Suwannee River

"Way down upon the S'wanee River,

Far, far away

That's where my heart is turning ever

That's where the old folks stay

All up and down the whole creation,

Sadly I roam

Still longing for the old plantation

And for the old folks at home..."

This is the official song of the state of Florida composed by Stephen Foster, known as the father of American music, in 1851.

During morning assembly at the school where I attended in Rangoon, Burma (now known as Yangon, Myanmar) we students would often sing this popular American folk song with a lot of gusto, not knowing that one day, many decades later, I would actually see with my own eyes, the river the song refers to.

On the way back home from our recent road trip we decided to stop at the Suwannee River State Park which is near the town of Live Oak, off US Highway 90 in northern Florida.

If you are looking to get back to nature and enjoy the “Real Florida”, this park offers a lot of recreational activities, such as fishing, picnicking, and canoeing/boating. For overnight stays, the park has a full-facility campground and cabins. If you're into bird watching there are several hiking/nature trails. Restroom facilities are available througout the park, even a shower station!

Regrettably, as it was getting dark we couldn't enjoy any of the above, and we still had a long drive ahead of us to get home. We did manage to soak in the beauty of nature and the river during the short time we were there. Hopefully, we will be able to come back for a longer stay in the future.

The park is open all year round from 8 am until sundown. Admission fee is $5 per vehicle. Extra charges apply for camping and cabin rentals.