corner, then another, and finally zips into a classroom to stop at the teacher’s desk.

The teacher is Sheila Spicer, a perceptive Black woman, and this is her TV production class. We see a TV monitor and cameras. Standing in front of her are two of her white ninthgrade students. One is a motormouthed child actor named Billy Corben, the other a hard-working and creative baseball junkie named Alfred Spellman. Spicer smiles at the two 14-year-olds.

SPICER: “Billy and Alfie. My little eager beavers, my little go-getters. I am putting you in charge of producing our daily news broadcasts for the school.” (She reaches into her desk, pulls out a set of keys and hands them to Spellman.)

SPICER: “These are the keys to the studio. You can come in early and stay late if you need to. This assignment, by the way, will mark the start of your decades of partnership. You will begin producing irreverent and insightful films, mostly about Florida, that will be honored by the Sundance Film Festival and shown on various cable channels. Eventually, one of your movies will be hailed as the most popular documentary on a streaming service named Hulu.”

SPELLMAN (nodding as he grabs the keys): “Awesome!”

CORBEN (looking right at the camera): “What the f---.” A sudden blare of trumpets cover the last word.

school ties

That’s the origin story of the film studio Rakontur, as told by both Corben and Spellman. They are two of the three partners who run the Miami Beach enterprise responsible for such rowdy and revealing films as Cocaine Cowboys, Broke, Screwball and, most recently, God Forbid: The Sex Scandal That Brought Down a Dynasty

Spicer “identified something in both of us and knew that we would work well together,” said Spellman of the teacher who paired them up.

“She was just that teacher,” Corben said. Comparing her to a character from the TV show Saved by the Bell, he said, “She was our Mr. Belding.”

Although Spicer didn’t really predict their future collaborations, she did give them the first push that got them started toward becoming Florida’s premier documentarians.

Their latest film has been a huge hit on Hulu, despite tackling the taboo topics of sex, religion and politics. God Forbid explores the scandal involving a Miami pool boy whose revelations of a menage a trois brought down Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr., son of the Moral Majority founder. The movie also touches on the role Falwell played in the evangelical endorsements that aided the 2016 election of Donald Trump.

God Forbid is “wildly entertaining,” according to Chicago Sun-Times reviewer Richard Roeper. He praised the “neon potpourri of slick visuals, quick cuts, clever re-creation techniques, archival footage and sit-down interviews.” That sums up the style of most Rakontur films.

For the third Rakontur partner, David Cypkin, the studio’s origin story started much earlier than middle school.

“I have a picture of Billy at my third birthday. He’s pouting,” Cypkin said. “We grew up in the same neighborhood.”

“Our mothers used to bathe us together, that’s how far back we go,” Corben said. “We met in preschool.”

Both were part of a cadre of Jewish kids who were obsessed with movies, Cypkin said, “so for our bar mitzvahs, everybody got camcorders.”

Cypkin and Spellman are natives of Miami. Corben is the only one who is not, although his family moved there when he was 3. His father was building houses across the state in Lehigh Acres when he made his debut at a hospital in Fort Myers.

RAKONTUR

Because his family was so prominent there, news of his birth made the local paper.

“I was making front-page news even then,” Corben joked. His parents, despite misgivings, let both Corben and his brother audition for TV ads, shows and movies. They’d fly to Los Angeles, then fly back home. Corben appeared in so many episodes of TV shows that aired on NBC that his mother joked that the acronym stood for “the Network of Billy Corben.”

Corben’s life changed when he appeared in a small role in the 1989 movie Parenthood, with Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen and Rick Moranis. He was amazed to see the director, Ron Howard, was an actor he’d watched in the movie American Graffiti and the TV show Happy Days. Corben was fascinated to see Howard telling everyone else what to do.

“He was in charge of everything,” Corben said, still sounding amazed years later. The kid from Florida decided on the spot that’s what he wanted to do, too.

and, action!

Fade in … Sprightly salsa music plays in the background. In an interior shot, we see Spicer in her classroom. The calendar shows it’s 1993. She’s sitting at her desk marking papers as Billy Corben and Alfred Spellman approach, rubbing their hands.

CORBEN: “Ms. Spicer, we’ve got an idea that can’t miss.”

SPELLMAN (nodding): “We want to make a movie. We’ve got it all planned out. We just need to use all of the equipment in the studio.”

SPICER (coolly): “Tell me about it.”

CORBEN: “I wrote a 36-page script, so you know that it’s

good. It’s called Waiting. It’s about this high school girl, see, and she’s waiting to get the results of her HIV test.”

SPELLMAN: “He came up with the script, but I came up with the idea of turning it into an educational film. We’ll prepare a study guide to go with the video and offer it to the school system. We just need your help with this one thing—letting us use the school’s equipment.”

CORBEN: “We’ll shoot it over spring break when nobody’s here, then premiere it on World AIDS Day.”

SPICER (gives them a calculating look): OK boys, I’ll make you a deal, but only because I know how hard you worked on the school TV show. Alfie, I know you’ve been coming in before school to edit tapes of ESPN’s SportsCenter into a sports report for the school news. And Billy, I know you’re so busy between classes and student government, you carry three briefcases with you every day.”

CORBEN: “I actually need four briefcases, but three’s all I can carry.”

SPICER: “Here’s the offer, boys. My church in Liberty City is installing three new deacons. I’d like you two to use the school TV equipment to shoot footage of the ceremony. Then you can

Above from left: Newspaper clippings on Rakontur’s 2001 film, Raw Deal: A Question of Consent, about an alleged rape at the University of Florida, along with the film’s official movie poster

Below: At Rakontur’s 10th anniversary celebration, the trio was given keys to the city of Miami.

Our mothers used to bathe us together, that’s how far back we go.

—BILLY CORBEN

borrow it through spring break to shoot your movie. Deal?

CORBEN and SPELLMAN: “Deal!”

CORBEN (looking at the camera): “Wait, did you say we’re going to Liberty City? Oh, f---.” There’s a sudden blare of trumpets drowning him out.

big break

That’s how these two Jewish kids from North Miami Beach wound up shooting footage in historically Black Liberty City, then known as one of Miami’s most violent zip codes.

“We spent two or three days in Liberty City filming in the church—I loved it,” Spellman said. “As a Jewish kid from Miami Beach, I remember being excited to experience a Black church service. To this day it was one of the most positive religious experiences I’ve had.”

Then they set to work making Waiting. They’d raised $15,000 from family, friends and the local video store to finance the production, Spellman said, and recruited a cast and crew of friends. Cypkin, for instance, was the script supervisor.

They faxed out a press release about what they were doing to all the South Florida TV stations. The stations all sent a crew to film the filming, thus giving the boys some advance publicity as “the young filmmakers with a message.”

When they finished the short, they convinced Miami-Dade school officials that Waiting should be shown to high school classes throughout the district. They wound up producing 100 videos, pasting on the labels by hand.

They approached other South Florida school officials, getting to each district office by riding the bus or persuading Corben’s

receptionists wouldn’t know what to do with us,” Corben said.

In November 1994, Hurricane Gordon dumped a ton of rain on South Florida. While that downpour was going on, 16-yearold Spellman got behind the wheel of his parents’ car to drive himself and his partners to Orlando for a statewide education convention. They made deals to sell Waiting to several more Florida school districts.

“I still occasionally hear from people who saw us on the back of the VHS cover of that film,” Corben said. “It’s nuts.”

High school split them up—Spellman and Cypkin attended North Miami Beach High while Corben went to the New World School of the Arts and became senior class president. Nevertheless, they made two more educational films that they were able to sell to school systems.

But as they neared graduation, the trio seemed headed for different destinations: Corben to Tufts University, Spellman to the University of Florida and Cypkin to Florida State University.

“We wanted to continue to work together,” Corben said. “So we said, ‘What if we all went to the University of Miami?’” In the end, only Corben wound up there, while Cypkin attended

Documentary is not a genre, It’s a style of filmmaking.

