The folks of Florence have managed to accomplish what Disney tries to do, but without charging you a fee to do  it. When you walk Main Street, it’s not a theme park, or a pay-per-view, but the real deal—old fashioned Main Street America alive and well. Downtown Florence is a heartwarming trip down memory lane, back to a time where roomy family cars plied the streets, the corner clock tower bonged the time every hour, and folks stopped to visit on the street as they went about their business or headed down to the soda fountain for a hand-scooped milk shake or a lemon coke.

You can still get the milk shake. The friendly folks are still out on the streets, and you can still find just about anything you want behind the well-preserved and cared for glass-fronted shops. Except now, much of the wares for sale are classified as antique.  Same stuff, but collectible where once it was new and fascinatingly technologically advanced. Take the wooden ice-cream churn or the Maytag wringer washer (now filled with collectible buttons instead of grandma’s undies). The operators of both appliances never needed to go to the gym! How about a Kodak Brownie camera (no memory chips needed) or a clutch of lovable Raggedy Ann dolls (which will never go out of style). For your entry hall, take home an ornate brass-gonged grandfather clock. For your next dinner party, splurge on some gorgeous wafer-thin china, heavy lead crystal stem ware and crisp Irish linens. And that’s just for the ladies. Men love the western memorabilia, old coins, holsters and antique guns, straight razors, collectible badges and cowboy gear. And everybody goes for the old photos—pictures of the past that make you long for a simpler time.

Not all of the art is old, though; some of it is so new you can still smell turpentine. Sagebrush Gallery and Studio presents “art of the open range,” luminous, action-packed original paintings of the cowboy life by Rudl Mergelman augmented by sculpture, pottery, signature coffees and hand-made western hats. Bobinac Studio and Gallery brings the flavor of Santa Fe to Florence. Owner Colleen Bobinac’s colorful paintings are a symphony of New Mexico sunsets and rich desert hues. Just up Main Street, past the Rialto Theater (currently undergoing restoration) Blue Spruce Gallery and Antiques combines the best of both. Twenty-four outstanding artists, working in a variety of media, co-op their work there, and the gallery hosts many community functions.

Comfort shopping (from collectibles to collectible furniture to showcase them) and comfort food (like colorful, uniquely flavored popcorn, fruit-filled scones, yummy, homemade meals from soup to dessert) — you’ll find it all here on the streets of downtown Florence. And, while you’re leisurely looking, shop owners and restaurateurs will be on the streets, too, stopping to visit, or maybe to plan a special community event.

Do Forence in a day or make it an overnight stay. Make your home away from home  the  Florence Rose, 1305 W. 3rd St,  elegantly furnished with Victorian antiques and on a one-acre park-like setting. Offers a sumptuous breakfast too, and an outdoor hot tub.

There’s something about Florence... the people, their dedication to the old downtown, their pride in preserving it, the oh-so-attractive and genuinely warm welcome displayed to one another and to those who come to visit.  Main Street America is alive and well in this charming town where you can still safely stroll the streets of an evening and feel comfortable talking with anyone you see there.

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