Thank you for publishing the “Ways of Seeing” column on March 28 by Alice Leeds. We receive the Addy Indy in Florida as Addison County snowbirds. Her column title, “The coast of Florida has hidden gems,” forced me to read about my winter home. She led me north from the Tampa area of tourist blight into our Gulf Coast locally named the Nature Coast. This coast extends without break into the Florida panhandle until white sand beaches reappear with more tourist blight.
Many hundreds of miles of pristine rivers, springs, state parks, wildlife sanctuaries and biking trails extend Florida gem exploration. We winter in Citrus County where I guess Alice found our Homosassa wildlife center complete with manatees. There are many more opportunities for kayaking, boat rides, and even a white sand beach (manmade).
Citrus County has very few citrus trees left because of an earlier citrus disease. The county now has cattle ranches, round bales and scattered retirement communities. We have no dairy farms but do have a county fair much like Addison County Field Days. Go north on the Nature Coast for horse farms, dairy farms, and examples of the old Florida (see Marjorie Rawlings’ farm).
We found Citrus County 10  years ago by visiting Nancy’s mother. When telling my Addison neighbor of Citrus County his response included revealing the presence of 20 Addition County residents also wintering in Citrus County. We meet regularly for lunch during the winter. Plenty of room for more AC friends next winter.
David Spencer
New Haven