4 North Florida Destinations Worth Exiting I-10 For

If you’re road tripping across the country, exploring big cities like New Orleans or San Antonio, or simply heading to the beautiful beaches in the Florida Panhandle, you’re bound to spend a good deal of driving time on Interstate 10. The 330 miles across Florida from Pensacola to Jacksonville may seem lengthy at first. But …

Jefferson County in Natural North Florida–Short on Coastline, Long on Fishing!

If, on a fishing trip to the Jefferson County coastline, you think you’re the first human to ever see this shoreline, you’re wrong. This rugged 6-mile stretch of our Big Bend is now, for the most part, uninhabited and relatively unfished, due in part to the fact that it’s rocky and shallow. But now we …

Fishing Feature: Trophy Creek Outfitters in Monticello

Lots of folks living in and visiting our Natural North Florida region don’t think of rural Jefferson County as a Mecca for fishermen, in fresh or salt water.  Of course, there’s lots of great hunting land, but we need to consider that Jefferson County stretches all the way from it’s short Gulf of Mexico coastline …

10th Annual Mayhaw Berry Festival, Monticello, FL–May 7 & 8, 2016

Golden Acres Ranch in Jefferson County, FL is hosting the 10th Annual Mayhaw Berry Festival on May 7 and 8, 2016.  It’s a free, family oriented event, with a petting area, hayrides, local crafts, art, food–and of course, mayhaw jelly! Golden Acres, located at 704 Barnes Road, Monticello, is a 60-acre, working goat and sheep …

Attend the 8th Annual Southern Music Rising Festival April 25, 2015 in Monticello, Florida

Southern Music Rising organizes, promotes and holds major musical events in Monticello, Florida.  The Spring music celebration brings numerous world famous musicians to Monticello.  Thousands of people come to enjoy this wonderful annual event which serves to enhance the community and stimulate the local economy. Monticello is located at the junction of US19 and US90, …

Monticello Bike Fest, March 20 & 21, 2015

Monticello Bike Fest, March 20 & 21, 2015 Rolling hills and canopied roads make the panhandle of Florida the perfect setting for cyclists who want a change of scenery. Jefferson County offers the quaint town of Monticello as a unique host of the festival. With plantations, heritage roads and historic homes, your weekend to get …

Wait, what? Wheat?

When most people think of America’s wheat fields, they picture those amber waves of grain in the midwest. Turns out, the birthplace of American wheat was in Natural North Florida, where it is still grown at Barnhart’s wheat farm in Monticello. Monticello historians David Ward and Jack Carswell discovered that the first wheat ever planted …

Special Occasions at the Avera-Clarke House, Monticello

Staying at Monticello’s Avera-Clarke house is a treat: In addition to the honeymoon cottage, which is the oldest building in Jefferson County, the inn also offers a second-story balcony, a fascinating history and beautiful details, such as this painted cardinal. What guests don’t always notice is that in addition to overnight accommodations, the Avera-Clarke House …

What Makes a Mayhaw a Mayhaw? Find Out in This Video

At Golden Acres Ranch, you’ll find goats, sheep, even bees, but what really gets Southerners’ hearts going pitter-pat is the mayhaws. When the Goldens bought their property in Monticello, they had no idea it contained a mayhaw pond. It didn’t take long, though, until folks around town pointed it out, drawn in by the promise …

Ancient Mysteries at Monticello’s Letchworth-Love Mounds

Bucket by bucket, the earth was gathered more than a thousand years ago to form the nearly 50-foot temple mound at Letchworth-Love Archaeological State Park. Stop by the open-air visitors’ center on your way to the mound, and you can lift a recreation of just how heavy that basket of dirt would have been. It’s …