This very faded marker in front of the Charlton County Courthouse tells the history of the county…read more It reads, "Created by an Act of February 18, 1854 out of Camden County, Charlton County was named for Judge Robert M. Charlton of Savannah. Trader's Hill (Fort Alert), an important shipping point and head of navigation on St. Marys River, was the first County Site. In 1901, Folkston became the County Site after the Savannah, Florida & Western RR was in operation. The first County Officers, elected in April, 1854, were: Daniel R. Dedge, Sheriff; J.H. Oliver, Clerk of both Courts; Francis M. Smith, Ordinary; John E. Gibson, Tax Receiver; J.H. Bessant, Surveyor; James S. Bennett, Coroner; Louis N.G. Strickland, soon replaced by H. Roddenberry, Tax Collector." Yeah, *that* Roddenberry. The "H. Roddenberry" would have been the great grandfather or the grandfather of Gene Roddenberry. The Star Trek guy. [Review 13240 overall, 557 of 2020.]

Balis Park lies right in the heart of San Marco. It's beautiful with its shade, statues, benches…read moreand simply captures the heart of this great town. It's an ideal place to meet, relax and you'll find numerous events held here throughout the year. I would highly suggest this being the place that you use to start your San Marco day.

Love this little park! I live nearby and enjoy sitting by the lions statue/fountain often. It's a…read morequiet place to stretch out before/after going for a run. We attended the AMAZING arts festival here last year and are looking forward to it again. They hold beer festivals, charity runs, and more events in this small park. There is free street parking around the square. Note- there are no public restrooms at this park. The park is well maintained and they always update the landscaping each season. During the holidays, they put lights all over the park surrounding the Christmas tree under the gazebo. I love San Marco and it's many parks!

Super unique experience in such a special place! This is Georgias well kept secret! It is amazing…read moreto study before going and it will make you appreciate it so much more when you go! In a spot the whole world is interested in and its future preservation is extremely important for future generations! The visitor center is so kid friendly and fun to explore! Coloring books a climbable treehouse, jukebox with animal sounds, large glass windows to see the swamp, an animatronic man telling stories about the swamps history etc and even a movie theater and shop! Truly a great visitor center and they're building a new one which I bet will be even bigger and better! We walked the trail to the large tower and then also walked to see the homestead! The tower hike was missing shade from the fire in 2017 but besides that it was super enjoyable. The homestead was locked up when we went but it was still super fun to walk around and peek in the windows. The adventure boat company was worth it to get out into the swamp with knowledgeable guides! Truly a remarkable special place. It's HUGE so make sure you know which entrance you need to go to. There are two and they are not close to each other haha.

Kinda hokie, old, make shift but glad we did it. A lot to see. Pack a lunch, we didn't and it was…read morebig mistake. There was no admission fee but we didn't go on the boat tour. Spent $40 at the gift shop. Every ecological system in Georgia can be seen here, that was the spectacular part. If you go on eBay you can see old postcards of how it use to be and how it changed over the years. That was cool. Wish there was more funding to make this place a gem.

This historic site is beautiful. While the actual building is small and largely not much to look at…read more, the trails and surrounding area are fantastic. I went for a long walk on the trail that starts behind the building. It was peaceful and serene. I was able to see a ton of bird and tree varieties. During my hike I was encountered 5 other people so for the most part I felt like I had the place to myself. You can take a few different paths which can make the hike pretty far if you are up for it. While this isn't the type of place I would need to come to every single time it is certainly worth checking out. Across the street is more of the park, some historical graves , and a great view of the marshes and bridge.

This was such an interesting historical site to explore. It's easily accessible -- right along the…read moreside of the road. We parked and walked over to the house. There are explanatory plaques about the tabby-built house along with a sign about tabby (the building material formed from a mix of sand, lime, oyster shells, and water). The house is one of the oldest of its kind in Georgia and is on the National Register of Historic places. Horton was in charge of the British troops stationed on island. He built this house as his residence and lived here from 1736 until 1748. (He died in Savannah in 1748 or 1749 -- I've read two different dates.) One other interesting note about Horton was that he had the first beer brewery in the state. What you see when you come here is the shell of the house. Open aired without a roof or paned windows. You can walk around the outside and inside. It's a good photo op for various views through the open windows. Later on, the house was occupied by the French du Bignons (who owned the island until they sold it to the American millionaires in 1886) from 1790 to the mid 1800's. Their cemetery is located across the street from the House, and you can easily walk to see this, as well, which we did.

Once a year they have this juried art show; this is the 10th annual. The museum and art show are…read moremanned by volunteers; they provide a lovely lunch to all the artists (which is appreciated). They have an award ceremony for painting, photography and 3D art. To encourage the youth they also have awards for high school kids. I entered under 3D art my gourds ( was 4 gourd artists, metal sculptures, clay, wood and barnacle 3D art)and was pleased to take 1st place for the 2nd year in a row! Thanks a lot...it made my day!