—BILLY CORBEN

Above from left: Billy Corben in Miami; the official movie poster for their latest film, God Forbid, about the sex scandal involving Jerry Fallwell Jr., his wife and a pool boy; David Cypkin editing a film in 2007

FSU and Spellman landed at Florida International University. A tip from a friend at the University of Florida brought them together again in Gainesville.

scandalized

Fade in … We see an exterior shot of a grubby Gainesville apartment building. Slow and measured salsa music plays in the background. The camera rushes across the patchy lawn, through the door, into an elevator and, ding! The camera arrives at an upper floor and swoops into the interior of a threadbare apartment. Four people are sitting on chairs and couches. We see Corben, now 21, leaning forward and peering intently at a movie screen while sipping a root beer. On the screen is a dimly lit, flickering image that’s hard to make out.

Spellman is sitting nearby, as is a young Miami Herald reporter named Hannah Sampson, who has a notepad and pen as well as a vanilla Coke. Sitting in the corner is Cypkin, who is making a sign.

Corben, Spellman and Sampson are watching a Super 8 film that a Delta Chi frat brother from the University of Florida shot of a stripper relaxing in a hot tub with another frat brother.

GLEEFUL VOICE OF FRAT BROTHER ON FILM: “Soon to be released on DVD…”

CORBEN: “How prophetic that turned out to be.”

SAMPSON: “So you guys all dropped out of college to do this movie that you’re calling Raw Deal: A Question of Consent?”

CORBEN: “No, no, we just took some time off. I’ve got three majors—political science, screenwriting and theater—so it’s kind of a relief to be away from campus. But I’ll go back to

when we heard about this.” (Goes back to working on his sign)

SAMPSON: “How’d you get onto this story?” (sips her Coke, pages through a binder full of stories on the case that Corben has handed her)

SPELLMAN: “It’s been big news at UF. The stripper said she was raped by a frat boy, but the state attorney’s office didn’t charge anyone. The National Organization for Women got involved and accused the prosecutors of failing to protect women. Then a judge OK’d the release of this video that one of the frat boys shot, and there’s nothing on it to show a rape occurred, so public opinion shifted.”

SAMPSON: “That’s wild!” (jots down notes)

SPELLMAN: “The stripper was charged with filing a false report, but that charge was dropped when she pleaded guilty to operating an escort service without a license. Meanwhile, the university kicked the frat off campus. Nobody can agree on what happened.”

CYPKIN: “Hence my sign, which I’m going to hang in my editing corner.” (The sign says, “Welcome to the argument”)

CORBEN (sounding very intense): “I’ve never been so excited about a project before in my life. It’s just so cool. I have an interest in knowing what happened. It’s apparent here that someone was wronged. Now if only we could get someone to talk to us! No one from NOW will appear on camera and neither will the prosecutors.”

SAMPSON: “You came here without having any interviews set up? That’s crazy.”

CYPKIN (putting down the sign): “It was a leap of faith.”

(The phone rings. Spellman answers briefly, then hangs up.)

Above from left: The official movie poster for Cocaine Cowboys, a 2006 film about how cocaine smugglers turned a once-sleepy Miami into a glittering international landmark; agents featured in the film posing with piles of confiscated cash

SPELLMAN (excited): “The frat guys say they’ll talk to us.” (Phone rings again, Spellman answers, talks for a minute or two and then hangs up.) “The stripper said she’ll talk to us, too!”

SAMPSON: “Wow, this sounds great! I bet you could be the first guys from Miami to take a movie to the Sundance Film Festival! The youngest, too!”

CORBEN (looks at the camera): “What the—you know what? I’m not gonna say it this time.” Blare of trumpets!

snow days

When Raw Deal came out in 2001, Variety posted a review that called the movie “uncomfortable” but “compulsively watchable … in the manner of a train derailment.” As Cypkin predicted, the trio struggled with the narrative, having what Spellman called “knock-down, drag-out arguments” over what to say, how to say it, how much to show and why.

“There wasn’t a second of that film that didn’t involve everyone shouting at each other,” Cypkin said. In the end, they left it to the viewer to decide who was telling the truth.

Corben was so intent on getting the story right that he was still editing right up to the last minute before they were to leave for the Sundance Film Festival. Finally, Spellman told him, “You don’t have to finish, but you have to stop.”

At Sundance, the New York Post reported that the film “provoked a firestorm of controversy as audiences debate whether the extremely explicit sex footage is exploitative or … provides a valuable lesson for college students.”

Corben, for whom this Utah trip marked the first time he’d seen snow, was in his element. He talked up the film at every

turn, giving 10 interviews a day. The controversy sparked a frantic bidding war over rights to distribute the movie.

“Our cell phones have been ringing off the hook,” Spellman told the Post at the time.

The real reward for doing a documentary, Spellman said more recently, is that you get to make more of them. The success of Raw Deal opened the door for the trio to make the ultimate Miami movie, Cocaine Cowboys.

Originally, this story about how cocaine smugglers turned the once-sleepy metropolis into a glittering international landmark had a very different title: City Made of Snow. But when they met with potential distributors, Corben said, “nobody was interested in City Made of Snow.”

They finally decided to change it “because we wanted to eat,” Corben said. “Cocaine Cowboys was a noisier title.”

They followed a similar template: no narrator, interview subjects talking straight to the camera, lots of archival footage, rapid cuts from scene to scene. But other touches were different. For instance, instead of fading to black, they’d fade to white.

The roles of Rakontur were now settled, with Corben as the director, Spellman as the producer and Cypkin as the editor.

“Billy and I go out and hunt and gather, and we bring it back to Dave,” Spellman said.

“Billy is an assertive director, and he knows what he wants,” Cypkin said. “Alfred has a creative way of making it happen.”

The first cut, full of jaw-dropping interviews with ex-smugglers, cops, prosecutors, reporters and even a hit man, wound up being nearly four hours long. Spellman joked that they were making two movies. In the end, that’s exactly what they did.

The final cut of the first Cocaine Cowboys, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2006, was close to two hours. A

New York Times review huffed that it was “overlong, overexcited and over the top,” but when it popped up on Showtime, viewers loved it. It did even better on VHS.

One clever marketing move was to persuade video rental chains not to tuck it away with other documentaries back in a section of the store visited only by cinephiles. Instead, it was shelved with gangster films such as Scarface and The Godfather

“Documentary is not a genre,” Corben explained. “It’s a style of filmmaking.”

As a result of that film’s popularity, Rakontur made a 2008 sequel, Cocaine Cowboys 2. The second one focused on “the Godmother” of the cartels. Then came an expansion on the original (Cocaine Cowboys: Reloaded), and in 2021, a six-episode Netflix series called Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami.

They have one more installment in the works: The Last of the Cocaine Cowboys, a four-part series focusing on Medellín cartel co-founder Carlos Lehder. They also made one in 2011 that wasn’t a sequel but had a similar vibe. Square Grouper: The Godfathers of Ganja was about marijuana smugglers

filmmakers used kids to reenact some of the craziest scenes of the Biogenesis scandal. Variety loved it and said the film was “what might result if the Monty Python troupe were given carte blanche to produce an investigative report for 60 Minutes.”

Their two most recent films, 537 Votes and God Forbid, have delved more into politics and how American elections wound up the way they did. While God Forbid focused on evangelicals’ role in the 2016 election, 537 Votes ties the 2000 presidential recount debacle to the Elián González custody fight. The run-up to the 2020 election is what prompted them to do a film on what happened 20 years before. “We said, ‘This is going to be the most consequential presidential election of our lifetime. We need to do something,” Spellman said.

They filmmakers won’t talk about what’s next but hint it will highlight another Florida-based scandal with political connections.

—ALFRED SPELLMAN

Not every story was a Florida story. Rakontur found a way to tell riveting tales about hip-hop (The Tanning of America on VH1), money-squandering athletes (Broke, an ESPN “30 for 30” film) and sleazy New York nightclub culture (Limelight, another Tribeca entry).

But their most fertile source has always been the Sunshine State. For instance, their 2009 film on the University of Miami’s championship football team, The U, became the most watched ESPN documentary ever, with 2.368 million viewers tuning in.

Each new success has raised their profile. Now, Spellman says, whenever someone gets out of prison in South Florida, “your first call is to your mama, and your second one is to us.”

As one example, New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez pitched them the idea of a documentary about his suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs (“It was a weird lunch,” noted Corben). Then they got similar pitches from the other two principals in his scandal, the phony doctor who gave out steroid shots and the Miami clinic employee who blew the whistle on everything.

