Happy Trails

 Several years ago, while I still lived in Ohio, I received a Triple A (AAA) magazine. In it was an article by the Ohioana Library Association featuring  “Ohio’s Literary Trail.” Our writing group was intrigued. We researched the sixty-one sites. Some of them turned out to be a mere marker on the side of the road signifying “so-and-so was here.” Others were true sights to explore and gain insight into the experiences of authors familiar with Ohio. 

Ohio Trail Mix: Available on Amazon

We were intrigued. Five of us took it on ourselves to write short stories connected to each site. We had fun 

getting together, exploring the area, and brainstorming ideas for stories. The result was an anthology we published n 2022. It was fun. 

If you follow me, you know my formative years were spent in Florida. After living in Ohio for many years, I returned to Florida when I married Mike. I joined a group of writers called “Citrus Writers of Florida.” They are an eclectic group. I enjoy their diversity and energy.

I wondered if my new writer friends might be interested in exploring writers from our state. I did a cursory search of what Florida’s Literary Trail might look like. Remember, Florida is approximately 160 miles wide and 500 miles long. We’re not talking “a day trip” here. More like multiple trips with a few overnights scheduled.

 
Still, it is interesting, so I decided to feature a few folks you may want to read, research, or “visit.”

Harriet Beecher Stowe Yes, the famous author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. I was intrigued. I had visited her home Cincinnati. In fact, I crafted a split time story for our Ohio anthology based on Stowe’s experiences in the area. It turns out, Stowe and her family “wintered in Mandarin, Florida just outside of Jacksonville. There is a marker there. You may not want to make the trip itself, but you may want to read the book she wrote of the area called, Palmetto Leaves.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings You may not remember the name, but many of us read her book or saw the movie, The Yearling. Rawlings lived in north central Florida in Alachua County. You can visit her home in the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park in Cross Creek Florida where she lived when she wrote her award-winning novel.

Patrick D. Smith, though raised in Mississippi, the author of the novel A Land Remembered made his home on the east coast of Florida. He was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 1999. 

Ernest Hemingway I couldn’t post a blog about famous Florida authors without mentioning Ernest Hemingway. But it’s a hike! For this experience, you’ll want to drive to Key West and visit the Hemingway House. Walk through the rooms where he lived. Creak up the stairs and see the typewriter he used. And yes, there are chickens in the yard and the famous six-toed Hemingway cats throughout Florida's southernmost city. 

So...In the words of Dale Evans..."Happy Trails to You!"