Gamble Plantation Historic State Park

  In 1843 Robert Gamble homesteaded 160 acres of land along the Manatee River with the intention of establishing a sugar plantation and shipping the sugar to New Orleans. The plantation house, finished in 1850, was built of tabby with slave labor.  Rapid expansion over the next ten years included acquiring about 3,000 more acres and hundreds of slaves, but in 1856, unable to pay his debts Gamble sold the property. The house which was unoccupied for many years was bought by the United Daughters of the Confederacy and donated to the state who restored it in 1927. In addition to the house the park has a small visitor center, a picnic area and a few pieces of sugar mill machinery on the grounds. Tours of the house are $6.00. The visitor center and grounds are free.

   The visitor center is accessible. The first floor of the house is accessible. The ramp to access the porch and front door is on the side of the house where the cistern is located. The second floor is not accessible but a book with photographs is available.

  RVs can be parked in the picnic area under the trees or in the grass.  Park
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Fun N Sun Fly-In

  A group of experimental aircraft pilots founded the fly-in in 1975. What started as a pilots only event has grown to include the general public, featuring attractions such as a kids zone, a car show, food booths and evening entertainment. At it’s core, though, it’s still a venue for serious pilots with hundreds of commercial exhibitors, forums, seminars and workshops.  Admission prices are high at  $37.00 a day plus $10.00 for parking.  If you’re not a pilot or plane enthusiast you may want to just watch the airshows from the parking lot or Pipkin Road. As history bluffs we have enjoyed viewing aircraft at various museums around the country much more than at the fly-in. Airshows are almost continuous from noon until 6:00.


  Handicapped parking is very limited. To get a space you must arrive around 6:00/6:30 when the gates open. There’s an addition close up, preferred parking lot for $25.00 a day. Two tractor pulled, wheelchair accessible shuttles service all of the other lots. Close up and shady preferred seating for the airshows is an additional $20.00 over the $37.00 general admission. The main paths in the venue are all paved but the grounds where the smaller planes are parked are grassy and bumpy.
         
  RVs are not permitted in the handicapped lot but are in permitted in the preferred parking lot. A special lot is available for RVs but it’s pretty far away from the front entrance and requires pushing over bumpy, dusty roads and grassy fields however the accessible shuttle does go to the RV parking.  If you chose to just watch the airshow the RV area is excellent. Arrive before 8:00AM to get a good spot. RVs are parked lengthwise on a paved road with a grassy strip at the front door where cars are not supposed to park. Pull out your awning or block off the area so that you have a good view of the show. Our friends brought their big class A and we all enjoyed watching from under the shade of their awning.  Fly-In
27.98219, -82.02984

Blue Cypress Park

   Middleton's Fish Camp and the park seem to share this area. A sign at the entrance requests that campers sign in at the camp store which was closed when we arrived. Three large spots under the trees are for tent campers. RVs may park in the grass on the north side of the park. There’s room for about 15 RVs depending on how people park. Restrooms with showers, a picnic area, and a boat launch are available. Everything is free. Park
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A.E. Backus Museum and Gallery

  A. E. Backus, a native and long time resident of Ft. Pierce,  spent many of his 84 years painting Florida landscapes. His style of painting, which captured the light and color of Florida’s scenery, influenced other Florida artists including the “Highway Men”, a group of African American landscape artists who sold paintings door to door and along the east coast roads. The museum’s galleries include works by Backus and the Highway Men plus changing exhibits. Many pieces are for sale.

  The museum is accessible.

  The best place to park a RV is in the public parking lot across the street to the west.  Museum
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Manatee Observation and Education Center

  The center is very small with a few aquariums, an observation dock, an observation tower and hands on activities for kids. The audio on the video is of such poor quality that we stopped watching after the first few minutes. The manatees are in the wild so they may not be around the dock during your visit. Admission is only $1.00 but even so it’s not worth going out of your way to stop here.

  The center and dock are accessible. The tower is not.

  The best place to park a RV is in the public parking lot across the street to the west.  Center
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Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit

  The Marine Station is a research center focusing on understanding the complex ecosystems of the offshore waters of Florida's central and east coast. The exhibit’s purpose is to educate visitors about the fragility of the ecosystems and how humans impact them. It consists of six different Florida marine habitats. The largest is a Caribbean coral reef with many different types of colorful coral. It’s fascinating to observe the coral while keeping in mind that they are animals and not the plants that they resemble. The exhibit is small but interesting with a very knowledgeable staff.

   Everything is accessible.

  The parking area is small but there’s also parking where RVs will fit at St. Lucie County Regional History Center and at the parking areas for the beach.  Exnibit
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St. Lucie County Regional History Center

  This very nicely done, small museum covers the county history including information about Fort Pierce United States Naval Amphibious Training Base which was the beginning of the Navy Seals. Displays about Native Americans, fishermen, pineapple farmers and pioneer families fill the rest of the museum. Outdoor displays include informative signs, farm equipment, antique vehicles,  a WWII landing craft and a 1907 house.

  The museum is accessible but the entrance and exit doors have steep, short ramps making navigation difficult with a wheelchair. Several areas of the museum have sections of  flooring that is slightly higher which necessitates a slightly abrupt jump up or drop down.  The house has a lift that requires getting a key from the museum volunteers which we didn't bother to do. It looked pretty old and rusty so it may not work.

  The lot is fairly large. RVs can be backed up to overhang the grassy areas or parked lengthwise taking up several spaces.  Museum
27.46, -80.31602

Heathcote Botanical Garden

        
  Heathcote Gardens has a fantastic display of bonsai trees. There are 100 trees and 26 different varieties. Some are over 60 years old!  The rest of the garden is fairly small with a main path and themed gardens around the edges.

  The main path and the bonsai garden are accessible. The Japanese garden has loose stones and arched bridges which makes pushing very difficult for wheelchair users. The other gardens paths are mulch and grass. Wheelchair users may need to have help. The Pioneer House has a ramp in the rear of the building but the bottom edge does not meet the ground leaving a step up of several inches.

The parking lot is small but RVs can park lengthwise in the grassy areas.  Gardens
27.41805, -80.32333
         
         

DuPuis Management Area Campgrounds

   Free camping is rare in Florida so we had to check this place. There are two campgrounds. Family Campground, accessed from Gate 1 on Route 76 and a mile down a sandy road, is for tents and popups only. Equestrian Campground, at Gate 3, is opened to all campers. It’s close to Route 76 so there’s some traffic noise. Both campgrounds are really nice with lots of shade and plenty of room. Sites are not marked and may not have tables. Equestrian Campground has more amenities including restrooms, showers and a dump station but no potable water for filling RV tanks.

  The showers and restrooms are not accessible. The ground is soft and sandy which makes pushing around difficult for wheelchair users.

   The website doesn’t mention a restriction on RVs at Family Campground so that's where we headed first. The host asked us to move to Equestrian Campground. This photograph is of the Family Camp. Many of the campsites have a nice view of a little lake which sits in the center.  Camping
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C.B. Smith Park Campground

  All of the sites in the campground have full hookups. Large mature trees provide shade for many of the sites but the lack of other foliage means little privacy between the sites. The free WiFi  is very fast. A water park, paved bike trails, tennis courts, and playgrounds are among the recreational opportunities offered.

  Three sites are accessible. They have large, paved parking pads which extend under the tables and around the hookups. Paved paths lead to the restrooms. The tables have long overhangs. The regular sites have paved parking pads and pavement under the tables so they are also fairly accessible.

  Many of the sites are pull through and large any RV.  Park
26.01685, -80.31941