“If ever the universe was trying to tell us something, that was it,” Corben said.

The result was Screwball, the 2018 film in which the

“We went from telling gangster stories and drug stories to telling stories with more gravitas,” Spellman said.

This trio of smart-alecky kids from North Miami Beach are maturing. Some of them have married and started families. Corben has a podcast and over 100,000 followers on Twitter. They still spend more hours of the day talking with each other than anyone else. And they have no plans to slow down their movie production anytime soon.

fast forward

Fade in … Light salsa music plays. The setting is a futuristic Miami, with flying cars and jetpacks. In a shot, we see a trio of kids on a playground who look like Corben, Spellman and Cypkin. Spellman Jr. is using his phone to shoot a video of two other kids who are pretending to be a corrupt politician taking a payoff from a drug dealer—using Monopoly money—while Cypkin Jr. is shooting the same scene from a different angle.

CORBEN JR. to the two others: “OK that’s good, but you gotta take the money quicker. And look around like you’re trying to spot any cops watching you. Let’s try it again.”

A gray-haired Corben Sr. walks up to the trio, looks at the scene in awe, then looks at the camera and says, “What the f---.” A sudden blare of trumpets cover the last word.

We went from telling gangster stories and drug stories to telling stories with more gravitas.

Above from left: On location shooting Screwball in 2017; the official movie poster from the film Screwball about the Alex Rodriguez doping scandal; a look behind the scenes at a photoshoot in 2007

The World Equestrian Center in Ocala brings a new standard of luxury to Central Florida’s horse hub.

By NILA DO SIMON // Photography by MARY BETH KOETH

A BREED ABOVE x x x x

n an unseasonably warm Saturday afternoon in February in north Central Florida, Sailor, a handsome Oldenburg in his prime, stands basking in air-conditioned bliss. Above his tightly braided mane, a ceiling fan rotates, circulating the air as he steps off his personal mattress onto the stable’s matted floor. Sailor, whose show name is MTM Waypoint, waits perfectly still while being groomed and tacked up by the loving hands of his rider Coventry Burke Berg, who sees him not just as an animal, but as an extension of herself and her athletic dreams.

Like the hundreds of other amateur and professional riders, along with thousands of horses, who have descended on Ocala’s World Equestrian Center for a 12-week series of hunter/jumper competitions, Berg has arrived at this moment by way of a lifelong love of riding.

“If you haven’t met a crazy horse person, you probably are the crazy horse person,” Berg jokes, repeating a widely accepted sentiment that horse people are nothing if not passionate about their sport and their animals. It’s a lifestyle, not a hobby, and one that is flourishing in the heart of Florida thanks to the creation of the World Equestrian Center, where passion and perfectionism collide.

dripping with Spanish moss, the picture-perfect backdrop for such a royally rewarding pursuit.

For professional riders like Will Simpson, who has won more than 75 Grand Prixs (the highest division in the sport which regularly features $100,000 in prize money), WEC is “a game-changer.” And, after one afternoon meandering around the property, it’s easy to see why.

Previous spread: Rider Coventry Burke Berg and her Oldenburg horse, MTM Waypoint

Bottom left: Will Simpson brought home the gold in the 2008 Olympics. Right clockwise from the top: The 12-week Summer Circuit begins in June; WEC is owned and operated by the Roberts family; Stirrups offers fine dining inside the equestrian center; WEC Stadium seats 7,000 people.

Opened to the public in January 2021, the pristine facility on 378 acres of rolling hills and rich limestone soil offers an array of horserelated amenities for Olympic-level and amateur athletes alike. Highlights include nearly 3,000 stables—2,300 of which are climate-controlled (the most notable modernization to anyone familiar with the Florida heat and humidity)—and two multipurpose expo centers, which regularly host galas, symposiums, charity events and even volleyball tournaments.

There’s also WEC Stadium, a 7,000-seat facility with bright lights that spotlight the manege during Saturday night Grand Prix shows and two video walls that project the live show with crystal-clear imaging. The facility is so grand that Simpson says when he and his horses walk down the ramp to enter the arena, “we feel like we’re playing at the Super Bowl.”

Ocala’s deep history in equestrian culture has put it in the same conversation as historically recognized locations of Lexington, Kentucky and Middleburg, Virginia. In some circles, it’s eclipsing Wellington as the state’s prime equine destination. And now with the draw of WEC for international horse competitors, Ocala has been vaulted to a global stage. Is the quaint Southern town of 65,000 residents ready?

change of pace

If anyone can appreciate the ultra high standards that WEC is bringing to Ocala, it’s a competitor like Simpson. In 2008, he was part of the U.S. Olympic jumping team that took home a gold medal, a highlight of his nearly four-decade career. WEC holds a special place for Simpson, who moved from Thousand Oaks, California, to Ocala in 2021, lured by the Florida city’s easy pace and WEC’s potential impact on the sport.

“It was never on my radar to move to Ocala,” Simpson says from his 23-acre farm where he just finished a jog with his horse, Chacco P. “But the trees, the Spanish moss and the horse farm community won me over. Not to mention how special WEC is.”

For competitors like Simpson, WEC goes above and beyond to ensure the riding community is taken care of and appreciated. Attention to detail goes beyond ensuring there’s enough hay for horses. Individual ceiling fans hang above the padded stalls, which at either 12 feet by 12 feet or 12 feet by 14 feet are said to be wider and roomier than most facility stalls. After completing a round of competition, horses even have the option of indulging in a soft peppermint—a sweet vice loved by most

footing, or riding surface, of a custom-blended mix of silica sand, felt and fiber to provide enough cushion to reduce injury yet remain stable enough to support a horse’s many movements. The animal’s health is so paramount at WEC that it even includes a 40,000-square-foot veterinary hospital on its property, partnering with the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine to provide advanced diagnostics and treatment for horses, dogs and cats.

And then there’s the 248-room resort-style hotel, The Equestrian. Opened in June 2021, the $800 million five-level building is the epicenter of the compound, where the world of competitive equestrianism shows off its lavish side.

“Being able to stay at a really nice hotel on property is so unique. I can walk the grounds to decompress from my day and prepare for tomorrow, and I never feel unsafe,” Berg says. “I’ve never been able to stay on property and give my horse a little kiss at night, and that’s something that’s really special to me and something I didn’t know was even a possibility.”

equine creatures—that melts in their mouths.

“My horses love it. They like the footing; they like the stalls. They like being able to show inside if it’s cloudy and rainy, and WEC makes the show so aesthetically pleasing,” says Berg, who lives in Ponte Vedra Beach. “I have a lot of gratitude to be able to have a facility like this in our backyard.”

On the performance level, the five indoor arenas and 22 outdoor show rings, including WEC Stadium, have top-of-the-line

The Equestrian is a favored resting spot for traveling riders, their families and training team, as well as spectators and those curious about the lifestyle. Inside the lobby, riding boots are traded in for Gucci slides, and guests are treated to a display of neoclassical French design as they wander to their next gathering spot.

From floor to 20-foot ceiling, mahogany wood and Italian porcelain cover the lobby, and more than 80 Schonbek Swarovski crystal chandeliers hang from above. The lobby walls are adorned with dozens of brass-framed oil canvas

I’ve never been able to stay on property and give my horse a little kiss at night, and that’s really special to me.

—COVENTRY BURKE BERG

portraits of dogs to unite the idea that horse and hound indeed go hand in hand.

In short, WEC is the Disney World of equine sports, if Disney had dedicated sprawling space for four-legged mammals whose strength and beauty are often unsurpassed. Inside an indoor arena, a dressage rider atop a horse with a tightly braided dark mane pauses in front of WEC’s motto affixed to the wall. In sans serif lettering, the words “Quality. Class. Distinction.” peek out past the rider’s left shoulder, fitting core values to a place that oozes all of the above.

a dynasty begins

So how did this mecca to the storied world of equine sports come to be in Central Florida? WEC Ocala is the younger sister to the original WEC in Wilmington, Ohio, created by the late Larry Roberts, his wife, Mary Roberts, and their son, Roby, horse lovers and owners of R+L Carriers shipping and distribution company. Considered the premier show facility in the Midwest, Wilmington’s 200-acre location laid the groundwork and experience to build an even bigger and better Southern facility. The Roberts had a long history in Marion County, buying several acres of land decades ago and turning them into a family home and a farm for raising and breeding quarter horses. By all accounts, the Roberts are not just visionaries in the world of equine sports, but dreamers with the capacity and intent to strengthen horse competitions and the region of Ocala along with them.

