Anticipate and Don’t Underestimate Tropical Weather Systems

All tropical weather system are not hurricanes.  And  it doesn’t take a hurricane to cause damage, mostly by tides, flooding and wind.  Tropical depressions are the first things that are noted on the National Hurricane Center website.  They can turn into tropical storms and grow into hurricanes, but most don’t.  The worst months for tropical …

CEDAR KEY GUIDE–Comprehensive Eco-Tourism Guide!

Take a look at this!  CEDAR KEY GUIDE is the most comprehensive Eco-Tourism Guide to Cedar Key ever published–anywhere!  You’ll find information on kayaking from “Tom Yakker” Tom Liebert and on-the-water information from Capt. Doug Maple.  There’s also information on local marine life, events, maps and links to information about this “gem” of a coastal …

Crane Viewing at Payne’s Prarie!

Now through the end of February, head out ot Payne’s Prarie to get a glimpse of Florida’s real “snow-birds”.  Thousands of migratory sandhill cranes are making their winter home right outside of Gainesville on Payne’s Prarie.  The best times to go are at either sunrise or sunset, as you’re likely to see the most birds …

June 2011 Travel Writers Press Trip, Day 2, Madison and Jefferson Counties, FL

Day 2 of the Natural North Florida Writers Press Trip began early, with Doc feeling low from an overdose of Makers’ Mark.  However, he was rejuvenated by the time we reached Tuten’s U-Pick farms in southern Madison County.  There, we saw huge fields of peas, watermelons, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant ready for the picking by …

June 2011 Travel Writers Press Trip, Day 1, Madison County FL

Our first day started in Gainesville.  Bloggers Tommy Thompson and Susannah Watson loaded up the Visit Natural North Florida van and headed to Gilchrist County with Bryan Thomas, VNNF Director.  In Trenton, we picked up Donna Creamer, Chair of The Original Florida Tourism Task Force. We arrived in Madison just in time to meet up …

‘Going Down The Road Being Bad’–Well, Maybe.

With apologies to the late, great Carl Perkins for stealing his song title…just an announcement that the travel.naturalnorthflorida blogger crew is meeting up with famous writer and raconteur Doc Lawrence later today for a grand tour of Madison, Jefferson and Leon counties. With the major emphasis on food and food producers in these northernmost Florida …

“Good Vibrations”–All About Making a Racket While Fishing Florida’s Big Bend Shallows

Someone asked me the other day about my favorite lure color. Of course, my standard answer is, “light colors for clear water and dark colors for stained waters.” That’s probably a good general summary, but I remarked that while color (and smell) is important, noise might be a bigger factor in getting fish to bite …

The Gulf Oil Spill, Its Effects on Florida’s Big Bend Fishing, One Year Later

As the one-year anniversary of the ‘Gulf Oil Spill’ and tragedy approaches on April 20, 2011, lots of folks, including potential visitors to Florida, are asking about the oil, fishing and the present quality of Gulf of Mexico waters. Yes, there were reports last year of oil ‘globs’ on a few beaches along Florida’s Panhandle, …

The Gilchrist Club–26,000 Acres in the Heart of Gilchrist County

Hunting at The Gilchrist Club is great– especially when the whole family’s involved! Gilchrist County prides itself in having only one traffic light, but that’s not all!  It also has one of the nicest private hunting and fishing clubs in the state of Florida, the Gilchrist Club.  More of an ‘estate’, the club encompasses almost …