One Eyed Billy

If you're looking for something different to do outdoors, stop on by Myakka Stables just west of the Myakka State Park entrance on Clark Road. For $30, you will enjoy a relaxing horseback trek through sandy oak hammocks dappled with saw palmettos, zipping dragonflies and birdy chatter. Be sure to ask for One Eyed Billy.

Today I took the young man and my sister-in-law out for this favorite shared activity. (We left husband at home, who experienced a life-altering "almost" moment on a horse this summer in the mountains.) We feasted on the venture of our 1 hour trip all by ourselves--that's right people, there's no trail guide along for this one.

I was aboard Nugget, a no-nonsense sort of horse who had one mission in life: getting back to the stables. My sis-in-law was on a horse who often stood still and refused to move. And son D-Man was the rider of Billy, a one-eyed horse who still had quite a bit of "feisty" left in him, despite his old age. Although each of our equine carriers had very different paces and were stubborn as hell in terms of syncing with each other, we had a great trip. It's all part of the adventure.

If you can get past the sketchy appearance of the welcoming barn (with a fan that's melted downward like a dying flower and a ripped couch that looks like it's been recovered from a nuclear war), you're more than half way to a great mini-voyage into Florida nature.

Billy has probably seen a lot in his day, although he's not seeing anything out of that right socket anymore. Visit him and ask him to take you for the walk you've always dreamed of. He's waiting for you at the stables.