Relax in a country setting near the battlefield of Natural Bridge

How would you like to spend a peaceful visit in the country in a newly renovated and furnished retreat where there is no noise and no traffic? Where you can sit on an old fashion porch in the morning and drink your favorite beverage and plan your day in beautiful Tallahassee or the surrounding area. Later in the day relax and cook on the BBQ grill on a large and open deck on the back surrounded by a natural setting.

Whether it be a visit to Florida State University for a football game, or the State Capital with its 22nd floor observation tower view of Tallahassee, or local museums, or the planetarium, or Maclay Gardens with one of the largest collections of camellias and azaleas , or historic towns Monticello and Apalachicola with their beautiful anti bell-am homes, or simply have dinner at one of our many outstanding seafood restaurants. Most of these attractions are within a 30 minute drive and all are within an hour. At the end of your day you can return to the Retreat, prop your feet up and watch the sun go down.

The Retreat is only 30 miles from from the Gulf of Mexico, the St MarksNationalRefuge. If you want to see some of the most primitive Florida coastal areas teaming with all kinds of wildlife, this is the place to be. Many species of birds and thousands of alligators. In the fall it is a stopping-off place for the annual Monarch butterfly migrations. This place is Florida the way it was before Homo sapiens came along and built their high rises and tourist attractions.

These are other places you may wish to visit while in our area.

Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park which is the site of the second largest Civil War Battle in the state with unique natural features found in beautiful North Florida. It is only 4 miles from the Retreat.

NEARBY PARKS
Fort San Marcos De Apalache State Park and MonumentSan Marcos de Apalache Historic State ParkEdward Ball Wakulla Springs State ParkSaint Marks National Wildlife RefugeAlfred B. Maclay Gardens State ParkKillearn Gardens State ParkIndian Mounds State ParkLetchworth-Love MoundsLake Talquin State ParkEconfina River State Park

Home of the world’s largest and deepest freshwater springs, the sapphire water of Wakulla Springs boasts manatees, alligators and a host of diverse wildlife that can be viewed from a riverboat or the diving platform.

Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail is a rail trail and Florida State Park located on 16 miles of the historic railbed of the Tallahassee Railroad, which ran between Tallahassee and St. Marks, Florida.

The Gulf Specimen Marine Lab - A Non Profit Biological Education Center which is child friendly a must see when In Tallahassee for Biology Lovers. Kids love it and they get to experience the actual marine life by being close to the animals and even holding them.

Mashes Sands Park -This is a beautiful beach within 15 minutes drive from the Sopchoppy River House or hop on your bike and the 13 mile paved bicycle path (Capital City to the Sea Trail) will take you directly to the beach.

Apalachicola
The coastal communities of Apalachicola, St. George Island and Eastpoint, the heart of the Forgotten Coast, offer an authentic taste of Florida's Gulf Coast. Experience historic Apalachicola, a quaint small southern town with a strong maritime culture, an eclectic group of locally owned shops and galleries, restaurants which serve fresh local seafood, and meticulously restored B & B’s and hotels. You’ll also find miles of uncrowded pristine beaches, an endless supply of shallow bays and waterways, excellent fishing and acres of National and State forests to explore. Combine all this with some of the finest oysters and seafood in the country and your stay with us is sure to be perfect!

Not far from the Gibson Inn

Maclay Gardens State Park
The Alfred B. Maclay State Gardens is a 1,176-acre Florida State Park, botanical garden and historic site, located in Tallahassee, in northwestern Florida. You can fish, kayak and swim there. Walking trails, picnics, covered BBQ facilities

Mission San Luis

Mission San Luis de Apalachee was a Spanish Franciscan mission built in 1633 in the Florida Panhandle, two miles west of the present-day Florida Capitol Building in Tallahassee, Florida. It was located in the descendent settlement of Anhaica capital of Apalachee Province

Goodwood Museum and Gardens

In 1824, in appreciation of the enormous service rendered to this country by the Marquis de Lafayette during the Revolutionary War, Congress voted to grant him a full township in the Florida Territory. This tract was called the Lafayette Land Grant and encompassed over 23,000 acres.

The Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida, is an architecturally and historically significant building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Capitol is at the intersection of Apalachee Parkway and South Monroe Street in downtown Tallahassee, Florida.

Florida Caverns States Park
Florida Caverns State Park is a state park of Florida in the United States, part of the Florida State Parks system. It is located in the Florida Panhandle near Marianna. It is the only Florida state park with air-filled caves accessible to the public

After a day out sight seeing, you can return to relax on the back deck or the front porch to watch the deer and other animals in the area. The deer usually visit at night.