Here it is the first week of December behind us and as Christmas approaches, minds turn toward holiday preparations and festivities. Holiday music feels the airways, street lights twinkle as you drive by and the ever present sale ads are piling up in our mailboxes.

What if you are having a hard time revving up in this season of commercial bliss and are longing for a simpler, more inspired way to go. What if you would rather spend some quality time looking for fun, albeit holiday related things do and see with your family. Locally here in Ocala, FL, this is fairly easy to do. There is finally a chill in the air and one can almost picture a wintry scene. Just on TV this morning, I saw that it is SNOWING along the gulf coast- well not in Florida- but close enough. There was a person skiing in the snow being pulled along by a GOLF CART.

Okay, back to the to dos’.

At home, there is the baking, and watching of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer or pulling out the favorite movies White Christmas or It’s a Beautiful Life.

But if you want to get out to do some fun things in Ocala and in the surrounding area, here are some ideas:

One of the best fun times I’ve had recently was the ice show. We’ve gone several times to see the Ice Show at the Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee near Orlando. This you have to see to believe. This year you can see it from November 11 through January 13. There are over two million pounds of ice sculpted into life sized ice sculptures of the most beautiful vignettes with Santa, toy shops, a life sized carousel and an Arctic forest. You are bundled up in subzero parkas and treated to hot chocolate on the way out through what else a gift shop. But it was fun. For ticket prices and hours click here. When we were there we made a day of it by also going to the Villa de Flora right in the complex for a wonderful buffet of Mediterranean goodies in a twinkling arbor setting. There are a lot of other eateries there too – something for everyone.

This weekend in Ocala you can take the Candlelight House Tour sponsored by the Historical Preservation Society. There are three houses in the historic district all decked out inside and out. Fabulous. Along the route are carolers, Santa, and hostesses from the society greeting you with hot cider, hot chocolate and festive cookies. The homes themselves are just beautiful, but all decked out with garland, trees, lights, and all manor of finery, they are a real treat. Along with that if you park in the downtown square, which is all aglow itself, you can ride in style to the homes in a horse drawn carriage.

Also, this weekend on December 6 is the famous Ocala Christmas Parade along Silver Springs Blvd. I was shocked the first time I saw it. This parade draws so many people that they start putting out lawn chairs along the parade route a WEEK before to reserve a spot. Vendors aplenty walk the route, set up food areas where you can but a hot drink and a hot dog, and people tailgate just like at a football game. Very festive. The parade lasts a couple hours with marching bands, horses, floats, cars with dignitaries, police on motorcycles, Shriners in small cars, Clydesdales and Santa himself at the end.

The famous attraction,Silver Springs, has opened their annual Festival of Lights. It is in full swing with a light display throughout the park and a lighted boat parade that will delight you as you stroll the park’s paths while listening to live Carolers.

And the Ocala Symphony Orchestra performs their annual Christmas and Hanukkah festival of music called A Mannheim Christmas Spectacular on December 12^th and 13^th.

As a matter of fact there are so many happenings crammed into this month that it would be hard to see them all. Anything you’d like from church chorales and plays to story times to art receptions to Santa on the Square – there is something for the young, the old and everyone in between. I found 14 pages of activities and events by just going to www.ocala.com  and clicking on the entertainment topic. It would take me all week to just list them all for you, so just click and take a look for the listings. If you live in another community, you could probably find just as many fun outings too. Hopefully, there are some ideas here that will spark your interest.

“May you days be merry and bright and may all your Christmases be white”……….. Happy holidays everyone!!

Nestled along East Silver Springs Boulevard is The Ocala Civic Theatre. While, I have always enjoyed theatre up North in the DC area, I thought that was one bit of culture that I would have to forgo moving to Ocala, unless I wanted to travel to one of the other larger areas. To my surprise and delight, The Ocala Civic Theatre not only turns out polished, professional productions, it is the second largest in the state.

Recently, I was treated to a production of The Wizard of Oz and was curious as to how a small company could stage such an ambitious show. It was top notch. The sets and staging were imaginative, the special effects were outstanding and the cast blew me away. It was one of the best shows I have seen anywhere.

The theatre’s playbill offers drama, comedy and musicals for both the young and the old. If you have an interest in working behind the scenes, I would suggest linnking to their website for special events, audition information, and educational or volunteer opportunities.   I will definitely go back again and again.

