1. Highlands Hammock State Park
2. Joshua Citrus
3. Venice Florida and Trattoria Da Mino
4. Siesta Key Beach
5. Next Time
6. Conclusion

When we first arrived in Arcadia, Florida, we had no idea what we wanted to do while we were there. After some quick research and talking to our neighbors, we found quite a few things to do that ranged from 20 minutes away to an hour away. 

We stayed at Little Willie’s RV Resort which is just outside the center of Arcadia. You can read a review of the campground here. There are few other campgrounds in the area, so the distances will be about the same even if you choose not to stay at Little Willie’s. 

Highlands Hammock State Park

The first place we went to explore was Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring. It was a 40-minute (33 mile) drive from the RV park. It’s all state highway and back roads. It was a pretty scenic drive with ranches and citrus groves lining the way. 

The state park is the fourth oldest state park in Florida. It’s easy to see why they chose to protect this area so early on. The ecosystem is extremely diverse. It reminded us a lot of the Everglades National Park in the sense that the ecosystem changed from one area to the other. 

What we loved most about the state park was the hiking trail system. Once you pay the $6 vehicle entrance fee at the ranger’s station, you drive a half mile or so down the road to a one-way loop. The loop brings you to just about every trailhead the park has to offer. You can park at each of them and hike them. 

The hikes are only about ½ mile to a mile. They could be done in 10-20 minutes if you keep moving. If you stop to take it all in or take pictures and videos like we do, they could take about 30 minutes each. 

Every trail was well maintained and well-marked. Many of the trails have either a boardwalk or catwalk at some point on the trail. They were all relatively flat and were not strenuous. 

The crown jewel of the state park (in our opinion) was the Cypress Swamp Trail. The trail was completely on a boardwalk and turns into a catwalk about halfway. Unfortunately, the catwalk was closed when we were there so we could not complete the loop. However, the boardwalk portion was still amazingly beautiful. 

We visited in February and the cypress trees were not in bloom and yet it was still a beautiful scene. I can only imagine what it would look like when the trees are in full bloom. We visited on a weekday and only saw two other people. The trail was quiet and listening to all the wildlife around us was extremely tranquil. 

If you’re even remotely close to Sebring, I highly recommend spending a half day to a full day in the Highlands Hammock State Park. 

Joshua Citrus

We love fresh orange juice, so when we learned that there was a citrus grove only 20 minutes (10 miles) from Little Willie’s, we were excited to check it out. Joshua Citrus is in the town of Arcadia and is a pretty popular location for residents and tourists alike. 

Our first visit was on a weekday and the grove/ farm was quiet. There were a few other cars in the smallish parking lot. Most were there to get ice cream and others were there to get fresh produce from their farm stand. 

When we saw how popular the ice cream was, we had to try it. The vanilla was great, but the orange swirl was amazing! We also tried the frozen orange juice and the frozen strawberry orange juice. Both were delicious but the frozen strawberry was our favorite. 

Of course we got a couple of jugs of fresh orange juice. They offered regular orange juice and the strawberry orange juice. We got both and enjoyed them very much. So much so that we ended up going back for more. 

Our second visit was on a Saturday and this time the farm was alive. They had live music and a food truck. We tried the food truck (Mexican food) and it was delicious. We of course had the ice cream as a dessert as well. People were there with their lawn chairs, enjoying the music, the food, and the just the overall vibe. It was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon especially when the weather was just right.

If you’re in the area and you like orange juice, don’t go to the grocery store, go to Joshua Citrus. They also have fresh oranges along with other fresh fruits and vegetables. Go get those items from them instead of the grocery store. 

Venice, Florida and Trattoria Da Mino

The city of Venice was on our to do list because we have family in the area. However, eating in Venice was not on our to do list. It wasn’t until our neighbors at Little Willie’s told us about Trattoria Da Mino. They told us it was the best Italian food they’ve had. We are usually skeptical about these claims because we here “best Italian food” quite a lot and usually we disagree. This time however, they were right!

First, I should admit, we didn’t know that Venice, FL was modeled after Venice, Italy. Maybe we should have but alas, we didn’t. It wasn’t until the day we were going there that I discovered this. When we got there and saw the historic downtown, it was like stepping into a different world. It is one of the prettiest town centers we have come across so far. It was also the most vibrant. There were people walking, eating on the sidewalk patios, and people in and out of the many shops that lined the streets. 

