Day 220: Stroll over to Grazie’s for some pizza

I’m a quarter Italian but I like to think of myself as a full-blooded “giovane donna.” I could live off a pasta-only diet, I make a lot of wild hand gestures, and to my WASP-y husband I often find myself exasperatingly saying “I’m not yelling. I’m Italian!” So I was thrilled when a Italian pizza and pasta shop called Grazie’s opened up a half-mile from my house. I made the ten-minute walk the second day it was open to sample the carmelized onion and goat cheese pizza. I really dug the way the shop embraced the Italy concept. Everything was in red, green and white, from the menu to the Grazie’s sign. They had a pizza oven, but also quite a few pastas, salads and sandwiches available. Grazie’s also has a small bar area with Italian wines and beer to sip. Seating options were a bit limited – a few tables inside and outside. I ordered my pizza to-go and it came quickly and was delicious. (Though not quite as good as my top three – Decent, Rummy’s and Riccardo’s.) There are a few cons, too. It can get smoky inside on a busy night, and the busier it gets the longer the wait. I went back a few nights later and ordered a different pizza. It wasn’t quite as good, which I chalked up to busy, distracted pizza boys on a Friday night. Try stopping by Grazie’s on a weeknight and definitely eat outside. It’s pretty kid-friendly, with a “bambinos” menu.

Address: 3196 Merchant’s Row Boulevard

Day 219: Geek out on science at the Mag Lab’s Open House

Science geek or not, you shouldn’t miss the once-a-year opportunity to peek inside one of Tallahassee’s most prized assets: the Magnet “Mag” Lab. The formal name is the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University. The 370,000-square-foot magnet research complex is at Innovation Park, home to other research-oriented businesses. The lab brings in researchers and visitors from all over the world because of the size and complexity of its magnets. For instance,the lab’s most powerful magnet produces fields more than a million times stronger than the Earth’s magnetic field. The open house, held once a year, attracts thousands of visitors and is free. I went with my Lil’ Sis who has said many times she wants to be a scientist when she grows up. There are dozens of demonstrations on different scientific principles, from biology to chemistry to geology. Think of it like as a long buffet of cool science tricks. Though it is aimed at kids, I was also kept entertained by some of the demonstrations, too. We saw a “comet” being made, a colorful display on ocean currents, pet animals brought in by the Tallahassee Museum, colorful chemical reactions, and what had to be my Lil’ Sis’s favorite, a demonstration of how silly putty is made, which she got to take home with her. My only advice is to get there early because the more popular booths get crowded.

Address: 1800 E. Paul Dirac Drive

Day 217: Paint pottery at Firefly

I don’t have much artistic talent, but I can get into the whole paint-your-own-pottery experience. I was excited to find Firefly Pottery in Market Square recently and took my Lil’ Sis because I thought she would enjoy doing something artsy. Your first task is to select a piece of unpainted pottery. They have practical items, such as plates and bowls, and more decorative items, such as horses and frogs. I went with a bowl and Lil’ Sis got a horse. You pick colors next and if you ask, the Firefly girls will show you little tricks with the paint brushes and other tools they have lying around. I must stress that there is zero expectation that you know anything about art or painting. But it’s still fun, even if what you painted was probably what Picasso could do at age two. The Firefly girls will give you as much or as little help as you want. It’s a pretty kid-friendly place, with a kids’ playroom off to the side, and a summer camp, but they also have adult and couple nights and can accommodate large groups. The prices were pretty reasonable –  I paid about $35 for the both of us. You can bring your own snacks and drinks as well. After you’re done painting you pay and leave your contact information to pick up the pottery about a week later, after it has been fired in a kiln.

