Washington Oaks to Ormond Beach

2 Chicas Stroll the Garden

2 Chicas are now driving through Hastings – the potato capital of Florida. There are 21,000 acres of potatoes grown in this little town. How is it possible that Chica 2 would remember the Lays Potato chip commercial involving two good looking farmers from Hastings?

Now she wants to deviate from our plan and go find the guys who grow the potatoes that are used by Lays and wanted by a Chica. We don’t have time for that wild goose chase Chica 2!!!

The drive over to Washington Oaks Gardens was quiet and filled with the little events that make life special. The times you look up in the sky and notice how blue and clear it is.

The moment a tiny sparrow flits in front of your car and lands on the grass at the side of the road. God makes such beauty apparent everywhere.
 

Chica 2 really was mesmerized by the views once we turned onto A1A – considered one of the most scenic drives in America. That is if you drive it from one end of the country to the other. Tee hee hee

Always a sucker for an unplanned stop, Chica 2 hit the brakes and turned into Fort Matanzas National Monument. The fort sits out in the Matanzas River; a ferry ride away. This was not a planned stop so no time for a ferry ride. Back to the road!

Washington Oaks was once owned by a distant relative of President George Washington. Very distant by the look of the shabby cabin that once had a spot overlooking the river. Tee hee hee

The property’s latest claim to fame is it was the winter home of Owen D. and Louise P. Young. He was the Chairman of General Electric and the founder and Chairman of RCA.  He was a pretty big shot; in 1929 he was Times “Man of the Year”. 

Mrs. Young was no slouch. She manufactured lingerie and table linen in the Phillippines. Just imagine an international business WOMAN in the twenties! Chica 2 said Mrs. Young was her hero! It is most obvious that she was the founder and Chairperson of Victoria’s Secret.

Chica 2 felt she did a great job of keeping it a secret, because who ever heard of her? No she was not linked to Victoria’s Secret Chica 2, as usual, you have your facts a little askew!

Chica 2 actually was quite interested in the coquina columns at the entrance of the property.

For those of you who don’t know, coquina rock is made by sand, shells and water joining together to make a material that was used for building in the early days of the state.

When initially mined, the coquina rock is soft, but when left to dry, it hardens enough to make columns, fire places and other uses. Chica 2 thought the coquina would make a good body scrub. If that is true, then so would cement. I think not!

The home is actually facing the river and the street you drive on while visiting the property was actually the old A1A.

The citrus grove was active prior to the Young’s purchasing the property. Mr. Young, always the entrepreneur, sold the fruit from a stand on the corner.

The formal gardens and all of the landscaping was Mrs. Young’s design. She had a large greenhouse where she grew orchids and the rose garden still has very fragrant roses.

Chica 2 was busy boxing a bee over one single Ingrid Bergman rose. Chica 2 was overheard saying to the rose in a really bad foreign accent:

“You smelled good for him now smell good for me.” Chica 2 we are far from Casablanca. Over by the pond, there is a gazebo and a number of seating areas.

Chica 2 wanted to try her hand at her favorite sport, hillbilly hand fishing. Fortunately, this method of fishing does not work with tadpoles! There are no fish in the different water features. Maybe it will work out in the Matanzas River.

There are many hiking trails, fishing and a large picnic area. A small gift shop sells trinkets and the proceeds are used to maintain the property.

Washington Oaks Gardens State Park is a nice place to get acquainted with the “Real Florida”.

2 Chicas Raising Cane at Bulow Plantation

The Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park marks the site of a former sugar plantation. 2 Chicas turned off the main road onto the long dirt road leading to the site. Chica 2 offered to go get the covered wagon and the horses for the journey down to the plantation.

The bumping and rocking transported Chica 2 back to the horse drawn carriage days. She occasionally hit the brakes and said “Whoa Nelly, slow it down girl”.  Chica 1 rolled her eyes and reminded Chica 2 to take it easy on the suspension.

