7 Citrus Hills Themed New Year's Resolutions for 2019

Whether you’re ready for it or not, 2019 has arrived, and we are all planning for it to be the best year ever here at the Villages of Citrus Hills.  

And if you have not yet committed to picking a resolution for the new year, we have put together a few Citrus Hills themed suggestions that will help you get more out of your fabulous life here along Florida's Nature Coast.  

Attend More Social Events 

Spending more time with friends and neighbors is one of the most popular New Year's Resolutions here at the Villages of Citrus Hills, but we suggest taking that idea one step farther and committing to attending more of our regular social events throughout the year.  

There are dozens of fun and exciting events happening every month around the community and making a point to attend as many of them as possible is a great way to fill up your social calendar while spending quality time with friends and neighbors.

Dinners with Friends 

In addition to attending the many social events happening around our community throughout the month, you can also spend more time with friends and neighbors by planning a regular dinner at Skyview Restaurant, The Grille, or the Tiki Bar.  

This can be an extra special resolution if you can get a group of friends to all commit to meeting for dinner on a specific day each month.  

Join a Class at PrimoVita 

Another popular resolution is to work on getting yourself into better shape, and there are tons of fun options to help you out with that in the form of exercise classes at the PrimoVita Fitness Center.  

Whether you are looking for beginner Pilates or advanced yoga, there is a class that is perfect for everybody who is looking to improve their fitness in 2019.  

Hit the Range More Often 

If improving your golf game is high on your list for the coming year, a great New Year's resolution that you can make is to put a priority on getting yourself to the Skyview Driving Range more frequently.  

Like most resolutions, this one will be more powerful if you attach real numbers to it, so pick a specific number of times you want to hit the range each week or month and hold yourself to it.

 Read Good Books at the Pool 

Reading more books is also a popular resolution, and the pools throughout the Villages of Citrus Hills are perfect places to kick back with a good one.  

The Coffee Shop is another popular spot to catch up with your reading or a friend. 

Pick Up a New Hobby 

If you would like to bring a new hobby into your life this year, there are quite a few excellent clubs to choose from that meet regularly all over the Villages of Citrus Hills.  

We have everything from Bocce to Wood Carving, and all you have to do is call up the club leader for more information. 

Plan a Trip 

For members who are looking to add a little more excitement to their lives in 2019, we recommend checking out some of the exciting trips that the Citrus Hills Vacationers Club has planned for the coming year.  

And if you can't find anything there that excites you, there are dozens of day and weekend trips that we have profiled on the blog over the years.  

You can't put it off any longer. 2019 has arrived, and just like 2018 it will fly by before you know it. Make sure you get the most out of the new year by making a resolution to take advantage of all that there is to see and do here at the Villages of Citrus Hills!

Nature Coast Recommended Reading

If you are an avid reader, you will be thrilled to discover that there are a number of fiction and non-fiction books that have been published about Florida’s Nature Coast over the years

It’s no secret that the areas surrounding the Villages of Citrus Hills has a way of commanding the attention of various artists, and authors have been no exception.

Here are some of the interesting history, tour guide, and fiction books that cover the Nature Coast that current and prospective residents of the Villages of Citrus Hills might want to check out. 

Cedar Key, Florida:  A History by Kevin McCarthy

The history of Cedar Key, Florida is a fascinating story, and author Kevin McCarthy presents that history in a well-researched manner that keeps the reader engaged while still hitting on all of the facts about Cedar Key.  This tiny island community has seen and survived plenty over the years, and McCarthy does a great job of capturing exactly what makes “Old Florida” and the Nature Coast so popular.

Disaster at Dawn:  The Cedar Keys Hurricane of 1896 by Alvin Oickle

If you like the historical perspective presented in McCarthy’s book, this is an excellent follow-up read that takes a closer look at one particular event in Cedar Key’s history.  In 1896 there was a hurricane that leveled everything on the island and killed dozens of people.  Oickle chronicles the devastating impact of that hurricane and how it forever changed the way we would experience Cedar Key.

 

 Levy County (Images of America) by Carolyn Cohens

A picture is worth a thousand words.  This is another great book that shows the history of Levy County through pictures.  The pages are packed with great photos of Cedar Key, Chiefland’s Train Depot Museum, the Suwannee Valley Theater, the Watermelon Festival, the Christmas Parade of Lights and the Williston Peanut Festival.  Touching on all the history that makes Levy County such a fascinating place.

A Naturalist’s Guide to Cedar Key, Florida by Harriet Smith

With this book, author Harriet Smith takes on the role of travel guide as she profiles 19 different self-guided walks and boat trips that she recommends taking to explore the areas surrounding Cedar Key.  She includes plenty of detailed information about the different types of wildlife and foliage you will find on each of these trips.

Backroads and Byways of Florida by Zain Deane

This is a really interesting book that profiles 12 different day trips and weekend excursions that you could take through less-traveled areas of Florida.  No matter what type of excursion you are looking for, this book promises to deliver on memorable trips to must-see Florida attractions that are often overlooked by tourists and even locals.

Cedar Key:  A Jack Shaw Adventure by James West

If fiction reading is your preference, this is a great place to start!  This book tells the story of Jack Shaw, a jaded personal injury lawyer turned private investigator who finds himself wrapped up in a wild plot to instigate war in the Middle East.  There is a large portion of the book that is set in Cedar Key.

Shadow Over Cedar Key by Ann Turner Cook

This mystery novel features Brandy O’Bannon, a Florida reporter who is investigating the disappearance of a mother and daughter during Hurricane Agnes.  Parts of the story include a private detective who placed a classified ad asking the woman to come forward and the possibility that her skeleton was found in the basement of a Cedar Key hotel.

While these particular books are all currently available on Amazon, a quick trip to on the of local libraries will allow you to find many more books on the Nature Coast that are not as widely available.