Citrus coastal towns are so cool

A memory from years past:

My sister was visiting. I decided to take her to Peck’s Old Port Cove, at the end of Ozello Trail, for dinner.

We were about three-quarters through the twists and turns, raw Mother Nature on both sides of the road. Rosemary had been quiet for several minutes.

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Then she said: “This is a joke, right? There’s really nothing out here.”

I only grinned as, around the next curve, there sat Peck’s on the right.

Ozello. One of a kind.

I’m thinking this week about Citrus County’s coastal towns. We have the coolest coastal towns. I’m crazy about ‘em.

Chassahowitzka, Homosassa, Ozello, Crystal River, and twin cousins on the other side of the Withlacoochee, Inglis/Yankeetown, have diverse personalities, quirks, and raw intimate beauty to call their own.

Right now folks in those communities are digging out from another hurricane. This one with a storm surge worse than ever before, impacting thousands of our neighbors in ways the rest of us can't imagine.

I’ve spent the week driving through these communities. I see a tremendous spirit of gratitude, cooperation and determination. Folks are doing what they need to do.

It takes a hearty soul to live on the coast. Beautiful, sure, but look what the weather brings in.

So a shoutout today to our coastal towns:

— Chassahowitzka is a rustic, quiet, old neighborhood. You don’t hear much from Chaz, and they’d probably prefer it that way. That said, the folks here are fiercely defensive of the Chassahowitzka River. Mess with it and invite a world of hurt.

— Homosassa. My, oh my, what I could say about Homosassa. I’ll stick to the stuff that’s survived the statute of limitations.

You know that marketing slogan, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas?” Had to originate in Homosassa. I was in Citrus County for about 15 minutes when someone pulled me aside and suggested I might want to spend some time in Old Homosassa.

So I did. And, boy, what a fun place it is. That’s the word that comes to mind for Homosassa: Fun. I’ve had so much fun in Homosassa. Great festivals. Great bars/restaurants. Really, really, REALLY fun people. 

And a tight community. They don’t always get along with one another in Homosassa, but that place will unite in a crisis like no other.

Every coastal county wished it had a Homosassa.

— Ozello is unique. I’ve never seen any place like it. Just a long, scraggly string of a road that's an adventure from one end to the other. Ozello residents are among the most vocal anti-growth group in the county. They do NOT want another vehicle on that road.

I keep close watch on this place. And bless ‘em, Just Wright Citrus has many loyal friends in Ozello despite me not taking their side in the glampground zoning case.

I’ve said it before and I’m sticking to it: Ozello deserves special care.

— Crystal River, the granddaddy of them all. Remember when Crystal River was a sleepy tourist destination? A few manatee tours here and there in the winter, scallop season in the summer, and that pretty much covered it.

The city then bought Three Sisters Springs, and the rest is history. A lot of people are worried that Crystal River is turning into the Sarasota of Citrus County. Meaning, it’s getting too expensive to live and play there.

Don’t know about that. I do know that Crystal River is thriving. It is bustling. It is led by an enthusiastic mayor in Joe Meek, and it’s easy to see this is a city on the rise.

And, boy, does this place have great family activities downtown and along the bay. It’s always a good time in Crystal River.

— Inglis/Yankeetown. Hey, it’s Follow That Dream Parkway. What else you wanna know?

Our coastal communities are taking it on the chin right now. Guess what? They’ll rinse out from Hurricane Helene and return to life stronger than before.

That’s just the way they’re built.

Have a great weekend, friends.

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