Horse culture is nothing new to Ocala, which has called itself the “Horse Capital of the World” since 2007 and earned a registered trademark. Legend has it that in 1916, road builder Carl Rose arrived from Indiana to supervise construction of Florida’s first asphalt road. He began experimenting with limestone, found in abundance in north Central Florida, and soon saw how the limestone-based soil, replete with calcium that strengthens a horse’s legs, would be ideal for raising livestock. He moved to Ocala in 1918 and began buying hundreds of acres of land for breeding racehorses. At the time of his death in 1963, Rose was widely considered the founding force behind 30 thoroughbred horse farms in Marion County. Success on a grand scale came in 1956 when Needles, an Ocala-bred thoroughbred, won that year’s Kentucky Derby.

The equestrian world is as varied a sport as any. There are the more visible events that the casual fan may occasionally see on television, like thoroughbred racing, polo, dressage and show jumping. Then, there are others, like rodeo, hunter jumping, steeplechase, equitation and barrel racing that are only popular in certain regions and communities. Despite their differences, these disciplines feature one common denominator: horse with rider. And at WEC, both two-legged and four-legged creatures are given equal footing.

According to the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association, Ocala has more than 75 percent of the state’s thoroughbred farms and training centers, surpassing powerhouse equine communities like Wellington and Palm Beach. Marion County, where Ocala sits, has more horses

And, if WEC Ocala has anything to do with it, these numbers will only grow. In addition to the 378-acre property, there are 300 acres in reserve for future development. Construction is underway on a second on-property hotel, set to open in mid2024 with nearly 400 pet-friendly rooms, the majority of which will be suites with kitchenettes for longer-term stays. If that’s not enough, WEC bought the over 900-acre Ocala Jockey Club in northern Marion County for $10.5 million in 2021, with plans to restore the cross-country course and develop driving competition courses. While Ocala has rightfully earned the title

of “Horse Capital of the World,” with WEC’s addition of the Jockey Club and its Midas touch, the city might consider renaming itself the “Horse Capital of the Universe.”

“My dad always said that you build something, and it tells its own story,” writes Roby Roberts, CEO of the World Equestrian Center, in an email. “So, it is early days yet, and we’ll see what the World Equestrian Center—Ocala will tell us.”

heaven on earth

Ocala itself has recently experienced a population boom; partly responsible is the wave of Northerners relocating to Florida, as well as those attracted to WEC’s overall compound, which includes retail stores, seven dining concepts, an upscale spa and an RV park, all on the property. According to a study by U-Haul movers, Ocala is the nation’s top growth city based on the net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks in the past year. U-Haul says Ocala saw a 6 percent year-over-year increase in arrivals and only a 1 percent increase in departures. New residents, like Simpson, find themselves in awe of the diverse offerings in Ocala, from its natural springs to its quaint historic district.

“Since I’ve moved here, I’ve seen restaurants popping up left and right, and really cool wine bars, and other fun places to go,” Simpson says. “And I’m discovering the rivers and springs. I love going out to the crystal-clear waters on a hot day.”

During a recent Grand Prix show in the Winter Circuit, the Grand Outdoor Arena’s shaded stands and grounds were packed with spectators. With free admission to walk around the facil ity, visitors not historically connected to this sport are able to experience the spectacular Grand Prix, where Olympic-level riders and their horses hurdle over fences approaching 6 feet in height. Outside the manege, families roamed the arena carrying ice cream cones and other treats from Miss Tilly’s Lollipops, a confectionery named after Mary Roberts’ English bulldog. Retirees from the nearby community of The Villages meandered through the aisles of Mr. Pickles & Sailor Bear Toy Shoppe (named after Mary’s Scottish terrier and wirehaired terrier, respectively), no doubt looking for a toy for their grandchildren in the store that gives FAO Schwarz a run for its money. Couples and groups sat in the stands for a Saturday date night, cheering when a horse finished a clean run and audibly groaning when a fence post was nicked by a hoof. For a sport that hasn’t quite earned the same widespread spec tator appeal as basketball and tennis, the bustle and excitement was enough to make you think otherwise this Saturday evening.

My dad always said that you build something, and it tells its own story.

—ROBY ROBERTS

Above: The Equestrian offers fine dining, a luxury spa, high-end shopping experiences and world-class equestrian sports.

Left: Roby Roberts, CEO of the World Equestrian Center

“The facility is exposing the equestrian sport to a wider audience,” says Justin Garner, the Equestrian Center’s director of hotel and hospitality operations. “I could see couples coming to a Grand Prix show for a date night and having a great meal here. The center is making this all a true sporting event and well-rounded experience for spectators.”

old ocala

Prior to showing at WEC, competitors’ primary winter show facility was at Horse Shows in the Sun (HITS) Post Time Farm, about a 20-minute drive north on U.S. Route 27. One of several facilities run by a New York-based organization, the 450-acre Ocala HITS location earned a reputation as Ocala’s go-to venue during the Winter Circuit, usually a 12-week period that takes place from December to March. HITS houses a Grand Prix Stadium that has hosted some of the highest-paying competitions in history, such as the Great American $500,000 Grand Prix and the Great American $1 Million Grand Prix. But in recent years, neglect and mismanagement gave way to disrepair and a tarnished reputation, paving the way for a new investment last year from private equity firm Traub Capital Partners. In October, Joseph Norick came onboard as HITS’ chief customer officer, focusing on refurbishing HITS’ image and customer experience.

“It was a jewel that needed a little bit of love,” says Norick.

“And today, we’re looking to add more warmth and to make it feel like home.”

The facility is currently undergoing renovations that will enhance its facade and the experience for both rider and horse. Walking around the grounds today, HITS is nestled in a sea of live oak trees and dirt paths. Both the Grand Prix Arena and Main Hunter Arena were built around

a pair of oak trees more than 100 years old and were recently enhanced with premium equestrian surface. Other rings have been rebuilt, and more is in the works after the season ends.

But Norick says HITS’ face-lifts aren’t a response to WEC’s shininess or the sportsman’s appreciation for it. The two venues offer totally different experiences. “HITS is for the real Florida horseman. Look around us,” he says, pointing to the rural landscape and towering trees that stretch as far as the eye can see. “This is where I would want to ride.”

The rest of the horse world is awaiting more details from WEC as it continues to grow and expand its offering into other equine sports. But details are slow to be released, and when they are, it’s with carefully worded messaging and usually through a press release. Curated and edited, WEC’s marketing is as manicured as the lawns and as polished as the shiny porcelain floors.

That’s not to say there’s no personality in this neck of the woods. Sitting at the top of a hill on the property is perhaps the most notable vestige of the Roberts family and their Midwestern values: a chapel. The nondenominational, 100-seat stone chapel with stained-glass windows, Swarovski crystal chandeliers and pointed arches has Wednesday and Sunday services in English and Spanish. And if building a chapel on the same property as a world-class sports facility and secular hotel is a headscratcher, then it just takes a little more understanding of the Roberts family to see that what they are creating is one cohesive brand under God. Wooden bowls filled with crosses small enough to grasp in the palm of a child’s hand are found throughout the property, including at hotel check-in, near the on-site restaurants and in the hallways of a hunter show.

HITS is for the real Florida horseman. Look around us.

— JOSEPH NORICK

While Ocala has been that horse heaven for decades, perhaps now marks a turning point for equine sports, where these prize studs can compete in the Madison Square Garden of show jumping arenas. And if that long-term vision isn’t achieved, at the minimum, Ocala will always be a place for people like Simpson to roam the land with his horses, free and uninhibited.

As he stables his horses after his latest training run, Simpson reflects on his short time living in Ocala. “It’s nice to let the horses unwind and be outdoor horses,” Simpson says. “So it’s kind of nice to come to a slow town and unwind a bit. For me, it’s time to come to a slow town.”

Right on cue, Chacco P. neighs in agreement.