On our way to the restaurant, we stopped inside one of the “mom and pop” shops. We also stopped at Kilwins Ice Cream and Chocolate shop. I got a few pieces of cherry filled and raspberry filled chocolate squares. I also got a chocolate covered Rice Krispies treat. The Rice Krispies treat was really good, but the chocolate squares had me wishing I got more than four. They were so good!

Trattoria Da Mino was a small restaurant. One might call it a hole in the wall which is right up our alley. Even though we were in the mood for pasta, we couldn’t help but want to try the pizza. Since we got there about 20 minutes before lunch ended, we were able to get pizza by the slice. I am so glad we tried it. It was phenomenal! We are huge pizza fans, maybe even border line pizza snobs.

We are usually partial to New York pizza or pizza from Boston’s North End. This pizza rivaled both. In fact, Jasmin said she liked it better than North End pizza. That is quite the statement from her. I have a hard time making that statement because I’m a bit biased, but it really is a toss-up. 

For the pasta, I got the chicken pesto. It was good but I did leave wishing I just got a whole pizza. I also saw that the pasta Bolognese was popular but since no one else in my house likes pesto pasta I took advantage. The Bolognese looked really good so when (not if) we return I will get the Bolognese and of course some more pizza. 

Jaxon loved his spaghetti and meatballs. The kids portion was huge, and he ate 75% of it and finished it off later when we got home. Jasmin got the lobster ravioli, and she really enjoyed that as well. We both really enjoyed the pizza more than anything though. I highly recommend Trattoria Da Mino if you are anywhere remotely close to Venice. 

Siesta Key Beach

I almost didn’t include our visit to Siesta Key Beach because we didn’t get a chance to really experience it. However, we were told that it was one of the top beaches on the gulf coast and I can definitely see why. However, red tide was prevalent in the area. 

We checked state websites and county websites, and all reports showed very low to nonexistent levels. We waited over a week to make sure. Unfortunately, it was still prevalent. Maybe it wasn’t in the water but the dead fish that lined the beach still had the particles on them or in them. Every time the breeze came from the ocean to land, everyone on the beach began coughing. It was uncomfortable to say the least. 

I’m including it in this blog post because red tide isn’t around all the time. From what I understand it forms in the winter and can hit random beaches at random times and for a random amount of time. So, the chances of you experiencing it could be slim. 

The beach itself is beautiful. White sand, beautifully blue water, beach chair rentals, food delivery, etc. are all amenities the beach has to offer. On this particular day the beach still had a good-sized crowd but there was plenty of space to play football, soccer, or whatever game you wanted without disturbing others. 

From Little Willie’s RV Resort it was just over an hour (50 miles). Not a bad drive if you’re looking to go maybe a couple of times in a 2 week or more stay. We tried to stay closer to the coast but the prices of RV parks for the winter are astronomical the closer to the coast you get. 

If you’re looking for a nice beach (when red tide isn’t around) I would recommend Siesta Key. The parking was free in the beach lot. We went on a Monday holiday and found plenty of parking. Again, there was red tide so I’m sure that had something to do with it. There were plenty of other lots nearby that you could pay for if the main beach lot is full. 

Next Time

Arcadia sits on the Peace River and they offer airboat tours on the river just 16 minutes from Little Willie’s. We were told it was owned and operated by a local couple who have lived in the area their whole lives. Next time I will be sure to check that out before doing anything else. The company is called Peace River Airboat Tours and Charters. 

I also would want to check out Morgan Park. It’s a municipal park that sits right on the river as well. They offer a few miles of hiking and biking trails. It seemed like a good place to take an afternoon stroll or an after-dinner stroll at dusk. It was only 5 minutes from Little Willie’s so I would be sure to check it out next time. 

Conclusion

We found Arcadia on accident. Like I said, we were looking to stay closer to the coast, but budget kept us inland. It truly was a blessing though. The people in town were super friendly and the town had everything we needed. 

Even though we had to drive a little further to experience some of these things, I would still stay here again. In fact, if we had been closer to the coast, we probably would’ve missed out on Joshua Citrus and Highlands Hammock State Park which were our top two favorite visits. 

If you’re looking for a good place to stay in southwestern Florida, I recommend checking out Little Willie’s RV Resort or any of the other campgrounds in Arcadia. 

I hope you all enjoyed this post. If you did, I would love for you to like it below. Also, if you have any other suggestions for the southwest Florida area, leave them in the comments. You can watch our YouTube videos below on our stay in Arcadia. 

Until next time, God bless and stay safe!