The 2 story building on the corner in OC was the old train station. Most of the town was built in and around 1915. It housed workers for the old pencil plant in Cedar Key. The small building was the post office back then. We have approximately 100 residents in Otter Creek. The building next to woodworking shop was a general store. The house at 17:53, he passed away about 10 years ago. I live in the house across from it.
I lived in Gainesville/Williston for 25 years and had somehow never heard of Otter Creek. This video and your quaint wood shop building with the mural make me want to take a drive! My daughters enjoy taking photos in front of murals.
Quick question for you a man named Bob lived there in otter Creek back in the 90's and owned the old historic school and turned it into a church/auction house. By any chance do you know what happened to him and his wife.
i live in the Gainesville area, and have been to the Yearling twice, the food is awsome, and the History never fails to teach you about the area, FUN FACT: Gregory Peck stayed in that actual house while filming the yearling movie, very good friends with the author as she held swank parties for friends in California, and people associated with her book writtings. she was the first to have indoor plumbing in that area,...ok no more spoilers sign up for the tour and bring Chris with you there are farm animals.
If you like venison, may I suggest Elk and Bison! Those are actually my favorite game meals! My wife will make lasagna with Elk or Bison, which ever we have in the freezer. Actually, she'll substitute anything "beef" with that as it's so much better. Watch it if you do get it at the store that it's may be 85/15 to give the meat a bit of fat since most people don't know how to properly prepare it. Looooooooow and sloooooooow or you'll end up with a hockey puck the Bolts won't even want to use. That Willie Green memorial is so friggen COOL, and what a nice thing to do in his memory! Well done all around.
I live in Tampa now, but grew up just north of there in Dixie County. I know that area well. But the locals would laugh you off prounouncing Levy County. Lee-Vee is how it is pronounced.
if you ever want to travel up a bit further north, there is lots of abandoned and some other interesting places to see. Putnam Lodge is a refurbished hotel. The old Air Force Base is now where the High School and a prison are located, far enough apart though.
You never disappoint my friend...an amazing journey today and ending at the yearling restaurant and truly some amazing history throughout. Absolutely amazing content and appreciate you sharing your adventure with us.😎🍊☀️🐊🇺🇸⛱️
10:57 I moved to Starke Fl in 1996 from Tampa. I love it here! No constant traffic jams and crime. There is so much more in these areas! I ride my motorcycle exploring a lot. There are tons of back/dirt roads. I ride my motorcycle find abandoned houses,grave yards,businesses. I know of a church in the woods with hitching posts people still ride there horses to church
Starke seems really laid back. I've driven through it many times over the years when visiting the Carolinas. I have to to tell ya, I was really glad when they put in the bypasses; there and in Baldwin. I'm thinking Starke businesses don't share my opinion of the bypass, though.
@@paulw4310 a lot of people thought it would really hurt business. Surprisingly we are getting new businesses! Wawa, Zaxbys,Racetrack and several new mom n pop restaurants
@paulw4310 It took getting used to but now you can go down town and conduct business and get back out. No more 20 or 30 minute wait to get through town.
@@lizgibson5266 Yep...I know for me, avoiding all of those lights in Starke and several more in Baldwin knocked a nice bit of time off of my average time en route.
A lot of us thought the same. But we have added a lot of new businesses. Racetrack gas, Zaxbys, Blue Line BBQ, Wawa, 5 Below,TJ Max, Funzone.. We're doing great!!
RU-vidr Jeremy Hales (What the Hales) from Ohio has purchased land in Otter Creek. Unlike Mr. Hales tendency to disrespect the community of Otter Creek, I appreciate how you describe the community with respect.
I LOVE these videos you do!!! We've done similar road trips and I've hiked to many old areas. Great job on these and this is mostly an area I've yet to explore and new to me. Thanks for sharing 💯, good stuff!
Thanks for posting. My wife and I take these roads when we go visit our daughter in the panhandle area. Always drive by these places never stopped, you answered a lot of questions we always thought about them.
What an amazing journey! I bet that catfish at the Yearling would have been on point. Also, 2 be able 2 restore that roadhouse at Otter Creek. What a great place to live. As always, stay away from the Water! & thx 4 taking us all along on your adventure
I totally loved this Jay! Hubby and I always look for abandoned and historic when ever we travel! You inspire me to start a channel....people appreciate adventures by others filming Not everyone can travel and see the country....this is so much fun to watch! Thanks Jay! Julia and Bill Aka Black Cat 🖤🐈⬛
Jay, I remember having to read The Yearling back in school. I don't remember not one thing about it though. I really like this series of your vids. I have told you that before. After I can get a new truck, hopefully next year, I am thinking about venturing out on day trips here in my state of Georgia and doing some vids as these are. They are quite interesting.
