How Have We Never Visited Solomon’s Castle?!

I’m an 80’s kid, so road trips and roadside attractions are core memories. Yet, somehow, we never visited Solomon’s Castle, in spite of growing up only a couple of hours north.

While staying for a couple of weeks at Thousand Trails Peace River, one of the anchor parks in Florida, we decided it was time to plan a trip to someplace new, and to revisit an old favorite, the Wildlife Refuge, that finally reopened after the hurricane a couple years ago.

Checking the website for Solomon’s Castle, we found out their operating days and hours, that they are cash or check only, that they have a restaurant and don’t allow cameras. With that knowledge, we set out.

We opted to get the bundle tickets for the guided tour of the castle to learn about Mr. Solomon the artist, and tour the gallery and his home, being entertained with all the stories about him. With no cameras allowed, we were able to really enjoy the stories and art work, and boy were there a LOT of both!

After the castle, we decided to grab lunch in their restaurant on property, a boat in the moat! They have lots of menu items and both indoor and outdoor seating options.

From there, we jumped on a golf cart to go visit the garages and see his collection of antique cars and other artwork created.

They do have a gift shop of both art and novelties on the back side of the restaurant, and it’s also where you’ll go to grab tickets.

If you visit, plan for plenty of time for your visit to explore, stroll, sit on the bench and pet the cat that loves to greet everyone, or chat with the Solomon family that still owns and runs the property. Our tour guide was also an RVer and they were workcamping for the season, and some of the other people we met had been friends with Mr. Solomon or known him for years and had personal stories they shared during the tour. It really made it a special trip.

On another day, we took an hour to visit Pioneer Park, just over the bridge and across the street, to explore the Hardee County Wildlife Refuge. With a boardwalk under a canopy of trees, you get to see lots of animals, many of them playful and entertaining for the visitors. Check out more about them in last week’s blog about the Wildlife Refuge here.

This quiet area captures natural Florida and is one we enjoy visiting regularly, as well. The campground has several hiking trails on property, the river runs along the back and you can search for shark’s teeth, paddle, or fish, as well as all the other campground amenities like a pool, mini golf, shuffleboard, and the pickleball court Luther ended up playing at every morning with some people he met.

If you’re not a Thousand Trails member, but are interested, use our referral sign up, linked here, and we will get your information to Sharon and Warren Lewis, our specialists, to help you find a membership that works for your budget and camping style!

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