Eden Gardens State Park

  The Wesley was built in 1895, and had elaborate Victorian trimming as well as a wrap-around porch.  Lois G. Maxon  (newspaper woman by trade) bought it in 1963 for $12,500.00 and reconstructed it for one million dollars.  The original building had a kitchen and dining room outside of the home.  They were added into the reconstructed building, as well as bathrooms and closets.  The style was changed from Victorian to an antebellum plantation home.  Pictured below is the backside of the house, the lawn leads down to Tucker Bayou, part of Choctawhatchee Bay.

Miss Maxon came from German royalty on her mother's side and was desirous of having a home for her families European antiques.  We toured the home, it is quite plain and simple on the inside, however Miss Maxon not only gave the house but also her furniture to the state of Florida.  She owned a collection of Louis XVI furniture, which is quite beautiful with tapestry pictures on them.  One bedroom has crown royal furniture, which gives an elegant flair to that room.

The park has been the venue of choice for weddings.  Pictured above is the reflecting pool.  Live oaks on the property vary in age from 500 to 600 years old.  One of them, in the background of the picture above, is known as the "wedding tree".  On the grounds are a variety of gardens.  There are camellia as well as azalea gardens- needless to say the best time of year to visit this place is October to May.  And right now the rose garden is at the end of its blooming period.

Currently the butterfly garden is n full bloom, here the butterflies are quite active.

Before closing here I want to share with you a picture of a statuary which we found down by the bayou.  Needless to say, we enjoyed our visit here very much!

Today we are driving back to our rv park in Tampa.  It fared the storm all right and has power.  Unfortunately our daughter and her husband have not been able to return to their home in Clearwater.  There is a very tall tree in their yard which is leaning precariously and threatens to topple on their home.  Their house has power, but many in southern Florida continue to be without it.  For many the horrors of Hurricane Irma (as well as Harvey) continue on for weeks afterwards.