We did not want to leave St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, but we had reservations at Crystal Isles RV Resort in Crystal River. We drove the entire day and into the night to reach Crystal River. We arrived at about 10 pm and pulled into a site, hooked up electricity and retired for the night.

The next day we explored our new home for the month. Crystal Isles is a great RV campground, with everything necessary for a great stay. Full hookups, cable, Internet (paid), solar heated pool, Jacuzzi, laundry, mail service, ice cream stand, recreation room with planned activities, a small pond, a larger lake, and a canal that leads to the Crystal River.  They rent kayaks, canoes and pontoon boats.

Fort Island Park

That first day we went to the end of the W. Fort Island Trail and visited the beach. What a difference from the white sand beaches of the Florida Panhandle! This beach was rocky and there was little sand. Later I learned the sand is trucked in by the county. Evidently, from Steinhatchee to the Clearwater area, the coast is comprised mostly of salt marshes, mangrove wetlands and hardwood-palm hammock.

What really surprised us was the power plant in the distance.  We later discovered that it is now a coal and natural gas fired power plant.  Evidently, when they were inspecting the containment pool for the nuclear reactor, a crack was found and they shut the nuclear generator down.

Nuclear and Coal -Fired Power Plant

We also went to find Kings Bay, which contains the headwaters of the Crystal River. In Kings Bay, there are about 30 known springs, including Tarpon Hole and Hunter Springs, that either issue from the bottom of Kings Bay or flow into the bay from side creeks. The combined average flows of thee springs are 975 cubic feet per second. The springs form this huge bay and seven miles of river to the coast!  Below are pictures of Hunters Spring Park.  With a snorkel you can see the springs under the pool of water.  From here, we could take our Sea Eagle (2 person blow-up kayak) to see the manatees.

More to come . . .

Our next stop in Florida was the St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, located on the Gulf of Mexico between Apalachicola and Port St. Joe.  We arrived after dark, having driven past sugar white sand beaches for miles and hours.

Spanish explorers named St. Joseph Bay in the early 1500s, but did not settle here until 1701 when they built a fort, Presidio San Jose, and a mission at the tip of the peninsula.  Some friendly camper folk helped us back into our spot in total darkness.  Then, we went inside and went to bed.

The next morning, my window opened onto a scene out of Jurassic Park.  Tall pines, grape vines, palm trees, palmettos and other huge trees and exotic bushes new to me.  The sounds of birds and critters in bushes and trees surrounded the campsite.  Then, on the way to the ranger’s office, I saw a male deer with a magnificent set of antlers standing quietly in the brush.  He looked at me and I looked at him, and then we both walked on.  He was not scared of humans.  I liked that.

The St. Joseph Peninsula State Park is located in the middle of the peninsula, bound by St. Joseph Bay on the landward side and the Gulf of Mexico to the west.  On the bay, there are great grass flats and marshes.  On the gulf side, there are huge sand dunes, 20-30 feet tall, and covered with sea oats.  Boardwalks provide access to the 9+ miles of snow-white sand beaches and clean Gulf waters.  When walking along this beach, I was alone with pieces of driftwood, seashells and some persistent plovers fishing for food.  The water was clear and devoid of any jellyfish, plastics, fishing lines and trash.  This beach was, as all beaches should be–pristine.

The park offers two campgrounds, the Gulf Breeze Camp and the Shady Pine Camp.  Each campsite provides water and electric hookups, picnic table and grill.  The sites are spacious and surrounded by pines and giant saw-tooth palms.  Boardwalks and the park road link the campgrounds.  The bathhouses were clean, heated and centrally located.

There is a youth camp as well as eight cabins with kitchens, fireplaces, bathrooms, heat and air.  These cabins face the mainland, across St. Joseph Bay.  Above the group camp and cabin area, lays a wildlife preserve that covers the seven miles to the tip of the peninsula.

You may explore the wilderness preserve by hiking, kayak or canoe.  There are three boat landings in the preserve area; one is for non-motorized boats only.  The park is an excellent birding area with sightings of 243 species recorded.

Day visitors enjoy picnicking, beach activities and boating.  Fishing and snorkeling are also popular ways to enjoy the abundant marine life in the gulf and bay.  There is a boat ramp for putting boats in the water within the park.  I believe they have canoe and kayak rentals in the summer.

St. Joseph Peninsula SP, Top Beach in 2002, according to Dr. Beach (Stephen P. Leatherman from University of Miami who writes America Best Beaches) has been called the most beautiful beach in the world.  I would agree.  If you enjoy wonderful sunsets over the beach, birding, hiking, privacy, nice campgrounds, clean facilities and the choice of ocean or bay view, then St. Joseph Peninsula State Park is for you.

We loved this campsite.  We camped in a trailer in a back-in site for three nights in our trailer in a pull-through site.

Finally, on New Year’s Eve day we arrived in Florida.  Big Lagoon State Park is located on Gulf Beach Highway, approximately 10 miles southwest of Pensacola.  We exited IH-10 at Pensacola, drove south on various roads, including Blue Angel Parkway, named for the Navy precision flying team.

Big Lagoon State Park

Big Lagoon SP has large freshwater pond surrounded by pines and a brackish lagoon surrounded by marsh grasses.  There is a large lagoon between the park and Perdido Key.  There are two boardwalks to take you from the campground to the two beaches and to the 2-two mile estuary trail and to the 3.5-mile Pine trail.  Both beaches have swimming areas.  At the east end of the park, there is an observation tower for observing birds.  There is also an observation platform on west beach.  Sprinkled throughout the park are covered picnic areas.  There is also a boat ramp for access to the lagoon and the Gulf.

Long Pond

The camping area is located on a sand ridge that is covered in Pine trees.  All the campsites have a picnic table, fire ring, water and electricity.  They are sandy and surrounded by Palmettos.  There were some problems.  Some of the sites were impossible to back into, some were very short and yet others were slanted.  However, we really liked the park, so we made a note of the sites that are RV ready.  These sites are 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 20, 22, 28, 29, 31, 39, 40, 50, 54, 59, 60, 65, 71, 74.

We loved this park and highly reommend it. We stayed two nights in a travel trailer in a back-in site.