Since Breezin is still sitting in her RV-port waiting for life to slow down enough to travel, I thought I'd take advantage of a beautiful day and visit a local park for some light hiking.
Located in the Palm Coast/Flagler Beach area is the Princess Place Reserve. The 1,500 acres bordered by Matanzas River and Pellicer Creek was originally purchased in 1886 by Henry Cutting and known as Cherokee Grove. It passed to his widow upon his death, who later married an exiled Russian prince and took the title of Princess. Cherokee Grove was renamed Princess Place in honor of her.
There is a lot to do at Princess Place. You can hike, camp (primitive tent camping only), fish, bird watch, picnic, canoe or kayak, or just enjoy the scenery. Best of all - it's free!
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| Matanzas River as seen from the trail |
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| Walking along the salt marshes |
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| There is a lodge with a porch facing the river |
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| complete with rocking chairs to watch the sun set over the water... |
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| The requisite live oaks dripping with spanish moss |
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| a launch for canoe or kayakers |
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| and a small dock for fishing... |
There is a old livery stable to explore, along with Florida's oldest in ground pool, fed by an artesian well, and several other buildings.
The trails are short and packed sand at Princess Place, each about .5 to 1 mile, but you can connect to get in about 3-4 miles. If you need more walking than that - Pellicer Creek Conservation Area is right next door with another 10 miles of marked trail.
On the way to or from these two preserves, you also pass the Florida Agricultural Museum. Definitely worth a day trip if you are in the area. I will be going back again to explore.
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