OLD FLORIDA TOWNS ON SR-70       

State Road 70 stretches from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean.

It's a great drive through Old Florida.  You will see millions of acres of cattle land and citrus groves.  It's the country Patrick Smith wrote about in "A Land Remembered".

Florida State Road 70 from Coast to Coast

Enjoy stopping at these Old Florida towns as you make the trip from coast to coast.  I've arranged them as if you are starting on the Gulf of Mexico side of Florida and driving east to the Atlantic Ocean.

You will go through Bradenton, Myakka City, Pine Level, Arcadia, Lake Placid, Okeechobee, and Fort Pierce with a lot of cattle country on both sides of the road.

BRADENTON is the access point for more than 20 miles of fantastic Florida beaches on the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay.  Click on photo for more information about Bradenton.

Vintage Postcard, Hotel Dixie Grande, Bradenton, Florida

MYAKKA CITY is an old tiny settlement that was a trading center for farmers and grove owners along the Myakka River.  Today it is home for the famous Hermanns' Royal Lipizzan Stallions. Temporarily closed October 1, 2023. 

Lipizzan Stallion near Myakka City, Florida

PINE LEVEL is a ghost town today but more than a century ago, it was like a wild west town.  The town had a courthouse, jail, saloons, churches, stores, and many homes.  There were many gunfights on the streets.  There is not much left except for the Pine Level Methodist Church.

Pine Level Methodist Church

ARCADIA is where you will see real cowboys.  It's in the heart of cattle country but also raises lots of watermelons and citrus. Click on photo for more information about Arcadia.

Arcadia, Florida Early 1900s

LAKE PLACID is the home of the Annual Caladium Festival and is noted for its large collection of murals painted on its downtown buildings.   Click on photo for more information about Lake Placid.

Downtown Lake Placid, Florida

OKEECHOBEE is on the northern shore of Florida's largest lake and is noted for its catfish and perch fishing industry. Tourism and cattle are also important to the local economy.   Click on photo for more information about Okeechobee.

Mural in Downtown Okeechobee, Florida

FORT PIERCE is on the Indian River Lagoon just behind the Atlantic Ocean barrier island.  It is an old city that has revitalized itself in recent years.   Click on photo for more information about Fort Pierce.

Vintage Postcard, Fort Pierce Marina and Downtown