“I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my sense put in order.” John Burroughs
Carol writes: As the cold days of a north Florida winter began to recede, we felt like we both needed an outdoor getaway before the onslaught of searing summer heat. A little pampering at Herlong Mansion Bed & Breakfast a few miles south of Gainesville in Micanopy, Florida, seemed like the perfect plan. The Herlong Mansion was originally built in the pre-Civil War era in 1845 as a simple cracker-style pine farmhouse. When the Herlong family became owners of the property, they converted their humble farmhouse into the grand mansion it is today.
Stately Corinthian columns evoked fine Southern living from an era long since passed. Large front gardens showcased mature oaks, magnolias, palm trees and succulents, with a generous sprinkling of azaleas, roses and camellias. Here, the mild winter climate of north central Florida was favorable for year-round blooms.
The Arts & Craft interior of Herlong Mansion had fine wood paneling.
A short history of the mansion on display near the piano described Herlong Mansion as a “Victorian beauty with eclectic style…” I would agree.
Our first floor room, called the Azalea Suite, was nicely appointed and had a gigantic old timey bathroom.
Our plan for the next two days was to spend some outdoor time exploring Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, just a few miles down the road.
Paynes Prairie is a large Florida Highlands fresh water marsh. The state park itself encompasses 22,000 acres of wet and dry savanna just south of Gainesville. We hoped for more dry trails than wet so we could hike way out onto the savanna and try to spot the wild horses and bison for which the park was famous. Yes, bison!
A 50-foot observation tower provided panoramic views of the prairie, and we were just able to see a few wild horses in the distance. When we mentioned to another visitor that we were here to celebrate our Valentine's Day 46th wedding anniversary, she said she was there with her husband and they were celebrating their 9th wedding anniversary that day too! We marveled at the coincidence! She nicely volunteered to take a picture of the two of us.
The forested portion of the park was very similar to other hikes we have taken in northern Florida—profuse and thriving saw palmetto palms under a canopy of Florida long-needled pines.
The trail out onto the golden winter grasslands resembled a scene from the American West. In the distance we even spotted some of those elusive plains bison that had been re-introduced to this area in 1975 after being hunted to extinction here in the 1700s.
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park abounded in interesting geology and history. Within the park, the oldest evidence of human habitation dated back to the Paleo Indians who lived here 12,000 years ago. Alachua cultures (700-1700 AD), including the Timucua, were the first farmers.
The largest cattle operation in Spanish Florida, the Hacienda de la Chua (“the ranch of the sinkhole”), was the main supplier of beef to St Augustine and operated near here until the 1600s.
After the Spanish were forced to leave, the Seminole Indians gathered free-roaming scrub cows and established large cattle herds that were the envy of white settlers. Cattle herding played a vital role in the Seminole way of life.
Geographically, Alachua Sink is a large sinkhole in the bottom of Paynes Prairie. The Alachua Sink acts as a conduit to funnel water into the Florida aquifer through layers of of sandy clay and sedimentary rock called Ocala limestone.
The day we arrived I asked the Ranger where the best trail was to see the alligators. She said that would be La Chua Trail in the northern part of the park, so we headed there the next day before we left for home. After only a few minutes, this trail led to a giant shallow lake completely covered in plant life,
with an elevated boardwalk that skirted the lake.
What a thrill when we spotted our first alligator snout sticking up out of the plant life.
Before long we spotted alligators everywhere despite the cool morning, including lounging on the banks.
Large birds of many different kinds were also claiming this as their habitat. However, I found it near impossible to get a good picture of any bird with so much plant life competing in the background. I'd have to settle for one on the edge of the lake.
The Paynes Prairie Preserve certainly lived up to its reputation as a state park with abundant ecosystems—swamps, prairies, forests and sinks—each with fascinating animals, geology and history.
As a 48-hour getaway, Herlong Mansion and Paynes Prairie were a great combination, with just the right amount of Nature and a whole lot of pampering.
“The poetry of the Earth is never dead.” John Keats
Carol Galus
Photo-Blogger
