The historical significance of this small seaside town is huge. Known as “Old City”, it was founded in 1565, making it the first continually-occupied European city in the U.S., after many wars and attempts by Spanish, French, and British militia to gain control of the area from the Native Americans and each other. Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon discovered the famed Fountain of Youth here in 1513, and the Spanish and British proceeded to share control of the area for many years, with the 16^th-19^th century consisting of constant warfare. Construction of Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest remaining fort in the country, was begun by the Spanish in 1672 and has never been taken by force. The cannons are still active, and reenactments/demonstrations are scheduled regularly, so be sure to catch one while you are there – but be warned, it is loud!

In 1845, Florida was eventually established as an American state, with the city of St. Augustine surviving the revolutionary and civil wars, as did many of the old structures and buildings here, such as the City Gates, the lighthouse, a jail, schoolhouse, churches, houses, and cobblestone streets. More modern attractions in St. Augustine include a wax museum, pirate museum, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, San Sebastian Winery, the Bridge of Lions, the incredible Lightner Museum, quaint gift shops and pubs, adorable bed-and-breakfasts, ghost tours, water sports, as well as city tours by trolley, pedi-cab, horse carriage, or helicopter. What a fun, amazing small town full of such rich (and turbulent) history!

After enjoying the sights and history of St. Augustine for most of the day, on I went to this awesome state park located just across the Bridge of Lions, a beautiful drawbridge across the Matanzas River, and just minutes from the historic center of town. Anastasia State Park offers 1,600 acres of relative seclusion within walking/short driving distance from the ocean and Salt Run tidal marsh. As you can imagine, this park is an excellent spot for surfing, swimming, canoeing/kayaking, sail boarding, fishing, and has rentals available via Anastasia Watersports or you can bring your own gear. The park also provides 4 1/2 miles of a wide beach to walk, ride bicycles, soak up the sun, bird watch, or catch the sunrise, with several boardwalks and scenic overviews. Hiking, picnicking, and geo-caching are also popular activities here. A conveniently-located beachside store called Island Joe’s Beach Shop and Grill is stocked with beach/camping supplies and has free wi-fi, food, a picnic area, and restrooms. Also of interest, the quarry where much of the coquina rock used to build the fort is located near the entrance of the park, and although Nature has since “greened up” the area a bit, you can still envision the effort involved (mostly slave labor) in excavating and hauling so many enormous rocks several miles and across the river to the fort location.

The park’s 124 camp sites are all full-facility, quite private, well-spaced, and within close walking distance of modern bathrooms/showers/laundry and earshot of the ocean waves. The campground books up easily on weekends and holidays, so plan accordingly. Herons, egrets, wood storks, tortoises, and raccoons are commonly seen here, and the beaches and ocean are often visited by endangered nesting sea turtles and migrating right whales. All-in-all, this is an excellent park and a perfect place to unwind while taking in some of the best of Florida’s natural scenery and colorful history. Happy to spend a couple nights here under the stars, I definitely plan to visit this fun and fascinating area again soon.

A half-mile interpretive nature trail leads hikers to the remains of an old Timucuan Indian village known as Nocoroco. The Timucua thrived in this area of Florida for thousands of years until European diseases and warfare led to their extinction by 1800CE. The Nocoroco site has an interesting history, and much archaeological evidence has been gathered from the oyster middens and burial sites in the area dating back 5,000 years. An impressive 40’ monument was designed and built by folk artist Fred Dana Marsh to honor the mighty and fierce “Chief Tomokie”, a mythical Timucua leader and warrior, representing the spirit and legacy of these indigenous people. The park is also home to a museum named after the artist, featuring more paintings and sculptures by him as well as educational exhibits relating to the natural and cultural history of area. Unfortunately, the museum was closed for renovations when I was there, so I did not get not enjoy it during this visit…but hopefully, next time!

The campground offers 100 full-facility sites and has modern restrooms, showers, and laundry facilities, and a primitive youth camping area is available as well. I lucked out (ok I changed my spot haha) and got one of the few sites that has a short trail leading to the Halifax River, which led to other seldom-traveled trails along the river….what an amazing view, especially at sunrise and sunset, even though it’s not directly on the ocean. Be sure to check out the picnic/fishing area as it has some incredible scenery as well, much of it undisturbed and very private. Absolutely gorgeous. I even saw a shooting star! Overall I found Tomoka State Park to be everything I expected and more – spacious, private campsites, easy access to many outdoor activities, historical tributes, and very close to beach activities.

Named after native Floridian and folk singer Gamble Rogers, who lost his life trying to save a drowning swimmer at this beach in 1991, Gamble Rogers Memorial State Park is a small 145-acre park with lots to offer. Originally opened in 1961 as Flagler Beach State Recreation Area, the park is located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, allowing easy access for boaters, anglers, kayakers, canoeists, and bird watchers. Canoes and kayaks are available to rent by reservation only, or you can bring your own. There is also a ¾ mile nature trail through the hammock, a picnic area, and plenty of wildlife and bird watching opportunities. Herons, gulls, egrets, osprey, owls, woodpeckers, robins, cardinals, deer, dolphins, and manatees are commonly seen here.

