Apalachicola River and National Forest: 1/2 million acres of real Florida. Canoeing on Ecofina Creek is about less than two hour drive. Also close, St. Vincent's Island National Wildlife Refuge, federally owned, uninhabited island in the Gulf that is the home to Red Wolves and Sanbar Deer along with native wildlife. You'll have to charter a ride or catch a shuttle boat if it's running (either way it's cheap). Very short ride, I've seen folks kayak it plenty of times. St. Joe St. Park would be a short drive, and is absolutely beautiful. It's a peninsula that divides the Gulf from St. Joe Bay. Probably the last 7 miles of totally undeveloped beach left on the Gulf of Mexico. Sugar white sand dunes and clear water. There is also state owned buffer preserves in that area. It's funny to see whitetail deer run down the beach or gators over on the bay side.
And.... I'll make you this offer:
I'll be at our camp on Dead Lakes the last week in May. It's about an hour and half or two from Tally. If you and your friends would like a tour of the area, I have a pontoon boat and would be happy to take you guys out for a few hours. There is a state park with camping areas less than five miles from our camp. I took all these photos during May of last year or the year before. The gators are very active and vocal, the osprey's are on nest and everything is in full bloom:
http://s18.photobucket.com/albums/b136/fishshooter/?action=view¤t=1d8b9c34.pbw
Well, looking at that slide show, there are a few pics that were NOT taken in May, we won't be doing any deer hunting!
If you won't be here during that week, I could do it on just about any Sunday, as I live less than an hour from our camp. Just throwing it out there, as I like to show the area off. I have taken lots of folks out, including the National Audubon Society.
