Well, it is a pretty good time of year to go. It won't be really hot yet, and the it won't be as buggy as later, either.

I assume he knows quite a lot about it to be that interested. I remember traveling around its edges as a child and as an adult, but I have not taken a boat trip into the wet areas.

The towns around the Refuge are not particularly prepossessing. In fact, on my last trip they were somewhat more rundown than when I was a child, but this applies only to the Fargo-Lake City portion. There is pretty much every highway motel in Lake City if you want to make that a base, and it seemed more prosperous than Fargo.

After the exploration, your plans for Amelia Island sound fine. We liked the town of Fernandina Beach, which is really across the island from the beach itself, a great deal. It is a real town with a somewhat old-fashioned main street,friendly cafes, interesting B&B's, but we didn't stay there since my brother lives in St Simons Island. It is again a good time to go because the North Florida beach season only really opens in mid-April.

Thanks.

I had not thought of the Fargo-Lake City area, more of Folkston or more likely Waycross.

Is two whole days about right? We would go in all three entrances, see everything that each has to offer.

Frankly, we don't know anythikng about the swamp except that it looks cool! We saw a tv special on it, and that was enough to convince my husband. We are both hobby photographers and look to look at nature when we come to the US.

By the way, I am an American living in Germny 20+ years, married to a German.