DAY 4After visiting with Fran the previous day, we’d turned our rigs towards home. Once we had an idea of how far we could get, we called ahead to a state park in range. It was full so we tried the next, Florida Caverns State Park, and found they had a couple openings but that we needed to be there by 5 PM. Gonna be close! We took I-10 to save time but rain slowed us down. When it became obvious we were going to be 10-15 minutes too late, Dad called the park and the ranger graciously agreed to wait for us. After registering us he said to drive with care as the roads were flooded in a few places but that it was shallow so just drive carefully. We did as he advised and were soon set up on our sites, noting that the floodwaters lapped within a couple feet of the campground. It rained off and on all night and was still raining as we prepared to leave the next morning.
We first went to the end of the park road to see Blue Hole Spring. This is a 2nd magnitude spring, just one step below the largest springs, with a flow of between 10 and 100 cubic feet per second. Under dry conditions the water is a deep blue as shown in this photo on the information plaque.
On hot summer days the spring is a popular swimming hole but for on this cool rainy day there were no kids thronging the floating dock.
Just as well because all the recent rain has muddied the waters.
The spring flow passing under the bridge looks more like earth than water. Ah, well, so much for seeing a “blue hole” today.
Dad led the way back through the park. This is one of the sections of road that had been flooded the night before. We could see that, despite the rain since then, the water level had dropped enough to expose the pavement.
There was still a lot of water on either side of the road though. And on one side I could see some of the limestone outcrops that characterize this part of Florida rising above the water.
I’d already called to see if there were openings for the cave tour and been told the morning slots were full. Just as well because I was also told part of the cave was flooded so it would have been an abbreviated tour. We decided to stop at the visitor center anyway. In front of it was a statue dedicated to the men of the Civilian Conservation Corps who constructed many facilities in this park that are still in use today.
The rain running down the statue’s face gave it the appearance of glistening sweat. Quite appropriate as I’m sure the CCC workers shed gallons of sweat while toiling in this humid park.
Further down the path was a tiny plaque memorializing the Native Americans that inhabited the area. So little was said of these people that I felt compelled to do a little looking on the internet. I found
this website that not only told me they were of the Creek nation (mostly Muscogee but also Hitchiti and Yuchi) but which also includes an 1833 census list with the names, status, and number of family members of two tribes that lived in the area. Many of the names just roll of your tongue: Occoskee, Yahaja, Noccooselee, Machee, Wakiga, Senatchee, Cotchaluthu, Yaholatehee. Curiously, the lists include a dozen widows but not a one of them is named. The same goes for four “free blacks”.
Another sign provided details on the cave tours. With much of Florida being at a low elevation, most of the many caves riddling its limestone bulk lie below the water table . It’s only in the higher elevations such as in the northern part of the panhandle that there’s enough elevation to keep large cave reaches above water. In fact, this is the only above-water cave that is open for public tours in Florida.
I guess they want to make sure folks know they’re welcome no matter where in the world they came from.
Inside the visitor center are plaques describing how the cave was formed.
There’s also a large display showing pictures and information on all the different snakes that can be found in the park, including the flood refugee we’d seen at Reed Bingham SP, the copperhead.
Another display gave a timeline of significant events in the Florida Caverns area.
On a display showing examples of stone spear points and pottery made by the creeks, I was impressed by the detailed artwork on the latter.
I guess this season of rain and flooding will eventually give way to a season of flowers and butterflies as shown on this display. Maybe I need to come back then!
While we weren’t able to tour the cave, we found they have an excellent film that one can watch. During a lull in the rain we were able to take a short walk down one of the trails from the visitor center. Hmm, evidently the cave has more than one opening.
This path is appropriately called the floodplain trail. That ole floodplain is really doing its thing!
Hey, what’s this? We’ve found the exit for the cave tour.
There’s so much humidity here that it looks like even the rocks are growing.
Not surprisingly, the cave opening is locked up tight.
Here’s the view someone would have as they emerged from the depths of the cavern.
Not wanting to be caught if the rain decided to start up again, we turn back to the visitor center. If I had to pick a theme for this trip, it would be “water, water, everywhere” because that’s the way it’s been at every stop … sometimes fresh water falling from the sky and causing tension as it flows across roads, sometimes salt water sloshing against a shore with a rhythm that soothes the soul.
Having seen all of Florida Caverns State Park that we’re going to see on this trip, we roll up the road. This was our last day of the trip to travel together. Tomorrow Dad will be heading back to SC while I’ll be off to TN. So we split the difference and drive north along the Alabama-Georgia state line. Above Columbus, GA, we turn off the highway into Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park and start climbing. It was a long way up a ridge to the park office then a ways back down to the campground where we found a couple sites overlooking a small lake.
I’ve got one more installment to add to this trip report. And believe it or not, it doesn’t include any rain!
See Page 5 for Day 5! Franklin D. Roosevelt SP to Cheaha SP 
