Travel Experiences with Jeff Barganier: Micanopy... Okey dokey

Travel Experiences with Jeff Barganier Micanopy...Okey dokey Okey dokey

At first, Cindy is reluctant when I suggest we hop in the car and drive 340 miles to visit a petite community just south of Gainesville, Florida. It’s named for once powerful Seminole Chief Micanopy (ca. 1780-1849). But she warms to the idea when I explain we’ll be staying at the majestic Herlong Mansion Bed and Breakfast. And that antique shops, interesting architecture, ancient moss-covered oaks, narrow roads and old churches adorn the small town close to where Marjorie Kennan Rawlings wrote her classic 1939 novel, The Yearling.

We leave early. It’s a 5.5-hour drive from the River Region. An hour will be lost crossing into East Florida. Ubiquitous, depraved signs mar Interstate 75 South, advertising “adult” stores and the “Café Risque” that “bares all.” Sad and disgusting. But we press on. At Exit 374 we turn left, passing the Café Risque on our right. The parking lot is vacant and all’s quiet. In close proximity, we passed the local elementary school.

I became fascinated with Micanopy, Florida (pop. 600) when the name appeared in William Bartram’s Travels. Reading Bartram’s 1770’s adventures for the umpteenth time, I learned the brilliant Quaker botanist had ventured near the present-day site of Micanopy. On the drive down, I keep referring to Florida’s oldest inland town as “My-Canopy.” But Katherine, Herlong Mansion’s attractive red-headed hostess, pronounces it correctly for me: “Micka-no-pee.” It’s helpful to remember that Micanopy rhymes with the adverb “okey dokey.” (See Merriam Webster.) Katherine shows us to our room, Magnolia, featuring a king bed, claw-foot tub and period antiques. On the wall outside our door hang old photos. And framed letters from the 1930’s make for insightful reading. The mansion’s interior floors and walls combine stunning woods, reflecting the original owner’s lumber trade. The manicured grounds include what Cindy calls a “Sound of Music” gazebo. A vintage 30’s Ford is parked by the porte cochere. Pedestrian-friendly Micanopy is a delightful town with wonderful possibilities. But the commercial district leaves us scratching our heads. Omnipresent Buddha statues and the smell of incense detract from the historic appeal of an area where Florida’s aboriginal records indicate Hernando De Soto encountered an early Timucua Indian Village as far back as 1539. American history unfurled like a tsunami here over the ensuing centuries. Strangely,

Micanopy is called

“the town that time forgot.”

Micanopy apparently has a dark side, too. Cruising neighborhoods, we find a beautiful old church close to an ancient cemetery. Someone has turned the structure into a residence and decorated the transom over the front door with evil images that appear permanent in nature rather than mere Halloween decoration.

We visit Lotus & Buddha Art Collective where owner Chelsey Cook offers her guests excellent complimentary coffee and wines. Chelsey represents numerous local artists and features delightful handmade crafts. I purchase two sets of colorful hairpins for special nieces and gloat as Chelsey lovingly wraps them for me.

As Micanopy’s stores begin to close, we

Herlong Mansion

Cindy and a 1930's Era Ford

Elephant Ears Dwarf Cindy Jeff's Dinner @ Antonio's Lily Pads @Kanapaha Botanical Gardens Gazebo At Herlong Mansion

head four miles south to Antonio’s for dinner. According to the restaurant’s Web site, Chef Antonio was born in his grandmother’s house on the Isle of Ponza just off the coast of Naples, Italy. His passion for Italian cooking began in her kitchen when he was only 9 years old. Later he owned and operated his own restaurants in Milan and Ponza. When Antonio came to the states in 1999, he stayed true to his heritage of producing the kind of Italian food he cooked with his grandmother. Essential ingredients and techniques set his food apart. Antonio’s recipes are simple and fresh, just like in his grandmother’s kitchen. I thoroughly enjoy my clams and mussels over spaghetti with a glass of white wine.

We return to Herlong Mansion after a great meal. I find a note missed earlier: Welcome, Jeff—Please make yourselves at home & let us know if there’s anything we may do to make your stay most enjoyable! Thank you, Katherine. Class management.

Our bed is like sleeping on a cloud, and we sleep soundly.

Next morning, we enjoy a delightful breakfast of fruit, grits, scrambled eggs, biscuits and sausage gravy. Afterward, I peruse the guest book. One guest wrote: What an amazing piece of heaven. We had a very enjoyable and quiet stay. The hospitality was above and beyond! Breakfast was delicious and plentiful. Thank you again so much. We will definitely be back.

Along 75 North, we spot a sign for Kanapaha Botanical Gardens off Exit 384 and decide to check it out. For ten bucks a head, Kanapaha Gardens offers weary travelers an extraordinary respite from the rush of the frantic six-lane Interstate. Two hours is required to see the whole park. But, to stay on schedule, we visit for about thirty minutes. The excursion is still well worth the money. Kanapaha Gardens features lily pads so large that children have been photographed sitting on them! No joke. See their Web site. We watch foot-long Koi fish swim among the lily pads and stroll along enchanting trails amidst myriad trees and flora. The elephant ear plants are so large that an adult could wrap up in one leaf.

Florida, it appears, has so much more than beach. So, when travelling south on I-75, consider a stop in Micanopy. Okey dokey?

www.antonios.co https://micanopytown.com https://kanapaha.org

Jeff S. Barganier is a novelist, travel writer and manager of Cindy Barganier Interiors LLC. He travels far and wide upon the slightest excuse for something interesting to write about. Contact: Jeffbarganier@knology.net. Instagram: @jeffbarganier. Visit: www.jeffbarganier.com.