Address: 1415 Timberlane Road

Day 216: Tour Tallahassee’s Christmas lights

To continue this recent theme of Christmas-related posts, I give you: Christmas lights tour! Each year the Tallahassee Democrat compiles a list of homes that have particularly good light displays. I will warn you that this list is self-submitted so some of the homes are better than others. In addition, my neighborhood of SouthWood is known for its holiday light displays, such as this one bedazzled and patriotic house that has blinking lights timed to music and generates a long line of cars the closer it gets to Christmas. The house is so popular the owners had to bring in an off-duty police officer to direct traffic. This year my husband and I decided to tackle the Democrat’s list of light displays. We started with a few on the list and found them pretty impressive – yards overtaken with jolly red-suited Santas and reindeer and Frostys, roofs and doorways coated in twinkling lights. But there were way too many homes on the list to hit every one. Eventually we headed toward Killearn Estates, Killearn Acres, Summerbrooke and Ox Bottom and simply drove around without a list to guide us. We saw a fair number of decent light displays in these suburban ‘hoods. Fair warning that it is easy to get lost in the northeast side of town if you don’t live there. Thankfully my husband is pretty Tallahassee savvy. We packed a few holiday snacks to take along with us, making the light tour all the more festive. I will categorize this one as “free,” though you will definitely burn through gas if you do it right. (The house in the photo is on 7th Ave. in Midtown.)

Address: All over Tallahassee – look in the Democrat for more specifics.

Day 214: Cut down your own Christmas tree

After writing a story in 850 Business Magazine about tree farms in Northwest Florida, I vowed to try my hand at cutting down my own Christmas tree. Luckily, there is one tree farm in Havana, a 20-minute drive from Tallahassee. My husband and I arrived on a Saturday evening about an hour before the farm closed for the day. Turning onto the farm from Highway 27, we glimpsed row upon row of Christmas trees in all shapes and sizes, a veritable factory of Christmas trees. After parking near a red Christmas store, we were encouraged to grab a golf cart, handsaw, and a long pole for measuring. We then weaved our way through the trees in search of our perfect match. We bounced around the farm eyeing Leyland Cypress trees that ranged from two feet to eight feet before settling on a Scotch Pine Tree that had been newly trimmed. I left the sawing to my husband and was surprised that it only took a minute or two to completely cut. It costs $6.50 a foot and coupled with some “tree food” we paid $55. There is also a charming Christmas store that sells ornaments and other Christmas knick-knacks. Having gotten trees from shopping center drab parking lots before, I definitely think cutting your own tree adds a little something extra to the tree-buying experience.

Address: 2867 Highway 27, Havana, Florida. Open every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Christmas season.

Day 212: Crack open a stone crab at St. Mark’s

Every year in October, the small town of St. Marks hosts the Stone Crab Festival. We have noted St. Mark’s popularity before as a place to eat fresh seafood and gaze at the St. Mark’s River. The Stone Crab Festival puts on display the rustic atmosphere and country charm that you can pretty much almost always find at this tiny hamlet. Most definitely, it features all the typical North Florida festival wares – tents filled with candles, soaps, knick-knacks and FSU memorabilia. But it’s really great for some very entertaining people watching. We saw long-haired Harley riders, young moms toting babies on their hips, and some folks wearing fashions that I thought had disappeared 20 years ago. Guess we were wrong. No matter what, if you love seafood, this is the festival for you. Besides stone crab, you can get blue crab, boiled shrimp, oysters and more. It seemed that most people chose to purchase buckets or plates of stone crab, and to my surprise, they spent a good bit of time whacking at the crabs with blocks of wood to crack open the tough shell. The activities produced quite a cacophony: hammer-like bangs that sounded like a house under construction. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much more to see or do beyond the stone crab. Our travel time there and back from Tallahassee was longer than our stay. I think if you had kids to entertain, you might stay longer given that there were stands with cotton candy, sno cones and other kid-friendly entertainment, such as moon bounces.

