Get a pass to Florida State Parks
DEALS FOR GRANDPARENTS
By Cherie Graves Florida Department of Environmental Protection
We’ve passed the halfcentury mark. We’ve watched TV in black and white, driven to town on dusty roads. We remember dial tones, party lines and clothes lines. We’ve made dinner without a microwave. We’ve survived Florida summers without air conditioning. Thank goodness those days are over. Though modern conveniences have made our lives easier compared to “the good old days,” they’ve also made it harder to find the natural Florida where we — and our grandparents — learned to fish, swim, spot wildlife and collect seashells. Fortunately, our state parks preserve more than 700,000 acres of Florida landscapes. Better still, state parks offer more than 50 campgrounds where families can stay the night, sharing with children and grandchildren the same things our parents and grandparents shared with us — stories, skills and laughter — at campsites near sandy beaches, rivers, lakes or woodlands. Modern conveniences
Florida’s DEP is Celebrating Grandparents Day! During September visit the Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St., from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. weekdays to pick up your State Park Pass. The one-time day pass is good for one vehicle with up to eight people. Limit one per family.
At the Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, hop on a glass bottomed boat ride, swim, picnic, marvel at wildlife, camp and enjoy hiking nature trails. FLORIDA STATE PARKS
have also made camping easier. In Florida’s state parks, full-facility campsites for tent campers and RVers include water, electricity, a grill, picnic table and centrally-located restrooms with showers. An added incentive to break out the campfire recipes — Floridians aged
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65+ get a 50 percent discount on camping fees. (You’ll need proof of age and Florida residency to get the discount.) Want to shop around for a park before you haul out the camping gear? To celebrate Grandparents Day in September, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is providing the Senior Center with park passes for their guests. The one-time day pass is good for one vehicle with up to eight people. Pick up your Florida State Park day pass at the Senior Center, 1400 North Monroe Street, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. We’ve lived long enough to become references; a primary source of information about what life was like 50, 60 or 70 years ago. Our state parks are also references, sources that remind us of what we know. As grandparents and citizens, we’re expected to in-
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troduce the next generations to yesterday’s landscapes and lessons. A camping trip seems like a good place to start. Nearby state parks to explore: » Ochlocknee River, about an hour’s drive
from Tallahassee, offers picnic facilities, a swimming area and trails. A boat ramp provides easy access to the river for both saltwater and freshwater fishing. » Florida Caverns, about 65 miles from Talla-
hassee, provides hiking trails, fishing and paddling opportunities on the Chipola River. Guided cave tours are offered Thursday through Monday except Thanksgiving and Christmas. » St. George Island, Tallahassee’s favorite go-to beach is about two hours away. The campground is located behind historic dunes in the pine forest. » Falling Waters, about 85 miles away, provides full facility campsites in a shaded pine forest, a lake for swimming and trails for exploring. For more information about Florida’s state parks visit www.FloridaStateParks.org.
For wildlife at its best, visit the Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park just minutes from Tallahassee. This photo by Sylvie et Pierrot is a 2010 Florida State Parks photo contest winner.