July 16, 2017
I started another journey to South Florida to visit all of the parks I missed my first time down. Although Okeechobee Battlefield was not actually on the way, I knew this trip was going to be my only chance to see it before my year was up. The road to get to the park was long and I will say, I felt disappointed when I arrived. I went through a neighborhood to arrive at a field. I wandered around for minutes, read the plaque and hit the road to head to Miami. I wish I was more of a history buff but I am not and this park was completely lost on me.
I do believe that water must calm my soul because The Barnacle Historic State Park was an oasis tucked away in a busy city. You should plan to spend the day in that area and explore the shops and town because you will have to pay for public parking so you might as well plan to see all of the sights. Once I started walking through the incredible entrance to the park, I forgot that I was in the bustling town of Coconut Grove. There is a wonderful house that you can tour, and the grounds have an impressive view of the Biscayne Bay. For some reason I decided to not take the tour and it is one of the only regrets I have in my State Parking Journey. I just stood on the porch envisioning all of the fun that could be had with picnics and family gatherings. It is sad to know it is one of the last of the Miami hammocks, according to the booklet.
