About Micanopy
Micanopy (Mick-can-oh'-pee) is a unique city
located in southeastern Alachua County between I-75 and US 441.
The streets are overhung with
ancient oaks bearded with Spanish moss and are bordered on either side by
private homes and storefronts that time seems to have forgotten. For
more info and history go to
http://welcometomicanopy.com.
 The Early Days
Most of the buildings are on the National
Historic Register. In fact, Micanopy is the oldest inland settlement in
Florida. As early as 1539 there is record of a village located at the site
of Micanopy when explorer Hernando De Soto found the Timucuan Indians
living here.
In 1774, when naturalist William Bartram made
his famous journey through Florida, the Indians he found living in Alachua
County (near Micanopy) were
remnants of the Southern Creek nation. They were called "Seminoles," a
Creek word meaning "runaway." These Indians had become wealthy by raising
cattle and horses on land now known as Paynes Prairie.
 Bartram's Trails and Tales
Bartram wrote a book called The Travels of
William Bartram, published
in Philadelphia in
1791. Alachua County, portrayed as lush and dangerous, figured
prominently among
the stories and sketches of plants and animals of
Florida. He stayed
with the Seminoles and wrote about their customs. They befriended him and must have
been amused by his keen interest in botany,
because
they nicknamed him 'Puc Puggy,' meaning "Seeker of the Flowers."
But
plants weren't Bartram's only interest here. Included in his work are a
collection of drawings and stories about "smoke breathing" alligators. Of
course, alligators didn't actually breathed smoke like fictional dragons,
but his readers must have loved
the dramatic images Bartram created. From his detailed work, we know that
these were the ancestors of the same alligators that still cruise though
the dark waters of the Alachua Sink deep within Paynes Prairie.
In 1823 Moses Elias Levy established the first white settlement. Wanton
was the name of the first post office established in Alachua County in
1826; but the town was simultaneously referred to as "Micanope" after the
Seminole Indian chief head
chief of the Seminoles in the Seminole War; Micanopy means "head chief."
The name officially changed to "Micanopy" in 1834.
Makin' Movies
 If Micanopy seems oddly familiar to a
first-time visitor, it is because this jewel of a town has served as the
backdrop for films Doc Hollywood, with Michael J. Fox, Woody
Harrelson, and
Bridget Fonda; and, Cross Creek, with Mary Steenburgen, Peter
Coyote, and Rip Torn.
While Hollywood loves to visit, it certainly hasn't changed the
ambiance of this quiet town. Visitors leisurely wander in and out of
shops selling antiques, old books, ceramics, stained glass, jewelry and
other specialized arts and crafts. The town offers a four star bed and
breakfast--The Herlong Mansion--and gourmet restaurants.
Micanopy Today
 Today, the streets are lined with historic
buildings each housing unique shops and cafes. Here, visitors can find
unique sites;
friendly people; shops brimming with antiques, collectables, folk art, and
decorative fare; and beautiful vistas and parks nearby such as Paynes
Prairie, Orange Lake and Cross Creek.
In and around Micanopy, there are many
things to do
year
round that will please everyone!
You can find
canoeing, golfing, hiking trails, kayaking,
and enjoy swimming in nearby springs. Area
attractions include world-class antique shopping
and antique auctions,
historical interests, museums,
national/state parks, nature areas, University of Florida football, Orange
Lake and Lockloosa fishing,
Paynes Prairie State Preserve, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' home (Cross
Creek), Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, Hippodrome State Theatre,
Devil's Millhopper State Park, Natural springs like Poe Springs and Ginnie
Springs, and more.
Jacksonville Home & Hospitality, 4/08
Miami Herald, Innside Report, 1/08
Sunday New York Times, Travel Article, 11/07
Fed up conchs find haven in Micanopy,
Orlando Sentinal, 10/07
Settle into a rocker at the Herlong Mansion, Palm Beach Post "Innside Report", 6/07
Finding True Florida, National Geographic Traveler, by Sheila
Scarborough, May 2007
Where the living is easy: In Micanopy, Southern charm practically drips
from the oaks. Slow down and drink it in. 5/6/07, St. Petersburg Times.
