Category: Family Friendly

Tallahassee Nurseries

Debbie Roney Smith on

Did you know that indoor plants offer both physical and psychological benefits to humans who own them? The benefits of houseplants are:

  • Boosts indoor air quality
  • Promotes exercise
  • Encourages healthy eating
  • Improves mood
  • Relieves stress and anxiety
  • Helps prolong attention span
  • Boosts self-esteem
  • And More!!!

This means the ongoing 2-for-1 houseplant sale at Tallahassee Nurseries is a wonderful opportunity to improve the well-being of your household! From now until September 2nd, or until supplies run out, the garden center will be selling 2-for-1 of equal-or-lesser value houseplants; rare plants and orchids are not included, despite being indoor plants.

Celebrating Dogs!

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Today is National Dog Day! It was founded by Colleen Paige in 2004 to celebrate ALL dogs, be they mutts, mixed, or purebred. Paige wanted to bring awareness to the number of dogs in need of rescuing every year. It is also a day meant to educate the public on fostering, adopting, healthcare, petcare, and the danger of dog breeding. 

Visit the National Dog Day website for more information, and hug a dog today!

Bear Paws Adventures

Debbie Roney Smith on

Located at 2100 Bear Paw Lane in Marianna, Bear Paws Adventures offers a natural river float trip in kayaks, canoes, or tubes. They offer equipment rentals and shuttles. Pricing is as follows:

  • Kayak $35 per person; includes a parking pass and shuttle pass
  • Canoe $50 for two people; includes a parking pass and shuttle pass
  • Bring Your Own Kayak/Canoe $25 per vessel; includes a parking pass and shuttle pass
  • Tubing $15-60 
  • Bring Your Own Tubes $10 per person; includes inflating the tubes, shuttle pass, and parking pass

Visit their official website for more detailed information on pricing and to familiarize yourself with the service rules on parking. 

 

Kayaking on Ocheesee Pond

Debbie Roney Smith on

Recent rain and perfect summer weather call for a trip to Ocheesee Pond in Grand Ridge! Kayaking is a must-do at this local. To get to the launch site, head east from Marianna on Highway 90 and turn right on Highway 69. Then, after crossing the railroad tracks in Grand Ridge, take a left onto 69A and follow it to the dirt road on the left marked Arkansas. Marking the spot is a boat ramp sign marking the turn.

Don’t attempt this pond alone if you haven’t done it previously, as after a short half-mile paddle through the clear water, there is a maze-like cypress swamp. There is a marker system but they are often difficult to spot and irregular. However, the kayaking route is a beautiful trip. Amongst the cypress tree-maze are aquatic glades of water lily and spatterdock that give the water a splash of seasonal color. There are often basking turtles, elusive alligators on the prowl, duck sightings, and a plethora of osprey and woodpeckers.

Business Spotlight: Chautauqua Winery

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Chautauqua Vineyards & Winery is Florida Farm Winery Certified. They produce wine from Carlos Muscadine and Noble Muscadine grapes that have been growing since 1979. Conveniently located next to I-10 in DeFuniak Springs, the winery offers free grape picking, a gift shop full of unique items, and a tasting bar.

The winery is family-friendly – bring the kids! Juices are served for anyone under the age of 21. Pets are welcome permitted they are leashed or held, and they are not allowed in the tasting area. They regularly host tastings and events, alongside being open daily (except for major holidays).

Want to place an order for home delivery or learn more about the Vineyards? Visit the official Chautauqua Vineyards & Winery website. 

Celebrating National Thrift Store Day

Debbie Roney Smith on

Today is National Thrift Store Day! Looking to celebrate? Visit a local thrift store to support your community and maybe find your new favorite treasure! For instance, perhaps visit the recently opened Fusion Church Thrift Store in Blountstown. They are located at 17256 N. Main Street, Tuesday through Saturday. For more detailed information, visit their Facebook webpage. 

Help Marianna Win a Dog Park

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Jackson County has been nominated for a new dog park grant but requires the assistance of the community to win this grant. You can vote ONCE A DAY every day until August 31st. Jackson County has proposed 4574 Lodge Drive as the location for their future dog park. In the city of Marianna alone, there are five pet salons, two animal hospitals, one animal shelter, and one pet daycare resort – truly, a city of dog lovers! However, this animal-loving community has no place to take their dogs for social interaction and playtime. The Bark for Your Park grant, sponsored by the PetSafe Brand, would fund a fenced-in off-leash dog park at the Citizen’s Lodge Park; it would be about a half-acre in size and feature benches for seating, a watering station, shade structure, and a dog waste collection station. 

Visit the voting link for Marianna’s dog park location to register your vote!

Seacrest Wolf Preserve

Debbie Roney Smith on

Seacrest Wolf Preserve was founded by Cynthia and Wayne Watkins in Chipley, 1999. It is a non-profit dedicated to wolf and wildlife conservation. The preserve has experienced enormous growth over the years and is now a large organization focused on education and conservation. The preserve is home to 30 wolves (Gray Wolves, Arctic-Type Wolves, and British Columbian Wolves) as well as a variety of small native species such as coyotes, foxes, raccoons, skunks, and foxes.

Seacrest offers an unforgettable, educational experience where visitors encounter wolves face-to-face. Not all 30 wolves living at the preserve are approved for this special experience. Seacrest Wolf Ambassadors are those special wolves that have experience and enjoy interacting with human visitors as they learn important scientific information about this amazing keystone species. There are several different types of educational tours offered but reservations must be made beforehand. Due to Covid precautions, they are currently offering only the VIP Tours, Mondays – Saturdays.  

​Visit their official website for more detailed information, or call (850) 773-2897. 

Parks & Recreation: Jackson County

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Jackson County Recreational Areas, Boat Ramps and Landings

Blue Springs Recreational Area 

5164 Blue Springs Rd. Marianna, Florida 32446

Spring Creek Park

4841 Hwy 90 Marianna, Florida 32448

Citizen’s Lodge Park

4574 Lodge Drive Marianna, Florida 32446

Visit the Jackson County parks and recreation website to learn more. 

Fishing on the Ocheesee Pond

Debbie Roney Smith on

Ocheesee Pond is a great place to enjoy a plethora of outdoor activities such as fishing, kayaking, and more. The lake is 2,225-acres with dark tannic water covered by cypress trees. Lake access is available by taking SR 69 south of Grand Ridge (1.0 mile); then turn left on CR 69A (5.9 miles) and travel left on Shady Grove Rd. to the ramp.

Be careful navigating while in the water; there are many exposed stumps and snags. Try fishing around the stumps and snags in deep holes, where fish often gather. The best baits for wildlife in the pond include grass shrimp, crickets, wigglers, or various colors of 1/16 to 1/8 oz. beetle spins. Try fishing in the early morning and/or late afternoon along weed lines or in deep holes in the lake. The best baits include spinnerbaits, crankbaits, dark plastic worms, or live shiners.