Florida Car Rental and Palatka, FL

Palatka is a small city on in the north eastern part of Florida not too far from the Atlantic Ocean when you visit with your Florida car rental. The area was once home to the Timucuan Nation. The area was named by the Seminole, who called the area Pilotaikita, which means boat ford or boat crossing. It was named this because this is where the St. Johns River narrows and winds upstream to Lake George and Lake Monroe.

An interesting experiment: relocating London

When the Treaty of Paris changed control of Florida from Spanish to English rule, an English philanthropist was able to develop a plantation that became a utopian experiment. He rescued settlers off the streets of London, including vagrants, pickpockets, and prostitutes. They arrived to clear the land for agriculture and livestock, but they were not used to the hard work and tropical climate. They all scattered and slaves were brought in from West Africa. This area is still part of Palatka, which is the area known as Rollestown. Over time, the area changed hands numerous times, but today it is a great place to visit with your Florida car rental.

Take a ride on the rails

One of the interesting places to visit with your Florida car rental is the Palatka Railroad Preservation Society. A portion of the historic depot has been established as a museum containing documents, photographs, maps, signs, and other items that are of interest for the railroad.

Step back in time

Palatka is located in Putnam County, so a visit to the Putnam County Historical Society is a great place to visit with your Florida car rental. Part of the museum is the Bronson-Mulholland House, otherwise known as Sunny Point. It is open to the public for tours on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday from 2:00 until 5:00 p.m. The house was built by Judge Isaac Bronson in 1854, who was appointed as a circuit judge. He petitioned that the town become the county seat and donated land to the town. This is a very interesting place to visit with your Florida car rental.

Feel the warmth of Florida

Palatka has a state park that you can visit with your Florida car rental, Ravine Gardens State Park. The park contains cypress buildings, rock gardens and fieldstone terraces. Activities in the park include viewing thousands of plants and shrubs, picnicking, jogging, hiking, and biking. There are interpretive exhibits, picnic areas, gardens, trails that you can walk or bike on. If you happen to be in the area the first weekend of March, you can see the Azalea Festival, when nearly 100,000 plants begin to bloom.

Palatka is a great city in Florida that you can visit with your Florida car rental with your whole family. It is located close to the Atlantic Ocean so that you can make a day trip to the beach, or you can stay in town and see some of the great sites and participate in some of the activities going on here.