Wakulla Springs: An Excellent Southern Vacation Stop

As you should be able to tell from some of my other posts, the Deep South has plenty of small stops to add to any Southern Vacation. Whether you are looking for nature, amusement parks, history, or anything else, the South has plenty to add to your travel.

Photo by Olga Caprotti

Some of the best places to experience the South in Florida are the natural springs. Most have surrounding state parks with camping, picnicking, nature trails and more to give you a great day of fun and relaxation.

A great spring with a state park is located in Wakulla County, Florida, just south of the state capitol of Tallahassee, Florida. It is also a short drive from some of the great beaches of the Florida Panhandle.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a National Natural Landmark, the Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park has plenty to offer. There is swimming in the cool springs, the largest and deepest freshwater springs in the world. Be ready, though, it's pretty cool.

There is also plenty of wildlife to see at the park. With boat tours and glass-bottom boat tours, visitors can see all of the fish, turtles, and many alligators that are in the Wakulla River. On these guided tours you can also see deer, native birds, and other wildlife that live in the surrounding area.

Although there is no camping at this park, there are other opportunities such as picnicking and great nature trails for hiking and bicycling. There is also a lodge that is open year round for large meetings.

Lights, Animals, And Sports At Callaway Gardens

Just outside Pine Mountain, Georgia and just northeast of the Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park, Callaway Gardens is a destination for just under a million visitors annually. Founded in 1952 by Cason J. Callaway and his wife Virginia Hand Callaway, this park and nature preserve are home to a wide range of attractions which include activities for winter, spring, summer and autumn.

Begun as a haven to promote and protect native species of the Azalea, a southern staple for flowering shrubs and bushes, Callaway Gardens has always had a large emphasis on both plant life and wildlife alike. With many horticultural attractions, such as the Azalea Bowl, the John A. Sibley Horticultural Center, and the "Mr. Cason's Vegetable Garden", visitors can spend hours enjoying the beautiful scenery while learning at the same time.

With their large acreage and great facilities, Callaway Gardens is a great place for all kinds of events and seasonal attractions. The most visited of these are the Masters Water Ski & Wakeboard Tournament on Memorial Day weekend, the Steeplechase the first Saturday of November, the Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival on Labor Day weekend, and the "Fantasy In Lights" in November and December.

The "Fantasy In Lights" is a very large draw for the park, as thousands from surrounding counties and states make an annual trip to see it. The lights can be seen from your car or you can get a ticket for a trolley to see the lights with a narrator. While you wait for the trolley, you can visit the big top tent which is filled with many vendors of Christmas and holiday crafts and merchandise or visit Santa Clause for special requests. Outside near the trolley station there are several different food vendors and many tables to eat or enjoy hot chocolate or hot apple cider prior to your Christmas lights tour.

The wildlife attractions at Callaway are also amazing. The two main attractions are the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center and the birds of prey exhibition. The butterfly center has over 1,000 butterflies all in an 80 degree atrium (so be prepared to be warm). These butterflies are easily photographed and will sometimes even land on you, so this is excellent for young children. Inside the atrium there are also large Koi ponds and educational areas to tell about the butterflies and the building itself.

The birds of prey exibition is in the outdoor amphitheater overlooking the water. They have all kinds of birds of prey flying over your head from trainer to trainer, including hawks and even a buzzard. This show is great for young and old alike and lasts about 45 minutes. All of these exibits are free of charge after you have paid to enter the park.

Although the Christmas lights presentation at Callaway Gardens is one of the most widely known attractions, many people come to Callaway for golf, hiking, nature and wildlife education and more. Along with the many attractions surrounding Pine Mountain, GA and the Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park, there are many things to do in the area surrounding Callaway Gardens, making it one of the most desirable destinations in the Southeastern U.S.

Along with the large events like the Steeplechase and the Water Ski & Wakeboard Tournament, there are many athletic and fitness opportunities for the thousands of year round visitors to the park. Callaway Gardens is home to some of the greatest golf the South has to offer. From 1991 to 2002 the Gardens was home to the Buick Challenge on the PGA tour. The Gardens has 27 holes of golf that will challenge your golf skills and provide a relaxing outing at the same time.

The Gardens has several walking, hiking, and biking trails including a 10 mile Discover Bike Trail. These trails provide great nature and wildlife viewing along with access to the other attractions at the park. There is also the Mountain Creek Tennis Center which is located across Hwy 27 from the main park. Families and children can also enjoy the world's largest man-made beach at the Robin Lake Beach complex, and possibly see the Florida State University's Flying High Circus which has shows near the beach every summer.

Some Ways To Get A Great Southern Travel Deal!

When you are preparing to book vacations or mini vacations, how you book your flight, rental car, and accommodations can very much affect your bottom line. As you know, the less you have to pay on each of these, the more you can spend while you are enjoying the location. And if you book with bad information, you could end up with a shabby hotel next to a construction site or 15 miles from the attraction you are going to visit. Whether you are booking for Summer fun or looking for Christmas vacation packages, getting good information early is key.

There are many different websites that claim to have great vacation deals and great service, but if you have traveled often, you have found better deals, usually after you took the trip. Who hasn't been on a vacation and saw a resort or hotel they didn't see when booking? Below are 5 Great Vacation Websites You Missed! Try them out, they will not disappoint. They could help make your best family vacation ever!

Sidestep-Quick And Easy

This search engine is perfect for the on-the-go traveler looking for business trip accommodations or Christmas vacation packages. It works great on a computer, and it has a great mobile comparability for smartphones. www.Sidestep.com is quick, easy, and painless for the frequent traveler.

