For some reason I felt like I had visited Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park when I was a kid but I may have just imagined I was there from watching The Yearling or Cross Creek. When I arrived nothing felt familiar. I parked my car and headed to the entrance, skipping with excitement. There was a self-guided tour map at the entrance so off I went exploring the grounds. I found out I missed the guided tour by 15 minutes, but they gave them every hour, so I challenged my ADD and waited for the 2 pm tour, and it was worth it!
While I was waiting for the guided tour of the house, I continued to walk around the property. I was just amazed at how one person’s home was kept so intact for others to experience. You could feel her presence there. It was like she was going to come out of the house & ask you how you were doing. I walked around the gardens, found a secret garden of orange groves, & sat on the porch of the Tenant House until it was time for my tour.
As I took the guided tour and listened to the stories about Marjorie, the way she lived her life, her accomplishments, her perspective, and her progressiveness, I could see why people would want to keep her home intact for others to see. Hearing Marjorie’s stories made me feel like we were kindred spirits. I became very intrigued by her and her lifestyle. The tour was great because her home was set with many of her own belongings, which was donated by her family.
Although I grew up watching the movies inspired by her life, I never read any of her books. The tour & being on her property made me want to read all if them. I feel like there was also a message being delivered to me… Follow Your Dreams & Passion! A theme that has followed me through these State Parking adventure so far.
Before you visit, make sure you check out the parks website for all of the up-to-date park information: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/marjorie-kinnan-rawlings-historic-state-park
