Daycation

DAYCATION—CROSS CREEK & THE YEARLING

‘Slip Back To Old Florida’

By Dean Blinkhorn • Photos By Trevor Byrne

For a slice of Real Florida, nothing is more authentic than going back in time to Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ old homestead in Cross Creek. And a detour for some cracker food at The Yearling Restaurant nearby just adds to the experience!

WHY GO? Most Central Floridians enjoy living here but don’t have much sense of its history. Author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings had a deep appreciation for this area, her adopted home, and wrote about it extensively in her books, most famously in perennial favorites The Yearling and Cross Creek. Her home has been well-preserved and is worth an afternoon.

A LITTLE HISTORY: Rawlings was attracted to Central Florida immediately and moved here full time in 1928. She would eventually call Cross Creek home for more than 25 years and her attempts at gardening, hunting, and running a successful orange grove would become deeply entrenched parts of the stories in her famous books.

WHAT TO DO: This is admittedly not the most exciting of the Florida State Parks, but it’s definitely one of the best preserved. Come prepared for a walking tour of the grounds and the house by one of the rangers, usually dressed in period costume. They know the details of Rawlings’ life and books well and are good resources for any of the questions you might have.

Start in the house to get a sense of how the author lived her daily routines. Linger a while in the simply furnished rooms, especially the screen porch where a period typewriter sits on a round wooden table, seemingly waiting for the author to return to pen a few more words. The other rooms offer a glimpse into the way she hosted other authors, cooked for her friends, and spent most of her time while not writing in tending to her beloved outdoor pursuits. The farm and tenant house are also on the grounds, as is a garden that’s freshly planted each year.

If you have the time and the inclination, two 15-minute hiking trails have been carved nearby. The East Grove Trail starts in front of the house and moves east through a hammock of trees. Your pets are welcome as long as they remain leashed at all times and are held inside the home.

Another fun way to experience the area is by checking out its local festivals. The Cross Creek Festival is held in the Fall and the Blueberry Festival is held in late Spring. Both have had varied locations over the years and typically host local vendors for several hours worth of timeless outdoor fun. Check visitgainesville.org for updated information on the Cross Creek area before you go.

WHERE TO EAT: Besides during the annual festival, The park itself doesn’t have food items. However, a short drive will take you to one of Florida’s most highly regarded restaurants, The Yearling. Florida Trend magazine has given it many Golden Spoon awards over the years and routinely ranks it as one of “Florida’s Top Restaurants.” Go and you’ll see why.

The Yearling, first established in 1952, is a simple place with large seating areas, quick service, and authentic local food. Have a hankerin’ for venison, cooter, frog legs, gator, or quail? Then you’ve come to the right place. Other offerings include clams, prime rib, and stuffed flounder, but isthat what you’d order after driving all the way out to Cross Creek? C’mon, live a little!

Blackened Redfish and Venison with game sauce at The Yearling.

My tip is to go with friends, hang out a while, and go in the evenings when they feature live local musicians. Blues legend Willie Green plays there frequently (although he’s staying home during this pandemic) and is worth the trip—even if you didn’t get the fried clams. His original blues songs feature lyrics that immortalize the Cross Creek experience and you can purchase his CDs at the register. Local music doesn’t get any better—or more authentic— than this.

Also, The Yearling has cabins as part of its experience, so if you want to make a weekend of it to perhaps, say, traverse the longer hiking trails nearby, call 352-466-3999 for availability and reservation information.

WHERE TO SHOP: The park sells some items with local interest, but I’d recommend getting a copy of one of Rawlings’ famous books there, especially if you’ve never read classics like The Yearling, Cross Creek, or some of her wonderful short stories, all with lots of local flavor. I can’t think of a better way of bringing part of Cross Creek home with you than with her enduring, lovely prose. Also, those Willie Green CDs are a blues lover’s treat!

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS: Not much, but that’s the appeal of the area and why Rawlings wanted to escape the bustle of city life anyway. Longer hiking and birding trails interlace the area around Cross Creek and fishing spots are abundant for a weekend daycation.

HOW TO GET THERE: Take Hwy. 441 or Hwy. 301 north until you see the signs. The former will take you through the charming town of McIntosh and the latter will go through Citra and Island Grove. Both routes are scenic four-lane roads. Drive leisurely and you’ll slip back to Old Florida in no time.

KNOW A GOOD DRIVE?

Send your favorite daycation destination to dean@ocalasgoodlife.com and maybe it’ll be featured in an upcoming issue. Or if you want to keep your getaway all to yourself, that’s okay too.