The 34-site beach-side campground is just across the street, and many of the sites allow a gorgeous view of the ocean. All sites are full-facility, but rather small and close together. There are modern bathrooms and showers, a picnic pavilion, and a separate parking lot for public beach access. The fragile dune system and native plants are protected, so beach access is limited to the several wooden walkovers provided. There are no lifeguards on this beach; however, flags warn of dangers for beachgoers, and the day I was there they had the High Hazard and Dangerous Marine Life flags waving, so I was happy to stay on the beach and enjoy the sandpipers, seagulls, herons, and pelicans who never fail to put on a spectacular show. At night from May through September, endangered and threatened sea turtles make nests and lay their eggs on these beaches – usually these nests are marked and roped off with yellow tape – so please remember to never disturb a turtle or nest, and always dispose of litter properly, as human trash is a severe threat to many coastal species. The park offers ranger-guided beach hikes, full moon hikes, fishing classes, and educational classes about right whales and other endangered species as well. A small, convenient park to enjoy the beach and waterways while you are in the area, this campground stays booked most of the year, so if you’d like to stay, get your reservation in early. It’s a great way to “camp on the beach” and it’s worth it!

The park is also home to the fifth largest live oak tree in Florida, estimated to be about 300 years old,  which is 10’ in diameter, 83’ tall, and has a spread of 131’ so be sure to take the quick hike to check it out while you’re there. The 40-spot campground is full facility and has modern bathrooms/showers and laundry facilities. Campers can enjoy a ½ mile hiking trail, amphitheater, playground, picnic area, and pavilion all within easy walking distance. There is a geocache within park boundaries and several nearby as well for those who may be interested. An intense game of SWAT Team was being played by several YMCA boys and girls while I was there, complete with walkie-talkies, water pistols/rifles, camouflage gear, and bicycles. FUN! Very entertaining to observe…and they assured me that they did indeed get the bad guys! Shew! Overall this is a fun, laid-back little park for a quick camping trip.

After exploring the National Seashore and Wildlife Refuge, I decided to camp at nearby Jetty Park at Port Canaveral, which offers excellent ocean views, swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, biking, wildlife-viewing , cruise-ship
watching, and incredible sunrises (sunsets too!). The park has a general store,
snack bar, bait shop, playground, picnic area, sand volleyball, horseshoe pits,
and modern bathrooms/showers and laundry facilities. The 150-spot campground is well-maintained and ranges from primitive to full hook-up sites. Unfortunately, there are no more launches to be seen from this park at this time, but I would have loved to have camped here during one of them! This is a friendly, laid-back place that manages to mix nature with technology and that’s just fine with me!

The 80-spot campground has full facilities and modern bathrooms/showers, and most sites are shaded and within walking distance of the 30-acre lake where equipment rentals are available, although swimming is prohibited. Due to gators, maybe? Regardless, it is a gorgeous lake with plenty of scenery and wildlife to enjoy, or take a picnic lunch, hike or bike around, etc. A lively, entertaining flock of geese seem to call the lake home, and there is no shortage of other critters nearby and on the trails as well. This park is well-loved by the locals, and for good reason. Even though it’s only 2 miles off of I-77, you’ll never know it when you’re there…definitely worth checking out on your travels through the area. I’m so glad I did!

The 30-spot full-facility campground has modern, well-maintained bathrooms and showers, and there is a 100-spot primitive youth campground as well. Hikers can enjoy two half-mile loop nature trails, or venture out to the large picnic/recreation area, and stop for some scenic wildlife-watching on one of the wooden docks along the river. This place is just full of wild “critter” activity! Water birds of all types, otters, birds of prey, snakes, woodpeckers, rabbits, deer,
and wild turkeys are abundant. I even saw a family of wild pigs. Awesome! The
ranger on duty told me that people fly in from Europe eager to spend their
first night here. This is definitely a park to keep in mind if you are looking
to “get back to nature” in the north/central part of Florida.

Wildlife such as deer, coyotes, rabbits, tortoises, snakes, owls, woodpeckers, ospreys, herons (and of course lots of mosquitoes and no-see-ums haha) call this “home” so be sure to bring your camera as well as your insect repellent if you visit the park in the summertime! Voted one of America’s Top 100 Family Campgrounds, Lake Louisa State Park is definitely worth a visit, for the scenery, wildlife, and just plain peace and quiet, whether you camp overnight or not. Oh and one of the lakes is called Hook Lake so that makes it even better heehee….

Another popular daytime destination about a mile down the road is Wekiwa Island/Marina, which is not technically part of the state park but links to it via the Wekiwa River and roadways. Enjoy the sun, live music, relax with a drink in one of the many cabanas, or adventure out in your canoe or kayak for the day (rentals are available here too).

I had a blast at both parks! Hiked some trails, had a huge deer gallop onto the trail in front of me, rescued a baby gopher tortoise from sure death on the entrance road, “launched” an inflatable dinghy from Wekiwa Island, and of course enjoyed the amazing natural spring there as well as all the abundant wildlife in the area. Folks, this place is popular with locals for a reason!

But be warned…if you visit here on a Sunday and would like a couple beers, you’ll have to get them in the county north of here, only a few miles away, since this county is dry on Sundays….who knew!? Just be sure to hide them from the park ranger because alcohol is not allowed in the park (ssshh!). A lovely park worth chilling at if you want a quick stop as you’re passing through the area.