Fun Times at Henderson Beach & Ochlockonee River State Parks
We made it to Florida! State #31! For Winter 2022, we decided not to spend it in the cold and snow. Our first stop coming from Alabama was Henderson Beach State Park (12/2022) right on the Gulf of Mexico at Destin for a few days. Our site in Destin was huge, more secluded and just a few minutes walk to the white sand beach which hardly had anybody on it despite the good weather (the water was a little cold though). Summer is still peak season even though it’s much hotter. Since we had such a private site, we let Tinkerbell hang out outside with us. We got a tip from a friend to visit Domo Izakaya for great Japanese/Korean food so we sat at the bar, and met the owner who made some great recommendations, and it was one of the better meals out we’ve had recently.
After that, we headed east to Sopchoppy to Ochlockonee River State Park. We also had a huge site here; it felt like it was more carved out of the wilderness with beach sand, grass, and trees throughout our campsite. As the name says, it’s right on the Ochlockonee River in a pine forest on 500+ acres that you can swim and fish in (watch out for alligators although they are rare). There supposedly are bald eagles and osprey although we did not see any on our hikes. It’s a great spot for group camping with a pavilion you can use, kayak rentals, and a campfire ring and benches right along the water.