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 anywhere in Miami, let alone being as...

My visit to the Ochlockonee River brief but nice. I wandered around a bit by the waters edge ogling at Mother Nature. I was amazed by how low the water was. I wasn't sure if that part of the state was in a drought or if that was just how the parks looked at that time...

Natural Bridge is the site of the 2nd largest Civil War battle in Florida & they have a beautiful monument there to commemorate the solders that won. The park is not large but it was very pretty. As soon as I got out of the car, I had a calming come over me....

I was super excited to visit Myakka River State Park for many reasons. I heard it was so beautiful, lots of wildlife, & a really neat canopy walk in the trees. I started my adventure in the little museum at the entrance & then followed the road over to the...

Manatee Springs State Park was very unique because it had a extremely long boardwalk, 800 feet, that led to the spring. I say it was unique because the spring was not the highlight of the park to me, the walk to it was. Because I am not a skilled hiker, the idea of...

The road to get to the park was long and I will say, I felt disappointed when I arrived at Okeechobee Battlefield. I thought I was lost, at first, as I drove through a neighborhood but then I arrived at the field. I wandered around for minutes, read the plaque and hit...

I felt flutters of joy when I pulled into O’Leno State Park. It was by far the highlight of my day, even before stepping out of my car. I let the park lead the way & it took me to all the places I needed to see. The 1st thing I came across was a suspension bridge,...

Mound Key is located in the middle of the water & the only way to get there is by a water vessel. This is something I learned the hard way when my GPS tried to turn my car into a boat. Once I realized what the journey entailed, I made an action plan. My friend...

When we arrived at Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park, I was not sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Although the ravine was close to dried up, the beauty of what was ‘under the water’ was a sight to see. My favorite was a tree that...

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...

My car was packed full and I was ready to go well before most people are even thinking about waking up on a weekday, let alone on a Saturday! It was Memorial Day Weekend and I learned a few years back that people LOVE to go to the springs on a holiday. Anywhere with...

As I followed the directions of the GPS, I was surprised to see where they ended. It’s very interesting to me how some of the state parks are preserved for acres and some are just these small spots with housing developments and high traffic roads surrounding them. The...