Things to Do in Spring Hill

The Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce's Family Food Festival spotlights tasty local cuisine amid a spirited, family-friendly outdoor bash that helps support local food pantry The Well. Between bites of samples from area eateries such as Samboli's Pizzeria and Whisker's Catfish Restaurant, attendees can exercise thumbs at an arcade station and traverse an inflatable obstacle course, racing for glory against fellow guests or balloons twisted into cheetah shapes. To ensure safety, all children's activities are held under professional supervision.

Housed inside Bleachers Sports Grill, Fairways Indoor Golf's TruGolf simulators lure in club swingers year-round to play more than 80 courses regardless of real-world weather conditions. The simulator accurately re-creates famous haunts such as St. Andrews and Pebble Beach. As players launch tiny orbs toward the projector screen, the computer re-creates weather conditions, monitors club speed, and tracks balls on their virtual flights. Additionally, the system breaks down stats to help golfers to improve their game. The venue also plays host to events such as tournaments, and in between rounds players can call on Bleachers Sports Grill's kitchen for burgers and other classic grill fare.

When Franklin On Foot founder and guide Margie Thessin discusses the Civil War’s impact on Franklin, she shuns dry textbook summaries. Instead, she gathers groups before historic homes and battle sites, and she explains, “The war happened here. The people who lived here– this war was their 9/11. This was their Pearl Harbor.” Suddenly, she sees sets of eyes light up, as minds make the leap from musty tomes and texts to the people who lived¬—and fought and died—where they now stand 150 years ago.

To make history relevant, Ms. Thessin humanizes it, honing in on the famous and lesser-known people who shaped Franklin and the struggles they faced to do so. In that spirit, she seeks out guides who are not only passionate about history but possess a natural knack for storytelling.

In keeping with her commitment to orchestrate vivid tours, Ms. Thessin conducts them by bike or on foot. “You get so much from a place by walking it instead of looking out a window of a bus—you may as well fly at 32,000 feet,” she says. Small groups of sightseers stroll or if preferred, Charleston across the downtown area or expand their tour’s scope by cruising on one of Franklin On Foot’s 24-speed Fuji bikes.