Along the St. John's River, A Slice of Old Florida, New York Times,
5/29/07
Paradise
USA, from Travel & Leisure Magazine, 2/07
Recent Yahoo Travel Reviews
Gainesville Florida: More than Just Gators!, by Shady Hartshorne
Herlong Stories from Haunted Houses.Com
Welcome to Micanopy
Micanopy Visitors Center
Micanopy Shops & Antique
Dealers
Turkey
Creek Auctions, Inc.
The
Shop in Micanopy
A soul-soothing getaway: Retreat to the Herlong Mansion, nestled in the
'Doc Hollywood' town of Micanopy, Palm Beach Post
Micanopy's Herlong
Mansion: A North Central Secret, by Lynn Seldon, Florida
Magazine
Charm is Historic Micanopy's Stock and Trade,
by Jan Godwon, Atlanta-Journal Constitution.
Old Stuff's The Best Stuff, by Larry Klinkenberg, St. Petersburg
Times Online Floridian
Travel Getaways--Where to go: Micanopy. Take a
breather in this antiquing paradise, by Rebecca
Manohey, Miami Herald.
Florida
Getaways, Sun Sentinal, Ocala
Bed & Breakfast Reviews
Antiques & Arts Around Florida--Best
Antiquing in North Central Florida
Micanopy The "Little Town that Time Forgot", Florida Secrets.Com
Paynes Prairie State Park
Romantic Weekends Northern and Central Florida (Guide Book) by
Janet Groene & Gordon Groene (Hunter
Publishing)
Micanopy Fall Festival
Micanopy Community Council for the
Arts, Inc.
Micanopy Area Chamber of Commerce
 Gainesville
-- Right
Down the Road
 Gainesville,
home of the University of Florida, is just a short drive from both the
Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, offering a wealth of fun and
opportunity to get the most from Florida's tourism industry.
Additionally, the Gainesville
area offers unique opportunities to visit and interact with natural,
historical, and entertaining areas of Florida.
In
Gainesville, and the surrounding areas,
you can explore the beautiful
rivers & lakes, cool natural springs and unspoiled wilderness parks of an
exquisite sub-tropical region.
Easy US Interstate-75 access puts
visitors less than a 30-minute drive from cycling, canoeing, hiking,
camping, bird-watching, fishing, and the beaches of both the east and west
coast of Florida.
Gainesville and its nearby towns offer
outstanding art & antique shopping, dining and accommodations.
Additional information and resources about Gainesville's leisure
activities is available online at the Alachua County Visitors & Convention
Bureau or at (352) 374-5231.
Gainesville Links
Gainesville Area Events Calendar
City of Gainesville
University
of Florida Calendar of Events
Visit Gainesville.net
Day Trips: Less than a tank of gas drive (Below:
Paynes Prairie) Photos by Carolyn West
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Located 30 miles south on 441 or
I-75. Check out Silver Springs, Wild Waters, local horse farms for
riding. Ocala National Forest also offers canoeing and swimming at
various springs and rivers.
Click
here for Ocala & Area Visitor Information.
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Located 30 miles north on I-75.
High Springs has many antique shops and numerous springs, such as
Ginnie Springs,
for swimming canoeing, and rafting down SantaFe and
Ichetucknee Rivers.
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Located one hour west on SR 24.
Waterfront location offering seafood restaurants, shops, fishing,
and boating. Click Here for the
Cedar Key Chamber of Commerce Page.
Check out the Cedar Keyhole
Gallery website.
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Offers several antiques stores
including Harvest Village antiques and cafe. Twenty miles north of
Ocala (and 5 miles South of the Herlong via US 441) on U.S.
441 near the Alachua County border is the city of McIntosh. A
quaint, turn-of-the century village, McIntosh is on the shores of
Orange Lake, so named for the grove of wild oranges which sprang,
some say, from seeds discarded by Spanish explorers 400 years ago.
Click
here for Ocala & Area Visitor Information. |
Located 9 miles SE on CR 346 from the
Herlong. Visit the historic home of
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning
novel, "The Yearling", which was the setting for several of
Rawlings' books. Guided house tours are given every Thursday through
Sunday. The park is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Park is located
between Ocala and Gainesville in Cross Creek, at 18700 S. CR 325. A
great day trip!
Orange Lake and
Lake Lochloosa also offer lots of great fishing. |
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