March 21 – March 30, 2016

Days 40, 41, 42, 43

Koreshan Campground is being closed April 15, 2016 for a much needed facelift.  The sites have been taken over by  vegetation.  It is so dense they need to do a controlled burn.  So we are living in a jungle, for nine days.   It’s no big deal, because there is so much to do in the park and nearby that we wouldn’t be spending much time at the site anyway.

The Historic part of the park is the Koreshan Unity Settlement.

A man named Dr. Cyrus Teed (Koresh is Hebrew for Cyrus) had an “illumination” to create a Utopia,  the “New Jerusalem”,  a life without crime, tobacco or drugs.  In 1894,  with a couple of hundred followers,  the community formed.   In 1961 the last few Koreshans donated 305 acres of their holdings to the State of Florida, as a “Gift to the People”.

The site today,  is a place of beauty,  peace and tranquility.   Walking onto the property,  the first thing I noticed was how good it smelled good.

Pathways made of shells, trails along the Estero River and bridges invite you to enjoy the beautiful grounds,  buildings, gardens and wildlife.  The settlement represents  the hopes and dreams of people that were not afraid of hard work and had a great appreciation for theater,  art,  music and education.  Their beliefs were a little weird in my opinion,  but to each his own.

There are guided tours everyday and scheduled events like,  garden tours,  music series, demonstrations,  a baking program at the Cast Iron Cafe and a Farmers Market on different days.  The grounds are open 8:00 a.m. til sunset everyday and pets on a leash are welcome, but not in the buildings.   It’s an easy bicycle ride from the campground.  I’ve taken to walking E T there at least once a day,  sometimes twice.