Travel
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A King’s Landing
I grew up on an island. Water was never far from me and I have always found solace by the sea or in front of the fresh waters of a river.
Real bush gyal, as we would say dung a yad! English translation; I’m a real earthy girl raised in a rural area surrounded by nature. “Bushness” has a bit of a negative connotation in Jamaica but I want to remove the negative connotation from rural living. There is something incredibly peaceful about being connected to the Earth in it’s natural state as humankind did before all of these largely unnecessary and needless inventions and distractions.
Anyhow, I digress.
While visiting Florida I became antsy being constantly surrounded by cement and concrete. I was therefore elated to visit King’s Landing.
King’s Landing is described on the website as one of the tributaries that feeds the Wekiva River Basin. It is a designated National Wild and Scenic River. It truly is a gorgeous site, with pristine, crystal clear waters and wildlife. These waters were truly stunning because it is almost glass like in clarity; you can make out the bottom, your feet walking on the bed, the animals, leaves and critters in the water. King’s Landing has one of the clearest waters I have seen.
King’s Landing also offers several types of tours. I did the kayak tour with Martin @spybreak47 who was gracious enough to introduce me to the site. Many people, when they think of Florida associate the state with Disney World or Universal Studios however Florida is also home to some truly incredible nature spots such as springs and parks. King’s Landing brought me back to the clear waters of Portland Jamaica for a few hours. Actually, several people mistakenly thought the destination was Jamaica!
For any nature lover I would recommend checking it out!
Special thanks to Martin @spybreak47 for introducing me to this great spot and for being so gracious and patient with taking photographs! Be sure to check him out for more great nature photography!
What are some of your favorite nature spots? Let me know in the comments below!
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Summer Sunflower Stroll
Sunflower viewing is a very peaceful activity. Being outside in the sunflower fields after many months trapped inside was a refreshing change. We went to Argos Farm for our sunflower stroll.
Argos Farm allows picking the flowers at a separate price. I would personally prefer if the flowers had not been picked because the picking of the flowers created large bald patches in the field however the flowers themselves are very beautiful so I understand why they are allowed to be picked.
Argos Farm also offers produce, zucchini, squash, red potatoes and cucumbers and much more! We did not go there to scope out seasonal produce although the farm does offer organic, GMO free produce.
I forgot how much I loved sunflowers. My mother used to grow them by our home when I was young and they would stretch taller than any other flowers in our yard. Argos Farm has revived my love of sunflowers. I think my summer project will be to revive them back in Jamaica 🙂 I’m now trying to decide if I prefer them over orchids.
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Raspberries and Lavender
Fruit picking and flower farming is a great activity to do by yourself or with friends and family. Happy Day Farm features blueberry and raspberry picking. The blueberry section of the farm was not available for picking and so when we went we picked raspberries. The farm does provide clamshells at a price (plastic container to hold the berries you pick). The fields are beautiful and there is something peaceful in being in nature and picking berries. I will admit that most the berries I picked I ate 😀 because they are juicy and succulent and I could not resist! There is also flower viewing section of the farm. The one open at the time we visited was the lavender garden. Initially, I was a bit underwhelmed by the lavender farm. The plot devoted to lavenders seemed smaller than how it looked in pictures. You also are not allowed to pick the lavender flowers (although they do sell them at the entrance of the farm). Despite its size it makes for beautiful photographs! And there is peace in walking through fields with the sun on your face.
Speaking of sun, the sun can be very hot and so I would recommend carrying and wearing sunscreen, sunglasses or a large hat that can shield your face from the sun’s rays. Also, it is important to wear your mask and maintain social distancing. All in all raspberry picking and lavender viewing a great summer activity!
