There aren’t many things I find more peaceful than a morning walk in woods dappled with sunlight and giant oak trees covered in ferns and Spanish moss. Paynes Prairie Preserve, bordering the southern edge of Gainesville, FL hosts a series of beautiful trails that lead visitors through woods and marshes alive with bird song. We’d hoped to catch sight of either the small heard of bison or the heritage cracker horses the preserve maintains, but no such luck. Instead we heard the persistent toc-toc-toc of Pileated woodpeckers and saw a number of Great blue herons (my favorite), Great egrets, Anhingas, Coots, Black-bellied whistling ducks, endless expanses of marsh and wet prairie, invasive apple snails, and the most emblematic predator in Florida, the American alligator.
The elevated walkway at the La Chua trailhead passes over a swampy area filled with baby alligators, lily pads and birds before ending at a stretch of dry ground bordering a lake that leads to an observation tower about a mile into the marsh. The water was too high for us to get anywhere near the tower, but we were thrilled to spot two adult gators sunning themselves near the walkway. As we approached the first one, it finished snacking on whatever was stuck in its jaw and crawled to a seemingly more comfortable spot in the swamp.
The day after our visit to Paynes Prairie, we drove to Ocala to kayak at Silver Springs. There is a large alligator population at these springs, so swimming is forbidden, but the water is exquisitely clear and the 5.2 mile stretch between the put-in and the shuttle back provide ample opportunity for relaxing and enjoying the abundant wildlife.
From the turtles lined up cabaret-style on logs to birds to gators resting in grassy islands, it seemed like every time we came near, the animals gave us a bit of a show. As we entered the main body of the river, we overheard a group of kayakers mention manatees so we turned upstream and not 20 yards in, we sighted one of the magnificent creatures swimming our way. Honey brought us in closer as I took some quick photos, thrilled at our good fortune. The water is unbelievably clear and seeing a manatee in action from such close proximity was a magical experience.
After our three nights in Ocala Horse Country, we drove west to the tiny town of Sopchoppy, FL. A friend from college lives in the area, and since we hadn’t seen each other in 15 years it was a nice opportunity to catch up and share quick summaries of the last decade and a half of our lives. I always have a hard time grasping the swiftness of time until I’m confronted with old friends. The changes we experience often seem so gradual, and sometimes so natural to us that we don’t always realize how much we’ve shifted in the intervening years, even though the quintessential elements that make us who we are remain instantly recognizable to those we’ve known along the way. It was lovely to reconnect, and with a reminder that our 15-year reunion is taking place this Fall, we may see each other again sooner than expected.
The part of the Florida panhandle that stretches roughly from Apalachee Bay past Cape San Blas to hurricane-ravaged Mexico Beach is a testament to an Old Florida that is quickly disappearing in other parts of the state. This 100 mile stretch of US-98W meanders through small fishing towns, groves of pine, and charming neighborhoods of houses sitting on stilts. It is peaceful and untainted by the type of mass tourism and high-rise development that has overtaken the rest of the northern Florida Gulf coast. It reminded me of my favorite tucked-away parts of Nantucket, or even some places in Barbados, far removed from the busyness and distractions of modern life, with divine views and nature all around. With three large rivers pouring their effluvium into the Gulf here, the water isn’t nearly as clear as the so-called Emerald Coast. It’s also a long drive from the interstate, which I hope will serve as a bit of a deterrent to development given the numerous for sale signs we saw as we drove through.
Like many travelers unconstrained by time, we’ve decided to avoid highways as much as possible on our trip. This usually means less mileage, but obviously longer driving times between destinations. With gas prices going through the roof, we’re learning what works for us and what doesn’t, especially in terms of our budget. One way to minimize our costs has been to book some of our stays through Boondockers Welcome (BW) and their partner organization, Harvest Hosts1 (HH). The combined network gives us access to a collection of homeowners, farms, breweries, wineries, and museums that are willing to host campers for free for 1-5 nights. BW lets you stay up to 5 nights, with a small fee determined by the homeowner if you hook up to their power and water, and the businesses on HH let you stay 1 night, with the expectation that you purchase a minimum of $20 from them. This could be a tour, a meal, a bottle of wine… Whatever they grow/create/provide. Many of the hosts also use the network to camp, so by using the network, you gain access to a group of generally friendly, helpful people with lots of suggestions for cool things to see and do in their area.
The other major camping resource that we use to lower our costs is iOverlander. This free app is open source, and relies on users maintaining and updating their massive list of free camp sites. Users check in, upload photos, and add their reviews and guidance for any given site so that other users know how to get there, what to expect, and what rules to follow at each location. The app is also a great resource for finding dump sites to empty black and grey water tanks, laundry facilities, wifi spots, fuel, propane, water, etc. The extensive list of filters and user feedback makes this an essential resource for anyone camping outside of the strict boundaries of established campsites. If you have other camping resources, apps, tips or websites that you use on road trips, please share in the comments. I’d love to hear any and all suggestions.
Love 💕
Full disclosure, if you use this referral link to sign up, you get 15% off of your membership, and I get $15.