Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park…what a find!!  The park is only 13 miles south of Gainesville and 29 miles north of Ocala.  It was a perfect getaway for me and my dog Annie in between horse shows at the World Equestrian Center.

I typically don’t visit state parks because unlike National Forests, dogs have to be on a leash and there is an entrance fee.  At Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, the fee was only $4.  I couldn’t believe it!  I am so glad I visited this 22,000 acre wilderness over two days.

HAPPY HIKING!
McKittrick Canyon Trail

Happy Hiking: McKittrick Canyon Trail to Hunter Line Shack

McKittrick Canyon Trail is a popular hike in Guadalupe Mountains National Park.  As the name suggests, it is located in the McKittrick Canyon Area of the park whose gates are open between 8 am and 5 pm MOUNTAIN time.  Mountain is capitalized because there is a chance your watch is wrong!

With limited hours and hot temperatures in the summer, I recommend hiking the McKittrick Canyon Trail in the spring or fall since early starts are not possible.

With two historic cabins, a grotto, the notch, and ridge, the challenging 21.3 out-and-back trail affords hikers many options.  During my visit, I hiked only 7 miles which highlights the Pratt Cabin, the grotto, and the Hunter Line Shack. 

HAPPY HIKING!
runway at the bottom of the rocks

Hiking in Saba

Hiking in Saba on Our Dive Trip

A few years ago, I heard about an island called Saba in the Caribbean that had good SCUBA diving. I mentioned it to my dive buddies Rootie and Julie, and soon we ended up on a girls’ trip diving in Saba.  I didn’t know, however, that there are a lot of opportunities for hiking in Saba.  How perfect, we turned our dive vacation into a hiking trip too!

While we spent the mornings diving, we spent many of our afternoons as well as our last day on the island exploring.  As such we got to hike many trails in Saba.

GO HIKING!