April 1-30, Ennis, Texas. Download a trail map (PDF) and check the website for updates. This is one part of Texas that had sufficient rainfall to produce spring wildflowers.
April 9-11, Several Locations, Burnet, Texas (see schedule for more information. Fun run, carnival, Hill Country Flyer, pet parade, car show, CAF air show, birding and wildflower show, more.
April 15-May 31, Starts in Henderson, Texas. Rusk County has three wildflower trails. Download the trails map(PDF) and spend a leisurely weekend or longer, touring the countryside.
April 8-11, Downtown Temple, Texas. Wildflower Capital of Texas, For great entertainment, carnival, plenty of food, and special events, including a car show, Kid Zone, bike tour, 5K and fun run and much more!
Are you looking for something else in another area of Texas? Check with WildflowerHaven.com.
On the way to Florida, we had stayed at Fontainebleau State Park on Lake Pontchartrain for one night in the rain. We wanted to return and explore the park in better weather. We were rewarded with two days of sunshine on the return trip.
The park is surrounded on three sides by water (Lake Pontchartrain, Bayou Cane and Bayou Castine). The Tammany Trace, a 31-mile scenic trail, forms the other boundary of park. The paved hiking/cycling trail with a parallel equestrian trail is the first of the Rails to Trails program in Louisiana.
The size of the lake and the sandy beach were surprising, as were the huge pavilion and an even larger fishing pier on the shore. The power of hurricanes was demonstrated by a portion of a brick wall lying on the beach, part of the ruins of the sugar plantation that once stood nearby.
At the interpretative center, we met a ranger who asked if we wanted to see Bald Eagle hatchlings. She met us outside and set up a spotting scope. There is a photograph of the nest above, taken through the scope. If you can spot the hatchlings, you have better eyes than mine.
This park has everything a RVer or camper might want. There are 23 camp sites with full hookups, 103 with electric and water, 37 unimproved sites, 10 cabins, a lodge and group camping areas. Add playgrounds, trees with grape vines large enough to swing, lots of shade and picnic areas and you have everything needed for family fun.
Rocky Bayou State Park began as a bombing range for the Air Force. After WWII, development in the area precluded continued use of land as a bombing range. Colonel Frank Gannon, Director of Civil Engineering at Eglin AFB, was the driving force behind converting a tool of warfare into a state park, state recreation area and an aquatic preserve. When completed, the park became part of the Florida parks system.
Rocky Bayou State Park sits on the shore of Choctawhatchee Bay, which is 27 miles long, with a surface area of approximately 129 square miles. They bayou varies from one to six miles wide. The bay is an estuary, a semi-enclosed body of water where freshwater and saltwater mix. Estuaries function as nurseries for fish and invertebrates. Wetlands, oyster bars, mud flats and sea grasses provide a diverse environment that shelters and feeds the nursery residents.
Rocky Bayou State Park spreads over 357 acres. The park has 42 campsites, complete with water, 30 or 50 amp electrical service, picnic table and ground fire grills. Most sites have shade and there are several ADA sites with concrete pads and sidewalks to the bathhouses.
There are three hiking/biking trails: Sand Pine Trail, Rocky Bayou Trail, and Red Cedar Trail. Sand Pine Trail is the longest and roughest trail. It follows the shoreline of Puddin Head Lake (I am not kidding), Rocky Bayou Trail is well marked and easy to walk, and Red Cedar trail is a short loop to and from the playground.
There is also an exercise trail, with exercise bars, workout benches and stair stations. In the same area is a large playground, picnic tables, a pavilion, boat ramp and a kayak/canoe rental kiosk.
When you stay at Rocky Bayou State Park, you also receive day use of Henderson State Park on the Gulf of Mexico for free. At Henderson State Park, you may sunbathe, swim, fish, hike, picnic or just enjoy the beautiful water of the Emerald Coast. If you visit Henderson SP, check out the camping area, accessed by the boardwalks through the dunes.
George Island is on the Forgotten Coast of Florida off the Big Bend Scenic Byway, Hwy. 98. When you reach the town of Eastpoint, look for the 4-mile bridge to St. George Island. St. George Island is a 28-mile long barrier island with little development.
