Staycation Directory

Archive for the ‘Alabama’ Category

Welcome to Blue Spring State Park
It’s Firefly Season at Blue Spring State Park…

Our 3-4 week Firefly Season at Blue Spring has started. Each night until mid April, beginning at sunset the woods along the Blue Spring run and around the Thursby House are lit up by thousands of fire flies. This light show courtesy of Mother Nature is always a treat for springtime campers at Blue Spring State Park, but is not seen by any of our day visitors who must depart when the park closes at sunset.

This season, day visitors wishing to stay after hours to view fireflies should indicate to gate personnel that they want to stay to view the fireflies. They will receive a firefly pass allowing them to remain in the park for an extra hour after sundown. After hours firefly visitors will leave the park through automatic exit gates. After hours visitors are reminded that they must arrive before sundown to gain admission and to bring a flashlight to safely navigate the paths and boardwalks after dark..

Volusia
County Fire Services has issued an outdoor burn ban. Under the burn ban, all outdoor burning is prohibited. This includes bonfires, campfires, warming fires and cooking fires. Outdoor cooking done with a self contained gas or charcoal grill is the only exception. No ground fires are allowed.

Our cabins are now open and easier to get to. We completed our road upgrades faster than expected, and our cabins are now available. Reservations are easier than ever on ReserveAmerica.com or by calling 1-800-326-3521

Blue Spring State Park covers more than 2,600 acres, including the largest spring on the St. Johns River. Blue Spring is a designated Manatee Refuge and the winter home to a growing population of West Indian Manatees. The spring and spring run are closed during Manatee season, mid-November through March. Swimming or diving with manatees is not permitted; this rule is strictly enforced.
For centuries, the spring area was home to Native Americans. In 1766 it was visited by Colonial American botanist John Bartram, but it was not until 1856 that it was settled by Louis Thursby and his family. The Thursby house, built in 1872, remains standing. The spring´s crystal clear, 73 degree water can be enjoyed by swimmers, snorkelers, and certified scuba divers with a partner. The river is popular for fishing, canoeing, and boating. River boat tours are available; for reservations, call St. Johns River Cruises at (386) 917-0724. The park has plenty of picnic areas and a hiking trail. For overnight stays, air-conditioned cabins, a full-facility campground and primitive campsites are available. This is a very popular park on weekends. To ensure entrance into the park, we recommend arriving early; otherwise, the parking area will be full and you may not be able to enter.

Park Information
2100 W. French Avenue
Orange City, Florida 32763

(386) 775-3663

Staycation Directory is a personal courtesy, I compile the venues on my own time for your convenience. Sorry if you area is not yet covered. If you have a staycation idea or know a cool place that you would like to share with us? We are looking for some great local ideas especially for your hometown!
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Welcome to Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park is the home of a historic lighthouse built in 1825 and reconstructed in 1846, and is the oldest standing structure in Miami-Dade County. Visitors come to the park to sunbathe, swim and picnic on more than one mile of sandy Atlantic beachfront. Biking and kayaking are popular activities. Anglers can throw in their lines from the seawall along Biscayne Bay for some of the best shoreline fishing in the region. Guided tours of the lighthouse and lighthouse keeper´s cottage are given twice daily, Thursdays through Mondays. Two restaurants, Lighthouse Café and Boater’s Grill, offer authentic Cuban cuisine, or picnickers can reserve a pavilion and fire up their own grill. Bicycles, beach chairs, and umbrellas can be rented. Overnight boat camping is allowed in No Name Harbor; a primitive campsite is available for organized youth groups.

Park Information
1200 S. Crandon Boulevard
Key Biscayne, Florida 33149

(305) 361-5811

Staycation Directory is a personal courtesy, I compile the venues on my own time for your convenience. Sorry if you area is not yet covered. If you have a staycation idea or know a cool place that you would like to share with us? We are looking for some great local ideas especially for your hometown!
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Welcome to Bahia Honda State Park

Henry Flagler’s railroad to Key West turned the remote island of Bahia Honda Key into a tropical destination. Today, the island is home to one of Florida’s southernmost state parks, known for beautiful beaches, magnificent sunsets and excellent snorkeling. Visitors can picnic on the beach and take a swim or relax and enjoy the balmy sea breezes that caress the shores year-round. Anglers can fish from shore or bring a boat and launch at the boat ramp. Kayaks and snorkeling gear can be rented. Boat trips to the reef for a snorkeling excursion are available. Bahia Honda is an excellent place to see wading birds and shorebirds. The nature center introduces nature lovers to the island’s plants and animals. Full-facility campsites and vacation cabins are available.