Above: Boutiques sell contemporary fashion, riding wear and boots.

Opposite, clockwise: Berg with her horse, MTM Waypoint, in front of his stall; The Equestrian offers a five-star resort experience; Simpson in the barn on his 23-acre farm in Ocala; Simpson riding one of his horses at sunset

Panhandling

By Prissy Elrod • Illustration by Stephen Lomazzo

No Robes. No Dinner.

Prissy finds out the hard way that less is more on an Italian vacation.

As we strolled the cobbled streets along the Amalfi Coast, I absorbed the charm that brought us there. Having visited Italy several times before, it was my first time in that region. It was also the last two days of a two-week vacation that I wasn’t ready to end. The next day we would journey to Rome for our final night before returning home to Tallahassee.

For the five-hour scenic drive to Rome, I had decided to hire a driver recommended by our Positano hotel concierge. The next morning, as we settled into the back seat of the car, I handed him the paper scribbled with the name and address of our destined hotel. It was on the outskirts of town and near the Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport. He read the paper and shook his head.

“I am from Rome and never heard of this hotel,” he announced.

“Really? Well, it’s close to the airport and has hundreds of glowing reviews,” I boasted.

Oh, how I love finding those offbeat hotels that tourists, and even some locals, don’t know about. In years past I had escorted groups of 25 women on annual all-inclusive trips to Italy, even Hong Kong.

That alone might be why I’m a bit crazy. Let me just say (although I shouldn’t) that women really are the most difficult species to please. My chosen hotel accommodations were always gold nuggets and met my own picky criteria of being high-end, stylish, small and nontouristy. Often enough, however, they did not satisfy my persnickety guests’ expectations. For them, five stars just weren’t enough. Shamefully, (I won’t lie) I did lie. The next time I advertised one of my Far Outside the Ordinary tour adventures abroad, I told those headaches I was sold out. I’m not proud of myself. But, cliche or not, karma really is a bitch and one must reap what they sow. I mean, shouldn’t they?

Our driver entered the address into his GPS. Five hours later, he was still trying to find my unmapped gem. Even the GPS had trouble. Finally, he called the hotel for proper directions. As we drove through the wrought iron gates, he babbled in his broken English, “I do not know this. I drive to airport many times for many years.”

“Well, now you do and can tell your passengers and hotel concierges,” I replied, beaming with prideful glee knowing I taught the lifelong Roman something he knew nothing about.

“Yes, yes, I will. It is so beautiful,” he said.

The facade and surrounding grounds reminded me of one of the plantations in Thomasville, Georgia. It screamed elegance and isolation. As we bid goodbye, he thanked me again for introducing the place to him. “Why did I not know?” he whispered, still dumbfounded.

Best-kept secrets

As we checked in, the desk clerk offered to make dinner reservations at their restaurant. “Great, how about 6:00?” I asked.

“I think 8:30 is better; we have a complimentary reception at 7:00,” he suggested.

“OK, that’s perfect.” A cocktail sounded so good after our long car ride, the last leg of it spent driving around in circles. Dale, my introverted husband, didn’t bother to reply to either of us. He knew how much I loved meeting people and liked to say, “I’m just along for the ride.” Whatever that means.

The desk clerk made our reservation for 8:30 and handed over a gold tasseled key to the bellman. We followed him through the enchanting lobby into an elevator up to the fourth floor. He unlocked the door to an elegant king-size suite layered from floor to ceiling in luxury. The decor was distinct with its Venetian plastered walls and a palette of white, beige and ornate gold embellishment. A jasmine-scented breeze nudged the azure silk drapes framing the wide-opened windows. I heard laughter and splashing coming from somewhere outside in the distance. I looked through the windows to see a large fence nearby. Hmm, sounds like the party already started.

When the bellman left our room, my weary husband plopped

down on the posh linen duvet. Next to him lay two plush terry robes, artfully laid out with fresh rose petals sprinkled around.

“Scoot off those robes,” I scolded, as any tired woman would. The man was fast asleep before my scoot command was commanded.

I went into the luxurious marbled bath and found an oversize tub large enough for a family of four. A generous supply of toiletries, branded in white-and-gold packaging, lay scattered in piles around the tub and both sinks. I’d never stayed in a hotel with so many complimentary items: razors, lotions,

Panhandling

sunny dispatches from NW FLA

told my husband, as we made our way to the cocktail reception. I was all dolled up, both of us famished by then. A waiter with chilled wine perched on a silver tray greeted us at the door. I retrieved two glasses from him. “Thanks!” I said, smiling.

“The attire is robes,” he said, unsmiling.

“You’re funny,” I chuckled.

“I’m sorry, but robes are the policy.”

“Did you say robes?” I asked, my head cocked to study the creature. Say what, you crazy a*s! I thought. “But we have dddd-dinner reservations over there,” I stuttered and pointed to the restaurant behind him.

“Did you not find signature robes on the bed?” he asked with what looked like a smirk as he continued scolding.

We stared, both stunned, then guzzled our wine with no comment. Three gulps gone, we handed him our two empty glasses and walked away. We were hungry enough to eat an elephant but not enough to strip into robes.

the fine print

shampoos, conditioners, Epsom salts for softening, invigorating and relaxing—all in different colors with various scents. There were pedicure and manicure kits and even serum for my parched hair.

I filled the tub with gallons of water and slid into my impressive tent of bubbles. A stack of indulgences on the ledge of the tub called out. I opened, poured, exfoliated, shaved, relaxed, meditated and then dabbed my locks with the serum. Forty-five minutes later, I climbed out and slathered more potions on my damp skin. I swear I glistened and was beyond energized.

“This place is six stars, not just five,” I

As it turned out, my jeweled hotel was nothing but a cubic zirconia. In my neck of the woods, we call it a nudist colony. Italians label it a Roman bath retreat. It seemed during my hotel research I stopped reading once I read the word retreat. Clearly, the hotel should have printed: NO robes. NO dinner. NO uptight Americans. We undressed for bed and not for dinner. Only after did I discover my hair wasn’t infused with hair serum after all. No sirree! It was something more personal, as in lubricant. The word was stamped on every other product in the bathroom—once I slid on my glasses and closely read what was in all those white-andgold packages.

Chagrined and unfed, we crawled into the crisp sheets in our stale, wrinkled pajamas. A harmony made up of two growling stomachs and an orgy of nudists singing backup (behind that tall privacy fence) amplified the room’s silence. Before being lulled to sleep, I will confess, I may have counted mental images

of chiseled, naked Italian men and not the customary sheep.

In my lifetime, I’ve come to believe almost anything that happens can be a lesson, of sorts. The purpose is to dissect, learn and grow from it—or through it. Sometimes, both at the same time.

I wouldn’t trade my naughty nudist adventure for anything, though I’m sure my “along for the ride” husband would. I’d like to believe I learned from it.

One being, I guess I’m not the savvy travel expert I have bragged too often to be. Two, I should wear my glasses and read what’s in hotel bathrooms before slathering it everywhere. Three, read the fine print in all hotel descriptions. There was a reason the devout Catholic driver didn’t know where that hotel was. And to think I suggested he share concierges. Four, nobody likes a bragger. So, don’t brag about anything, ever. Five, (and this one is mostly for me) don’t be the last living authority on everything you know nothing about. Point taken, Mr. Takeaway. I still try to remember that one, but mostly I don’t, and probably won’t. Ask all those who know me. Better yet…please don’t.

Elrod is a professional speaker, artist and humorist, and the author of Far Outside the Ordinary. She was born and raised in Lake City and now lives in Tallahassee with her husband, Dale. She has authored two nonfiction books: Far Outside the Ordinary and Chasing Ordinary, the sequel.

Prissy

We were hungry enough to eat an elephant but not enough to strip into robes.

Elevating the beach vacation to an art form since 1928.

Two classic resorts. One st ep from the beach.

A family favorite for generations, Ponte Vedra Beach Resorts bring world-class golf & tennis, celebrated dining, heated swimming pools, an epic spa and an atmosphere of gracious southern hospitality –all just steps from the finest beach in North Florida. Learn about our Special Offers. PonteVedra.com/offers 844.648.8833

— fine arts, favorites, flings —

ON THE FLY

— BIRD’S-EYE VIEW — Our guide to Central Florida’s hidden garden

— DESIGN DISTRICT — Step inside Ty Pennington’s surf sanctuary.

