Discovering Highlands County - "The unpaved Florida"
Story & Photos by: Larry Levey - News-Sun January 31, 2001 - Explorer Page Coordinator

Leave it to a writer to find the right words.

TWo weeks ago, Ron Brown, one of the 25 international writers on a media tour of Highlands County and several other mid-Florida counties, said he'd be returning home to Canada to tell his readers "that not all of Florida is paved over."

That little gem of a phrase neatly sums up the experience of those touring writers, many of whom had never been to - or even heard of - Central Florida. Their view of the state - a view shared by oh-so-many-other-folks - had been one of beaches and theme parks.

But during their visit, these writers got an eyeful, an earful, and a mouthful of what's become known as "the other Florida," "the undiscovered Florida," "the real Florida" - and now, "the unpaved Florida."

Their visit was sponsored by Visit Florida, the tourism arm for the state, as part of their effort to promote tourism into the rural counties. The Convention and Visitors Bureau of Highlands County and the public relations firm which organized the tour coordinated the scores of logistical details regarding lodging, meals and transportation.

And by all accounts, it was a top-notch tour. Thanks to the cooperation of CVB members and the chambers of commerce, local public officials, hotel and restaurant operators, business people, members of the mural and historical societies, state park rangers, South Florida Community College staff and many others, Highlands County has now become "a tough act for other counties to follow," as one of the tour staff members commented.

The tour focused on the county's natural, historical and cultural offerings. Since nature is one of the county's strong suits, its natural treasures were showcased. From the trails of Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring to the lands and waters at Silver Harbor Lodge in Lake Placid, the writers got to see armadillos, turkey vultures, alligators, American bald eagles and their nests, sandhill cranes, scrub jays, a sherman fox squirrel, spiders and spider webs.

The writers became aware of the county's many lakes and the opportunities for fishing and water sports. And by walking and tramming the trails and roads of the park and riding the air boat and dune buggy at Silver Harbor, they learned something about "unpaved Florida," with its variety of trees, plants and wildlife.

Along with nature, the writers got a hearty taste of local history. Several saw the unveiling of the plaque honoring the Kenilworth Lodge in Sebring as one of the sites on the National Register of Historic Places. Others visited the county's historical museums, including the Civilian Conservation Corps museum at Highlands Hammock. They all heard about the history of baseball in Avon Park, from its days of major league spring training to the saga of its high school achievements. They heard how Avon Park intends to turn around its downtown business section into a scene from the 1920s. And they heard about the upcoming production of Florida, an outdoor drama south of Lake Placid that tells the story of early Florida history. Also on the agenda was a stop-off at the Heritage Festival at the Pearce Homestead near Lorida.

Local culture, too, was on the docket. The writers toured the Lake Placid murals, a combination of both culture and history. Some even climbed the Lake Placid Tower to view the landscape. They learned about local agriculture - cattle, caladium and citrus. They also took home a bag of fruit from Maxwell Groves as a reminder of their days spent in Highlands County.

Several received a hands-on spa treatment at Chateau Elan in Sebring while others took a spin in a race car at the Panoz Racing School and got tuned in to the 12 Hours of Sebring.

They also got a hearty taste of local cooking at the various restaurants participating in the tour, even a slice of wild orange pie at the Hammock Inn at the state park.

This variety of what Highlands County has to offer surprised many of the writers. "They didn't expect to see anything like this in the middle of the state," said Allon Fish, administrator and secretary of the local CVB.

The writers agreed, with one of them pointing out some other local features: the laid-back style, as opposed to either coast; the friendliness of the people here; and the incredibly low rates at the hotels; especially at the height of the season.

There was one unscheduled stop during the tour. As the caravan of six vehicles filled with writers headed toward Silver Harbor Lodge, a gopher tortoise lumbered out onto the middle of the road. The caravan came to a halt and the driver of the lead car got out and carried the tortoise to safety - an act triggering a chorus of cheers from the writers. As one person quipped, this was something they would not see on International Drive in Orlando.