Yard Art

Occasionally it gets cold here in Florida, too. On those days we choose to go grocery shopping. However, there is only so much food one needs so we have to think of other things to do or see to pass the time.

When we went to the National Navy SEAL Museum a week or so ago we passed by what looked like an interesting outdoor art collection market.  It looked huge, bigger than anything we have ever seen. An eye-catching place with a life size buffalo sculpture out in the front.  We noticed it on the return trip, but it was late in the evening and the place was already closed for the day.

Yesterday, being a bit more chilly but sunny, we thought we drive back to that kind of artsy place we had seen to have a closer look.  I am always interested in yard art to beautify our garden and here in Ocala I had been to the “Moon Tide Garden Escapes” who sell beautiful garden ornaments.  They are located at 5581 S Pine Ave., but although I very much liked many of their creations, they were too pricy for me.

So yesterday morning off we went to see this other yard art place. We both remembered vaguely having seen the art displays on State Road 40 on our right hand side close to an intersection on the return trip, but we were not sure exactly how far away it had been.  We followed SR 40 into the famous Ocala Forest and kept on driving.  The SR40 is a beautiful scenic road but after each bend and mile after mile we thought that surely we must be almost there.  When we passed the Fire Lookout Tower on our right neither one of us could remember having seen it coming home last week, but it was dark then. 

We drove 10 miles further and another 10 miles and I thought we are like the “Energizer Bunny” that keeps on going and going indefinitely.  When we crossed over the St. John River I was ready for a coffee, but Benno was hopeful we would be almost there or we would end up at Ormond Beach.

Finally, we saw what we were coming for. Yes, I couldn’t believe it, but we had driven close the 50 miles to get here!  You couldn’t miss the place either, because some of the aluminum animal statuaries are HUGE that are lined up outside the fence.  There, close to the intersection of US-17 and SR-40 in Barberville, is Florida’s Largest Outdoor Unique Hand Made Yard Art Emporium.  Just picture two acres full of thousands of authentic, one of a kind Mexican Talavera pottery, figurines, lamp posts, fountains, wrought iron trellises, windmills, planters, teak wood furniture and carvings, local chainsaw wooden art and so many other souvenirs.  In addition they were selling local pure raw honey, boiled and roasted peanuts and fresh Indian River fruit.

We were overwhelmed to say the least.  It’s a place worthwhile to come back to and I couldn’t possibly have taken pictures of all the things on display. Here are a few…

If you ever come to this area, put this must see place onto your bucket list. The address is:  Barberville Roadside Yard Art Emporium, 140 West State Road 40, Pierson, FL 32180