This site compiles information from most of the major travel search engines to give you a larger volume of opinions and reviews. And, because it has the other sites' information, it can compare all of their prices for you. For a room near a business convention, mini vacations to regain your sanity, or the full-fledged cruise to the Caribbean, Sidestep can save you time and aggravation.

Discover Our Town: Go Local!

How often have you gone on a vacation and saw a great bed and breakfast or a local restaurant and didn't know anything about them? How better to truly experience an area you are relaxing in than to know and visit the local flavors? If you are visiting a Southern vacation spot and only hit the most popular spots, you have definitely missed out!

www.Discoverourtown.com takes you where you want to go, shows you the local accommodations and everything there is to experience. Looking to play golf? Find the top public golf course in Florida. Don't wish you knew a good local restaurant the next trip, find it!

VRBO, No...That Is Not A Typo

It doesn't matter if you have a family of 6 or go it solo, sometimes you want a great vacation without having to be in a hotel. Wandering around in your undies isn't exactly conducive to the hotel or condo lifestyle.

If a secluded vacation spot that makes you feel at home is what you want then look no further when booking your week stays or mini vacations. www.VRBO.com will help you find vacation houses to rent wherever you're going. Also, this site links you with the owner or local management company... Cutting out the middle-man means savings for you!

Apple Vacations... Mr Jobs Is Not The Guide

For those who are looking for the "whole package," www.AppleVacations.com is perfect. They have packages to US, European, Caribbean and other vacation spots.

Apple offers non-stop service beginning when you book a package, continuing when a representative meets you at the destination airport, and ending when you are back home getting ready for the next vacation. Apple has quality as well as savings, the best of both worlds. This company is definitely the best if you want everything taken care of for the perfect vacation, be it a North Carolina Skiing trip or a diving trip in the Cayman Islands.

Vacation Outlet... Who Doesn't Like Outlet Shopping?

This is definitely the place for the spontaneous traveler... or the procrastinator. You can find any last minute deal you can think of here. Be it cruise, flight or all-inclusive, www.VacationOutlet.com has it all.

You will find many different packages including Oahu, Hawaii vacations, or you can plan your trip, like planning your first cruise, piece by piece. This company also has a 24 year track record of travel service, so you can sleep soundly as you dream of your coming vacation.

A Few "Other" Southern Vacation Destinations

Everyone around the United States, and many people outside our country, know of many of the main Southern travel spots, such as Miami, Panama City, Atlanta, and Nashville.  Some of the greatest getaways and family vacations, however, end up happening in some of the "other" cities of the South.  Take a look at what else the South has to offer and make plans to see what else you can find!

Mississippi's Gulf Coast region offers a great combination of fun, sun, sand and slots, perfect to plan the Best Southern Vacation. In the area of Gulf Port, Mississippi and Biloxi, Mississippi, you can visit beautiful beaches, great wildlife such as at the Marine Life Oceanarium, and even newly rebuilt casinos in Biloxi. In this area you will find any type of southern vacation attraction! The Biloxi area is also just a short drive from some of the best places to visit in the Florida panhandle.

In the Mississippi coastal area, fishing or boat tours are a must! You can go on an actual shrimping trip and see the sunset out on the Gulf of Mexico, or you can go on one of the many charter boats to fish in one of the Gulf of Mexico's best fishing areas. There are many trips you can choose from whether you want to fish or just experience the aquatic wildlife the region has to offer.

This area also offers great historic sites and tours. In Biloxi you can ride the Biloxi Tour Train on which you will receive a narrated historic tour of Biloxi. There are countless museums, and educational opportunities such as the Center for Marine Education and Research in Gulfport, MS, an excellent spot for families where you can touch stingrays and horseshoe crabs and search for artifacts and sharks teeth. In Gulfport, there is also the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, one of the top 50 children's museums in the U.S.

Another of the South's most beautiful stops is on South Carolina's Atlantic Coast. Charleston, South Carolina has activities for the family, romantic getaways, and plenty of history.

If you are looking for romance, you can experience the carriage rides in downtown Charleston and see the beautiful architecture and experience the nightlife. You can also visit the many great beaches such as secluded Kiawah Island and Sullivan's Island. Or you can take a walk by the harbor and view the "Battery", a long stretch of southern homes bordering the harbor.

Charleston is also perfect for enjoying all the best salt water fishing of the Atlantic coast. This area has some of the best charter fishing in the South. You can catch Tarpon, Tuna, Dolphin (Mahi Mahi), Wahoo, Marlin or Sailfish.

If you are planning a Southern vacation, perhaps no other Southern vacation spot has the romantic feel that surrounds the city of Savannah, Georgia. From the horse-drawn carriage rides, strolls down brick lined streets, and lunch along the Savannah River to the nearby Pre-Civil War fort and Southern Plantation-style architecture, Savannah is the quintessential southern river town.

During your visit you will definitely visit River Street, Savannah's river front area. Here you will find tours, restaurants, ferry rides, and horse-drawn carriages. Whether taking a strole on a lazy southern afternoon or looking for some night life, River Street is the place to go. This area is so relaxing it will make a Hawaii vacation seem uptight.

For the family trip or the weekend explorer, you must visit some of the historic sites. There is Fort Jackson, near the Savannah River, the Savannah History Museum and the Roundhouse Railroad Museum. There are plenty of other old southern houses that have tours for you to experience.

Whether you want casinos and sand or history and romance, the Southern U.S. has plenty of places for your next travel!