We were so happy to leave the bugs at our last campground and return to Gamble Rogers State Park. It is one of our favorites because it has campsites with ocean views. There are two campgrounds. One is right on the ocean, the only downside being the sand/dirt road and sites. It is normally not an issue for us, with the exception of torrential rain, like we are having as I write this. Currently most of the campground is flooded as the rain continues. I’m feeling bad for some people who are tent camping. At the other campground is across the road, the road is paved and the sites have nice gravel surfaces, with grass and some folliage between them. We have heard that the bugs can be quite annoying in that area, when there is no wind.
We enjoyed talkng with the camp hosts, Tom and Christine, who were here last year. We also got to chat with a couple from Maine, who we met at Fort Pickens – Gulf Islands National Seashore last year. They were quite memorable because on many chilly days he was the only other person on the beach besides us. It’s really fun to see people you know on the road.
We really like the area. It’s a quiet laid-back surf town. There are no high-rises or big resorts. There are only a few small hotels and inns. It tends to get busy on weekends, holidays and during bike weeks. In general, it’s popular with bikers and cyclists as A1A is a scenic drive along the ocean. There are other scenic drives nearby, through the wetlands.
There are several state parks and nature preserves in the area, where we have spent a lot of time hiking. We hiked most of the trails at the Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park. The sugar plantation was destroyed in one of the Seminole Wars in 1835. The short trail to the ruins is beautiful. Over all, we rank the trails in this park as some of the nicest in Florida. We hiked at the Betty Steflik Memorial Preserve. We went there last year because it was recommended to us by Dave’s Aunt Faira, who frequently hiked there with Uncle Don, when they lived in St. Augustine. It is a beautiful place.
We always enjoy meeting people, which was not the same last year, during the Covid pandemic. It was great to get out more this time. There is a place very close to the campground called High Tides. I don’t recall if we avoided it last year, due to not being vaccinated yet, or if it was closed. Really, it doesn’t look too special from the road or beach. This time we walked over for a beer and were happy to meet the daytime manager from Detroit. The evening manager’s close college buddy was from Detroit. Needless to say, we felt totally at home. There was a shirt swap, sticker swap and we had some amazing food. It’s right on the beach and windows are open when the wind isn’t ripping off of the ocean. It’s a cool place with a great vibe and fabulous food. We hope we can get a site next year, but the new Florida State Park reservation system will definitely be a challenge.
