Home Is Where We Park It:  Suwannee River State Park

Date:  April 30, 2019

Back To St. Augustine:  St. Augustine Distillery

Today was just another one of those wonderful days that makes you glad to be alive.  Picture perfect in every way, moderate temperatures again, clear blue skies, not a hint of rain in the forecast.  What more could one ask for.

Not much on the agenda today.  We had some wash to do.  Since we were moving in a couple of days tire pressure needed to be checked, and the windshield washed.  I had already scrubbed the front of Graybeard which by the time we arrived here was covered with dead bugs of all kinds.

Lets go back to St. Augustine, specifically to the St. Augustine Distillery.   Wave Hi to Barbara.

 

The distillery began as a dream with a small group of individuals.  They wanted to bring the national movement of distilling super premium, small batch spirits to their community. And they wanted to do it better than anyone in the world.  They  knew that if they could bring some of the world’s best distilling experts to St. Augustine with access to locally grown sugar cane, wheat, corn, and citrus, they  could develop a finer quality spirit than just about any other place in the world.  That original small group shared their dream with others and found 28 brave, beautiful local people who signed on to help bring the dream to reality.

But where to house the distillery? There was one building that had everything  needed: The Historic FP&L Ice Plant. Built as part of St. Augustine’s first power and ice complex in

1907 it has been lovingly restored and brought back into service so she can serve the community for the next century. The Ice Plant is the first of it’s kind to make commercial block ice in Florida over 100 years ago.  Want to take a guess who had it built?  Henry Flagler who wanted ice to cool the drinks of his wealthy guests.

Today tours of the Distillery are offered on a daily basis.  Oh yes, tastings too!

This is Tim the guide for our tour.   He was an absolute blast mixing humor with facts which made for a fantastic tour.  His opening line,  A tour guide in a distillery, this is the result of my being raised in a Catholic school.

After about 15 minutes of history we moved into the actual distilling room.

I always wondered how they cleaned the inside of the large tanks.  Take a close look, notice the guy dropping down inside of the one.

We then moved into the tasting room.  The featured drinks of the day were listed on the blackboard.

Time to belly up to the bar.  That’s Tim mixing up one of the three drinks we sampled.  Of the three we both agreed that the first two were our favorites, but the third you could keep.

From here we moved to the next tasting room, yes, there was another.  Time now to taste a real Old Fashioned.  Ann was in charge here.

Here she is mixing up a pitcher of Old Fashioned for all.  It went down real smooth.

At the end of the tour, as with all of them, you end up in the gift shop.

 The prices were a bit too high for us.

I’ll end with this.  Some wise words to live by and grow a business.

This ends our tour of The Distillery.  We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.  Sorry you couldn’t have a taste.

Our day on The Road of Retirement has come to an end.  We hope your day was as good as ours.  We made the most of it and enjoyed every minute that the good Lord gave us.  Thanks again for coming along with us.  Join us again tomorrow as we continue to travel along.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

See you on down the road

Home Is Where We Park It:  Suwannee River State Park

Date:  April 29, 2019

Hiking the Park and Learning It’s History: Part Two

Another beautiful day to go exploring in the Park.  There were Three trails that I wanted to explore today and then I would be finished.  Before we get to the Park let me introduce you to another of God’s beautiful people, Sharlen Lane

and her wonderful dog Jake.

Sharlen restores vintage looms and spinning wheels, and is a docent at numerous historic Seminole reenactments throughout Florida and southeast Georgia.  She travels from place to place in her vintage 1968 Shasta compact travel trailer.  By her own admission it is a little rough around the edges but she states it suits her just fine.

It was nice to be able to spend some time with her and listen to her talk about her travels.

Turning our attention to the Park now.

Suwannee River was among the first parks to become part of the Florida State Park system. An original 300 acres was purchased in 1936. The park now has more than 1800 acres in three counties: Suwannee, Madison, and Hamilton.

Its namesake river is 246 miles long  and winds its way from southern Georgia to the Gulf of Mexico.  The Suwannee’s flow is dependent upon rainfall, and water levels can fluctuate greatly.    The park is also part of The Suwannee River Wilderness Trail  This trail  is a partnership of locations along the river that provide amenities to river users, these locations have been designated as river camps, hubs and parks.

The best way to discover the river, other than a trip on it, is to walk the

Let me share with you some pictures of the river itself.  How I wished I was up to taking a canoe out for a day.