For being a small town, Ocala has a rich, vibrant cultural tapestry. What a surprise I had when I first discovered the Appleton Museum of Art  just off East Silver Springs Boulevard.

As you approach the museum from the parking area, your sight follows the length of a long pool which leads to a bubbling fountain that becomes the focal point further drawing your eyes to the wall of glass that forms the gallery’s entrance. The openness of the space and light that pours in from the front make it quite a happy place to be and sets the mind to wondering what treasures lie ahead.

I have had the pleasure of visiting there 4 times and each time I felt enriched by the experience. The first time I went was to just look around. There was a featured exhibit of paintings that brought me there, but what I found were also sculptures and other exhibits of historical significance that delighted the senses and challenged the mind.

I have also visited on a Mother’s Day with my daughter Jenn for a High Tea in the solarium followed by our viewing an exquisite collection of Princess Diana’s gowns there for the benefit of Breast Cancer. And on another occasion a friend and I were entertained with Salsa music at the outdoor courtyard after dining on a themed dinner in the solarium. This was part of the always popular Appleton After Hours series. My last trip was to take my visiting cousin who has a background in art to show off the Appleton. After touring the galleries, we had hot chocolate at a quiet table for two in the front foyer that borders the Museum shop. Did you know that the Appleton boasts the one and only escalator in Ocala?

In addition to the art, the Appleton offers a wide array of services, ranging from special family events and exhibits, trips and tours to other notable museums and venues, volunteer opportunities, and even space for private parties or events.

We are lucky to have such a notable place in Ocala.

After my little introduction to Ocala last post, I decided to take you around town and spotlight some of the fun and diverse places of interest.

When I first moved here about three years ago, I found a lovely park not very far from my new home. One of my nieces was getting ready for marriage and was looking at some options for an outdoor wedding in a park or garden setting. She invited me to join her to take a look at Sholom Park where we are going to visit today.

This is a place unlike any parks I have visited because it is devoted and designed to be a place of peace. Winding through the maze of paths, there is nothing to disturb you but the trickle of fountains or the running water under foot bridges and the trill of birds. Even the people who frequent the park do so with a respect for the place and for other visitors. On my walk there this afternoon, I encountered a couple resting on a sunny spot of grass, a woman taking her leisure on one of the many benches under a tree reading a book, and a family with two small children tossing a ball. Sound idyllic? Well, it is. Ever time I visit there, no matter how harried I am on the way in, I always leave calmer than when I entered.

Among the pathways, you will see an abundance of flowers, trees and plants which seem to change color and shape from season to season and look as though they just grew there.

Come on, walk with me and as we take a pictorial stroll though the park.

This is a lovely, classically inspired shelter that serves as our starting point. Here we can have a cool drink of water or pick up a map of the grounds and gardens. When my niece thought of using Sholom Park as a wedding venue, we thought this might have been a great place to welcome guests with a prenuptial beverage.

If you want to feed the koi, step into this pavilion where you can look over the rail down into the pond and not only see the koi, but turtles! The fountain lends a lovely ambiance which is so calming.

Everything is natural and the planners certainly made use of plant materials in interesting ways. Look at the imprints of palm fronds and leaves on the trails.

Now, this is the place where the bride and groom could vow their undying love. It looks like a chapel, has lots of benches inside and has a tree and flower bordered “aisle” any bride would love to walk down.

After we pass an outdoor stage where I could just imagine music being played under the stars, we next pass through gates to a part of the park that I think is my favorite. The meditation garden, or The Labyrinth as it is called, is just ahead through this vine covered trellis. In the summer it is covered with roses. Here we can wind through the maze-like path, stopping at each of the 26 plackets that lead us through mindful meditations. Linger here awhile and see what you can learn about your inner self.

So, here we are, back where we started. I hope you enjoyed our walk. Whether you stay for a brief stroll through part of the 44 acres, stay for a picnic, come for a quiet place to read a book or do the meditation, I hope if you are nearby you will come again. Meanwhile, Sholom.

To a quick passerby traveling through, Ocala might look like a sleepy, little town. In fact, some even go so far as to call it Slowcala. That may be true if one compares it to a bustling, big city. But let’s take a closer look.

