Bok Towers was always one of those places that I meant to visit one day. Yet, every time I found myself traveling on I-4, I always came up with an excuse as to why I should skip this unusual, yet relatively local, destination.
One day, I finally ran out of excuses. The promise of botanical gardens, historical grounds and a live carrion concert seemed like the perfect date.
Vegan Lunch at Bok Towers
My date with Chrissy began at The Blue Palmetto Cafe, which is on site at Bok Towers. They offer only one vegan option, vegan Cobb salad, making the decision easy for us. For $11 you can enjoy their mix of artisan mixed greens, chick peas, cucumbers, carrots, heirloom cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, vegan bacon, avocado, and vegan green goddess dressing.
The salad was large, full of color and tasted fabulous! It was the perfect way to start our afternoon of walking through the beautiful Bok Towers’ grounds.
Bok Towers Trails
The $15 entrance fee includes free roam of the beautiful gardens, the 3.5 mile Pine Ridge Preserve hiking trail, discovering the historical buildings and if you time your visit right, a carrion concert.
A tour of the Pinewood Estate is included in the entrance fee. Due to concerns surrounding Covid, we were unable to explore the 20-room Spanish-style mansion built in the 1930’s. But, it was quite impressive even from the outside.
Carrion Concert
After exploring the various beautiful gardens separated by a myriad of walkways, we purposefully arrived at the bell tower before 3pm for the carrion concert. My excitement grew when I saw the performer unlock the bell tower. I lay with Chrissy on the luscious grass and looked up at the beautiful blue sky. The music began from its lofty position and soured through the air. Because our visit coincided with Christmas season, we listened to holiday favorites under the leafy green canopy above us. The breeze was warm and comforting as we lay in each others arms. With all my senses engaged, I felt happy.
The concert lasted about half an hour. Well-deserved applause ensued when the performer appeared again at the door at the base of the tower.
We stopped at The Shop at Bok store on our way out. They had standard souvenirs, some artisan pieces and a garden section, where we bought several tiny fruit trees. What a great date!
Vegan Vixen Ventures 