Living in St. Augustine and the surrounding areas – Ponte Vedra, Vilano Beach, World Golf Village and Jacksonville – sure do come with its perks. With some of the best beaches in the state, world-class golf, professional sports and a great culinary scene, Northeast Florida is a spectacular place to live — and it’s only a short drive from some very special places. Just hop in your car, and in a mere 45 minutes to hour-and-a-half, you can be whisked away to find Florida magic, without even having to stay the night.

Ravine Gardens State Park: 1600 Twigg St, Palatka, FL 32177 (45 minutes from downtown St. Augustine)

Ravine Gardens is a stunning tropical paradise, filled with flowering plants and steep ravines. Located in Palatka, it has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1999. Open 365 days a year, from 8am to sunset, this beautiful park features ancient, narrow and deep ravines that have been transformed into rustic gardens. The park’s two ravines are 70-120 feet deep, with steep 45-degree angle banks, and a creek at the bottom called Whitewater Branch, a spring-fed stream that flows east into the St. Johns River. Over thousands of years, the ravines have become wider and deeper, and can be explored on foot or bike. In 1933, the ravines were transformed into the gardens we see today, with native and ornamental flowers, including up to 18 different varieties of azaleas. The peak flowering season is from January to March, where hundreds of azaleas bloom simultaneously in brilliant colors of white, pink, purple and coral. Large spans of azaleas can be found along trails and ravine sides, creating a spectacular display each year. A wonderful place to visit any time of the year, the annual Azalea Festival is held the first weekend in March and is a great time to soak in the unique beauty of Ravine Gardens State Park. Admission is only $5 per vehicle. Learn more on the park’s website.

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