— THE ROOST — Glass treasures and elaborate measures

— FLORIDA WILD — This triple threat is quite the handful.

— THE TIDE — The best spring and summer soirees

— FLORIDIANA — Flip your own flapjacks at this historical haunt.

ON THE FLY :BIRD’S-EYE VIEW

A GUIDE TO OUR FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOODS

winter garden wanderlust

1. THE HANGRY BISON

Customization is king at this buildyour-own burger joint specializing in unbelievably tender bison meat. Create your perfect plate from the beer cheese down to the brioche bun.

250 W. Plant St.

2. WRITER’S BLOCK BOOKSTORE

Lit lovers can linger for hours in this smallbut-mighty indie bookstore on the main drag. Inside you’ll find every genre, from recent releases to timeless classics.

32 W. Plant St.

3. LIVETRENDS BOUTIQUE

Pick out your next plant pal from this trendy home decor and foliage shop teeming with trees and terrariums. 279 Tremaine St.

4. THREE BIRDS CAFE

Locals flock to this quaint corner cafe for fresh breakfast plates like the Florida French toast and decadent specialty coffee. Go ahead and order the Cinnamon Toast Crunch latte, you know you want it. 2 W. Plant St.

5. PLANT STREET MARKET

An oasis for the indecisive, this community market is filled with 20 vendors, ranging from eight-seat sushi counters and intimate oyster bars to juice joints and deli stands.

426 W. Plant St.

6. CROOKED CAN BREWING

Located inside the Plant Street Market, this beloved microbrewery pours pints designed for the Sunshine State, like the Citrus Kicker IPA and the crisp Florida Sunshine lager. 426 W. Plant St.

7. PICCOLO COFFEE CO.

Blink and you might miss this bite-size coffee bar downtown, but you’ll be sad you did. The FL honey latte is a fan favorite and the perfect fuel for a day on the town.

18 N. Boyd St.

8. URBAN ON PLANT KITCHEN + BAR

There isn’t a single miss on this massive menu, which is impressive considering it includes everything from Korean bulgogi tacos to wild mushroom macaroni and cheese.

132 W. Plant St.

9. SOBO ART GALLERY

Whether you wander the rotating exhibitions from local artists or you choose to pick up a paintbrush yourself during one of the gallery’s many master classes, something is bound to spark inspiration. 127 S. Boyd St.

Above from left: The Garden Theatre, Centennial Plaza, a downtown mural by PJ Svejda, Crooked Can Brewing Company at Plant Street Market

This small-but-sweet Orlando suburb has an appeal all its own.

Illustration by Leslie Chalfont

Exploration INSPIRATION

Looking for somewhere new to uncover this summer? Check out our collection of Bird’s-Eye View travel guides (including our Capital City outing illustrated below), where we give you the lowdown on locales around the state and a weekend’s worth of shops, eateries and adventures to try at each destination. No town is too small!

FIND

Anna Maria Island

Coral Gables

DeLand

Fernandina Beach

Flagler Village

Gainesville

Key West

Mount Dora

Naples

Palm Beach

Ponte Vedra & Jacksonville

Beaches

Seaside

Siesta Key

South Beach

St. Augustine

St. Petersburg

Stuart

Tallahassee

Tampa

Winter Park

Wynwood

SCAN HERE

Whether your outdoor passions favor riding waves, swimming with dolphins, riding horseback or biking trails, treat your eyes to the beauty and your heart to the excitement of Palm Coast and the Flagler Beaches.

ON THE FLY: DESIGN DISTRICT

By Steve Dollar

Pennington’s Paradise

Ty Pennington reimagines an old Palm Coast fishing bungalow for a new kind of client: himself.

ON THE FLY: DESIGN DISTRICT

neighborhood bully when he was growing friends with a guy who turned out to be his antagonist’s sibling. “A good buddy of mine ... his brother used to beat the hell out of me and my brother,” Pennington recalls. your brother?’” Taking , Pennington liked to visit his friend

it wasn’t until he discovered a unique site in north coastal Florida, way off the beaten path, that Ty Pennington was inspired to create his own dream house.

on a circular nature, which means his stories are never simple, but always entertaining. His discovery of his own personal paradise began with a series of childhood dust-ups from a

ROCK THE BLOCK

— STREAMING ON—

HGTV

DISCOVERY +

— SEASON 4 —

AIRS MARCH 2023

hgtv.com/shows/ rock-the-block

beers and soaking up the vibe. “It’s the closest thing to the Keys you’re North Florida,” says Pennington, wandering down an old road and came upon a weathered brick fishing cabin that he likens to “this incredible Mayan ruin.” It was love at first sight. The property high, made of soil dredged up during the construction of the Florida Intracoastal Waterway. This incidental fact of history also happened to provide the property with some incredible views of the waterfront and

At first, Pennington was going to redo the site as a prefabricated home, but saw

ON THE FLY: DESIGN DISTRICT

as wall art which doubles as a screen for a TV projector hidden in the ceiling.

And yes, the host of HGTV’s Battle on (among other shows) still feels called to the ocean, surfing whenever he gets the chance.

working with Fred Lewers and Palm West Home Builders. “I was like, ‘Let’s just do it right.’ I expanded the design and turned it into something like my Taliesin.”

He alludes, of course, to fabled architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s 800-acre Wisconsin estate and studio, a landmark in midcentury design. The 6-bedroom, 5.5-bath home Pennington cohabitates with his mother sits on a mere acre and covers something north of 5,000 square feet by rough estimate. Like Wright, however, Pennington is keen on organic flow, and his choices aim for a seamless integration with the landscape.

Besides the huge floor-to-ceiling windows that wrap around the house, Pennington went all-in on sustainable

materials sourced from the immediate surroundings. Namely: cypress. The softwood, so common to Florida’s swamplands, was used for the tongue-and-groove on the interior ceilings, the home’s stairs and the home’s exterior. “It just looks amazing,” Pennington says. “I have to start over every three years and reseal it, but it’s such a beautiful wood that I couldn’t help but [use] it.”

Another feature that delights Pennington is the atrium, accessible via accordion windows that open to the soft Atlantic breeze. “It lets light into areas of the house that if you made one gigantic space you wouldn’t be able to get that.” A grapefruit tree that Pennington planted grows up through the middle of the walkway. Other special touches include an old surfing photo of Pennington blown up for use

“I love going out,” says Pennington, who grew up landlocked in Atlanta. “You’ve probably heard Matanzas Inlet is a great spot. When it breaks, it breaks really well there. There’s also paddleboarding, literally in my backyard. I like to do a little bit of both ... I definitely love getting wet. And let’s face it, all the way [down] to [US Highway 92], there’s really good surfing everywhere.”

BATTLE ON THE BEACH

Of course, you can also catch Pennington on the new seasons of Rock the Block (now on HGTV and discovery+), and Battle on the Beach, the beachfront property renovation competition show (season 3 airs on HGTV in June). But while you’re watching him turn shabby into chic, he’ll likely be down a windy Florida back road at his own sandy oasis catching waves off his favorite shore.

Above: Warm natural light fills the modern yet boho living space. Bottom right: Pennington’s home unfolds to welcome in Atlantic coast breezes.

Pick a cause. Any Cause.

What do you love most about the Florida outdoors? The incredible variety of wild species? The expansive waterways and unique landscapes? The endless recreational opportunities? Whatever it is, the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida is committed to helping you support it. Through our many partnerships with conservation and education programs statewide, we’ve raised and donated more than $45 million since 1994. The best part is, your donation goes to the cause of your choice. So pick a project. Choose a charity. Find a fund. And show some love to what you love most about Florida’s wildlife.

ON THE FLY :THE ROOST

REAL ESTATE DOLLARS & SENSE

By Kristine Villarroel

Let There Be Light

These modern homes with gorgeous glass facades showcase the Sunshine State's crowning feature.