Stand real still, let your mind wander can you see the paddle wheeler coming down the river?  Can you hear its whistle as it approaches the dock?

 

The river is crystal clear but usually has a brownish tint due to decaying leaves on the bottom.  My RV neighbor who has been coming to this park since he was a kid says the fishing here is some of the best anywhere.  Why, just today he caught over two dozen!

Those are chunks of limestone on the far bank.

Along the trail I discovered this.

Time now for another trail.

Let’s walk the trail.  Watch your step, the roots are nasty!

A babbling book, clear and unspoiled by man.  So serene and tranquil.  Notice how clear the water is.

Interesting plant formation, and there are those who say there is no creator.  Really?

The headwaters of Lime Sink under which are the caves.  Notice the old growth trees, the reflection of the forest in the water.  A picture perfect setting.

No matter where I go I seem to find stairs!

Anyone need a tree house? I wonder how this came about?

We come to the end of the trail where the Lime Sink rushes over rocks and roots as it tumbles into the Swannee River.

One more short trail.

Part way up the trail there used to be a tall limestone formation made up of one rock on top of another called Balanced Rock; however, the last time the river flooded it reduced it to this – just a pile of limestone rocks.

Suwannee River State Park is also part of The Florida National Scenic Trail  a 1300 mile long congressionally-designated, long-distance hiking trail that weaves its way across Florida from Big Cypress National Preserve in the south to Gulf Islands National

Seashore in the western end of Florida’s panhandle.  Access from Suwannee River State Park is via The Big Oak Trail, a 16 mile loop that runs in and out of the park.  Sorry, I’m not going to try either of these Trails!

Suwannee River State Park has even more than its many trails and its historic river.  It has a playground, picnic areas, cabins to rent and lets not forget the camping area.  The sites are spacious, level, and offer FHU.  An army of volunteers makes sure that the park and its facilities are always spotless and clean.  Its also so, so quiet and tranquil.

Suwannee River Stat Park, our home for a few more days.  Hope you enjoyed our tour.

Our day on The Road of Retirement is now coming to a close.  We’re trying to get Gertrude to find a satellite so we can watch our favorite shows. So far no go.  Time for plan B which means switching over to local channels.  Wish us luck.  We only need a two hour window.

Thanks for coming along with us again since we always enjoy your company.  Join us again tomorrow, who knows what we’ll find to do.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

See you on down the road

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home Is Where We Park It:  Suwannee River State Park

Date:  April 28, 2019

Hiking the Park and Learning It’s History: Part One

What another beautiful day to wake up to.  Once again moderate temperatures, a clear blue sky, and a whole State Park to explore.  You really didn’t think I was going to let a minor injury slow me down?  After all it’s my finger and not my leg that is on the lam.  Moreover, it’s not my camera finger that is messed up.  Bottom line, time to get out and explore our new neighborhood.

So what is the history of Suwannee River State Park?  Before it was a State Park it was known as Columbus,  Columbus was one of the earliest chartered American communities in Suwannee County; in 1833, the Florida Legislature authorized Paul “M’Cormic” (McCormick) to establish a ferry at the confluence of the Suwannee and Withlacoochee Rivers for five years.  The ferry landing was at the end of the Earthworks Trail, the first trail that I walked.

In the picture below the Withlacoochee is to the left, the Suwannee is to the right.  

I’m taking the picture from what was at one time the spot of the old ferry landing.

The population quickly mushroomed, as there were enough people in the locale for a post office named Columbus to be established there on February 17, 1842.  A visitor to Columbus, writing in the St. Augustine News in late 1843, described the community as having two large stores (with others under construction) and other mercantile establishments that bought cotton from surrounding counties.  The same visitor stated that over 3,000 bales of cotton were shipped in the fall of 1843 from Columbus, with towering piles of cotton still awaiting shipment on the riverbanks. Columbus’ population was already some 500 at that time.

The year of 1845 also saw the first known steamboat with a regular run on the Suwannee River, Orpheus, carrying the weekly mail between Cedar Key and Columbus. In 1868, the Suwannee Steamboat Company was chartered with a goal of transferring freight and produce between Clay’s Landing and the town of Columbus in Suwannee County.  Eventually, the steamboats ceased to run as business shifted to the railroads.

A left over paddle wheel shaft from a small side paddle wheel vessel.

By 1873, Columbus had dried up as markets shifted and financial depression hit the United States.  All that remains of Columbus today are a cemetery,   That cemetery is at the end of the second trail that I walked, the Sandhill Trail.