 

Chica 2 asked if she would be able to grow sugar cane, but a serious answer is difficult to provide. You see Chica 2 has a lot of strengths, but raising and growing things is not one of them. She would excel at the figurative act of raising cane.

As if to prove the point, Chica 2 runs around the interpretive center shooting imaginary arrows at pretend targets. “Look at me, hot Chica Little Hydrolic Feather, Queen of the Seminoles!” More like a hot mess Chica 2. Tee hee hee

The plantation was owned by Major Charles Bulow, and later his son John. This was the largest sugar mill in the state of Florida.

Using slave labor, the production of the plant was significant enough to make the Bulows very wealthy men, as reported by John Audubon.
The Seminole Indians, knowing the land to be theirs, eventually burned this plantation down.  Both of the Bulow men, the father, Charles and the son John died early. 

Where there were once fields, there are now the forests that the Seminoles remembered.

Down at the ruins, 2 Chicas looked at the sugarcane, cotton and indigo growing in a fenced area. Chica 1 shared the sugar cane reminded her of the same plants growing in her Aunt Marie’s back yard.

As a child, Chica 1 would sit on the steps with her dear Aunt and chew on the sweet interior of the sugar cane. Sugar cane is such a simple, wonderful treat that can still be purchased at road side stands during certain parts of the year here in Florida.

There is a beautiful creek that is on one side of the property and the ruins of the slave quarters, sugar mills, and spring house. A hiking trail runs through the middle of the property. The caretaker encourages visitors to spend time down at the creek. He shares that he sits and has a cup of coffee every morning at Bulow Creek; just him and his dog.

This quaint park is linked by a trail to the larger Bulow Creek State Park.  Chica 2 sadly looks back over her shoulder and wishes she didn’t have to leave her Seminole Indians friends so soon. Good-Bye Big Daddy Raw Hide Stargazer!

2 Chicas and the Spirit of Chief Tomokie

When you first drive into Tomoka State Park, it is pretty uneventful, but keep on driving, it gets more and more beautiful at each turn in the road.

2 Chicas drove all the way to the back of the park and parked. There was an incredible sculpture there in honor of Chief Tomokie, who drank from the cup of the Gods.

Not sure what happened to him after his big drink, maybe he was turned into this incredible sculpture. Chica 2 began running around the rendering imagining she was playing with her little friends in the ancient Indian village. Chica 2 you’re it!

Crossing over to the water, there is a little incline down to a beach like area on the Tomoka River. It is pristine and serene! 2 Chicas sat for a while and did a little fishing.

A few small fish taunted us by jumping out of the water. Chica 2 did her normal and threatened to snatch them out of the water with her hillbilly fishing technique. Please don’t try it Chica 2, they may just grab you and drag you under! Tee hee hee.

We leave and go over to the camp store area. There are lots of folks launching their boats so we pause to watch the ballet. Some of the boaters are returning so they dock their boat and go pull their trucks down. There is a nice small deck with a bench where one can fish or just reflect over the beautiful river. The camp store provides many items and is nicely arranged.

Down another side road and there are many areas for fishing and camping on both sides of the tributaries that feed the river. 2 Chicas didn’t know which one to enjoy. We picked a little area off the road with a picnic table and sat watching the water slowly flow downstream.

Another of our fish friends splashed in the water to let us know they were watching us. There was a sense of the ancients still being here in spirit. One could easily imagine them fishing in these beautiful lagoons. Chica 2 swore she heard a voice telling her to come into the creek. Fortunately, she didn’t listen.

There’s also a huge campground on site if you should choose to spend time exploring the fishing onsite. There are all kinds of little areas to boat/canoe, picnic and fish.

During the spring there are often manatees in the canals, and bird-watchers beware – this is a stopping place for migrating birds in the fall/winter!

2 Chicas found Tomoka State Park to be a true Florida jewel! Visit and decide for yourself.

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