I had heard so many great things about the Panhandle in general and I was really excited to visit all of the parks in that are. I had not spent any time in that part of the state so I was really looking forward to all of the new sights ahead of me.
The drive to Big Lagoon State Park was really cool because it was at the bottom of the top of the state. The road I took was inches from the Gulf of Mexico. At many points I was on the edge of the state on the last pieces of land before the Gulf, that was just too cool!
When I arrived at Big Lagoon I was directed to a nice big parking lot. I was not sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised to find a gigantic boardwalk that went winding through all of the lush landscape surrounding me. The boardwalk led me to a high observation tower, hanging out on the water. Each level provided an amazing view. There were birds everywhere I looked and the water was so still. It took me to a calming place while I stared into it for what felt like hours. From the top I could not hear a sound. I stayed up there, enjoying the silence, but I knew reality was waiting for me, so I made my way back down to the boardwalk. I loved each level on my way down, stopping, waiting for the next scene of nature to present itself.
As I found my way to the car I came across a couple of birds hanging out on the rails. It was pretty cool to be so close to wild animals but I was still a little too scared to stay in their company for too long. I did not want to press my luck!
Before you visit, make sure you check out the parks website for all of the up-to-date park information: https://www.floridastateparks.org/index.php/BigLagoon
