It was a cold morning at Three Rivers State Park.
We put a hold on outdoor activities and decided to take a day trip to Havana instead. Not THE Havana in Cuba, but Havana, Florida, some 45 minutes away.
Havana is a small town located a few miles outside Tallahassee. In 1906, the town was named for its Cuban cousin because of shade tobacco, a major crop grown in the area. Shade tobacco was used to wrap fine cigars and Havana was one of two areas in the United States suitable for growing the tobacco.
In the 1960s, the town fell on hard times when shade tobacco production moved to Central America and elsewhere. Some 20 years later an antique shop opened in Havana, and the town has since become a quaint destination for antique stores and art galleries.
We visited on 2020 eve, planning to enjoy a relaxed lunch as we looked around. Christmas displays, lights and large painted wooden greeting cards throughout the town gave it a friendly and inviting appeal.
However, except for a couple furniture galleries, all of the other shops, galleries and restaurants were CLOSED! We presume this was to get a head start on New Year’s Eve celebrations.
A bit disappointed, we decided to continue our day trip to Thomasville, Georgia. We resolved, however, to return one day to enjoy what Havana has to offer.
Our route to Thomasville took us through rural Florida into rural Georgia. We passed by fertile farmlands, dense woods and numerous creeks.
It was lunchtime when we arrived and we stopped at Fallin’s Real Pit Barbeque. Fallin’s is an old time barbecue that serves mouthwatering ribs, pork, brisket, chicken and much more. We left completely satisfied.
Our next stop was downtown Thomasville.
The town’s central shopping district is nicely done, with interesting shops and restaurants. We visited a few open shops and before long, decided to head back to the campground.
There is a LOT MORE to see in Thomasville and it would be a great weekend destination for an anniversary or other special occasion.
On our return trip we stopped at Pebble Hill Plantation, located a few miles south of Thomasville.
The plantation was established in the 1820s and now includes a beautiful mansion with horse barns and finely manicured grounds. We took a guided tour of the multi-roomed mansion and an amazing upstairs art collection that included several original Picasso paintings.
After the tour, we walked through the horse stables and several other buildings, and then around the grounds for more than hour.
Pebble Hill has an interesting history. The plantation offers a nice half day diversion while in the area.
Back at the campground, we ate dinner and settled down for a quiet New Years’ Eve. Our New Years’ Day dinner plans included black-eyed peas and collard greens – for good luck in 2020 of course!
Next week: after a low key New Year’s Day. we travel to Florida Caverns, Florida’s version of the famous cave located near Carlsbad, New Mexico.
Take the LONG Road... 
Never heard of black-eyed peas and collard greens for new year’s luck. But it sounds better than the pork and sauerkraut tradition that I grew up with. YUCK!
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Can tell you’re not a Southerner! Add corn bread and pepper sauce and that’s living!
Pork and sauerkraut. Hmmm, where are you from?
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