Torreya State Park part 2 Confederate Gun Positions
Continuing my visit to Torreya State Park, along the Apalachicola River in northwest Florida. Walking the trail down from the Gregory House, there are some very good interpretive signs on the former Confederate batteries/gun emplacements that watched over the river.
Torreya State Park part 1 Gregory House
Part 1 of Torreya State Park in northern Florida, along the Apalachicola River. So close to the date line that my cell phone was displaying central time. So I guess that I really did go back in time.
In the park is the Gregory House. Finished in 1849. Moved here to the park in the 1930s/40s by the CCC, who did an amazing job of disassembling and reassembling the house. Now it overlooks the river from a high bluff.
A trail from here starts and goes around to the Confederate gun emplacements; built during the Civil War to prevent Yankee ships from going up the Apalachicola River, and eventually getting to the ship manufacturing yard in Columbus, Georgia.
The park is named after the Torreya Tree, a small conifer tree that is one of the oldest tree species surviving on the earth. Now extremely rare, they once covered everywhere, I suppose.
Trip to Torreya
Weekend backpacking trip to Torreya State Park in Florida. Torreya is located on the Apalachicola River.
Music: Gander in the Pratie Hole, Morrison's Jig, Drowsy Maggie by Sláinte is licensed under a Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. .
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Torreya Taxifolia of Madison, FL
Torreya taxifolia, commonly known as the Florida torreya, gopher wood, stinking yew, or stinking cedar is a rare and endangered species found in the Southeastern United States, at the state border region of northern Florida and southwestern Georgia.
On vacation I visited my Great Aunt Dolly in Madison, FL. She told me about a endangered type of tree she recently found out about. So I brought my filming equipment and took a few days to film and visit allot of the cool state parks in the area.
All music is from Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com
Stephen Foster Park, White Springs, FL
Although Stephen Foster probably never visited this area, it is home to the Suwannee River, made famous by his 1851 song. There is a beautiful state park with museum, carillon tower, gift shop, and artisan shops. Every spring it hosts a folk music festival with musicians from all over the eastern US.
Gamble Plantation Historic State Park, Ellenton, FL
Our visit to the Gamble Plantation Historic State Park in Ellenton, FL.
Hiking Garden of Eden Trail to Alum Bluff
Follow us as we explore the steephead forests of the Apalachicola River Bluffs and Ravines north of Bristol, Florida to Alum Bluff - the state's tallest natural structure. We hike the strenuous 3.75-mile Garden of Eden Trail, which boasts having the most change in elevation of any hiking trail in Florida.
The area got its name because some believe it is the real Garden of Eden. In the Bible, the Book of Genesis (2:10) states “a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from hence it was parted, and became into four heads.” Only two rivers in the World fit this description - one is in Siberia and the other is the Apalachicola. Also, Noah's ark was said to have been built with gopher wood, which comes from the Torreya tree. And the only place on Earth where these trees grow is along the Apalachicola River bluffs . . .
My cousins at, Alfred B. Maclay State Gardens
CSS Chattahoochee: Their Dreams Exploded
Two Egg TV's new documentary on the tragic explosion that took place on board the warship CSS Chattahoochee is free!
Myakka State Park
We spent our anniversary at Myakka Park. God blessed us with a beautiful day.