Recently hubby and I went to one of my favorite places-Princess Place Preserve.  It's a park maintained by Flagler County. It was purchased by Henry Cutting and his wife Angela in 1886.  Cutting built a large lodge on the site named Cherokee Grove.  After Henry died, Angela married Boris Scherbatoff, an exiled Russian Prince.  Then it became known as Princess Place.  It was also the site of the first in-ground swimming pool.  The pool still supplied water from an artesian well.

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To this day, the lodge is beautiful.  The lodge has a wide porch on all four sides.  On the front overlooking where the Matanzas River and Pellicer Creek come together are rocking chairs just begging for you to sit, relax, and sometimes watch an eagle or a porpoise.  At present, construction crews are making over the old bath houses and the barn.  Both of them were in need of a lot of care.

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The road into the park winds through pine and hardwood forests.  A large bridge covers a small creek through a large expanse of marsh land.  It's a favorite place for fisherman to cast their rods.  I was lucky enough to see otters play there.  Dirt roads meander through the park.  It is not uncommon to see deer walking across your path or eating in some of the open areas.  And birds of every kind fill the trees and water.  During our last picnic there we were entertained by a brown pelican, a wood stork, a kingfisher, and a Harris hawk.  First time I had seen a Harris hawk. 

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Some of the trees are covered in the resurrection fern with wild orchids in among them.  These tiny, native orchids called Greenfly orchids have a green bloom.  They are hard to see but worth the effort of looking for them.

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There are several primative camp sites.  On the weekend and during the summer they are always full.  Also the preserve has equestrian camp sites and numerous riding trails.  Add to that the hiking trails for the walking enthusiasts.  There is one hiking trail that is paved with cement for handicapped use.  It goes through forests and along the marsh.  It's great for people in wheelchairs or electric scooters.  Hubby pushed me around in my wheelchair when I was too ill to walk.  It was wonderful to be out.

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I think I've included all the features of the preserve.  The one thing I haven't talked about is the sense of peace I get every time I go there.  Once you are in the woods on one of the roads, it's like being in another time and place.  I feel it.  A sense of relaxation and a spiritual uplifting come to me.  Now I know that might be hard for everyone to understand.  Nevertheless, it's there.  I come home renewed and ready to tackle the world again.  Those of you who really know me will understand.