Florida Caverns State Park

 

Growing up a super-nerd I have always thought that caves were awesome.  When I first learned that there were caves in the state of Florida I knew I had to go and check them out! Florida Caverns State Park in Marianna was no disappointment!  There is a half-mile trail carved out through the cave and it takes about 50 minutes to go on a tour lead by a park ranger.  There is an additional $8 charge per adult for access to the cave. 

 

The decent into the cave!

 

 

Pictured above is the one part of the cave that you are allowed to touch.

 

 

Although we neglected to take any photos, the state park has a fantastic camping area! They have stables available for equestrian campers as well as a fantastic network of trails for horse and human alike! The beautiful Chipola River is nearby and there private canoe and kayak rental companies who are happy to rent you a boat or provide transportation services. 

Paddling on the Chipola River

 

The Chipola River located outside of Marianna is an amazing paddling experience.  Being unfamiliar with the North Western part of the state, we only recently heard about this paddle. The 51 mile  Chipola River Paddling Trail offers many unique qualities- large limestone bluffs, caves and RAPIDS!

 

We enlisted the help of Chipola River Outfitters for transportation and equipment rentals.  The couple that owned the company were very knowledgeable and helpful.  The informed us that in the summer the river is a popular spot for people on tubes and rafts as well as kayaks.

Scott was a bit concerned about his homemade kayak getting damages by the limestone rocks.  There were many segments, especially at the rapids, where it was difficult to avoid scrapes from the limestone.  If you have a nice boat you may wish to rent something instead in order to better enjoy your experience.

 

We set out on a particularly chilly December morning. We were fortunate to have escaped the rain!

 

Jack checking out a rope swing

Camping on Lake Seminole

 

 

This Christmas we took advantage of some time off of work to have a mini-road trip adventure to check out a part of the state that we had little experience with.  Our first night we camped on Lake Seminole at Three Rivers State Park.  The lake was absolutely gorgeous and the campsites were wonderful. There was a ranger station at the campground which sold some food items and basic supplies including firewood.  There was plenty of space between the campsites and the on site restrooms were clean and featured showers.  Temperatures the night we camped were in the low 20's and we were very grateful that the bathrooms were heated!

 



At about 4:30am we we woke to the sounds of motors as many boaters were zipping their way across the lake. We were a bit puzzled as to why there would be so much boat traffic at such an early hour.  At dawn we got our answer as gunfire filled the air! Apparently December is duck hunting season and Lake Seminole is a very popular spot!

Paynes Prairie Part II

These photos were taken on our second visit to Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. This time we ventured onto the La Chua trail in hope of spotting the bison that make the prairie their home.  Dogs are NOT allowed on this trial due to the possibility of conflicts with snakes, alligators, horses or bison.  While we were not fortunate to find any bison along the trail, we saw close to 50 alligators!

 

 

 

This guy had no intention of moving out of the trail!

 

 

 

This big guy ended up being the reason we turned around! He was quite active and VERY big!

 

Blowing Rocks Preserve

 

Nestled between Martin (Hobe Sound) and Palm Beach (Jupiter) lies the treasure that is Blowing Rocks Preserve.  The beach is lined with rock formations that lead to dramatic bursts of water as the incoming waves reach the shore.  We happened to visit Blowing Rocks while Hurricane Sandy was making her way up the East Coast.  The photos below captured one of the more dramatic water shows that the Preserve has performed!

 

As  you would imagine- I got quite soaked!

Kayaking on the Matanzas River

 

Today we took advantage of the perfect Florida fall weather and took Elvis for a paddle on "the pink pig."  We launched our kayak from the public park located near the Matanzas inlet.  There is a strong current in this area so be prepared to paddle! 

 

 

Elvis in front of Fort Matanzas

 

North of Rattlesnake island there are many pleasant beaches to stop and enjoy! Despite the perfect weather we were the only people enjoying these little islands!