When I think back to the Washington DC area from where I moved almost 3 years ago and look at why I left, I find the quiet, small town feel just what I was looking for with its rolling green pastures, stately oak trees dripping Spanish moss combined with swaying palm trees, fragrant jasmine, colorful hibiscus, two lane roads with little traffic, and a temperate climate.

Maybe one could call a place like this sleepy. Yet, you might just be surprised at what Ocala offers. It is a satisfying blend of culture, dining, and recreational gems. But the one thing that Ocala is best known for is that it is horse country and that is what I will be focusing on for this look at Ocala.

My attention was first brought to Ocala, when my brother and his family moved here from Pennsylvania to a small horse farm, bringing along their horses. They had Appaloosas and my nieces used to train and compete in some of the biggest National Horse Shows. That was how I first heard about Ocala and began learning what a big industry horses is and particularly how well Ocala is regarded for it.

Called the Horse Capital of the world, you can hardly go anywhere without seeing horses from running or grazing on a pasture to leading a carriage ride through the country side. People fly in from all over the world to buy millions of dollars worth of horses at auction at the OBS (Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company). If you look at the Ocala Marion County Chamber of Commerce, it will tell you that there are over 200 farms and places to train and breed horses, that you could find over 50 different breeds of horses and that almost 29,000 are employed in some facet of the Thoroughbred industry in Marion County. Many Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Breeders Cups winners hail from right here.

 I haven’t been to all of the horse related events yet, but I did go to the Florida Carriage Museum to watch my niece Kimberly compete in some Special Olympic Equine Events and we are really proud of her accomplishments. The facility was just beautiful. Besides a really cool carriage display in the museum, it has 10 barns that were spotless and are used as an Equine “Bed and Barn”.

There are some major horse events held annually right in Ocala. Whether you are a competitor, local or international or a spectator there are equine events to satisfy the most discriminating tastes from polo to rodeos to world class horse shows and competitions. Maybe instead of “Slowcala” we may want to call it “Whoacala” !!!! Happy trails.

Here are some links if you would like to learn more about the places and events they hold.

Florida Horse Park

HITS The Horse Show in the Sun

Florida Carriage Museum and Resort

Riding Trails

OBS

Horse and Carriage Tours

 There seems to be a lot of talk lately about how we are not able to take vacations due to the economy. A lot of us are concerned with how to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table and have decided to forgo vacations at least for the foreseeable future. Yet, people are a resilient lot and have come up with some doable options to still feed the soul with adventure. While travel in general seems to be on a decline this year, there are still some ways to downsize and still have a little fun.

 All of the marketing gurus in the travel industry are finding ways to provide reasonable compromises. New terms like “stay-cations” or “day-cations” are on the radio and TV all the time to advertise special deals. Deep discounts on hotels, airfares, cruises abound if you can be somewhat flexible.

For those, like me, who work and have limited scheduled vacation time that lack flexibility, the idea of a day trip in my local area seems to be a good fit for me and one that, in the short term, will satisfy that craving to see and try new things. A day well planned can almost seem like a little, mini vacation.

 My daughter, Jenn (aka The Leftover Queen) and I for years took an annual vacation and one year, while living in the DC area decided we would spend our whole week just around town. We actually stayed in a little efficiency, but could have as easily traveled daily from home. The thing here is to not let yourself get mired in TV, phone calls and other distractions that would make it less like a vacation. One of the best things about a vacation is to just get away and escape the every day routine.

 Anyway, we had a blast. We went to different places everyday. Saw all of the Smithsonian Museums, all of the monuments, spent a whole day at the fabulous DC zoo and ate different ethnic cuisine every day. It was wonderful and we didn’t have to spend more than one round trip metro fare for travel! (Maybe one day, I will tell you more about the places to see and the special little seasonal things to do in our nation’s capital.) That is the beauty of traveling local. Up to that point, I knew more about faraway places than I did about the abundance of what there was to see in my own backyard. I will venture to guess that this is pretty typical.

 I have been in the Ocala, Florida area now for over two years and I have to admit there are lots of places for little mini day or overnight visits to be made and I have decided that this is the best time to do just that. In the upcoming weeks and over the summer, I will be planning a series of little day or weekend trips and as I circle around town. I hope that these will inspire some of you to do the same thing where you live. And, I would invite you to share with me what you find. Happy traveling.