Park Information
36850 Overseas Highway
Big Pine Key, Florida 33043

(305) 872-2353

Staycation Directory is a personal courtesy, I compile the venues on my own time for your convenience. Sorry if you area is not yet covered. If you have a staycation idea or know a cool place that you would like to share with us? We are looking for some great local ideas especially for your hometown!
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Welcome to Anastasia State Park

Anastasia State Park includes more than 1,600 acres featuring four miles of pristine beach, a tidal salt marsh, and a maritime and upland hammock. There is also an archaeological site where coquina rock was mined to create the nearby fortress, Castillo de San Marcos National Monument.
At Anastasia you can enjoy camping, beachcombing, swimming, picnicking, fishing, windsurfing, hiking, wildlife viewing, boating and more. Anastasia’s full-facility campground, including 139 campsites, is located in a wooded area within easy bicycling or walking distance of the beach. A self-guided nature trail takes hikers through a maritime hammock on ancient sand dunes, and anglers have the opportunity to haul in the big catch.
Anastasia Watersports rents canoes, sailboards, paddleboats and kayaks. Lessons on various water sports are available. Call (904) 460-9111 for more information.

Park Information
1340-A State Road A1A South
St. Augustine, Florida 32080

(904) 461-2033

Staycation Directory is a personal courtesy, I compile the venues on my own time for your convenience. Sorry if you area is not yet covered. If you have a staycation idea or know a cool place that you would like to share with us? We are looking for some great local ideas especially for your hometown!
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Welcome to Amelia Island State Park

An easy drive from Jacksonville, the park protects over 200 acres of unspoiled wilderness along the southern tip of Amelia Island. Beautiful beaches, salt marshes and coastal maritime forests provide visitors a glimpse of the original Florida. Amelia Island State Park is one of the few locations on the east coast that offers horseback riding on the beach and riding tours along the shoreline. Fishermen can surf fish along the shoreline or they can wet their lines from the mile-long George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier which spans Nassau Sound. Visitors can stroll along the beach, look for shells or watch the wildlife. For horseback tour reservations, contact Kelly Seahorse Ranch at (904) 491-5166. Tours are given four times daily.

Park Information
State Road A1A North
Jacksonville, Florida 32226

(904) 251-2320

Staycation Directory is a personal courtesy, I compile the venues on my own time for your convenience. Sorry if you area is not yet covered. If you have a staycation idea or know a cool place that you would like to share with us? We are looking for some great local ideas especially for your hometown!
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Russell Cave has an extensive archeological record that reveals detailed information about the way of life of the Pre-historic people who called Russell Cave home.

3729 County Road 98
Bridgeport, Alabama
256-495-2672

Type of Admission: Free

Russell Cave became a National Monument on May 11, 1961, signed into law by John F. Kennedy. The National Geographic Society donated 310 acres to the American people because of the great archeological discoveries there. The park is located in Bridgeport, Alabama.

WHY DID THEY LIVE IN THE CAVE…

The cave entrance was used as a shelter by prehistoric people for about 10,000 years. They kept coming back often because it had all of the necessities needed by the people.

The cave provided shelter from the elements. The air flows out of the mouth of the cave and maintains a comfortable temperature. The inside of the cave system stays a steady 58 degrees.

The two entrances of the cave were originally at water level. A large roof fall raised the floor level of the right side making it more habitable. Flood deposits covered the artifacts that people left behind. Eventually, the floor of the cave was built up about 40 feet.

A natural spring provided fresh water which continues to flow until this day. The water comes up out of the ground near the front entrance and flows into the cave. It travels underground for 1 ½ miles and empties into Widow’s Creek and eventually into the Tennessee River.

Tools and weapons were made from chert that is found in the rocks at Russell Cave.

Plants provided food, tool making materials, and medicine. The environment at Russell Cave ranged from limestone mountain slopes, sandstone mountain tops and valley floors.

Animals living in the area provided food. The bones were used to make tools.

Staycation Directory is a personal courtesy, I compile the venues on my own time for your convenience. Sorry if you area is not yet covered. If you have a staycation idea or know a cool place that you would like to share with us? We are looking for some great local ideas especially for your hometown!
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The largest municipal museums in the southeast United States, and one of the premier art museums in the nation.

