Lisa Browder

You could spend hours at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village. When I pulled up, all I saw was a single train car and what appeared to be a gift shop. I was prepared to accept the fact that this was a waste of time and I should be glad the drive was nice. Boy was I surprised. There are numerous buildings (13, I was told) to explore, each one chock full of interesting artifacts. There’s the Trilby Train Depot, a Lacoochee one-room schoolhouse, a Methodist church (raised Methodist, I haven’t been inside a church in several decades and was a bit afraid I’d be struck by lightning), a house built in the 1860s with each room furnished as it would’ve been back then, a cobbler, general store, smithy, cider mill, and citrus packing house. There’s even a moonshine still tucked away but, disappointingly, it’s closed. After all that walking, I could’ve used a drink.

The website – http://www.pioneerfloridamuseum.org – says this tourist spot is 95% wheelchair accessible. I remember thinking it might be a challenge but I could be wrong. There was a lady there with a cane and she seemed to do just fine, stopping at intervals to rest.

I love imagining how other people lived and this place was a treasure trove of artifacts. If it hadn’t been for the fact that I’d just been told there were 13 buildings out back to explore, I might’ve spent an hour or so looking at all the stuff displayed in the main building – everything from a drawing room piano, to a dentist’s kit, homemade lace and quilts, clothing, glass bottles, and everyday tools.

I spent a good two hours walking around and loved every second. Now that I know how much stuff is packed into each building, I’ll probably go back and make sure I have more time to spend.

I would highly recommend this for a day trip. It’s located in Dade City at 15602 Pioneer Museum Road. Plan to wear sunscreen and a hat. If you spend any time at all, you’re bound to sweat so be prepared. And if all that walking makes you hungry, I had a wonderful Mexican meal on 7th Street at Coyote Rojo. I’ve always said if stranded on a desert island with only one food, it would have to be chips and salsa. Yeah, okay, technically that’s two, but you can’t have one without the other so I’m declaring it one food. I liked Coyote Rojo’s.

Breakfast, on the other hand, was a bit dismal. The scrambled eggs looked like my carburetor belt and the grits had someone’s golf balls buried at the bottom. I mentioned this to the man at the museum and he seemed surprised. He said he ate there all the time and never had a problem. Maybe he had a bagel.