Florida Tour - Every Part of Florida

Florida Tour - June, 2009

Andrew enjoys a swim in the shallows of Bahia Honda.

A gull flies along the Gulf Cost of Bahia Honda Key.

Statistics:

Dates: June, 2009, for 10 days.

Areas Explored: South-central Alabama, the Panhandle, Northwest Florida, Tampa Bay, Everglades, the Florida Keys, Florida's Atlantic Coast, Savannah, South Carolina, Pisgah Mountains, & CIncinnatti

Transportation: 2000 LeSabre

Wild Animals: armadillo, biting midge, various lizards, key deer, manatee, sand mice, gar, alligators, countless types of birds, crickets, crabs, tortoises, vultures, sponge, fire ants, rat cheese, racoons

Cast: Scott, Jessica, Andrew

Trip Notes: Day 1: Drove from Chicago to Niceville, FL, overnight and camped in Rocky Bayou SP. Day 2: Enjoyed the Emerald Coast and drove as far as where we camped that night at St. George Island SP. Day 3: Drove through the Forgotten Coast and through the woods past St. Mark's. After a dip in the Suwanee and dinner in St. Pete Beach, we stayed overnight in Punta Gorda. Day 4: Drove through the Everglades along the Tamiami and reached Bahia Honda Key, where we camped that night. Day 5: After hunting for deer on Big Pine Key continued to the beaches in Key West. Day 6: Spent morning in Key West and then continued up Keys, through Biscayne, stormy Miami, and then overnighted in Fort Pierce. Day 7: Explored the Canaveral Coast for most of the day and then camped at Anastasia SP. Day 8: Made a lot of miles, stopping only in St. Augustine, Savannah, and for put stops in South Carolina. We stayed in Spartanburg. Day 9: Drove along the Blue Ridge Highway to the Smokies and then continued north to Lexington. Day 10: Spent the day in Lexington, Cincinnati, and Indana, on the way home.

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Our route along the Florida Coasts.

The beautiful Gulf sunset at Bahia Honda Key.

Days 1, 2, & 3: From Chicago and through the Panhandle and Gulf Coast.

Click below to see 360 view!

Swim the Manatee Springs of the Suwanee River.

Details coming soon.

We set up camp at spacious Rocky Bayou State Park. Andrew was a careful student.
The campground admission also paid for access to Henderson Beach five miles to the south. The planes from Eglin Air Force Base were practicing above.
We were shocked to find a big armadillo pushing around through the palm fronds outside our tent.
Rocky Bayou is part of the Choctawachee Bay of the Gulf of Mexico and is near Niceville.
On the other side of the bayou was the location for the shooting of the movie FROGS. Since we hate this mvoie we had to stop at Eden Gardens SP.
After driving through Panama City, we settled on the so-called "Forgotten Coast" at St. George barrier island.
On the way into town to find food, I ran over a handful of these crabs that seemed to be constantly crossing the road on St. George Island.
When we arrived at our campsite, the rangers were spraying for mosquitos. This nearby swamp was probably the breeding ground.
Jessica woke up early to get a shot of the sun rising over the Gulf of Mexico at St. George's beach.
St. George was covered in alrge dunes of white, powder sand. Stronger duens were anchored by grasses and trees.
Our campsite at St. George Island was a mosquito haven. Jessica and I spent a lot of time in the car.
The beach and campsite was also home to these cute, little sand mice.
I did not mention how hot it was. Nearly 100 degrees in the day, we bought a portable fan to no avail.
The sand bottomed glen on St. George Island.
We ate lunch on the banks of the St. Marks River where it meets the busy Wakulla River.
An old fort, San Marco de Apalachee, stands here. It is where Andrew Jackson set off a series of events that led to Florida's entry into the U.S.
The forests along the road were peppered with palms and draped in Spanish moss.
After driving through Perry, we came to the Suwanee River, made famous by Stephen Foster's song.
In 100 degree heat, we were happy to find that the water of Manatee Springs was about 60 degrees. The refreshment drew a crowd of locals.
The Manatee Springs feed into the Suwanee River. Here is a cypress stand in the spring floods.
Andrew falling asleep while eating French fries.
We watched the uncomparable sunset at St. Pete Beach. Last year, when I was there alone for work, I missed my boy. This time he was with me.
The sun sets over St. Pete Beach. We ate Cuban food as soon as it went down and then drove into the night.
We stopped for some AC and showers and laundry to clean sweaty clothes in Punta Gorda.

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We set up camp at spacious Rocky Bayou State Park. Andrew was a careful student.