Off the Beaten Path: Suwannee County, FL

LIVE OAK

Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park
9379 County Road 132, Live Oak, Fla. 32060
800-224-5656

There are hundreds of rural campgrounds in Florida, but only one presents an ongoing calendar of popular music festivals. A combination of its setting (a peaceful, wooded 800 acres on the Suwannee River), its location (midway between the music-loving college capitals of Gainesville and Tallahassee), and talent (plenty of it!) set the stage for a decades-long line-up of live music.

Hardly a week goes by without musicians of varying genres performing at venues around the park. (For a full list of weekly events and major festivals, visit musicliveshere.com).

Aside from shows, there are hiking trails, horse trails, a craft village, and disc golf. When it’s time to tune out, simply head to your campsite (or RV site) and laze beneath the shade of an oak tree -- or maybe head to the banks of the tea-colored Suwannee River to laze on the white sand beach, or visit the Suwannee Canoe Outpost and rent a canoe or kayak for your own expedition.
 

Suwannee River State Park
3631 201st Path, Live Oak, Fla. 32060
(386) 362-2746

Florida history and nature combine at this intriguing state park where you’ll find traces of Civil War-era earthwork mounds built to protect a railroad bridge from advancing Union soldiers, the ruins of a cemetery that once served the long-vanished town of Columbus, the remnants of a road that last saw stagecoach traffic more than a century ago, and a giant cog that once helped power a riverside sawmill. Add to this history five hiking trails that range from a simple quarter-mile to a 12.5 mile path that winds through longleaf pines and into the Sand Hills. Near the ranger station, a boat launch grants access to the Suwannee and the nearby Withlacoochee River. Like what you see? Stay awhile at the full facility campground which includes five two-bedroom riverside cabins.

Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park
18532 180^th Street, Live Oak, Fla. 32060
386-776-2194

Divers from around the world make the trek here to explore six miles of surveyed underwater passages via two major springs, a spring run, and six sinkholes -- one of the longest underwater cave systems in the continental United States. While divers are cautiously exploring those dark tunnels and caves, directly overhead hikers are following nature trails that closely mirror the winding, watery paths. The park, named for the late underwater cinematographer and photographer Wes Skiles, features picnic pavilions.

Downtown Live Oak

An assortment of historic buildings in the heart of town includes the most prominent of all: the Suwannee County Courthouse. Built in 1904 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998, the strong and graceful Federal-style building overlooks U.S. 129. Another great photo op is down the street at the historic Union Depot and Atlantic Coast Line Freight Station. Today the depot is home of the Suwannee County Historical Museum (208. N. Ohio, Ave., Live Oak, Fla. 32064, 386-362-1776) which features an extensive photo collection of the county’s people and places as well as images and items related to railroad history.

Just outside downtown, the Live Oak Flea Market (13020 E Highway 90, 386-208-3440,) is open Wednesday-Sunday. The collection of independent merchants sells baked goods, soaps, handcrafted items and more.

Here since 1959, the Dixie Grill serves up a wide range of comfort foods you’d recall from the pre-chain era: Buttermilk-dipped fried chicken, liver, and gizzards, jumbo pork chops, oysters, catfish filets, shrimp and creamy grits, and plenty of “sammiches.” Other local favorites include The 406, a fine dining eatery known for their crab cakes, oysters, quail, grouper, crab bisque, and bread pudding; All Decked Out Café (fried green tomatoes, crab-stuffed mushrooms, fried shrimp, fresh oysters, fried shrimp, lobster nuggets, coconut shrimp, ribeye steaks); Big Wood BBQ (brisket, sliced beef, sliced pork, ribs); and the Brown Lantern (beef tips, Carolina barbeque, fresh Gulf grouper, grilled pork chops, potato casserole).

BRANFORD

Located in the southern section of the county, Branford may have a small population (around 700), but it compensates by being the “Freshwater Spring Diving Capital of America.” Here, every day is spring time.

Little River Springs

This second magnitude spring is nestled in a 125 acre county park complete with two walking trails, three picnic areas with grills, and two scenic overlooks. This spring also has a cave network-- and you can even see the entrance to the cave when the water is clear. If the Suwannee River rises too much it can cause the spring to flood and close, so check with Suwannee Parks and Recreation before you make the trip.

WELLBORN COMMUNITY

Blueberry Festival (June)
1340 8th Avenue, Wellborn, FL 32094
386-965-4253

Join more than 6,000 attendees while indulging in all things blueberry, from cobblers and pies to ice cream and jellies to syrups and fudge. Highlights include more than 100 arts, crafts, and food vendors along with a blueberry parade, blueberry bake-off, and a blueberry pancake breakfast.

Broken Lance Native American Church
2771 US 90 East
386-209-3317

There are a lot of churches in Suwannee County, but there’s only one Native American Church. Ken Miller, who’s of Cheyenne and Nez Perce descent, felt called to start this church based on biblical lessons and Indian heritage. Services are Sunday mornings at 10:30.