Yulee Sugar Mill - Brooksville, Fl

 

The day that Duane and I ventured out to the Chinsegut Preserve and Homosassa Springs we took a little detour to check out the Yulee Sugar Mill.  Where once an impressive sugar plantations stood today is just a few ruins, however the knowledge of the past is still present. If you are ever in this area of town this makes a nice stop off to walk around and check out.

To get directions or find out more information on the site - check out this link - https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Yulee-Sugar-Mill

Homosassa Springs State Park - Homosassa, Fl

 

I decided awhile ago that I wanted to visit all of the state parks in Florida and I had heard that the Homosassa Springs State Park was unlike all of the other state parks as it actually had animals on display.  After a day of looking at other places in the area Chinsegut Hill and the Yulee Sugar Mill we decided it was time.  Only 5 minutes from the old sugar mill we arrived at the parking area for the state park.  The parking is free and to the left of the street is a tram that will take you free of charge over to the Visitor Center.  The right side of the road is the entrance.  Upon entering there is a gift shop and café to explore.  The prices for the exhibit is very reasonable $13 for adults and $5.00 children 6-12.  Once you pay you walk through the doors and the adventure begins.  The good thing is that it is laid out in a circle so you can begin to the right and not miss anything.  They also have a boat ride that you can ride for free that tells about the area and the animals.  It runs from open to an hour before closing.

 

 

Upon entering the loop you start off with some animals that we don't often get to see that close up

 

 

This Nile hippo was enjoying some of the nice sunshine and beautiful weather

 

The American Alligators were hanging out across the path

 

And so begins the wildlife walk.  Most of the animals here are being rehabilitated and are unable to survive in the wild. 

 

The Red Wolf was very active

 

compared to the Florida Fox

 

The screech owl

 

The Barn owl

 

Bald eagles - I can't even believe how close we were to these beautiful and majestic creatures

 

There were many different species of birds when you walk through the bird wildlife walk

 

The Florida black bear

 

The Florida Panther - he was having a blast with a ball in his cage

 

The Florida Bobcat was on high alert

 

they were in the process of building a surrounded warm area for the manatees

 

one of the main attractions of this state park back in the day was the fact that it was one of the first places you could walk under the water and see the wildlife in its natural state

 

to find out more information - hours - directions - please click here - http://www.floridastateparks.org/homosassasprings/

Hontoon Island State Park - Deland, FL

 

For the past couple of years I have been exploring the different state parks around the state of Florida and one really popped out as something different - Hontoon Island State Park.  Why does is stand out? Well because it is the only state park in Florida that you have to take a boat or ferry to get to.

This past weekend Duane and I decided that it was time to explore this island and see what it has to offer.  It took us approximately an hour to get to the park from our house as we decided to take the more scenic route and stay away from the highway.

Upon taking our turn to get to the road for the park we noticed a nice little restaurant on the water and decided to eat before we started hiking. Shady Oaks is a small little restaurant that can be accessed by land or by water using their docks.  The food was very tasty and extremely reasonable.

After lunch we meandered the rest of the way up the back road and finally arrived at our destination.  This park has no entry fee and you will put up directly to the parking lot.  There is an area to stand and that attracts the attention of the ferry guide.  The ferry runs anytime anyone is standing on either bank.  It is an electric, solar driven ferry and the guide tells you a little history of the area.

Upon arriving at the island you are greeted by a concession area, information desk and museum that explains the flora, fauna and history of the island.  There are picnic tables that are setup along the perimeter of the area so that you can enjoy a meal under the shade close to the St. Johns River.  There are a few playground items for the kids to run and play on.

Hontoon State Park is very rich with evidence of the Native American culture that lived in the area.  A lot of the trails were very muddy as this has been an extremely rainy season, so we stayed in the more open, cleared areas.  We will be going back in March when it is more dry to explore the entire island.

You can stay on the island exploring anytime from 8am to one hour before sunset.

To find more about the state park - directions, hours, information - click here - http://www.floridastateparks.org/hontoonisland/

After coming back across the island we decided to see what else was around the area.  A little further down is the Hontoon Island Marina and Resort.  Here you can catch the Blue Heron River Tour - it is a 2 hour tour down the St. Johns River - They leave at 10am and 1pm each day - see website for more information or directions- http://blueheronrivertours.com/Tours.aspx

Want to get away a little and have a mini vacation in your own backyard - why not check out the Hontoon Land Resort - sits right on the St. Johns river next to the Marina - for more information click here - http://hontoon.com/resort.htm