There is a small town in the middle of the island, with beach homes, some small inns, a few restaurants, and canoe, kayak, bicycle and golf cart rentals. Mostly there are white sand dunes and beautiful beaches on both coasts of the island, the coast on the Apalachicola Bay and the coast on the Gulf of Mexico.
The park covers 1,962 acres on the east end of St. George Island. Here you will find sandy coves, salt marshes, slash pines, wild rosemary and windblown oaks. There are tall dunes, covered with scrub, rosemary, sea oats, tree roots and tiny creeping and blooming flowers.
There is primitive camping at the end of the East Slough Nature Trail, which ends at Gap Point. The RV sites in Sugar Hill Camping Area are easily accessed from the Park Road. They are all sandy, spacious back-in sites with table, fire ring and two poles for stringing a drying line.
The first day, we parked and then rode our bikes on the East Slough Nature Trail and explored the beach on the Gulf coast. There are nine miles of beaches, four that are in the main park and include boat ramps, parking, shaded picnic tables, swimming areas and restroom facilities.
The next day we decided we would explore the sensitive protected area eastern portion of the island. There was a rough road in place, so we decided to bike it. We had no idea how long the road was, but it did not look that long on the map of the park.
After about two miles, the road worsened, so we decided to leave our bikes and walk the rest of the way. It was a beautiful sunny day and we enjoyed the walk that went on for three more miles. When we reached the end of the Island, where the bay met the gulf, we decided to visit the Gulf beach.
It was a beautiful white sand beach on the Gulf of Mexico. Our footprints were the only ones on the beach. As we explored, we found seashells, dead horseshoe crabs, driftwood and empty turtle eggs. We sat in lee of a dune and ate our picnic lunch. We could have easily taken a nap after our lunch, but the sun was going down and the wind was turning cold.
We walked most of the way back on the beach, finally cutting across the dunes to find the road. Luckily, we had plenty of drinking water or we would not have made it back to our bikes. When I was about ready to drop, we found our bikes. We peddled with all we had, but it was cold and dark by the time we reached the campground.
We were freezing, with windburns on our faces and hands. We hurt–bad. After loading up on anti-inflammatory drugs, we fell into our bed and slept for ten hours. So, we survived the ten-mile-round trip walk/bike marathon, with no lasting damage.
What attracted us to Ginnie Springs were the seven springs and spring runs that empty into the Santa Fe River. Although the weather during our stay was rainy and cold, Ginnie Springs is one of our favorite spots in Florida. Each group of springs has entry/exit stairs with handrails, a pavilion, a bathhouse, a volleyball court, campsites and plenty of parking. The springs have limestone bottoms and each spring was a unique shade of blue.
The water in the Santa Fe River is colored brown by tannin; where the spring water faded into the river water was an eerie sight. The springs are 72 degrees year round, so swimming and snorkeling in them was not a problem. The last day we were there, we aired up the Sea Eagle, our two-person kayak, and set off from the first river entry. Luckily, we were wearing wet suits because the river was about 50 degrees!
While kayaking, we found three unnamed springs on the other side of the river. We would spot bubbles on the surface and paddle close to see the springs. The paddle down to the river take out was about 3-1/2 to 4 hours and the river was high from all the rain this season. During the summer, you would tube, canoe or kayak the Santa Fe, emerging from the river at different springs or just drifting to the tube take out.
The dive shop/office/store sells or rents all types of diving equipment and has instructors available for cave-diving or basic snorkel or scuba lessons. We camped at Ginnie Springs for four nights and five days. We were the only RVers, so we had our choice of camping sites with electricity and water. For tent camping, there are some gorgeous sites along the banks of the Santa Fe. Each tent site came with water, BBQ grill and picnic table.
Ginnie Springs, Otter Springs, Poe Springs, Hart Springs and Blue Springs (one of five in Florida) are located in Gilchrist County, an area with the highest concentration of freshwater springs on Earth. We did not see all the springs in northern Florida, but we tried.
We have many pictures to share when we are able to find a solution for a slide show. Stay tuned.