Address: Downtown St. Mark’s

Day 210: Go pumpkin shopping at the Pumpkin Patch

A longtime Tallahassee tradition, each fall the yard of the Tallahassee Heights United Methodist Church is transformed into a pumpkin patch on steroids. Situated at the busy corner of Mahan and Capital Circle, the church takes advantage of this prime location to transform its lot every October into a pumpkin haven. There are pumpkins of all colors, shapes and sizes splayed out on the church’s grassy yard. Naturally, it is popular with families that have young children. Kids really delight in picking out a pumpkin to take home and carve or paint. The church has wisely set up several photo-worthy spots, the most popular being sitting on some bales of hay underneath the church’s sign surrounded by pumpkins. One of the neat things about this pumpkin patch is its anti-capitalist bent. The church does not provide any sales staff and relies upon the honor system for payment. You pay by size, so the bigger the pumpkin the more money you owe. I paid $10 for my tiny mini-pumpkin and medium-sized one that I brought home to carve. Don’t let October go by without a visit to the patch.

Address: Corner of Mahan and Capital Circle

Day 206: Eat the sweet potato pancakes at Canopy Road Cafe

At the suggestion of a reader of this blog, I ventured to Canopy Road Cafe for a Sunday brunch with my little sister. This simple cafe has two Tallahassee locations. I tried the Northeast location off Kerry Forest Parkway, tucked into a brown shopping center with a church and karate studio. The cafe is simply furnished and very kid-friendly. Canopy Road scored immediate points with me for the promise of “we serve breakfast all day.” The menu was a smorgasbord of breakfast delights, from regular pancakes to omelettes, waffles, french toast, and chicken fried steak. They are especially known for their sweet potato pancakes, which come dusted with pecans and cinnamon honey butter. The pancakes were very delicious indeed, with the sweet potato flavor adding a nice zest to the pancakes. The best part about the meal were the prices. Unlike other upscale brunch locales in town, our meal cost about $15, including the hot chocolates we ordered. They also serve sandwiches and salads, but if you ask me breakfast is where Canopy Road shines.

Address: 1913 North Monroe Street or 4500 Shannon Lakes Road

Day 199: Dip into Wakulla Springs

Wakulla Springs is one of those spots worth showing off to Tallahassee visitors, especially on a swampy summer day. Located a quick 30-minute drive south of Tallahassee, Wakulla Springs State Park offers cool (like freezing cold) waters and a sandy “beach.” Crowded on summer weekends, it is also a great spot to people watch. You get everyone from European tourists, to FSU students to locals. The state park costs $6 per car, a bargain by any measure. The area has a lot of history to it. It was originally owned by DuPont heir Edward Ball who wanted to turn it into a playground for the rich. There is a lodge near the springs that Ball built and it still houses guests, but it never quite reached the same prominence as the Flagler Hotel, for instance, in St. Augustine. But back to the springs. Bring a towel or chairs and definitely some sunscreen and a hat. Part of the beach and grass area is shaded, but some isn’t and the shaded parts go fast. The water is extremely cold (about 70 degrees), the kind where it’s best to dive in and get the pain over with right away. Because the water is so clear, it is great for snorkeling. The springs also have two docks and a platform diving area. I also had fund watching a manatee glide by us nearby. You can also get a river tour nearby on glass-bottomed boats. Wakulla Springs is the type of place you can bring your friends or the entire family.

Address: 465 Wakulla Park Drive, Wakulla Springs, Florida 32327

Day 192: Watch a musical at Young Actor’s Theatre

Searching for a new a new way to entertain my little sister, I decided to try the Young Actor’s Theatre’s production of the musical Hairspray. The Young Actor’s Theatre is where anyone under the age of 18 goes to act or sing in a professional environment. The only difference between YAT and a professional theater company are the age and experience level of the actors. Hairspray was perfect to take my little sister to. At age 8, she could grasp the basic story line while some of hte “adult” jokes were over her head. Her eyes lit up when she first saw the brightly lit stage and colorful 1960s-era costumes. The production was pretty entertaining for adults, too. I was impressed at the level of young acting and singing talent that a town the size of Tallahassee has to offer. Our tickets were $32 for two of us, which I suppose is a bargain for theater, but seemed a little high to me. My only advice is to get there early. There isn’t a lot of parking and if you get there right before the show, you will be forced to park a long walk away.

Address: 609 Glenview Drive