I was down in this area quite a few times with my father for Wal-Mart, because one of Wal-Mart's distribution centers was down here (don't know if it still is or not); back in the old days (when me and him went to this area), Florida's exit numbers were incredibly deceiving. What I mean by that is that we got onto I-75 South from FL State Rd. 326 (the exit number at the time was 71, I believe), and the exit we were going to (this U.S. 98 and FL State Rd. 50) was 61. You'd think 71 to 61 would be a quick jaunt of 10 miles or so, but back in those days, the mile markers were not in line with the exit numbers, so we actually went close to 60 miles between FL 326 and U.S. 98/FL 50 (the actual distance was 57 miles, I believe). Much later (by the time my father quit from Wal-Mart), Florida changed the exit numbers to be more in line with the mileposts, and Exit 71 became what is today Exit 358 (with Exit 61 being Exit 301 today).
Don't really know why I'm watching this...I've made the trip between Brooksville and Groveland many, many times. Live near, used to work in Brooksville. I have been in Florida for 65 of my 70 years and miss a lot of the old Florida. Parts of this drive show it off. Couple more ideas for you: The area between Ocala and Gainesville has a lot of good stuff. The back road through Cross Creek and the M.K. Rawlings house is one, as well as 301 and old 441 north from Ocala. And if you get to the panhandle US 98 between Panacea and Apalachicola is one of my all-time favorites. ETA Oh, the road to and driving thru Cedar Key!
Oh yeah these are some good ones. So you suggest 301 from Wildwood to Ocala? Then 441 to Gainesville? I rarely see anyone film Cedar Key so that’s definitely on my list to check out someday.
Wildwood to Ocala is very urbanized...I was thinking of 301 north from Ocala, horse farms to old citrus to swamp to N. Fla. piney woods in the space of less than an hour. 441 back from G'ville to Ocala (or reverse) is very scenic in places. Just driving around Cedar Key was fascinating last time I was there. Just watched downtown Ocala. University Ave. from downtown through the UF campus and adjacent streets in Gainesville would be interesting too, I think. Did not see a Gainesville in your Florida cities playlist.
