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Florida camping can be expensive. My wifa Ana and I paid $23 to
camp in our conversion van one night. Of course, it was at a
beautiful state park on the beach, and in the morning we saw a
dolphin swimming near shore.
Florida camping can be inexpensive too. While at the beach, we
heard we could camp for free at the isolated campgrounds which
dotted the Apalachicola National Forest. Naturally, our
frugality sent us into alligator country.
We camped two nights in the dark woods, next to the dark waters
of a slow river. There was was an old guy who seemed to be
living there, and a young couple with their two-year-old
daughter. Lester was from England, Kari from Texas, and Indya
was born in Guatamala. They met in India, of course.
No crowds, and the price was right. March nights can be chilly
here, so the six of us circled the fire at night, trading
stories, and sometimes sneaking down to the water to look for
the eyes of alligators. Unfortunately, we saw nothing, but we
did hear splashes in the night.
Lake Talquin
The old guy told us that camping was also free at Williams
Landing, on Lake Talquin, about twenty minutes west of
Tallahassee. We moved up there, looking forward to the hot
showers. Lester, Kari, and Indya followed the next day in "The
Beast," which was an old RV that had carried them there from
Texas.
For eight days, we continued trading stories around the fire
each night. We saw all kinds of wildlife. Packs of armadillos
walked through camp, and giant grey herons fished offshore from
the van. There were racoons, owls, squirrels, ducks, and
turtles. Then there was the "monster."
I was poking around near a corner of the lake, when I heard the
splash. We had already seen two small alligators sunning
themselves the day before, but this one had to be a giant. I
returned with Ana the next morning, and again heard the splash,
but it was under the water before we could see it.
Every morning we visited the monster once the sun was high
enough for him to come out and soak up the heat. We caught
glimpses, enough to know he was at least ten feet long. Lester
and Kari made a "Crocodile Hunter" movie of us stalking it. Soon
it no longer panicked, but just slowly lowered itself into the
water, as if getting ready to hunt us properly.
After that we stopped trying to get so close to it. The five of
us went to view alligators safely after that, from the tour boat
at Wakulla Springs. I even got the chance to jump off of the big
diving platform there. We eventually said our goodbyes and went
our separate ways, but we hope it wasn't our last time in
Florida, camping.
About the author:
Steve Gillman hit the road at sixteen, and traveled the U.S. and
Mexico alone at 17. Now 40, he travels with his wife Ana, whom
he met in Ecuador. For travel stories, tips and a free e-book,
visit: http://www.Everything
AboutTravel.com
Written by: Steve Gillman
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