Santa Rosa Beach

design for a coastal residence that’s at once elegant and cozy. Mint green cabinets mingle with a metallic subway tile backsplash for an eclectic kitchen while hardwood floors and earth tones throughout the rest of the home ground the space. Four of the five bedrooms have direct access to a private balcony that overlooks the Gulf, and each floor includes social space to host friends for a dinner party or game night. In the back, a shimmering private pool and hot tub offer a place to relax in the summer heat, and a private beach boardwalk makes popping over to the ocean a breeze. Surrounded by palm trees and white sand, this beachfront beauty invites you to while away the hours beside the water.

125 Gulf Dunes Lane, Santa Rosa Beach

$10,725,000

ON THE FLY :THE ROOST

REAL ESTATE DOLLARS & SENSE

Live out a dream lakefront lifestyle in this lavish residence perched on the banks of Lake Sue. This sprawling Sarasota Modern-style manor, originally built in 1973, underwent a major renovation in 2021, giving the facade a fresh face full of windows and a seamless interior where each room receives ample rays of sun. Inside the four-bedroom main house, a sleek cable staircase anchors the quirky split-level floorplan, inviting guests to explore the different nooks of the 6,709-square-foot property. On one floor you'll find a minimalist kitchen with monochromatic cabinets and a sizable island finished with a gray quartz countertops, while another floor welcomes you into the master suite where the high-tech bathroom includes a spa-like shower with body sprays, a steam setting and built-in speakers. Guests may fall in love with the property so much that they won’t want to leave, and in that case, there’s a cabana in the back with an additional bedroom, office and even a yoga studio.

3260 Lake Shore Drive, Orlando

NAPLES

windows for an unobstructed view of the bay, this lavish estate was made for outdoor living. Log laps in the large pool, lounge in the shade by the outdoor kitchen or warm up by the fireplace, which illuminates the back patio at night. While the open floor plan provides plenty of room for parties, the master suite maximizes privacy. Enjoy a wraparound balcony, walk-in shower and enough closet space for the most passionate fashion aficionado.

4100 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., Naples

ON THE FLY: FLORIDA WILD

PHOTOGRAPHS & FIELD NOTES

By Carlton Ward Jr.

Kitten Encounter

We were soaked to the skin from wading through chest-high grass dripping with predawn dew. The biologists and veterinarian on point had stopped to listen when the sound of faint chirps came from beneath a ledge of palmettos. Whispers quieted to hand signals as we drew closer to an inner sanctum of the Florida Wildlife Corridor: a Florida panther den.

NOTES

Panthers have been stalking through Florida since the last ice age, until hunting, persecution, and habitat loss wiped them out in the eastern United States—save for the swamps of South Florida. By the 1960s, panther numbers had dropped to fewer than 20. Isolated and inbred, the population was sliding toward extinction. At the same time, a conservation ethic was growing in the U.S., and the panther became one of the first animals to receive protection under the Endangered Species Act. Through habitat conservation and genetic rescue, the population has rebounded to nearly 200, but they’re still isolated to South Florida. Panthers are now on the brink of recovery, but only if they can reclaim more of their historic territory farther north in Florida and beyond. This is where my path met the panther’s.

For a decade, I have been advocating for the establishment of the Florida Wildlife Corridor to conserve a connected swath of wildlife habitat throughout the Florida peninsula and panhandle, which would give panthers the territory they need to thrive. The average home range for a single male panther is 200 square miles. The Florida Wildlife Corridor is the only way panthers can reclaim enough of their range to reach sustainable numbers.

To support their recovery, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission panther team placed GPS tracking collars on approximately 10 panthers. Data from the collars shows their movements and helps inform land-management decisions. When a collar on a female panther shows her location hasn’t changed for multiple days, it’s a clue she might have a den with new kittens. A mother panther doesn’t get much rest. She provides milk and protection for her kittens during the day, but must hunt for herself at night. She will often start hunting at dusk and come back to the den just before dawn. On some mornings, there’s a short gap of time when mom is still hunting, and the kittens are left alone in the den. That was the case on this damp morning. The tracker showed the mother was still away.

The FWC veterinarian reached down and picked up all three kittens and nestled them in her arms. She was moving toward an open clearing when the moment in this photo presented itself. She and her team spent a few minutes studying the kittens, recording their genders and weights, installing tracking chips beneath their skin (the same technology pet owners use), giving them medicine to strengthen their immune systems and then carefully resting them back in their den. Just in time, too. As we snuck away, the tracking collar on the mother revealed she was getting very close, on her way back to her kittens.

Ocala/Marion County still feels like a hidden gem to those who aren’t already insiders. And yet, when you’re here, you’re never an outsider. The charm, landscape and natural wonders of the Horse Capital of the World® truly have to be seen to be believed.

ST. AUGUSTINE FOOD + WINE FESTIVAL

ST. AUGUSTINE

May 3–7

Stroll along some of the oldest roads in America while sipping a syrah at one of Florida’s best food and wine festivals. Both local and celebrity talents will pull together themed dinners, cooking demos and wine tastings to impress your palate. staugustinefoodandwinefestival.com

ISLE OF EIGHT FLAGS

SHRIMP FESTIVAL

FERNANDINA BEACH

May 5–7

This seafood soiree is more than just an excuse to feast on fried shrimp, it’s also a nod to the area’s unique background of being a territory controlled by eight different flags over the last five centuries. shrimpfestival.com

AS IF! THE ’9OS FEST

ST. AUGUSTINE

May 20

Crimp your hair, and dig out your combat boots because this one’s for you, ’90s babies. Vanilla Ice and the Spin Doctors headline this dreamy night of nostalgia at Francis Field. asifthe90sfest.com

ON THE FLY :THE TIDE

ROAD TRIP–WORTHY EVENTS

(NORTH)

FLAMBOYANCE! A TOPIARY MENAGERIE

JACKSONVILLE

April 1–June 25

Fifty flamingos have descended on the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, nesting on the 2.5-acre grounds adorned with live oak trees, blooming azaleas and Italian statues along the St. Johns riverbank. Each bright pink begonia-lined bird brings a sense of whimsy and wonder to the traditional 100-year-old gardens. You’ll find these floral friends sprinkled throughout the Olmsted, English and Italian gardens, giving the otherwise formal landscape a playful flair. Snack on house-made crab cakes or flatbread du jour from the Cummer Cafe while strolling through the horticultural exhibition—or, better yet, bring a blanket and reserve a spot for an exclusive Friday night picnic. This flowery flock will only be in bloom until June 25, so be sure to buy tickets before they fly home to the Franklin Park Conservatory in Ohio. cummermuseum.org cummermuseum.org

TUPELO HONEY FESTIVAL

WEWAHITCHKA

May 20

See what all the buzz is about at Wewahitchka’s famous annual tupelo honey celebration, where visitors can taste test sweet samples from beekeepers’ booths around Lake Alice. tupelohoneyfestival.com

GULF COAST JAM

PANAMA CITY BEACH

June 1-4

Grab your whiskey glasses, and trade your boots for barefeet because this is four days of country music carousing by the coast with headliners Morgan Wallen, Miranda Lambert, Hardy and Kane Brown. gulfcoastjam.com

GREATER JACKSONVILLE

KINGFISH TOURNAMENT

JACKSONVILLE

July 17-22

With divisions for junior anglers, dock fishing and lady anglers, everyone has an opportunity to hook a big one at this tournament that benefits marine research and preservation. kingfishtournament.com

Above: Patrick MacRae, director of gardens and horticulture at the Cummer Museum in Jacksonville

ON THE FLY :THE TIDE ROAD TRIP–WORTHY EVENTS

(CENTRAL)

ST. PETE PRIDE FESTIVAL

ST. PETERSBURG

June 1-30

Wave your flag high and dance in the multicolored confetti rain at the largest Pride festival in Florida. To commemorate the 21st annual celebration, the Sunshine City is partying all month long with free LGBTQ+ events leading up to its iconic street parade, including a Friday night concert with famous queer musicians, a street carnival with hundreds of vendors and even a chance to belt out your favorite ally anthem at Queer-E-Okee. Black and Brown members of the LGBTQ+ community are at the center of the Shades of Pride celebration, where their voices and art will tell the history of Juneteenth. Later, lace up your sneakers and log some steps from Vinoy Park to Albert Whitted Park in support of our transgender and gender-nonconforming friends at the TransMarch. The festivities culminate in a waterfront parade of positivity, empowerment and, most importantly, pride on June 24 up Bayshore Drive. stpetepride.org

Every Room Has a Story

History Comes Alive

In 1798, Don Andres Ximenez built this fine three-story coquina home for he and his wife, Juana Pellicer. For 225 years the home has been owned by generations of enterprising women and continues to be owned and operated by (mostly!) women today.

