We have been to St. Augustine many times, but only for weekend getaways. And always in a hotel. This was the first time that we brought our home with us and it was a totally different experience. We didn’t have many options for parking out big rig, especially since it was last-minute and winter in Florida. So, we ended up at Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park in Keystone Heights, about 45 minutes away. This park was HUGE and very peaceful! It was several miles past the ranger station, to get to the campgrounds.
Not only was this park private, peaceful and large, the sites were huge, too. (We could have parked a few more rigs on our one site!) On one chilly afternoon, we rode the bike over to St. Augustine, which was a first for us. Riding through St. Augustine during it’s prime busy season wasn’t as fun as we were hoping. Too many people for riding around and trying to take in the sights. Since that was kind of a bust, we went back a second time and did some sightseeing by foot. We have taken the trolley tour once in the past and we highly recommend it for first-time visitors, but this time we knew where we wanted to go (and where we wanted to eat). The Gourmet Hut is a must do (must eat?) for first time visitors! An English pub, the oldest masonry fort in the US, Flagler College (Ponce de Leon Hotel) and St. George Street were some of the sights we visited.
We were able to get out on the bike a couple more times for some shorter rides, one to St. Johns River and the other to tour the State Park. Our 10 day stay in this area was both relaxing and fun and we will remember this park for possible future stays. Just be prepared…the sites are huge, but there are no sewer hookups and only 30amp electric.
