Outdoors/History/Food: Visit Tallahassee, FL

What do you think of when you hear Tallahassee, FL? Home of the Florida State Seminoles which makes it a college town, as well as Florida A&M University. Capital city of Florida, a destination rich in historical roots in North Florida near the Georgia line.

All of the above!

When I was first invited to Tallahassee, FL on a media trip a couple of years ago, I didn’t know exactly what to expect and Mark wasn’t retired yet, so we put it off for awhile and this was the year to finally visit Tallahassee. I’ve been there only once before probably 35 years ago, so it was really a brand new visit for me. I was invited by Visit Tallahassee to stay for 2 nights with an itinerary set up for us with things to do and experience along with dining excursions which is always a treat.

{Views on Miccosukee Road, one of the canopy roads in Tallahassee}

We absolutely loved our visit to Tallahassee, FL and enjoyed the city so much. The scenery and  landscaping in Tallahassee is quite unexpected, with the picturesque Spanish moss hanging from the trees and the terrain is more hilly than you’d expect for mostly flat Florida. The vibe of this city is young and fun. Since it’s a college town, I can imagine the students love it here. There’s a lot to explore outside with over 700 hiking, biking, running and equestrian trails, outside activities play a big part in this city.

We enjoyed two upscale dinners out and I’ll be sharing those with you too, so come along and let’s explore Tallahassee, FL and I’ll share what we saw, experienced and ate in this fair city.

We stayed in the Hotel Indigo, a fun and fresh newer hotel near FSU. There was plenty in the area, with restaurants in walking distance. The hotel is beautifully furnished, such a nice place to stay and close to everything.

It’s a beautifully appointed hotel, very cozy and comfy.

Perfect for our needs.

We had already made ourselves at home in the room, but you can see it was nicely appointed and very comfortable for our 2 nights away from home. The hotel is also dog friendly so we were able to take Daisy with us and she got to do most of our excursions with us. She’s learning to be a travel pup!

One of our first stops was to the Tallahassee Museum, set among 52 acres of breathtaking Florida flora and fauna. The Museum’s living exhibits of native wildlife, nature trails and zip lines and aerial adventure courses are fun for all ages.

Speaking of zip lines, I was really excited to try these but unfortunately (or maybe not!) I forgot my tennis shoes and we didn’t have time to go to the store and buy more so Mark was our zip line and adventure course participant. I cheered him on all the way. You can see him above getting a quick introduction course to zip lining and learning how to put on the harness and what to do to changes courses. He did really great but told me how challenging it was. The day was hot and we were both sweating and even though I didn’t get to do the zip line course, it was fun watching him. He made it through the first course, but was done after that. He said it was pretty strenuous for him and I would have probably been shaky up there on the obstacle course. Zip lining would definitely be fun for me though. Walking through the cypress swamp was so serene and pretty.

Another stop on our itinerary was Tallahassee Nurseries. Named Southern Living’s Best Garden Shop, this was a beautiful stop that we really enjoyed. Talk about a stocked nursery, this one had it all from lush tropical plants, indoor and outdoor, to beautiful pots and birdbaths. All your gardening needs wrapped up in one location is here. If I lived there, I’d definitely be hanging out at this nursery. It was such a lovely place to browse and take in all the beauty of Florida annuals and other plants and shrubs

We had some delicious meals in Tallahassee and I’ll highlight the 2 fine dining restaurants for you. They were both unique and so appetizing.

Backwoods Crossing was such a delightful place. We arrived and ask to be seated outside on the patio and we were seated in their beautiful garden with a pergola. They literally have a garden growing and that’s the farm to table appeal of fresh produce picked right on site.

It was a beautiful evening for dining al fresco, that’s Mark in the blue shirt and you can’t see her, but Daisy is sitting in the chair to his left. You can see her in the collage above. She was a perfect little angel while we dined. Everything was so delicious!

We watched the sun go down while we were dining and what a special evening it was.

We saved room for dessert and it was fabulous, this chocolate delight!

Another beautiful dining experience was Il Lusso. It’s located downtown in a modern building with outdoor seating as well and luckily for us, the weather cooperated and the evenings were very pleasant outside.

