Touring Kingsley Plantation

Hello. R Veers. I'm Lisa mcewan. I hope all of your trips have been going well. Our family recently took a trip to Hannah Park just outside of Jacksonville.

It's a great little campground that we really enjoy. But while we were there, we decided to take a little daytime excursion. We decided to hop aboard a ferry across Saint John's river and visit Kingsley plantation. It's a very big trip for us. Our girls were very excited.

It was their first time on a ferry and the idea of putting ourselves in a car on a boat was very cool and of course, they were excited to explore the plantation as well. We'll take you along. Here's a little look at our trip to get to Kingsley plantation. We make a short drive from Hannah Park to Mayport and take a ferry ride. It's just a five minute ride across the Saint John's river to Fort George Island.

What, what's it feel like to be on a ferry? It feels kind of weird on it. Kind of feels like a little scary to me. We pull into the dock, drive off the ferry and head down a long winding dirt road to get to Kingsley plantation, a national park where you can take a self guided tour. We grab a map and start our trek around the plantation.

The plantation house dates back to 1798 and as old as plantation house still standing in the state of Florida, you can explore certain rooms in the plantation home, including this kitchen where an open fire served as a stove. As you tour the outside of the home, you certainly can't beat the view. The backyard is dotted with palm trees and the tidal waters provide the perfect backdrop. Back then, homes were strategically built on the water which made it easier to sell crops and bring in supplies. Near the home is the barn where the original walls made of an oyster shell concrete also known as Tabby still Stand inside.

You can learn about old farming tools and day to day life. A quarter acre garden sits near the home too as a small representation of the crops grown. Back in the 18 hundreds Sea Island, cotton was the biggest crop, sugar cane and vegetables like corn, beans and potatoes were grown here too. When the Kingsley's lived here, crops were spread across the entire 1000 acre island sitting at the plantations waters is a semi circle of homes where 60 to 70 slaves stayed and worked the plantation. Each of these one room buildings were made by hand from the same tabby formed by cooking oyster shells which were plentiful by the river and mixing it with water and sand to form a type of concrete.

If you're visiting Northern Florida, consider visiting Kingsley plantation. But while you're there, you should also know that there is a string of seven state parks right around the plantation known as the Talbot Island state Parks, all of which offer beautiful beaches and historic sites. So if you decide to take a trip, you'll have plenty to see until next time.