Okeechobee Scenic Drive
At 730 square miles, Lake Okeechobee is the second-largest freshwater lake in America. Encircled by five counties (Okeechobee, Martin, Palm Beach, Hendry, and Glades), a protective levee, and bordered by quiet, two-lane roads, a Lake Okeechobee scenic drive day trip that begins and ends on the north shore takes you to seldom-seen communities and a glimpse of the era known as Old Florida.
It’s a tour that’s easy to navigate, enjoyable to photograph, and remarkably pleasing in its simplicity. For travelers searching for a unique off-the-beaten-path excursion, a circle tour of the ‘Big O’ delivers. Having just completed a literal “round trip,” here’s one way to approach the drive, starting in the pleasant town of…
Okeechobee
The junction of the self-proclaimed “Crossroads of South Florida” is found at highways 441 and 70, and a quick tour of the commercial district reveals something familiar and comforting about this town of 5,600. A kind of Mayberry feeling. There’s Flagler Park where a tank, helicopter, torpedo, and WWII-era 40mm gun are on display and, bordering the park, a long row of independent businesses: bookstores, boutiques, appliance shops, furniture stores, and restaurants.
As they have since the 1950s, locals gather at Gladys’ Restaurant for home-cooked meals, shoppers find farm fresh fruits, vegetables, and fresh-squeezed orange juice at Ferrell’s Produce Market, and leading up to events at the Okeechobee Cattleman’s Association and Rodeo Arena, there’s always a rush at Eli’s Western Wear.
Murals reflecting Okeechobee’s history are found throughout town, and on your way south to the lake detour a few blocks to 610 S.W. 2nd Avenue. In 1996, artist John Gutcher created a larger-than-life mural (roughly half a football field long) celebrating the heritage of Seminoles and settlers.
