Still Camping!

Although I have not posted to this blog in quite a while, we are still enjoying camping! I also saw this blog is still getting page views every month, so I have decided to leave it up, in hopes that others will find the information below useful. I don't think the state parks change very much!

5x7 Folded Card

Bold Wishes Blue Birthday Card

Shutterfly custom Valentines Day and Mother's Day cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

19. Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve - December 19, 2009

Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve is much like the park Tom currently works at, Atlantic Ridge. Except, because it is a park in its own right, there is no entrance fee. Based on my experience, there is no entrance fee to a preserve if it is not managed by another park. The next best thing about this park is it is only about 15 minutes away from Collier-Seminole, so you might as well ride out there.

The main entrance to the park has an 11 mile trail that goes through some of the flatland. Tom did not want to go very far on this, as it is rather bumpy and he was worried about his trailer. What was cool about this park is a pull-off right next to a Seminole Indian tribe (yes, they were selling dreamcatchers and any other indian gift you would want. No, they do not give tours of their village). The pull-off is called Big Cypress trail and it leads back to an oasis for the animals. We saw alligators, many types of birds, and it was beautiful. It was a little lake they had all to themselves (besides us gawking at the boardwalk).

Something unique about this park we were not able to see were the rare orchids. According to the guide book we picked up, there are several types of rare orchids in the park -- orchid enthusiasts from all over the world come and visit. The trails to hike to them are very difficult, and you have to know what you are looking for. We decided that adventure was not for us.

Til next time,

The camping bug

18. Collier-Seminole State Park - December 18, 2009

I can tell you right now the #1 reason to visit this park - Royal Palm trees. Not the kind that line the side of the road in Miami, no. Those are a sham compared to these trees. These trees are so tall you can barely see them if you strain your neck as far back as it will go. So tall, if you standing right next to one, all of the other trees will shroud it unless you look closely. Their pom frons (leaves?) are long and flowing. This park is one of the only remaining natural Royal Palm hammocks in the United States. Many have recently been knocked down by hurricanes and other storms, leaving only a few survivors.

Other than that, there is not much to say about the park. We were there in the winter, making it a nice temperature. In the summer, it is probably terribly hot and full of mosquitos. They do have the only remaining dredge from the digging of the Tamiami Trail -- which, when it was built at the turn of the century, it was a marvel. To forge a road across the Everglades seemed impossible. The men who made this pioneering trail through Florida had long hours, no bathrooms, and were away from their families for months at a time. Often, they would be up to their knees in mud from th swampy Everglades. Could you imagine us doing something like that today?

They do have two separate campgrounds -- one for RVs and one for tents. Thankfully, we were allowed to stay in the tent one, which had much better shrubbery. It would, however, be a great place for an RV group to go, as there are many campsites all next to each other.

Til next time,

The camping bug

Canaveral National Seashore - November 28th and 29th, 2009

On our second visit to Canaveral National Seashore, we decided to take a stab at the beach camping. It is primitive, and the person on the phone told us it would be a two mile hike. No worries however, we were prepared. Our friend Daniel brought along both of his backpacking bags, excited to try out his new one. Tom and I also borrowed his backpacking tent, preparing for the long hike.

We started on our journey at about 2 p.m., me being a little apprehensive because I too was carrying a backpack, albeit smaller than Tom and Daniel's. Was I going to make the entire hike? Was I going to poop out and have to pass my backpack to one of the boys to finish carrying it? Well, I was never able to find the answer to these questions. It turns out the hike is so short you can still see the boardwalk from where you camp. So short, in fact, that rather than go to the bathroom in the wilderness, I chose to walk back to the trailer where we signed in. Not that I am complaining, but they could have told us the truth. If we would have known, we would have wheeled our coolers and our giant tent out there. Come to think of it, maybe that is what they are trying to prevent.

The best part of this adventure was the peacefulness. Only 30 people are allowed on the beach per day, and they must obtain a permit. There is only one other campsite, and it is quite a distance from ours. We spent the evening walking the deserted beach and sitting beside our campfire in the sand. We fell asleep to the waves crashing against the shore and woke up to a beautiful sunset on the beach. Talk about a great trip. The camping fee is only $10 a night for up to six people. You can reserve only two weeks in advance -- which is nice for us late planners. However, beach camping is only open from Nov. 1 - mid-April, because of sea turtle nesting.

This is an experience I recommend, particularly if you like the beach.

