Yesterday morning we enjoyed wandering around Main Beach Park in Fernandina Beach. Amelia Island is a great destination for a weekend getaway!
Florida Beaches
Fort Zachary Taylor
We rode bikes to one of our favorite Key West spots, Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. Normally we just relax on the beach, snorkel and swim to the rocks. However, this time I decided to take a self-guided tour of the actual fort itself. Very rewarding!
Lighthouse Point Park Revisited
After a great lunch at DJ’s Deck in Port Orange (I highly recommend the rare Tuna Sandwich basket with fries!), we headed to Ponce Inlet to wander around. We parked at the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse and strolled to the jetty at Lighthouse Point Park. We got there just in time to catch the end of a surfing competition, so the place was bustling with activity! We headed back via the boardwalk in a quest to view some gopher tortoises, but no such luck this time. All in all, a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon, wouldn’t you say?
Ponce Inlet Revisited
We arrived at Lighthouse Point Park in Ponce Inlet early on Friday to attempt some beach time before the crowds started descending for Memorial Day Weekend. However, when we arrived just after 8 AM, the parking lot was full. So, we parked at the Marine Science Center (which has been closed temporarily to help slow the spread of the coronavirus). Fortunately, the beach was nearly deserted because just about all the cars in the parking lot were owned by surfers (at least 100!) already out on the water. And let me tell you, there were definitely some huge waves on this day! The rip tide was intense as well and we saw a couple of young ladies get rescued by a lifeguard. Also, we roamed around the boardwalk and saw six Florida gopher tortoises in the dunes. On the way back, we hit DJ’s Deck in Port Orange for a great lunch (it’s all outside and tables were a good distance apart). Bottom line: An awesome way to start the long holiday weekend!
Smyrna Dunes Park
With a 1.5-mile-long boardwalk that meanders over vast sand dunes and overlooks white-sand beaches, Smyrna Dunes Park in New Smyrna Beach is the perfect spot for a family outing! We spotted dozens of gopher tortoise burrows, but the weather was a little too chilly for the friendly critters to leave the confines of their homes. We will be back soon!
Hike #49: Castle Windy Trail & Beach Walk, Canaveral National Seashore
Hike #49: 52 Hike Challenge: Castle Windy Trail & Beach Walk, Canaveral National Seashore. We parked at Lot #3 since the Castle Windy Trail is located across the street from this parking lot. My first attempt to hike the trail was dismal, since I forgot to apply mosquito repellent and I was immediately attacked by a ferocious swarm of mosquitoes as soon as I crossed the street. I made it about a quarter of a mile and then made a hasty retreat. Fortunately, there was a can of mosquito repellent in our beach bag, so I doused myself with repellent and made a second attempt. The Castle Windy Trail is a straight shot from the beach to the aptly named Mosquito Lagoon. It is a shaded trail and very scenic, but expect to get many mosquito bites! The entire trail is only about 0.8 mile, so I supplemented it with a nice one mile walk along the beach. Distance: 1.8 miles.
Cayo Costa State Park
We spent an adventurous weekend exploring one of the most remote state parks in Florida: Cayo Costa State Park, which is located four nautical miles west of Pine Island. In fact, the only way to reach Cayo Costa Island is via Tropic Star ferry or private boat. We had a pleasant ride aboard the Tropic Star and enjoyed talking with Captain Bruce. It took about 55 minutes to reach the island, where we checked in and purchased some firewood and bags of ice. Then a tram (which runs on the top of the hour between 9 AM and 4 PM) took us about a mile across the island to the campground. We camped at campsite #6, which was spacious and a short distance away from the beach access and restrooms. Note that there is no electricity on the island, but potable water and cold showers can be found at the restrooms. So logistically speaking, you must plan out your meals and bring plenty of supplies, since the gift shop on the other side of the island only stocks snacks, sodas and water bottles (along with Klondike bars!). After pitching our tent, we strolled to the amazing, practically deserted white-sand beach and caught a beautiful sunset. At night, we sat around the campfire and then headed along the Cemetery Trail with just our flashlights to guide us to the Pioneer Cemetery. Real creepy and very cool! There are just a handful of graves here and one of the most notable is that of Captain Peter Nelson, who died on September 7, 1919, at the age of 80 years and whose inscription reads, “After life’s fitful fever/he sleeps well.” The next morning we woke up before sunrise and strolled down the deserted beach for a little shell collecting (we also came across the gulf calico crab pictured above). Then I explored some of the miles of hiking trails in the center of the island. Oh yeah, as we set about cleaning up our campsite, we noticed a four-foot snake with a black head slithering out from underneath our tent! The park ranger later told us we had witnessed a rather harmless eastern coachwhip snake. Good times! Bottom line: Cayo Costa State Park is a great campground, one of the best we’ve experienced during our Florida travels, but make sure you are totally prepared for this rustic adventure!
Honeymoon Island State Park
Ideally located just west of Dunedin and north of Clearwater Beach (take U.S. 19 to S.R. 586 and travel west for five miles), Honeymoon Island State Park features 4 miles of white-sand beach, a pet beach area, concessions, picnic areas, playground and two nature trails: Osprey Trail and Pelican Cove Trail. In addition, a 20-minute ferry ride (fee) takes you over to Caladesi Island State Park.
Wandering Florida 