The Ximenez-Fatio House Museum has fascinating stories to tell about a little-known period in Florida history. Each room is meticulously interpreted to bring the past to life in a visual and entertaining way.

Through ongoing research and archaeological discoveries, our story continues to unfold.

May 6

Speedy things come in small packages. Watch four legs, fur and floppy ears fly at this comical competition. Don’t have

ON THE FLY :THE TIDE

ROAD TRIP–WORTHY EVENTS

(CENTRAL)

a dachshund? Other bite-size breeds can also feel the wind in their ears in the Wiener WannaBe division. floridawienerdog-derby.com

GUY HARVEY WEEKEND

May 26-27

Throw on your favorite Guy Harvey shirt, and meet the man behind the brush at Busch Gardens. Talk all things conservation, art, diving and marine life over mimosas at brunch with Harvey or swing by for a quick snapshot with the scientist before sneaking one last ride on Sheikra after sunset. buschgardens.com

SILVER SPURS RODEO

KISSIMMEE

June 2-3

Brawns and bravery are on full display at the largest rodeo east of the Mississippi. From classic bull riding to steer wrestling and tie-down roping, watch cowboys and cowgirls compete for the purse—and some serious Southern street cred. silverspursrodeo.com

WEC SUMMER SERIES

OCALA

June 13-Aug. 13

Settle into the stands at the new World Equestrian Center for an evening of equine adrenaline. Professional riders come from all

over the world to compete in this hunter/jumper series that runs throughout the summer. worldequestriancenter.com

OLD SALT LADIES FISHING TOURNAMENT

MADEIRA BEACH

June 22 & 24

Head out for a different kind of girl’s weekend when you register for this massive allfemale fishing tournament. Lady anglers race to reel in the biggest redfish, grouper, snook and more while raising money for the Celma Mastry Ovarian Cancer Foundation. Plus, a $10,500 purse doesn’t hurt. oldsaltfishing.org

Our people make cutting-edge work possible.

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Learn more about how we advance careers and complex projects at actalentservices.com.

JOHN SLIFKER

TAMPA

Where Natural Wonders Surround Thrilling Attractions. When it comes to incredible outdoor fun that your whole family will love, Florida’s Sweetest Spot delivers—every time. Discover our attractions, activities, animals and more at VisitCentralFlorida.com—including the new Peppa Pig Theme Park located steps from LEGOLAND® Florida Resort’s front gate.

WESTGATE RIVER RANCH RESORT – Lake Wales, FL

LEGOLAND® FLORIDA RESORT – Winter Haven, FL

SAFARI WILDERNESS – Lakeland, FL

AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL

MIAMI BEACH

June 14-18

Now in its 27th year, this empowering event celebrates Black excellence in the entertainment industry. Catch screenings of acclaimed indie films, sit in on celebrity panels and maybe even spot this year’s festival ambassador, Emmy-winning writer, actor and producer, Lena Waithe. abff.com/miami

VFW FISHING TOURNAMENT

KEY WEST

June 16-18

The heftiest haul reigns at this family-friendly fishing tournament in the Keys. Anglers with the biggest dolphinfish, wahoo, snapper, grouper and tuna will take home thousands of dollars in cash prizes. vfwpost3911.org

DELRAY CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE

DELRAY BEACH

June 16-17

Auto aficionados from all over gather in Delray Beach to marvel at Maseratis, Mercedes, motorcycles and more. Falling near Father’s Day, it’s the perfect present for the gearhead guys in your life.

ON THE FLY :THE TIDE

ROAD TRIP–WORTHY EVENTS

LITTLE PALM ISLAND SANDBAR SESSIONS

LITTLE PALM ISLAND

May–August

Toes in the sand, a drink in your hand and the sun setting behind your favorite band? Sounds like a summer dream—better known as Little Palm Island’s Sandbar Sessions. Lit by tiki torches and moonlight, these private-island concerts appeal to passionate music lovers. The up-close-and-personal musical immersion features artists like Stephen Marley, Indigo Girls and Anders Osborne, who all perform an ultra-intimate concert on Little Palm Island’s iconic sandbar and mingle with guests before and after the show. Sandbar Sessions unfold with an element of surprise, as musicians are revealed only a month or so before their performance date. Staying at the resort guarantees your place at this seaside serenade, but there are a limited number of tickets for “off-island” fans, so be sure to check the website frequently. littlepalmisland.com

KEY LIME FESTIVAL

KEY WEST

June 30–July 4

Florida’s beloved citrus takes the limelight at this annual festival featuring a rum-tasting experience and a pie drop, where participants must drop their pies from the top of the lighthouse without damaging keylimefestival.com

MIAMI SWIM WEEK

MIAMI BEACH

July 4-10

From halter tops and highwaisted bottoms to string bikinis and bandeaux, see what’s in style for swimsuit season this year at runway shows across the Magic City. You never know what might make a comeback. miamiswimweek.net

LOBSTERFEST

KEY WEST

Aug. 10-13

Feast on so many lobsters that you lose count at this Key West kickoff. Whether you like a traditional down-home boil or an upscale crustacean culinary experience, discover countless ways to enjoy your claws.

keywestlobsterfest.com

Above: Jana Kramer performs at a Little Palm Island Sandbar Session.

FLORIDIANA ALL THINGS VINTAGE

By Jessica Giles

Off the Grid(dle)

Old Sugar Mill Pancake House at De Leon Springs flips over a new leaf.

Alopsided flower, a Mickey Mouse with uneven ears, I even once tried to make an ambitious giraffe that more closely resembled a misshapen watering can when all was said and done. In most restaurants, I’d be chastised for playing with my food, but at the Old Spanish Sugar Mill in De Leon Springs, everyone does it.

The cook-your-own-pancake house, which opened in the 1960s, sits just steps away from the bubbling spring inside a 100-year-old replica of Florida’s first waterpowered sugar mill. It’s a no-frills, Old Florida experience in the heart of the state. The moment you step through the swinging screen doors, you’re met with a haze of buttery smoke, a chorus of sizzles (and the occasional aroma of a burnt flapjack). The crowning centerpiece of each wooden table is an inset electric griddle.

It’s the first clue that this isn’t your run-ofthe-mill breakfast joint. Although you’re free

to order the breakfast sandwich or biscuits and gravy, you might get a funny look from the locals. The real draw of this down-home haunt is that the diners can double as the chef.

The all-you-can-eat-pancakes come in a pitcher, rather than on a plate, and with a side of spatula. Then, it’s up to you to cook the perfect pancake. Some, like my family, turn it into their very own version of Nailed It! by pouring elaborate batter masterpieces onto the griddle only to be disappointed upon the flip. My dad relished the opportunity to roast his flapjacks to his preferred shade of black. Others pile theirs high with add-ons such as fresh strawberries, peanut butter, chocolate chips and pecans— flavors ideal for masking hotcakes that spent a little too much time on the heat.

Schwarze Enterprises operated the Old Spanish Sugar Mill for 61 years and amassed a cultlike flapjack-flipping following. But ahead of the owners’ contract

ending in September 2022, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Recreation and Parks called for new vendor proposals. A team of independent evaluators suggested that the department move forward with a new vendor, and so the pancake empire spatula was passed to Virginia-based Guest Services.

“Guest Services, Inc. will continue to operate the restaurant guests have come to love over many generations,” wrote Alexandra Kuchta, press secretary for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

The restaurant reopened in November 2022 as the Old Sugar Mill Pancake House, still boasting the same cook-your-own concept, sugar mill facade and homey interior. Although locals love to debate if there’s a difference in the batter, most are just relieved that the mill remains a place where playing with your food is perfectly acceptable.

The

Above: The Old Sugar Mill Pancake House is inside of De Leon Springs State Park.

MAKE IT colorful. MAKE IT YOURS.

EVERYTHING YOU WANT IN AN ESCAPE.

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ONLY PARADISE WILL DO. PARADISECOAST.COM