Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park-whew!

Friday April 11, 2013
White Springs, Florida

 

 

Friday April 11

 

 

We take our time about moving a whopping 30 miles from Suwannee River State Park to Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park.  Boy is that a mouthful.  Hereafter known as SFFCC or Stephen Foster but not to be confused with the Stephen Foster State Park in the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia the source of the Suwannee River and from whence the flooded river comes to us.

 

 

 

Of course Murphy shows up just as we are doing the last thing on our departure lists, checking the lights.  

It seems sometime in the past 4 days the brake lights have decided not to work.   We check fuses and bulbs, nada.  We are at the limit of our check out time so since our drive is only 30 miles, I follow Winnona in Ruby so her lack of tail lights won’t be a problem.  The long red light in the middle of the back of the RV works but the tail lights themselves do not.  Most of the drive is on I-10 and we arrive without incident. 

 

The park was created in the 1950’s to honor Stephen Foster who made the Suwannee River, which he had apparently never visited, famous with his song “Old Folks at Home (aka Way Down Upon the Suwannee River). The song is Florida’s state song since the 1930’s.  Of course like Virginia and Kentucky’s state songs it has some politically incorrect lyrics that have since been changed.
Foster was from Pittsburg.  He apparently only left the area once to travel to New Orleans although he lived some time in New York and died there.

 

The park has a real southern feel about it.

SFFCC is a lovely well groomed park with a very nice campground which has large sites, nicely separated by big mature trees and vegetation.  The sites are actually huge.  Our backyard is endless, forest as far as you can see.  I’m not sure we’ve ever stayed in a nicer more quiet and peaceful campground.  Can’t vouch for that on Festival week-ends.

 

 

Nearly every month the park has a festival of some sort.  Last week-end was the antique tractor & Engine show.  I guess that’s folk culture.   They also host a Primitive Arts Day in February, a Wild Azalea Festival in March, the Florida Folk Festival in May, have an Old Time Music Week-end in September, a Dulcimer Retreat in November, a Festival of Lights in December which  I imagine is really beautiful given the southern plantation feel of the park.  There is at least one festival every month, sometimes two.   We are here on a very quiet non festival week-end.  However there are several weddings.  Apparently SFFCC is a very popular place to get married.  I saw a wedding taking place at the Gazebo over looking the river, one in front of the Bell Tower, one behind the Museum.   There were two on Saturday and two on Sunday. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After we setting up we set out to get the lay of the land.

 

 

As you can see from the map, the park has miles of trails most of them mountain biking and hiking trails.  The Florida trail comes through here as well.  More about that later.

In addition to the Bell  Tower and the Museum, there is a “Craft Square” with cute little houses in which artists demonstrate crafts such a rug making, quilting, spinning, weaving, blacksmithing, basket making. I enjoy seeing the herb garden in which the plants are quite small at this point.  Of course there is also a gift shop in which you can buy these goods.  Cousin Thelma Boltin’s Gift Shop actually.  I have no idea who Cousin Thelma was.  Don’t think she was Stephen’s Cousin though.  He was from Philadelphia.

 

 

 

 

The boat launch is closed of course. 

 

No kayaking again.  The river here is now over 70’.  Twenty feet above “normal”.  Like everything here, even the boat launch road and its closing gate are elegant.

 

 

 

 

 

The Florida Trail runs for 4 miles through the park. 

In the park, naturally enough, it is along the river and I don’t go very far before it goes right into the water and out the other side.  With the water so dark, it’s hard to see how deep it is and who knows how many more times there would be water crossings.  It looks like a lovely hike but I’ll have to pass on this one.  Maybe we’ll try some of the interior trails.  The nice thing about the Florida trail is you don’t have to worry about mountain bikers flying around a corner.  It’s hikers only.

 

 

 

 

 

We missed the Azalea festival in March but there are still some lovely flowers in the park.

 

 

It feels like a relaxing place in which to slow down and breathe.  A very Southern place.   And with temperatures predicted to be in the mid and upper 80’s, I think that’s just what we will do.