Fantastic Central Florida Road Trip: Your Top 6 Epic Stops
Florida is a state of endless possibilities for vacations and day trips. Even those lucky folks who have lived in Florida their entire lives are surprised to find new places and attractions to visit. Sometimes a single attraction is so expansive it can take multiple visits before you feel you’ve done it justice.
Florida’s limitless bucket list is a dream come true for intrepid adventurers. However, with so many amazing attractions to squeeze in on your day trip near Orlando, planning a vacation can become more daunting than delightful.
Well, daunting no more!
If you’re looking at taking a Central Florida road trip, we’ve got your planning covered for you with our list of top 6 stops in the Ocala, Florida area. So, let’s get driving!
Gypsy Gold Horse Farm
12501 8th Ave, Ocala, Florida
The first stop on our Central Florida road trip is one of our favorites, a special farm in Ocala, Florida, with some majestic friends.
The Gypsy Gold Horse Farm is home to fairytales on hooves. The horses here are some of the most beautiful animals you’ll ever meet. With the strength to pull a caravan – hence the name, “vanner” – their bodies are sturdily built, but their faces are all dignity and refinement. Their stylish manes and lush tails flow majestically as they trot through the fields on feathered feet. Their eyes will pierce your soul with their magic.
You can book a tour to meet these stunning horses and hear about the discovery and recognition of the breed and how the first stateside Gypsy Vanners were brought from England to this very stud in Florida.
Tours begin promptly at 10:00 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. They last approximately two hours and culminate in a photo session of you and a loveable Gypsy Vanner horse.
The Gypsy Gold Horse Farm is a must-visit for any animal lover. These sweet horses will nuzzle their way right into your heart with their winning personalities and unearthly beauty.
Silver Springs State Park
5656 E Silver Springs Blvd, Silver Springs, Florida
Once you’ve finished your tour at Gypsy Gold Horse Farm, you’ll head just east of Ocala to our next stop on this Florida road trip: Silver Springs State Park!
There are many stunning springs in Florida, but Silver Springs is definitely one of the best! With cool, cobalt blue waters, abundant wildlife, and numerous trails to explore, it’s easy to spend an entire day here.
The most famous Silver Springs attraction is the glass bottom boat tours. These glass bottom boats were actually invented right here, and they’ve allowed people to gaze into the depths of the springs since the 1870s!1
30-minute tours head out each day in 30-45 intervals. Extended, 90 minutes tours are also available Friday through Sunday at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. Guests are asked to arrive at least 15 minutes early. (You can make a reservation to guarantee your spot on these tours!)
While most of the excitement will be happening beneath your feet, also keep an eye on the trees – a population of rhesus monkeys thrives here, and they can turn your Silver Springs boat tour into a true jungle cruise! Released in 1938 by a boat captain hoping to increase tourism, the monkeys quickly adapted to Florida, multiplied, and continue to chatter away in the treetops today.2
As the fish swim beneath your feet – and possibly a manatee or two! – you should also watch out for. . .The Creature from the Black Lagoon!
We jest. There aren’t any monsters here. But Silver Springs really was the location for the 1954 film, The Creature from the Black Lagoon! In fact, these waters have glittered across many silver screens, having been a Hollywood hotspot since the 1930s.3 In addition to Creature, a James Bond film, and six Tarzan movies were also shot here. So along with alligators and turtles, you can also catch a glimpse of old, underwater movie props, now adorned with bright, green moss.
Forget nature, Silver Springs is a film buff’s paradise!
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Park
18700 S. Co Rd 325, Cross Creek, Florida
From Silver Springs, our Florida road trip takes us to another state park, but instead of being film-famous, this one is for all of you bibliophiles out there!
Majorie Kinnan Rawlings is best known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Yearling – a heart-warming (and heart-wrenching) story about a boy and his orphaned fawn, Flag, growing up in rural Florida.
The cracker-style home situated in the park is where Rawlings wrote this masterpiece and the other fantastic works of fiction in her repertoire.4 The house has been restored but kept frozen in time, so it is exactly as Rawlings would’ve known it. You can tour her home and get all those good writer vibes Thursday through Sunday at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., or 3:00 p.m.
Rawlings was friends with many famous writers, like Ernest Hemingway, and often entertained them in her bright and airy home. For Rawlings, there wasn’t a fear of competition, just creative comradery. (And while I promised this was a literary destination, there’s also some Hollywood history, too: the exemplary Gregory Peck, who starred in the movie adaptation of The Yearling, also visited Rawlings here!5)
You might feel inspired to write a novel yourself as you traverse the winding, dirt trail through the lush forest hammock on the property. In addition to ancient, moss-covered oaks, you might also see a deer like Flag or a soaring bald eagle.
The beautiful views and quiet atmosphere of the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Park make for an inspiring stop on this Florida road trip.
Next Stop Micanopy, Florida
The entire town of Micanopy is just bursting at the seams with its rich history – not to mention antiquated treasures!
This historic township is all about enjoying past intrigues in peace and quiet, so it’s a great place to catch your breath as your Florida road trip reaches the halfway mark. However, while the pace might be a little slower in Micanopy, that doesn’t mean there’s anything less to see!