  The aged graves clustered here in groups are symbolic of the stories of those who lived and died in Columbus throughout the 1800s. As I wandered among them I noticed generations of families dating back as early as 1805, on headstones almost too weathered to make out.

In the one graveyard I found the entire Canon family, father, mother and baby Canon.

Between the beginning of the trail and the graveyards you cross the Old Stagecoach road.

This is a once vital passageway that enabled supplies and people to get to the now -forgotten town of Columbus. In the 1800s, this track was well-travelled by stagecoaches, covered wagons, horse-drawn carriages and people on horseback and foot.   Standing on the road you could almost hear the creak of wagons, the sound of horses hoofs, and the footsteps of travelers going to and fro.

We come to present day Suwannee River State Park.

Suwannee River was among the first parks to become part of the Florida State Park system. An original 300 acres was purchased in 1936. The park now has more than 1800 acres in three counties: Suwannee, Madison, and Hamilton.  It has six trails, two of which we have already walked.  It is part of the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail and the Florida National Scenic Trail.

Before we go further,  time out for family.  My son Paul and his wife Brittany were returning home to Ohio from a convention they attended in Miami and were coming up Route 75.  My son wanted to meet for supper and I was thrilled that we could.  Just think, if I had not injured my finger we would no longer be in this area and we would have missed them.  Funny isn’t it how some things work out.  This is the four of us at Beef O’Bradys

we had a delightful evening of family, food and fellowship.  Hopefully, we will get to see them again this summer.

There is more to share regarding the park, more discoveries, and more pictures of wonderful places.  All of this coming up tomorrow so stay tuned.

Once again we had a wonderful and full day on The Road Of Retirement.  I’m thrilled I’m now able to do some hiking.  Next park I might even try renting a canoe.  Time with my son and his wife rates right up there with one of the highlights of the day.  Days like this are just so special and never taken lightly.  Thank you good Lord for this day.

Thanks for coming along with us we always enjoy your company.  Till tomorrow, have a good night.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

See you on down the road

Home Is Where We Park It:  Suwannee River State Park

Date:  April 27, 2019

A Big Shout Out To All Who Helped Us Out

Hello World!  What a beautiful day we awoke to.  Mild temperatures, a clear blue sky, and not a thing in the world we had to do.  Today was a day to just kick back and catch our breath after the excitement and all the running around we did the past several days.

First a big shout out to our RV neighbors Walt and Lynn who when they heard the awning snap came running to see what had happened.  When they heard I had cut the end of my finger off they immediately located the nearest hospital for us.  Then as we were leaving they heard Marti inside barking and they took responsibility for looking after him.

Next big shout out goes to the medical staff at Shands Medical Staff in LIve Oak.  They were absolutely fantastic from the moment we walked in.  Ryan the nurse practitioner

 

was first class and knew his  stuff.  He was the one who sewed the tip of my finger back on.  The next day at the VA hospital they all said it was amazing what he had done.  They gave him a “10” for his work.

Another big shout out goes to the staff at the VA hospital in Gainesville,  Florida.  I was

sent there for further evaluation.  Never in the past have I had such a positive experience at a VA facility.  We were told to go to ER and ask for Dr. Cody.  That we did and just like that things were put into motion.  She saw me almost immediately, reviewed the X rays and stated the best thing would be to just splint it and let it heal on its own.  Fine by me.  Next, down to therapy to get a splint.  One, two, three and that was done.   In a month this should all be just a memory.

The last shout out goes to the Park Staff.  We were supposed to move the next day since our site was booked by someone else.  But, we couldn’t go anywhere.  What now?  They had us move to an ADA site and told us to stay as long as we needed to.  Fantastic!  And to boot, in this fully shaded spot we found one hole in the trees and, yes, got Dish to work.  Now imagine that.

Now what have we learned from all this?  Well, know where your fingers are at all times.  And if something jams think things through first before taking any action.  Another important lesson, know where the local hospitals and VA clinics are when you get to a new site.  These are hard lessons we will not soon forget.

Have our travel plans changed?  Modified a bit but not changed.  We’re still on track according to our Master Plan.  For the next few days I’ll do some hiking around the park, fiddle with a few things on Graybeard, and readjust our next couple of stops.  In so many words, I’m not about to let this slow me down.

Thanks again for traveling along with us.  We’ll keep you posted as we go along and things continue to unfold.  Till tomorrow, take care.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

See you on down the road