I love just south in OCALA FL I remember as a kid traveling from Boston to Miami seeing all these places when they were up and running...There is so much History in America that schools don't teach..Thank God my Mom and Dad showed me everything this Country has...Made me the Man I'm today...Thanks for the VIDEO BROUGHT BACK MANY GREAT MEMORIES... GOD BLESS LOU...
Cool thanks for this video. I never knew there was a restaurant in Otter Creek called the Yearling. I love that old movie with Gregory Peck. I remember as a child watching it so many times with my grandpa. He was into old movies from the 50s, 60s, 70s family movies like the Yearling, Daniel Boone, Davey Crocket, Disney family movies back then like Swiss Family Robersons, The Wilderness Family trilogy. But enough about the classic I grew up on. Thank you for revisting old towns like that and just sharing your adventures with us Tampa Jay. I have try visit Otter Creek myself now.😊😊😅
Tampa Jay!!! What a find: The Yearling Restaurant. I was motivated to Google a few highlights of this video and find that I'm quite pleased with your work. I'm just an individual who will likely visit the "Yearling". I'm a music fan and loved the Willie Green mention. Great content sir.
Always so enjoy your uploads @TampaJay. This one is truly fascinating! I do still photography as a hobby and would love to photograph (in High Dynamic Range) some of your finds. Not to worry, I never watch without leaving you a BIG THUMBS UP!!! -oxO( 😊 )Oxo- Ps. We live in Clearwater, Florida our neighbor.
You need to watch the movie The Yearling as well. And, back when we lived in Ocala in the 90's they filmed the Cross Creek movie with Mary Steenburgen in that area. They strewed leaves all over the roads in Micanopy to cover the pavement because back in Ms. Rawlings days it was dirt roads. I am glad you shared the restaurant because I had forgotten my husband and I ate there in the 90's and I tried gator the first time. We went to the Rawlings house many times and they had a lady who would cook in the kitchen and share the goodies. I am not sure if they still do that, but the house and grounds are cool. There used to be an orange grove there.
Oh No! I have gone to MK Rawlings home many, many times over many years. I just love so much of Florida history. Have lived outside of Ocala for many years so I am close to Cross Creek etc. I was so down 2 years ago when we stopped at Ms. Rawlings homestead once again I love it so much..and I was heartbroken. We were the only 2 people there as it was later in the afternoon. I wanted once again to walk through the home and it is not free anymore. I did not really care about the money but the young girl that is working there now said we could not go in without her, that she gives a tour. But she was closing up to come back another time. There always was a lady that watched over the house in all the years past. You could walk around in the house and bunkhouse, barn and property and feel you were there so many years ago when MS. Rawlings was there. We started walking to the path we came in on and we stopped a second to look at the chickens. I have chickens myself, and the gal put them in a small falling apart rustic coop and I said .." any fox or ,what not. ever kill them and she was so insulted and said roughly, No and you just jinxed my chickens!!! Well dang ! I had to make a Fort Knox out of a stall in the barn because of small predators! Anyway I was bummed out for months and have not gone back. I stick to Micanopy only now on a Sunday. Anyway maybe there have been those that were stealing things from Ms. Rawlings home and property. Things never stay the same.😪
Cool video! My mom was born and raised in Gulf Hammock, and I have many memories of going there as a child. In fact, I fished in the creek next to the white building at around 5:50, while my mom and uncle visited the people who ran the store.
Us geriatric folks know The Yearling novel and movie. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings moved to Cross Creek from, as I recall, New York where she wrote The Yearling. Her husband didn't adapt well to small town Florida and divorced her. The menu prices are definitely at today's Bidenflation prices. Hahaha.
Loving your videos. Near my hometown Greenwood, Fl here in the panhandle are a few little old places with some history. Consider checking out Two Egg, Malone, Bascom, and Graceville, Fl. And the outskirts. Near the Al. And Ga line. Several other small towns around. Quite a few relics. Go Rays!
Hello! I just watched your video and subscribed. I watched several over time and enjoyed them. I used to live in a little place called Citra some years back. When you mentioned the Yearling and Cross Creek, my ears pricked up. I visited Marjorie Keenan Rawlings homestead when I lived there. I was just out driving one day and saw the sign and made the turn. I'm glad I did. I don't know how they conduct business now but back in 2000-01 there were folks there that dressed according to the Era and gave a sort of tour and talked about her and her life there. Please, go back and check it out!
