Local Tourism

There are advantages to my boyfriend and I having flexible jobs.  Luckily enough, I was able to switch shifts and get caught up on orders to get a few days for some local camping.  I did some research on location, activities and availability and was able to put together the itinerary below.  

Day one: Finish housework and other miscellaneous chores.  Pack the bags and the truck.  Drive two hours north to Fort Clinch State Park.  This would include taking the scenic route along A1A (conveniently close to our house), crossing a river on the Mayport Ferry, grabbing a disappointingly bland dinner in Fernandina Beach, and set up camp.  We were thrilled to find the campground and bathroom facilities were immaculate.  I've never been to such a well-maintained natural area- not to mention the incredibly friendly staff.  It was beautiful and I highly encourage everyone to take a trip there at some point.  I know we will be visiting regularly from now on.  Please enjoy the pictures:

Our adventure-mobile on the ferry amongst Heeps & bikes

Day two:  Wake up with the birds, then head over to explore the historic Fort Clinch.  Spend the morning learning about the history of the fort and surrounding natural areas.  Lunch on homemade salsa, honey mangoes, strawberries and water.

Looking in on the courtyard at Fort Clinch

Old cedar bunk beds and dusty brick walls

These straw-filled beds make me grateful for my pillow-top mattress

Many corridors to explore

A mix of large bricks (older) and small bricks (newer) make up these cavernous roofs

Heavy artillery that- according to documents posted in the general's quarters- can fire up to 3 miles away

Day two afternoon: Hike four miles in the state park- including the Magnolia trail.  Learn about the flora and fauna along the way.  Every so often there are plaques with information on them along the way with some insight into the local wildlife.  Learn about air plants, fungus, magnolia trees, sparkleberries and more!  There is also a good chance of turtle and alligator sightings! (see pics below)

 

Colorful pink and green fungus

Alligator sighting!  I wish I had a better camera.  There was actually a baby gator too, but my phone doesn't have optical zoom  :(

Turtle!

 After our hike, we decided on some much needed rest and relaxation on the beach.  Never being able to sit still for more than 45 minutes, I decided to take some pics of stuff I have been working on in the studio lately.  Then we went back to camp and watched a brilliant sunset over the river.

New Spectrum Necklace!

Rings available soon on www.sailorsomen.etsy.com!

Sunset

Some of the best times are around a campfire

 Day three:  Unfortunately, a shift at work became available that I could not turn down, so we woke up at 5:30am and drove the hour south to work.  Afterwards, we drove a mere 30 minutes to our 2nd camp location of the trip- Little Talbot Island State Park.  It was a great little location with no giant RVs to block the view of lush tropical native vegetation.  We learned of a four mile hike through the dunes and along the beach while registering at the ranger station, so we suited up and grabbed our cameras and a water bottle.

Alex doing some crescent palm surfing

Evidence of motion of the ocean

Great giant driftwood littered the beach

Day four: We slept in and woke up naturally with the increasing energy of the day.  After lounging around the ashes from the previous night's campfire, we took a walk to the beach then started for home.   

On the way, we stopped at Atlantic Beach, ate a delicious lunch and walked around for a few minutes. One particular store caught my eye: Unique Boutique.  There were many vintage treasures to look through in such a tiny store.  We spent about an hour looking around and came across an antique bench for a great price.  We learned the bench was part of the original collection in the Villa Zorayda Museum, from Saint Augustine, FL (only a few blocks from our house)!  It ended up coming home with us :)

Overall, it was a relaxing mini-vacation rich in local history, nature, and campfires.  The time away helped to recharge our batteries and get a fresh perspective on what's around us.  We made a pact to get away (locally) at least once a month.  I'm excited to make this happen.