An Island of a State Park: Jekyll Island in Georgia

Jekyll Island State Park

Jekyll Island is an interesting and secluded spot off the southeast coast of Georgia. The entire island is a state park with an entrance fee. Once on the island, there are more than 7 miles of beaches. Unlike some state parks, about a third of the island is actually developed with hotels, golf courses, houses … Read more

Winter Home to the Manatee: Blue Spring State Park in Florida

Cutting across central Florida from Sanford to Saint Augustine, I made a pit stop at Blue Spring State Park to check out the “Winter Home to the Manatee”. While there can be up to several hundred manatees in the waters at a time, there were still supposedly more than 100 manatees during my visit. What … Read more

13 Miles of Alligators: Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive in Florida

Lake Apopka Wildlife Refuge, just outside Orlando, Florida, features a free 13 mile wildlife drive — a dirt path for cars to view alligators, fish, birds and turtles in nature. Thinking this would be a calm and peaceful excursion into nature like the very similar Savannah Wildlife Refuge Drive, which I adore, was a mistake … Read more