Category Archives: Local Stuff and Things

dakotah winery.

By Anwen Elizabeth Photography | Published October 4, 2011

did you know there is a little winery not too far from gainesville?

yeah, me neither. :)

dakotah winery is in chiefland, which is just down highway 19. not too far at all.

you get to drive pass fruit stands, empty pastures, and old houses…an idyllic old florida drive that is pure relaxation on a hot, lazy afternoon.

and then, once you get there, you get to taste wine! and wander the grounds. and look at all the kitschy, wonderful winery trinkets.

did i mention you get to taste wine?

oh, and if you are me, jimena, lisa, and kevin, you get to gorge yourself on cajun boiled peanuts on the way home.

pretty much a perfect day.

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historic haile homestead at kanapaha plantation.

By Anwen Elizabeth Photography | Published September 23, 2011

This post is LONG overdue, since I took these photos back at the beginning of the summer. It’s been fun having Jimena as a new friend, because she’s new to Gainesville…which means I get to see it through a newbie’s eyes! She had friends visiting, and they Googled “top 10 things to do in Gainesville” to find some local attractions. And lo and behold, they stumbled upon a place I didn’t even know existed! The Historic Haile Homestead at Kanapaha Plantation has been there all along, and I never even heard of it! And what a weird, random, interesting little place it was. Apparently paper was scarce way back when, so the family WROTE ON THE WALLS. Yep, all over the house! They had guests sign the walls during parties, people drew pictures, they made grocery lists, and they even kept a tally of all their pieces of silverware. Totally bizarre and fascinating!

There is a guest list from a part on the right side photo…

See if you can spot the words on the right…”The house was briefly alive.” Umm…eerie!

1909!!

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micanopy.

By Anwen Elizabeth Photography | Published September 22, 2011

After hitting up the Haile Village Farmer’s Market, Jimena and I decided to drive down to Micanopy, just to walk around and poke about it the shops. Most shops were anti-photography inside (don’t fully understand that…but whatever), so I snagged a couple pics when I could. I almost spent like $40 on a pair of antique white vases, but I restrained myself and stuck to the wandering and picture-sneaking.

I could spend HOURS meandering about downtown Micanopy, but we had left our amazingly delicious juice in the car and didn’t want it to go bad. Hopefully we’ll go back soon and I’ll get more photos!

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haile village farmer’s market.

By Anwen Elizabeth Photography | Published September 21, 2011

I wanted to write up this nostalgic, whimsical, aren’t-I-an-awesome-hipster post about how much I love farmer’s markets. About how I am there at 8am on the dot, to ensure my veggies are the freshest and bestest. About how I put on my brogues and a floaty, floral dress and put my hair in a bun and skip merrily from stall to stall with my organic-woven-from-hemp bag on my arm, as I wax poetic about the merits of eating such wholesome, local food, because duh…that makes me cooler than everyone else. About how I cooked dinner every night the following week, reveling in my superior organic-ness.

Ha. Riiightttt…

Let’s get real.

Ok, so I wore a dress. But it wasn’t floral, just a little bit floaty. And it was black. And there were no brogues involved. My hair might have been in a bun, but that was just laziness, not a hipster fashion statement. Laziness because I was already late to meet my friends at 10am and I had to grab organic Barnie’s coffee on the way. And my bag was a free one I snagged from a trade show (probably made in China), because it had a mouse on it and it looks like I could have paid $25 for it at Urban Outfitters. I never actually got around to cooking the veggies I bought. They went bad in my frig while I ate Lean Cuisines on the run.

That’s the real deal. I am most certainly less cool than the average non-hipster. Because even non-hipsters manage to actually EAT the things they buy at a farmer’s market. (Really, what good hipster EVER eats a Lean Cuisine for goodness sake? I should be flogged.)

However.

Farmer’s markets still rock my socks off. It’s such a pleasant, peaceful way to spend a Saturday morning. Just wandering the stalls, chatting with the farmers, and tasting yummy goodness. And you don’t have to be a good hipster to enjoy some yummy goodness.

The goods:

Zucchini and squash: about $2 (can’t remember exactly)
Soy Sandalwood Candle: $6
Juice made from things like star fruit, dragon fruit, and other such fruity goodness: $7.50 (ouch. But so worth it.)
Salted, cardamom-flavored caramel: $.50

Also posted in Personal, Travel | 2 Comments

alachua county farmer’s market.

By Anwen Elizabeth Photography | Published August 30, 2011

Last weekend, I finally got to visit the Alachua County Farmer’s Market. I went with Jimena and Lisa, and we spent a pleasant hour strolling about, sampling muscadine grapes, chatting with the vendors, tasting local honey, eating croissants, and of course–buying some fresh veggies. All in all, a lovely way to spend a Saturday morning. The market was a little smaller than I expected, until I found out that this particular farmer’s market only sells food grown IN Alachua County. I guess the bigger ones let people bring their goods from other counties/states? I suppose they must. This weekend, Jimena and I are going to try out the farmer’s market in the Haile Village Center. I think this just might have to become a more frequent weekend occurrence!