Micanopy

The last time I rode up to Micanopy was before Covid with Hugh Caggiano. We started at the Fellowship Community Church on Hwy 27 where the church secretary said cyclists often start out and that she'd keep an eye on the car for us. Then we took an interesting 34 mile scenic route through horse farm country to Micanopy where we had lunch at Coffee & Cream.

The Old Florida Cafe

Named after the Seminole Chief Micanopy the town has an interesting history. In the late 1800's the adjacent 23,000 acre Payne's Prairie was flooded when the Alachua Sink became plugged following a storm. For about 20 years it was known as Lake Alachua and had regular steamboat service to local communities and Micanopy where you can see the anchor from the Chacala.

The Old Hotel and Saloon - banned on Saturday nights.

Since then its main commerce has been agricultural. The owner of the restaurant had lived in Micanopy all her life and she told me when she was a girl her parents wouldn't let her go "downtown" on Saturdays because many of the itinerant farm workers would be tearing it up at the local hotel and saloon.

More recently Micanopy is better known for being the location of the movie Doc Hollywood which starred Michael J. Fox as a doctor who crashed his car there and got sentenced to community service. Fortunately there was an attractive girl on hand - who'd have thought it?

The Flemington Country Store

On the way back we stopped at the historic and colorful Flemington Country Store - not to be missed!

For route information and more pictures: