July 16, 2017
Miami is just an interesting environment all together. You have this crazy city with tons of traffic, buildings and people EVERYWHERE and then little pockets of paradise all around. I would have never imagined state parks being around there, let alone being as quiet and beautiful as they are! It took me a some time to get into Oleta River State Park but once I was in, it was a great experience. You can kayak all around the Oleta River, through the mangroves and also go into Biscayne Bay. People were all over the place; barbecuing, swimming, boating, on jet skis – it’s just a great place to spend the day. There was even a Mariachi band performing! I can see why there was such a long line to get in.
The drive to Bill Baggs was my favorite part of the day’s journey. I love Key Biscayne and I will be going back there to spend some days exploring. Bill Baggs Cape Florida is such a refreshing park. There are a couple of places to eat there or you can cook out and picnic too. The beachside is amazing and the lighthouse is super cool. You can tour it two times a day but get there early. I think they tour at 10 am & 1 pm. I arrived to the park about 5 pm, so no tour for me! This gives me a great reason to come back! I roamed the land as long as I could until a call came in from the campground, confirming my arrival before sunset. I still had close to a two-hour drive so I reluctantly headed out and continued on my journey south!