8th Ave. & 21st St., N;
Birmingham, Alabama
205-254-2565

Type of Admission: Free

Founded in 1951, the Birmingham Museum of Art has one of the finest collections in the Southeast supported by a strong educational program designed to make the arts come alive for children and adults throughout the region. More than 24,000 objects represent a rich panorama of cultures, including Asian, European, American, African, Pre-Columbian, and Native American. Highlights include the Museum’s collection of Asian art, considered the finest and most comprehensive in the Southeast, and its collection of Vietnamese ceramics, one of the finest in the world; a remarkable Kress collection of Renaissance and Baroque paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts from the late 13th century to the 1750s; the collection of 18th century European decorative arts, which includes superior examples of English ceramics and French furniture; and the Museum’s world-renowned collection of Wedgwood, the largest outside of England.

The Museum connects with the community through educational programs and curated exhibitions that engage, entertain, and enlighten visitors. Programs are designed around the Museum’s permanent collection and changing exhibitions, and provide opportunities for all ages and levels of experience to connect with art.

The Birmingham Museum of Art is located in the heart of the City’s cultural district. Erected in 1959, the present building was designed by architects Warren, Knight & Davis of Birmingham, with a major renovation and expansion by Edward Larrabee Barnes of New York completed in 1993. The facility encompasses 180,000 square feet, including a splendid outdoor sculpture garden.

The generosity of the City of Birmingham and other private and municipal funders has allowed the Museum to remain free of charge to visitors since its opening.

Staycation Directory is a personal courtesy, I compile the venues on my own time for your convenience. Sorry if you area is not yet covered. If you have a staycation idea or know a cool place that you would like to share with us? We are looking for some great local ideas especially for your hometown!
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Tour the church where on Sept. 15, 1963, during Sunday school, a bomb exploded, killing four young black girls and injuring 22 other members of the congregation. A television set near the altar continuously shows a 12 minute documentary video of the events of that day.

16th St. & 6th Ave., N;
Birmingham, Alabama
205-251-9402

Type of Admission: Free

Staycation Directory is a personal courtesy, I compile the venues on my own time for your convenience. Sorry if you area is not yet covered. If you have a staycation idea or know a cool place that you would like to share with us? We are looking for some great local ideas especially for your hometown!
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Sloss Furnaces is open to the public as a museum of industry. With its massive furnaces, web of pipes, and tall smokestacks, it offers us a glimpse into the great industrial past of the South and the nation.

1st Ave., N & 32nd St
Birmingham, Alabama
205-324-1911

Type of Admission: Free


Sloss Furnaces produced iron for nearly 90 years, which gave rise to the city of Birmingham, AL. Now recognized as a National Historic Landmark, Sloss Furnaces with its web of pipes and tall smokestacks offers us a glimpse into the great industrial past of the South and our nation.

Staycation Directory is a personal courtesy, I compile the venues on my own time for your convenience. Sorry if you area is not yet covered. If you have a staycation idea or know a cool place that you would like to share with us? We are looking for some great local ideas especially for your hometown!
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Gardens of roses, camellias, wildflowers, ferns and irises flourish in this quiet setting. A Japanese garden and teahouse are additional highlights. Hours: Every day, sunrise-sunset.

2612 Lane Park Rd.
Birmingham, Alabama
205-879-1227

Type of Admission: Free

Birmingham Botanical Gardens is Alabama’s largest living museum with more than 10,000 different plants in its living collections. The Gardens’ 67.5 acres contains 25+ unique gardens, 30+ works of original outdoor sculpture and miles of serene paths.

The Gardens features the largest public horticulture library in the U.S., conservatories, a wildflower garden, two rose gardens, the Southern Living garden, and Japanese Gardens with a traditionally crafted tea house. Education programs run year round and over 10,000 school children enjoy free science-curriculum based field trips annually.

Birmingham Botanical Gardens, the most visited free attraction in Alabama, is open daily, offering free admission to more than 350,000 yearly visitors.

Staycation Directory is a personal courtesy, I compile the venues on my own time for your convenience. Sorry if you area is not yet covered. If you have a staycation idea or know a cool place that you would like to share with us? We are looking for some great local ideas especially for your hometown!
Submit it HERE under add the location form.
Have FUN!