Lisa Browder

I’m one of those people who loves exploring. That doesn’t mean it has to be someplace well-known, either. I love to jump in the car, choose a road that looks like it might lead to tucked away locations, and head in that direction. You just never know what you’ll find, and that’s the fun of it.

I decided it was time to check out Florida’s county roads, many of which lead away from the cities and towns and into lush greenery and tucked away goodies. I chose the general direction of “Florida horse country” and set out.

I meandered from one county road to another, purposely winding away from populated areas, and noticed that more and more of the driveways had prominent signs out front indicating the property had something to do with horses.

Each seemed to have a vast green lawn or pasture – very soothing to the senses (yet another reason to explore). And that may be the subconscious draw. I researched the color green and found that it’s said to bring serenity and joy. Spiritually, it signifies beginnings, new growth, health and ideas related to renewal. In general, it is the most restful and relaxing color to the eye optically.

I discovered the draw of meandering drives while in college. My roommate and I, when overcome with stress about exams, would jump in the car and head out to the Austin back country. I still remember the out-of-nowhere sprawling white farmhouse with wraparound porches, replete with comfy-looking rocking chairs, that we discovered. Wide, manicured green lawns and colorful hydrangeas completed the storybook picture. Well, okay, I don’t actually remember if there were hydrangeas but I’m painting a picture here so work with me! I wanted to live there. We were so good at driving aimlessly on those forays that I was never able to find it again.

But back to Florida horse country and woodsy county roads leading to green, green, green.

Of course, what’s horse country without a horse or two? I found the one fellow who was suspicious of the stranger outside his fence and the beauty sharing his space with Florida’s ubiquitous ibis.

These adventures always seem to produce something that catches my eye. In this case, I found the Gone With the Wind home out in the middle of nowhere. I couldn’t imagine why they’d need that grand staircase. Can’t you just see Scarlet O’Hara and Rhett Butler out here?

And what about the hybrid house/silo? I mean, maybe they can store their oats in the silo part and reach in from the kitchen every morning to grab a handful of oats for the world’s freshest oatmeal. (Hard for me to imagine approving that design!)

Then I rounded a corner to come upon this sign maker’s front entrance. If you were thinking about a custom sign of some sort and someone pointed you toward a back road and said, “You can’t miss it,” I think they’d be exactly right.

My horse country excursion was a fun getaway. If you enjoy daydreaming, if getting away from big city hustle and bustle appeals to you, taking a leisurely drive to uncharted places will do it. You can almost be assured that at some point, you’ll round a corner to an unexpected sight that will either amaze you or make you shake your head and wonder what the hell they were thinking. Either way, it will get you out of the house and take your mind off your day-to-day issues. Isn’t that worth it?