Drifting on up...

 

Driftwood Beach

Wednesday we moved on up to Georgia, another state I can add to my map.  Jekyll Island campground is our home for the night, and within walking distance to Driftwood Beach.  The driftwood has formed over years of erosion.  On the island you will also find Georgia's only sea turtle educational and rehabilitation facility, and lots of shops and restaurants (due to Covid and time we skipped these).  The island is mostly tourist resorts and attractions.

The entrance to Jekyll Island  There is a daily parking fee to get on the island.

Our heavily wooded campground with lots of campers.

A short 10 minute walk to Driftwood Beach from our campground.

From Driftwood beach we saw an overturned ship, the Golden Ray, in Georgia Sound.  It capsized in Sept. 2019 as it was leaving the coastal city of Brunswick.  I believe the reason the cargo ship (carrying cars that are still on it) capsized is still unknown.  Dismantling it is complicated, but they are planning on using a giant chain to slice it into 8 segments.

A big "live oak" on our walk.

Suwannee River State Park, Live Oak, FL is gorgeous.  State parks are usually nice places to stay, clean, spacious and pretty.  Many don't have sewer hook ups, although this one did.  A popular spot for canoes and kayaks.  This was our last night in Florida.

There is a lot of history at this park.  We did a little hiking to check it out.  Our first hike (more like a walk)  was on the quarter mile Earthworks Trail.  Krikkit came along for this one.  We walked to where the Suwannee and Withlacoochee River join.  There is an earthen fortress, dug by hand, to protect the Confederate army from the Union soldiers although that battle never came to be.  The Suwannee River was the sight of Steamboats until railroads replaced them.  The only thing left of the steamboats are remnants.  

Krikkit was worn out so we returned her to the RV and we took the Suwannee River Trail, Balanced Rock Trail (part of it) and the Lime Sink Run Trail (most of it).  The Suwannee River Trail led to the Little Gem Spring Overlook.  Continuing on the Balanced Rock Trail one might think we would find a balanced rock. Limestone erosion created the 20 foot limestone tower and in 2015 erosion caused it to fall into the water.  Lime Sink Run, also known as dry run, is fed by Lime Sink Spring and is directly connected to the Cathedral/Falmouth/Lime sink Run cave system.  It is one of the longest known underwater cave systems in the world.  Conditions change, with there being a lot of water from the spring sometimes and other times it is dry.  Our walk was less than 2 miles but we saw a lot of beautiful, interesting flora.  I love how different all of the parks we go to are.  It was hot, humid and buggy.  Glad I had bug spray in the car. 

The fortress dug by confederate army.

I learned that a "live oak" is not an oak that isn't dead (Pat is amazed, I'm sure, of how little I know) but an evergreen oak found in the south.

steamboat remnants

He had moved along by the time we came back.

The roots of the tree sticking up out of the water.

Little Gem Spring overlook

Lime Sink Run with limestone ledges.

Pat has his head poking out behind the tree.

As well as beautiful, the sites at Suwannee River State Park are spacious and secluded.