Til next time,

The camping bug

17. Natural Bridge Battlefield - November 9, 2009

Just across the way from Wakulla Springs is another small park (the smallest one we have been to yet) that is a battlefield from the Civil War. The state park system appears to only own a few acres here, so there is not much to do. Never fear though, there are picnic tables so we made sure to utilize them. If you are coming from Wakulla, one street past the turn off for Natural Bridge there is a Subway. Perfect picnicing food. There is an entrance fee of $3, but it is a drop box and I have a feeling people do not always contribute.

So, needless to say we really went here to fulfill our mission, not really thinking we would find anything enjoyable about this park. However, come to find out, this was a very interesting battle site during the Civil War, and it even tied to the last place we visited, San Marcos de Apalache (see blog post below). You see, Tallahassee was the only Confederate capital to not fall during the Civil War. Never really having the story explained to me, I did not give it much thought; honestly, I thought the Union was not interested in Tallahassee, and that is why it did not fall.

However, come to find out, a group of Confederates were stationed at San Marcos de Apalache, guarding the only way Union troops could get to Tallahassee by boat. The Union held a blockade so no supplies could get through either river (the St. Marks or the Wakulla) but the Confederates held strong. So, the Union decided to attack the fort by land, hoping an attack from both sides would cause the fort to fall. Well, the Confederates got wind of this and sent a messenger running to Tallahassee. Now, mind you, all of the able-bodied men from the age of 16 to 60 had already been sent off to fight in Atlanta or somewhere else. But, when the messenger reached Tallahassee, the men there knew something had to be done to protect their city.

So, the young boys and the old men gathered up what guns and ammo they could and went to defend Tallahassee. They met the Union soldiers about 15 minutes (by car) outside the fort -- a 20 minute drive from Tallahassee in today's standards. They met at a spot that was naturally raised in the middle -- a natural bridge. There, the standoff took place, with the Union soliders eventually backing down - Tallahassee was saved! To the right is a list of those who died in battle or from their injuries - as you can see the Confederate list is much shorter than the Union list.

This little plot of land may not seem like much, but it is one more relic of the Old South, just like Scarlett O'Hara dreams about. There is a battle reanactment once a year, and I would love to try and get up and see it sometime. If you have time, I would suggest stopping by here. A great place to teach children a little about Florida history.

Til next time,

The camping bug

16. San Marcos Apalache Historic State Park - November 9th, 2009

Like Wakulla Springs, this park is about 30 minutes outside of Tallahassee, Florida. If you are visiting Wakulla, it is worth the drive as it is only about 10 minutes away. The fort is a $2 donation to look at the exhibits, to walk around the grounds and see the ruins of the fort is free. This spot is also where the St. Marks and Wakulla rivers meet, making it an extremely desirable plot of land when boat travel was the only way to travel.

When you first walk into the museum, there are different pieces of ceramic, coins, etc., that have been found on excavations throughout the years. In the second room, there are interpretive displays that show the lifetime of the fort. The plot of land the fort sits on was first used in 1528 when Spanish explorers, impressed by the meeting of the rivers, built and launched the first ships of the New World. The original fort was built in 1679, but there are no remains because it was completly made of wood. Construction on a stone fort was started by the Spanish, but due to a land change after the war, the English received control of the fort -- it was the first of many times the fort would change hands. The picture is of what the fort looked like during its use.

The fort went back and forth between the Spanish and the English for many years, finally being captured by General (and future President) Andrew Jackson, because the Americans in Georgia were constantly being attacked by Indians and wanted to protect themselves. Florida was then ceceded to the United States in 1821. One final conflict happened on the site, during the Civil War when the fort was occupied by the Confederates. The Union had been blockading the meeting of the rivers, stopping the supply of goods to Tallahassee. However, they were not able to get past the fort to seize Tallahassee. Union soldiers attempted to attack the fort from behind, in hopes to have it surrounded and force out the Confederates. However, the Union forces never made it that far, because of the Battle at Natural Bridge. Please see the above post for a description of what went on there. The picture is of the meeting of the headwaters, a place full of conflict for many centuries.

The museum did provide a pamphlet with a walking tour to look at all the different sites. There is a memorial and small graveyard as well. Many park staff were on site that day, because a hurricane was suppose to come through the next day. The picture I thought was interesting to show what happens to state parks when a hurricane comes through. As you can see, the picnic tables are tied to the tree.

Til next time,

The camping bug