Home from the cruise and on the road again. This time for a meeting in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida – 4 hours from Sarasota. I decided to break up the drive and found a State Park on my way. This park was one I have been curious about since my friend Andrew told me about it. Apparently, there are wild bison and wild horses at this park!

The drive up I-75 was uneventful – thank goodness. A short drive off the interstate near the town of Micanopy, settled in 1821, the “first distinct settlement in the Florida Territory” oldest inhabited town in central Florida. I did not go to the downtown as the population of 648 seems small and the volunteers at the Visitor Center said there isn’t much to see. It is historic, though.

The park entrance is easy to find and the drive to the visitor center is amazing. Two miles of a beautiful lined road with the tallest forest of Longleaf Pines I have ever seen in Florida. Just beautiful!

The visitor center is nicely done with information about the area and the various peoples who have lived on the land. This prairie is formed from a sinkhole many, many years ago. It filled with FRESH water and beautiful grazing lands, a key area for early settlements. Sometimes it actually was a lake. Things change over time. A nice movie in the visitor center also shows the different seasons in the park.

A short walk from the Visitor Center is a 50 foot Observation Tower overlooking the prairie. The path is paved which is nice to allow everyone to take a look.

I am sure there are times of the year when wild horses and buffalo roam close, just not today. I did see a horse in the very distance landscape. I saw an eagle, hawk, and an alligator in the lake.

From the top of the observation tower a spectacular view of the prairie and the yellow flowers in bloom. I just enjoyed looking out at a prairie in Florida. I’m use to seeing prairies in the Midwest so this is truly unique. The geology described on the state park website is interesting:

https://www.floridastateparks.org/learn/geology-paynes-prairie-preserve-state-park

There are many trails you can walk/hike in this park as well. No time for me today, just a short walk on the Wacahoota Trail. Then I drove to Lake Wauburg to see the 300 acre lake. A beautiful lake for fishing and boating and that’s what people were doing on this wonderful fall day.

Now, off to a meeting in Ponte Vedra Beach – another place in Florida I have not been. Driving thru Jacksonville, I snap a quick photo. Much more populated!

The reward for the many hours of driving…dinner!

Enjoying the State Parks of Florida – more to come!