This announcement goes out WAY early because, unless you know someone nearby with whom you can stay, you'll need accommodations, and I suggest booking a room very soon.  I'm staying at The Cozy Inn, located in historic downtown St Augustine, about 13 minutes from our destination. Through Hotels.com, I'll spend $412 total for 3 nights and a queen sized bed.  This motel rates very well among guests. Many options right now, but available rooms will shrink and prices will grow over time.  (For premium hotels, count on doubling that cost...or more.)

If you've never walked the boardwalk of this open-air rookery for water birds (and yes, alligators), you can barely imagine it - close-up views so plentiful and dynamic that your shutter will have a hard time keeping up with your eyes!  Ibis, great egrets, terns, skimmers, little blue herons, snowy egrets, tri-color herons, wood storks, roseate spoonbills, great blue herons, cattle egrets and more!  And this time of year, we'll see babies in their nests, too!  

Why so many days?  Well here's a clue: you'll lose 2 days traveling to and fro, because it's about 7 hours away from Marietta.  (Depending on traffic - could be 6 hours, could be 8...)

SUGGESTED PLAN: book a room for 3 nights, May 3, 4 and 5.  Check out Saturday morning, May 6th and head home.  

     Thursday morning, May 4th, you purchase the special "2 day pass" at the "red door" on the side of the building.  This CANNOT be done online.  Then you're inside, shutter clicking away with other photographers, a full hour before general admission begins at 9:00, while enjoying the beautiful early light. (Sorry - no weather guarantees!)  

     Later Thursday, find lunch, explore other attractions - we'll discuss options when we get closer.  

     BEFORE 5pm Thursday, be BACK inside "the farm" before they lock the doors at 5:00 - and with a much smaller crowd, you'll be treated to photographing these magnificent creatures in golden hour light! You can stay until dusk when they finally kick us out.

     Friday morning, back to that red door by 8am, show your 2-day pass and fill another SD card!  The rest of the day may repeat Thursday or, if you've had your fill, there's plenty else to see in this part of Florida.  Again, we can work out some side trips when we get closer.

     Saturday, head home at your leisure.

ALTERNATE PLANS: stay only 2 nights, one day at the farm.  You can still buy the 2-day pass to get the early and late access, because aside from a full "membership", it's the only way to do that - you'd just be wasting the 2nd day.  Or maybe go back the 2nd day just for the morning, then head home.  Or you can buy regular admission and confine your visit to the 9-5 regular hours.  (Note: this time of year, the place gets VERY busy during the regular hours.)