What a treat this was as well! Beautiful views and delicious food, as well as a superb wait staff. Mark got a specialty drink and we enjoyed the most delicious appetizer of tomatoes and burrata, as well as scrumptious main dishes. We enjoyed every filling bite of food and then had dessert. Everything was so well prepared and presented and we enjoyed every minute of this fine dining experience on the patio watching the sunset. We would highly recommend both of these restaurants for a special dinner out.

There was a park across the street all lit up for enjoyment and it made a stunning sight in the darkening sky.

And we saw this house on the way back to our car, just the kind of historical house we love.

For breakfast one morning, we stopped in Grove Market Cafe for a quick bite. We don’t eat huge breakfasts most of the time so a little bite was perfect, but they had a full menu as well. From muffins to more hearty breakfast fare, it was a cute dining spot.

They had plenty of freshly baked items on the menu as well as coffee, juices and lots more.

I got an orange roll, coffee, and a burnt sugar glazed 1/2 grapefruit which was delicious. Sitting outside on the patio was delightful and Daisy was with us as well.

A lunch stop at Madison Social was another great place to eat. We met up with Renee, one of our Visit Tallahassee hostesses.

Located right next to the Hotel Indigo it was nice to stop in there after a busy morning to relax and get a bite to eat. This club sandwich and fries was yummy! I can see why FSU students would want to hang out here with a huge patio and great food, plus it’s the winner of the best brunch, happy hour and bar in Tallahassee.

Another morning stop for breakfast brought us to SoDough Baking Company. Donuts anyone? Yes I think I will, I love a good donut!

My choice was the maple glazed with bacon and wow, was it delicious. I love those flavors together. Mark claimed the sprinkles donut. It was perfect with a cup of coffee.

I had no idea there were so many historical homes and former plantations in Tallahassee and we got to visit two of them. What a treat that was! Mark and I both love historical homes and architecture and hearing about how they lived and how these houses and property have evolved over the years. So fascinating!

The Grove is located very near downtown and tucked away in a beautiful woodsy area. The house itself is open for tours and the grounds are worth seeing as well. Such beauty everywhere we turned. Built in 1840 by enslaved craftspeople, The Grove is one of the best preserved antebellum residences in Florida. Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, The Grove is one of the best preserved examples of Greek Revival architecture in Florida.

The grounds were just breath taking and we really enjoyed this antebellum home and gardens.

The only shopping destination we took in was Hearth and Soul. The managers in the shop welcomed us in along with Daisy and we had a great time looking around the store. It’s so unique with so many gift ideas and interesting home goods that you don’t see every day. They curate from many sources to bring together a wonderful assortment in this beautiful store. It’s set up and designed to feature each room in a home, from kitchen and bar, to library, bed and bath, patio, to men’s and women’s closets and more. Mark found a shirt he loved and ordered it from another store in his size and had it shipped to our house. It’s a beautiful store and so well stocked with unique gift items for the home as well as upscale clothing to peruse. You can order online as well, so please check out their website for lots of goodies. It’s definitely a feel good store!

Jubilee Orchards was a stop on our itinerary and we went by there on the way to dinner at Backwoods Crossing one night. What a treat that was! Mark was so enamoured with the orchards, so he is going to take this on and write more about it. He wishes we had more time to spend there and so enjoyed talking to the owner, Bud Chiles, son of former US Senator and FL Governor Lawton Chiles. The Chiles are well known and respected Florida family representing 6 generations of Florida leadership in government and community service, food excellence, and environmental stewardship. More about this stop from Mark!

I grew up with a daddy who planted blueberry bushes and have loved them all my life. When I tell you that these were the most delicious blueberries I’ve ever put in my mouth, that is the truth!

I can imagine how the locals love going here to pick, I sure would if I was close.

Plump, ripe and delicious, just perfect for blueberry pancakes, Mark’s favorite.

Mark will share his recap below, so don’t miss that.

Our last stop before we left town to return home was another antebellum home and gardens, Goodwood Museum & Gardens. We so enjoyed this tour and didn’t get in a hurry to leave. Mark will share his thoughts on this stop on our tour. This home had so much to look at and I took so many pics, I shared 2 collages with you and these barely scratch the surface of this stately historic home. Our docent, Bill was a wealth of knowledge.

I’ll share Mark’s recap with you here, I know you all love hearing from him and he tells a great story!

This trip was hosted by Visit Tallahassee. We so enjoyed our trip and I loved sharing it with all of you! 

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