Need ideas: We live in VA and would like to take a trip where grandma and kids drop us off, then we take a couple of days to kayak back to the vacation cabin they’ve driven back to and are staying in, then enjoy the area all together. We’re willing to drive a reasonable distance. Reasonably warm weather destinations for the beginning of April are preferrable. Thanks!!
Florida Gulf Coast
– Last Updated: Mar-05-12 1:19 PM EST –
We spend several days two weeks ago at Millers Glades Haven cabins in Everglades City. You could be dropped off anywhere from Cape COral on down to paddle the coastal mangrove straits down to the canal that goes directly into the marina at the cabin cluster. Cottages are privately owned and range in quality but the one we had, # 7, was nicely equipped and slept 6 or more, with a private bedroom, loft with two bunks, fold out double couch, full kitchen, AC, large screen porch and handy to everything. You might want one farther back from the main complex because there is a small bar up front that had loud music til late a couple of nights. Great rental kayaks, canoes and bicycles on site, also a small store and good restaurant and handy to bike trails, easy inland paddling for the kids and short drive to sites like the Everglades and Chocolassee Island.
EC might be quite warm in April
very nice for those in the cabins…but you will want to choose your campsites carefully for exposure to wind to help allay biting insects. Along about then visitation drops off. I am going the third week of March and that may be pushing the "bug luck " a little. The good thing though is the cold fronts with high winds should be done with though.
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in South GA has limited camping available due to the ongoing drought but overnights seem to still be possible. You will need to call ahead to reserve your spot.
Also check the Edisto in SC. We are headed there this week.
There are wonderful cottages at Stephen Foster State Park which is one of the primary launch points.
few insects when we were there
We were pleasantly surprised by the lack of skeeters (we were in the Glades from 2/22 to 2/28). Must have been the drought. None at all around EC. Even camping out at Flamingo in a backpacking tent (it rained all night) and eating at the picnic table there, the two of us only got about a half dozen negligible punkie bites, despite only casual application of DEET.
And no flies, midges, wasps or other annoyances anywhere we went. The only insect encounters of note were a few dragonflies and the large spiders I collected inadvertently paddling through webs stretched across the narrow mangrove channels of the channels we canoed.