Happy Travel Tuesday Y'all!!
I am working on posting some of our recent Flo adventures, but today I am sharing a little day-cation that took place right in our our backyard!
It was my soon-to-be-sis-in-law's birthday a few weekends back and, as a surprise, my bro-in-law planned a horseback riding adventure for the 4 of us. Well, I myself and not typically too fond of horses! They are cute to look at and pet, but riding them has never gone well for me. I had never could get the hang of controlling them and having that much "horsepower" out of my control FREAKS ME OUT! So needless to say, I was a little skeptical about how I would ultimately like this little journey.
Maybe its that whole, "low expectations is the key to life" theory, but I LOVED IT!! It was by far my favorite horseback riding experience to date!
*Post Update: Groupon currently has some great deals for Forever Florida. From the Thrill Pack- for the zipline experience- to the horseback riding adventure, there are currently some great rates if you book through Groupon.
Forever Florida is this great ranch out in St. Cloud, Florida, which works to preserve some of Florida's natural beauty and history in cattle ranching. They sit on almost 5,000 acres of unspoiled land and our horseback trek took us deep into the heart of it! We were crossing streams, sometimes as deep as the horses rear-end, and exploring the beauty of natural Florida! Our trail ride lasted almost 2 hours and I loved every minute of it.
Our amazing guide Gabby (I mean seriously, does she not just make you feel like you are an actual cowboy?!) was so helpful and gave me great tips on how to keep my horse in check! But the best thing was, the horses there are so well trained that I didn't even feel like I had to work very hard! My sweet little guy just knew what to do! Gabby also kept us entertained on the trail with stories about Florida's ranching history, as well as the history of Forever Florida itself. I definitely learned some fun facts on our ride!
Other Options at Forever Florida:
There are so many fun outdoor adventures to choose from at Forever Florida! There is a specific part of the ranch dedicated to ziplining! Even cooler? They have a zip line roller coaster!! We actually did the zip line adventure package a few years back and it was AWESOME! The coaster is so fun! You can also do zipline racers and jump off a building the same way stunt people do! A huge, and well-worth it, thrill!!
Gabby was also telling us about the horseback overnight, which she said serves the best cowboy steak you will ever eat for dinner, along with a killer breakfast in the morning. We haven't tried that, but it may have to go on the list! You can also take part in cattle roundups during certain parts of the year or be a cowboy for a day!
Forever Florida is also a working cattle ranch and sells beef both to the public, but also in the restaurant they have right there on the ranch. That way, when you are done with a long morning of horseback riding, you can refuel before conquering the ziplines! They are often offering discounts for booking two things in one day.
Where We Ate:
We decided not to eat at the restaurant and instead headed back into St. Cloud to hit up this BBQ place (you know we love us some BBQ) we had seen on the way there. Meat n Fire BBQ was amazing! A sweet little place where you order at the counter and they bring the food out to you. They have daily specials and I opted for Friday's option of the chopped pork, which came with one side and a drink for about $6.50. Can't beat that; especially considering how delicious is was!! It would definitely me my lunch vote if you head out for a Forever Florida adventure!
And that was our happy little Florida adventure for this month!
Where have you been adventuring too?!
Any local spots that you love near your hometown?