Small local museum but with varied exhibits. The building is an old train depot built in the…read more1880's. There are exhibits on trains (see the caboose!), turpentine production, roadside motels, and Revolutionary War battles, along with history of the local towns. They recently added an exhibit on the FAA. The museum is open Saturdays (9 am - 1 pm) . They host special events like Railroad Days, ice cream social, art shows, and farmer's market.

The Three Lions Fountain in Jacksonville is a nice, peaceful spot with some really cool detail on…read morethe lions. It's not a huge attraction, but it's great for a quick stop and a few pictures. Solid little place that adds some charm to the area.

Three Lions Fountain is the main focal point of San Marco. It really is beautiful and it's kept…read morewell-maintaned. During the day, you may often see little ones playing in the fountain. I'm not really sure if they're suppose to do that. But they sure do have fun and I've never seen anyone tell them not to. For all you Geocachers out there, I will tell you that there is a geocache hidden in this fountain. And boy are you going to have some people really staring, watching, pointing, and even laughing at you as you try to go for it. This area is ALWAYS busy, so you'll ALWAYS have eyes on you when you go for this geocache. Where is it? Well, believe it or not, the back of the lions have holes in them. Yes, yes they do. And you'll have to give the correct lion a rectal exam to get your hands on this geocache. Hubby and I use to be real big into geocaching and I let him have the honors of doing the rectal exam to get it! LOL We did get it, but like I said, we had eyes on us everywhere and people just couldn't figure out what the hell my husband was doing with his hand stuck up one of the lions a$$es! LOL Good Luck!

It's First Friday! This was a great day/evening for it. The weather was nice, lightly breezy, with…read moremusic, vendors, food trucks, bubbles, and a beautiful fountain that changed color when the sun set. The event was from 5-9:30. The Blood Mobile was there accepting blood donors, there was a table for financial literacy, pediatric clinic, vet table, bubbles, face painting, and music! I ordered a vegetable pancit, early on, which was tasty and could stand more seasoning and vegetables. Later I ordered a green curry with vegetables and tofu over jasmine rice with a spice level of 6! It was SPICY! Yes!!! I had a great night! Thanks @JaxParks!

Visited Friendship Fountain and honestly it was one of those spots that just feels good to be at…read morewithout trying too hard. The fountain itself is huge and impressive when it's running, with water shooting up and moving in these patterns that make it weirdly calming to just sit and watch. It has that "you could stay here way longer than planned" kind of vibe, especially with the river right there and the open space all around it. My family and I just hung out nearby, walked along the water, and let the kids run around while we took in the view. It is one of those places where nobody is in a rush and everyone is just kind of enjoying the moment. The whole area feels peaceful but still active enough that there's always something to look at--boats passing, people walking, and the fountain doing its thing like the centerpiece of it all. Five stars. Perfect mix of relaxing, pretty views, and a great spot in Jacksonville to just slow down and enjoy the day.

Love it. Just love it. This is a place I can see as a getaway repeatedly, as there's so many…read moredifferent ways to experience a vacation here. The nature scenery is breathtaking. The wildlife is overall captivating (mosquitoes can be a nuisance depending on when you go). There is an overpriced market and a disappointingly stocked gas station convenience store. You probably want to bring some kind of water filtration or cases of bottled water, as the water from the tap can be rather sulfuric, and that's evident in the water they serve fountain style at restaurants too (my wife could even taste it in her Diet Coke!). All that aside, you can load up at Buc-ee's before you come, as it's on the way, and you can enjoy taking it easy, going for walks...we once found an armadillo on the side of the road! It is touristy and expensive, unless you camp and pack your own food, but the nature and variety of beaches here is compelling! Maybe you'll even spot a turtle? I haven't seen one outside of the sanctuary yet, but I almost might be here at the wrong time of year for it. Will almost certainly be back!

If you are looking for a beach experience, keep driving to Florida. This is not really a nice…read morebeach and is considered natural. You can only really go to the beach during low tide. There is not a ton to do either. If you want to waste money on the turtle or dolphins tours because you have never seen them before, do it. The shopping is lackluster and the events are pretty lame. The kicker is they charge $10 per day just to be on this Island. They don't have Pickelball, the service at the restaurants isn't the best. The only thing that is nice, was the house we rented. Our parents rented a smaller version through Parker Kaufman and it was horrible. The furniture stands and the bed sank into the middle. overall we do not recommend anyone from the outside are to come here. driving an extra hour to FL will be more worth your money.

We stopped by Memorial Park with the dogs this Memorial Day. This park is THE iconic symbol of…read moreRiverside. It is always the perfect place to walk, run, relax on a bench, take in the beauty of the St John's River, fish and it is especially, a place of remembrance and respect. It is equipped with water stations, plenty of grass and plenty of shade. This should always be a stop when you're in Riverside.

I love this park. So close to my home! Perfect place to picnic, sit in the sun, fish or do your…read morepark thing!