Small Town Best Kept Secrets

What makes a small town so great? The answer small towns hold some of the best kept secrets. No we are not talking a Soap Opera secret even though they are good for that too sometimes… :)

When I talk about best kept secrets I’m referring to the places you drive right by every day and say “That doesn’t look like much” when it actually is better than you ever could imagine. With that said we are going to start our journey in my little hometown of Hardee County. While we look dull and a little more than boring, we hold a few surprises up our sleeves. Right now we are in our summer months there may not be any huge events going on but we have some small ones that make up for the difference.This month we have two small events taking place but they have a huge statement behind them.

First will be our monthly Event “Friday Night Live” which is held on the third Friday of every month in our Historic Downtown Area and this month’s theme is a Tropical Island, where there will be lots of food, fun, and shopping for the entire family. Event: June 15^th, 2012 6pm to 9pm

Our second event while once again may seem small is quite a big deal to this little town. An Invitation only event to celebrate the “Cracker Trail Museum” 45^th Birthday on June 21^st, 2012 hosted by Mrs. Marlene Hyde the curator of the museum.

The Cracker Trail Museum was first opened on June 24^th, 1967 and was at that time called the “Pioneer Park Museum” and it displays over 4500 original artifacts from Hardee County’s past. For instance, the “Hart Cabin” built in 1879 and relocated to Pioneer Park in 1979 by Wendell Smith. The 1914 Baldwin Locomotive also can be seen outside the museum. However that’s just a couple of the cool things to see on the outside. Now how about on the inside, well there are tons of awesome things on the inside.An ancient canoe dug out by the Seminole Indians is on display. Military memorabilia is on display honoring Hardee County Soldiers. And let’s not forget the 11 foot alligator hide that hangs on display. Wow!

Therefore before you drive on by, come in and take a look and ask Mrs. Marlene for a tour I promise you won’t regret it, but don’t rush off there is still more to see after your tour is over at the museum head on over to the Pioneer Park Zoo where you can see some of the local animals and maybe an ostrich or two. You can also take a hike down some of the trails that follow along the Peace River where you can also get some fishing and canoeing in, enjoy a picnic with the kids under the covered tables and when they are finished eating head on over to the playground for some fun on the swings and slides.

As always please respect the park, wildlife, and people who make this all possible, and bring the family and enjoy the beauty of one of our best kept little secrets.