January 23, 2019

A Day Trip to Dooley Groves

Each year in January we try to make time to visit Dooley Groves to pick Honeybell oranges. January is usually cool and sunny in Florida and being outside in the middle or orange groves is a great way to spend a Saturday.

A peek down a row of honeybell orange trees

Pre picked honeybells for sale. They are crazy juicy!

Dooley Groves is located in Ruskin, Florida and is an easy afternoon trip from Tampa, the Gulf Coast beach areas (St Petersburg, Anna Maria Island, Sarasota, Venice and Englewood) and even Orlando if you are in town visiting Disney or Universal. The grove is open during citrus season – typically mid November through April.

Picking is done in a “tour” which is free and loosely involves a safety discussion, grabbing some baskets and heading for the part of the grove ready for picking. There’s no rush and when you’re happy with your haul you walk back on your own to weigh your fruit and check out.

Bring sunscreen! Florida winters are mild but dry! Not a cloud in the sky.

The grove also has a cute store where you can sample juice and citrus and shop for local orange blossom honey (we ALWAYS stock up on honey!) and the whole experience is easy easy easy.

Rows and rows of local pretty orange blossom honey

Boxes of Dooley Groves citrus ready to ship

Oranges are easy to reach – although my family always manages to spot THE PERFECT ORANGE just out of reach which always involves my youngest daughter getting on my husband’s shoulders to reach it!

There’s always one up so so high that we just have to have!

Bins of picked oranges ready for shipment north!

After picking as many oranges as you can eat for a month head to a local restaurant favorite – The Hot Tomato. THT has an amazing selection of sandwiches, soups, salads and interesting local things to try like empanadas and potato balls. My kids LOVE their sweet tea and I think their Cuban sandwich is the best I’ve ever had. If you’re visiting Florida make sure you try a Cuban sandwich somewhere before you leave. It’s definitely something my kids have grown up on showing up at potlucks, games and picnics. If you try one let me know what you think!