Tallahassee Recognizes National Tourism Week

Tallahassee area attractions, museums and parks recognized National Tourism Week by offering free admissions to residents on Saturday May 12, 2007. The Tallahassee Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) coordinated "Get Out & See Tallahassee" to encourage residents to become tourists in their own town. By exploring local activities, the CVB hopes residents will become community ambassadors and encourage family, friends and business colleagues to visit Tallahassee.

Being a fan of free activities, I played tourist for the day and visited Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park and Pebble Hill Plantation in nearby Thomasville, Georgia (yeah, I know, it's in another state, but close enough). Humidity was high, the temperature hovered in the 90s and a haze of smoke from nearby wild fires lingered, yet, I'm glad I got out and explored.

My day began at Pebble Hill Plantation, a sporting estate on the National Register of Historic Places. Pebble Hill's history dates back to 1827 when Thomas Jefferson Johnson, namesake of Thomasville, Ga., built the first house on the cotton plantation. The estate remained in his family until 1896 when Ohio industrialist Howard Melville Hanna purchased it. Hanna gave the plantation to his daughter Kate and when she passed, her daughter, Elisabeth "Pansy" Poe, inherited it. Poe died in 1978 and in 1983, Pebble Hill opened to the public.

I spent about two hours wandering the grounds, petting the horses and playing with puppies. Yes, puppies. Pebble Hill is a 3,000 acre living museum (80 acres are open to the public) still raising some of the animals loved by Pansy Poe.

Poe was a sporting enthusiast who loved horses and dogs. Images of dogs and horses are visible throughout the plantation. Visitors will see dog and horse statues, boot scrapers with either dogs or horses and horse-shaped hooks holding garden hoses. The "Dog Hospital" is where Poe's favorite hunting dogs were treated and this is where I played with three black and brown puppies wanting some love.

Flowers were in bloom. The sweet scent of jasmine hung heavy in the air. Magnolia trees boasted big, white blooms and roses were at their peak.

Pebble Hill Plantation waived the $3 gate fee for the day but Tallahassee visitors still needed to pay the $7 for the house tour. I opted to go cheap and bypassed the house tour (probably a mistake).

Heading back home, I stopped at Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park, where the $4 admission was waived. This was not my first visit but I found something I hadn't seen before. The pond. It had a light green hue and was in a lush setting of trees and shrubs. I followed the brick sidewalk along the pond for a leisurely walk.

My day ended doing something most tourists enjoy: shopping.

Other attractions that participated in "Get Out & See Tallahassee:" Challenger Learning Center, FAMU Black Archives/Carnegie Library, Historic Capitol Museum, Knott House Museum, LeMoyne Center for the Visual Arts, Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science, Mission San Luis, Museum of Florida History, St. Marks Trail and the Tallahassee Museum.

Tourism is Florida's primary industry. According to VISIT FLORIDA®, the state's official tourism marketing corporation, 84.6 million travelers visited the state and spent more than $65 billion in 2006. More than 981,000 residents are employed within Florida's tourism industry.

Coordinated by the Travel Industry Association, this year's National Tourism Week is May 12 - 20 and the theme is "Travel & Tourism: America's Front Door." Communities across the country will educate residents about the value of tourism.

Get Out & See Tallahassee was a great way to educate residents about the cool things to do in and around Tallahassee. I hope the program is offered next year and residents take advantage of it.

When you play tourist in your town, what's your favorite thing to do?

Planning your trip:
Pebble Hill Plantation
1251 U.S. Hwy. 319 South
Thomasville, GA 31792
Tel: (229) 226-2344
www.pebblehill.com
Hours of operation: Tuesdays through Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park
3540 Thomasville Road
Tallahassee, Florida 32309
Tel: (850) 487-4115
http://www.floridastateparks.org/maclaygardens
Hours of operation: Daily; Park is open 8 a.m. to Sunset; Gardens open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.