park

Tuesday night, I enjoyed my first overnight experience at Gold Head Branch State Park. I always marvel at the things that overnight park guests see that the rest of the public doesn't. In my case, it was the hues of sunset over Little Lake Johnson as the moon rose ... a mirror of clouds across the lake's still surface as light waned ... the rockets red glare as bombs bursted in air over Camp Blanding ... the morning mist that raced across the surface of the lake ... first light streaming through the dogwood blossoms. I captured some of the experiences with my camera, and let the rest settle into memory.

Most folks consider Ravine Gardens a place for watching the azaleas bloom (which they did much earlier than expected this year), driving the scenic drive, and sitting along the serene edge of the ponds at the bottom of the ravine. If you have children, I hope you've taken them there to bounce across the circa-1930s swinging bridges. My first visit here was as a child, so I can thank my parents for turning me on to the beauty of the gardens, formerly a Palatka city park and WPA project. But if you do a little exploration, you'll find one heck of a rugged 2-mile hike clinging to the steep sides of the ravine.