I remember going through Citra on our way from Ocala to Jacksonville in the 90's. I guess all the citrus packing plants are gone now. We used to visit the Rawlings homestead in the 90's also. There was a woman cooking cornbread that was so yummy one time when we went.
@TampaJay I'm originally from Bradenton, born and raised there. I've been up in Columbia County since 2017. I just finished watching your video about the tiki bar. I love your videos, my guy.
Totally enjoy your videos, efforts, and time spent with your hobby. People never look back to the past and think of history. It's after the fact and self imposed, wish I would of spent more time with my grandma's ( widows ) and learned about my heritage. Always liked the old farmhouses and would sometimes stop and walk inside hoping the walls could speak to me about years past. Thank You Sir and be safe in your travels..Harold 32563 Gulf Breeze and Pensacola
I live in Tampa Bay area now but this gives me my old roots from moving here. Started in Mango, Brandon, Chiefland, Old Town, Trenton, Gainesville, Interlachen, Orange Park and Jacksonville and now back to Tampa area. This is some old school Florida for sure! Not what people think of from Florida. Also, I’ve said before, always be careful and should have someone with you!
I waved when you drove by, but you didn't see me 😂 I'm going to give you a couple correct pronunciations for future reference, not to be a wise-butt. Levy is Lee' vee. Not Lev' ee. I know. I thought so, too. Wilkes-Barre, PA sounds like bear' ree or barry. Had you ventured down the road next to the locomotive about 4.5 mi, you'd come to the Waccassa boat ramp. Next to it is a still operating fishing club/camp. The scenery and fishing/picnic area is breathtaking. I've not seen a gator there yet, but nearly stepped in fresh bear poo. There was quite the game trail in the reeds(stay away!). The 2 videos I've seen so far are very well done. There is some rich history to be found. Did you avoid Follow That Dream Parkway on purpose? If so, you missed a couple treasures, one being 'Crackertown'. I look forward to watching more of your videos ❤
Florida has three bistorical Majories! Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings- author of The Yearling Marjorie Stoneman Douglas- conservationist and journalist Marjorie Carr- conversationalist and scientist We take no responsibility for Marjorie Taylor Green.
The Yearling was the very first movie I seen as a Boy that walked five miles one way with my Mother and older brother and two sisters in the 1940's in 1945 if I am right. It was the very first movieof it's type at the Old Regal Theater in St. Joseph, Missouri.
Great video content! You came up randomly and I subscribed. We visited The Villages in July. I wish I knew about the Yearling restaurant as we was it that area. Maybe next time.
New subscriber here! I watch a lot of these kinds of videos and always find myself wishing the person would slow down or speed up or stop talking so much or explain more. While I was watching this I didn't think any of that. I really like how you take us around. Thank you!
If you want to get a wolf 🐺 and a Kodiak bear 🐻 named gizmo and Archie for a pet good idea he is from Toronto Canada 🇨🇦 hi Archie the wolf 🐺 and gizmo the Kodiak bear 🐻
There's also a movie about her life called Cross Creek. It's a great story. Marjorie is one tough cookie. Part of the movie was filmed at silver springs too!
This is so weird I was thinking about otter creek but couldn’t remember the name of the town the other day and looking at my map for it and couldn’t find it at all. Then your video popped up on my feed and this was exactly what I was looking for hahaha Thanks
Love the yearling good food lots of taxidermy of Florida critters our family graveyard is in cross creek use to have big family reunions in the 70s 80s and started fading out in the late 90s
Jay, I love your travels but you blew this amazing piece of history. Marjorie kinnan Rawlings was an amazing woman. Lived in a hostile place, gators mosquitoes. Write impressive books. Her book Cross Creek caused a huge rift in the community. Her neighbors thought she was talking about them. Marjorie was a hero. I have her Cross Creek cook book. You love Florida,bread a little bit more. This place is an amazing piece of history.
TJ, are you originally from the Philly area or something? I hear a familiar accent…maybe parents from Pittsburgh or something..? (I’m from the Philly area but live in FTL)
Is this near Christmas? It looks as if it is. I lived in sanford and had to go to Christmas for a mangers training . And i swear that is the same Cadillac that was sitting by that highway lol this was way back when there was no gps and we had to feel our way around with maps 😂😂 i cant remember,i think it took me two hours to get there from sanford . Wow its been a long time. I was around ormond beach in 2017 when my dad passed to take care of his belongings and wow, the population has skyrocketed in florida. Traffic was a mess and people were doing like 100 on the highway and then the little old drivers doing 45 lol. I cant believe how much that place has changed 😢
Oh my goodness when you went in that trailer it brought back memories of living there when I was little and a huge rat the size of a dog chased my little brother down the hallway of our trailer. Wow what a memory 😂