Micanopy is Florida’s oldest inland town, named for the Seminole chief, Micanopy, at its founding in 1821.6
However, the area had been established long before 1821. In 1539, Spanish conquistador, Hernando de Soto, made a note of a Timucuan village on the site.7 Two hundred years later, the area had become home to a small, Creek village called Cuscowilla. William Bartram, the famous naturalist, and author of Travels visited Cuscowilla and was befriended by the Creek chief, Cowkeeper.8 It was here that Bartram was given the name “Puc Puggy” by Cowkeeper, which means Flower Hunter.9
Bartram loved the nickname; however, there’s a good chance Cowkeeper was actually teasing him.10 Nevertheless, Bartram’s admiration for the area is obvious in Travels as he writes adulatory and detailed descriptions of the natural wonders of the place. (It seems to have been a favorite stop for Bartram on his own Florida road trip!)
Today, Micanopy is still shaded by grand oaks draped in swaying Spanish moss. But, unlike other towns in Florida, Micanopy has resisted the urge to urbanize, making it “the town that time forgot.”11 The townspeople continually search for artifacts in their own front yards, on a constant quest to remember and preserve the past.
While browsing the many antique shops and grabbing a tasty coffee from a café are certainly highlights of a Micanopy afternoon, there are a few more key places to check out. (These ones are for you, my fellow history aficionados!)
As you walk down Micanopy’s main street, you’re already following in the footsteps of the past; Cholokka Boulevard used to be an Indian trading route and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. In fact, Micanopy is home to 39 structures on the register!12
One of those places is the Thrasher Warehouse. Home of the Micanopy Historical Society and Museum, the warehouse is located on the Boulevard. Constructed in 1890, it still has its original wooden shingles (covered by a tin roof) and cashier’s cage – not to mention the 1930s, hand-painted Coca-Cola sign on the north side of the warehouse. (That’s a great photo-op!) It’s certainly worth popping in here to see all the neat artifacts that help tell the story of this lovely little town.
Just north of Main Street is the Native American Heritage Preserve. Here you can walk the loop of the park (a quarter of a mile) and enjoy the surrounding nature, as well as admire a significant archeological site. Tucked away along the trail is a fenced-off area protecting an Indian burial mound. The Alachua people constructed the mound as a way to honor their ancestors. An informative sign asks visitors to spend a moment in silence, out of respect and remembrance for a bygone people.13
Now you can get back in your car and back to your Central Florida road trip. . .or you can choose to stay a bit longer and book a night at the Herlong Mansion Bed & Breakfast! A gorgeous, Greek revival style mansion built in 1845, this exquisite B&B still offers that signature Southern hospitality to each and every guest.14
Paynes Prairie Preserve
100 Savannah Blvd., Micanopy, Florida
After a restful night at the B&B, your Florida road trip will recommence at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park!
Paynes Prairie is an excellent outdoor adventure, and like Silver Springs, it can easily be blocked out an entire day if you so desire.
With eight different hiking trails to choose from, there’s ample opportunity to spot all sorts of wildlife. The longest, and one of the most popular trails, is the Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail. This trail stretches out for 16 miles, connecting Paynes Prairie to other state conservation lands, including Boulware Springs Park. While you certainly don’t have to hike the entire 16 miles, this trail is unique in that you can see evidence of an old railroad, now overgrown and overtaken by nature.
Speaking of nature, William Bartram wrote about Paynes Prairie in Travels, too. He described his feelings upon seeing the prairie by saying, “On the first view of such an amazing display of the wisdom and power of the supreme author of nature, the mind for a moment seems suspended, and impressed with awe.”15
In his own loquacious way, William Bartram was basically saying, “5 stars, would recommend!” (And we say the same!)
Aside from stunning views of rolling grasslands and shimmering lakes, the highlight of any travels along a Payne Prairie trail is the wildlife you encounter. Here, you can encounter over 300 species of bird, from crane to kestrel, as well as deer, turtles, and alligators. But the favorites of the prairie are surely the bison and wild horses. The wild horses can be spotted with some luck from La Chua Trail, although a trip to the 50-foot tall observation tower may sometimes be your best bet for spotting them.
Though not as well-groomed as the Gypsy Vanners, these wild horses still have a mystical quality about them, roaming free, wherever their spirits guide them.
Just as the horses continue to roam, it’s time for us to keep roaming, too, and get back on the road for one last stop. . .
Wood and Swink General Store & Post Office
18320 SE County Road 225, Evinston, Florida
Our Central Florida road trip ends in the sleepy hamlet of Evinston, Florida. However, like Micanopy, don’t let its quiet nature fool you – there’s something incredibly cool for you to discover here!
Wood and Swink, an endearing country store, is also Florida’s oldest operating post office! The post office was established in 1882, and moved into the Wood and Swink store when it was built in 1884.16 Florida’s longest-serving postmaster, Fred Wood, was the postmaster right here for an impressive 44 years. In 1989, humble Wood and Swink was added to the prestigious National Register of Historic Places.
Built out of heart pine, Wood and Swink is certainly the heart of its little community. Residents gather here to send and collect letters, do some shopping, and shoot the breeze. It’s the hub of Evinston!
While you’re here, you can browse through vintage memorabilia, get some fresh produce and homemade honey, and maybe send a postcard or two to tell your friends about your awesome Florida road trip. You might even want to send a postcard to yourself or have it canceled, just to get a souvenir Evinston postmark!17
Our Florida road trip has come to a close, and it’s time to drive home. From Gypsy Vanners to Indian burial grounds, to an author’s home and a centuries-old post office that’s still going strong, this road trip includes all of the greatest secrets of Central Florida. Even Tom Petty’s U.S. 441 from “American Girl.”18
Have you taken this Central Florida road trip? Let us know in the comments below, and we’ll see you on the next adventure!
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