Pat’s Wildways: Losing Old Florida

Another piece of Old Florida is disappearing this weekend: Chiappini’s Gulf Station in Melrose, Florida — not really a gas station at all, at least not for years. Thirty years ago, when I lived in Melrose while attending the University of Florida, I became friends with Robin and Mark Chiappini, the last owners of this bait and sundries business operated by their family for 91 years. If I wanted a cold beer, companionship, and the gossip around town, I just needed to stop there and become part of the action. The four barstools at the counter always seemed to have a place for me, and for the many years since, for Bucko and me every time we passed through going to and from Gainesville. We watched the Chiappinis hand out free fishing gear for underprivileged kids who happened by; we watched them front a case of beer to a patron for his Christmas party, after he had spent all his available money on gifts; we watched them greet everyone who entered with kindness and respect. Over the years, we felt like family. And now this place has been sold. This is its last weekend under the Chiappini’s jurisdiction, a bittersweet celebration with bands and food trucks and pretty much the whole town of Melrose sending them off. No one denies that Robin and Mark, well into their senior years, need to finally quit the 24/7 business they have been tied to their entire lives. But wow, will we miss them!

Bucko and I drove out to Melrose last weekend to say our personal goodbyes and to pay our respects to this long-enduring piece of Old Florida. Like most of our visits there, we first stop at Brown’s Farm Stand, a few miles up the road. This place too has been in one family for decades, growing and selling vegetables, flowers, and goodwill. Most of their produce comes from their field right beside their stand. And this time, unbelievably, is the first time I noticed the tree growing right through the center of the stand. No doubt in the 30 years I’ve been stopping there, this tree has grown massively. Although a few years ago Farmer Brown told me that its future was in question unless one of his sons takes an interest, but now, happily, his wife, Kathy Brown, has told me the situation has been resolved, and they plan to stick around. Great!

Bucko and I always stay at The Yearling Cabins on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday when their uniquely decorated restaurant is open and serving their specialties of gator, catfish, frog legs and other Southern backwoods specialties. Happily, this place is not ready to close yet either. The Yearling is right down the road from the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Historic Park, and a new area nearby has also now been preserved by the Alachua Land Trust, solidifying at least this small part of Old Florida. Our server at The Yearling told us to be sure to visit the Windsor Zucchini Festival the next day, always the second Saturday in May, right near Melrose. Sure!

So, Saturday morning, we left the cabin, explored more back roads, and discovered a large soon-to-open waterpark/campground, Margaritaville, along Orange Lake, another big resort where nature used to live. We ended up for lunch in nearby Micanopy at another Old Florida favorite, the Pearl Country Store and BBQ where we dined on the best brisket sandwich ever before heading to the Windsor Zucchini Festival. Windsor is only maybe 10 miles from Melrose. It’s an even smaller town with only a church and a volunteer fire station to mark it, and, although we drove down the only road, we did not see any festival. Surely we would have noticed one, right? I rechecked the Internet, and sure enough, the Windsor Zucchini Festival is always held on that particular Saturday at that fire department parking lot.

But there was no festival to be seen. When we got back to Chiappini’s again, for our final goodbye, the regulars there told us the news. The Windsor Zucchini Festival is no longer. The people running it for decades have aged out, and like the Chiappinis, they are on to new pastures. And another bit of Old Florida bites the dust.

Bucko and I had a final beer with Robin Chiappini and chatted with the old regulars, some of whom we have known for years. Although the business will temporarily keep its name, the historic aspects of it will be gone, and the new owners, the Patels, will no doubt put their own stamp on it. Before long, we predict that ideal corner of Melrose will be turned into a convenience store in the same model as Circle K or Kangaroo. And this corner of Old Florida we treasured for decades will be gone.

Pat Foster-Turley, Ph.D., is a zoologist on Amelia Island. She welcomes your nature questions and observations. Patandbucko@yahoo.com