Jonathan Dickinson Park - Another January Visit

After talking about it for years, we finally were able to go camping at Jonathan Dickinson State Park. The original plan was to take a couple of days vacation and go for an extended weekend. However, after checking the reservation site which was filled with "not available" icons, we were grateful to find a single "available" one for a day that worked, and we snatched it up. Other than the fact that it has zero shade, which really turned out to not be a problem, Campsite #100 was perfect for our little getaway.

Once arriving at the park, first on the itinerary was a 4.5 mile hike in the Eagle's Nest area - the "yellow" trail.

The Loxahatchee River at the picnic area

Food just tastes better when camping, even when it's simple - chicken wraps for lunch and grilled cheeseburgers for dinner.

After our picnic lunch, we spent some time at the visitor's center, where we watched a movie (learning that while they may be called "cowboys" in the West, they're "cow men" in Florida!) and saw a unique display of textiles created with elements from nature. It almost inspired me to go home and make a quilt.

After setting up camp, rest and relaxation were in order, followed by a delicious barbecue and beautiful sunset. It would have been nice to have a fire, but we didn't realize there would be a fire ring until we got there. Next time we'll know better.

Our dinner entertainment was a beautiful sunset!

It takes great talent to fix two cups of cocoa at the same time!

Either option was delicious - bacon, potatoes and eggs on a plate or in a tortilla

Breakfast the next morning was followed by another hike - this time the 5.25 mile "blue" trail. I really enjoyed retracing some of our steps two days in a row, and we both really enjoyed the delightful weather. This is why we love living in Florida.

By the time we returned to camp the morning dew had dried and it took less than 1/2 hour to strike camp. Maybe there are less items for a one night stay (although really the only difference I can see is we didn't take the screen tent), or maybe it's a case of lots of practice making perfect, but I was pretty impressed with our speed. In fact, the original plan was to eat lunch at the concession stand, but we weren't hungry when we were finished packing, so we drove home and unloaded things first before having leftover soup for lunch. That was most likely a healthier option as well.

Looking forward to our next visit to this state park!

Note: Before leaving the park, we drove through the other camping area, Pine Grove Campground, and decided we preferred the River Campground location.