Not too many places can boast having a for-real princess as part of its history, but Flagler County can!

Originally called Cherokee Grove, this 1,500-acre property situated directly on the Matanzas River and Pellicer Creek is steeped in history dating back to the late 1700s. In 1887, an Adirondack-style lodge was built by Henry Cutting, a prominent businessman from New York, and is said to be the only lodge of its kind in Florida.

Henry Cutting's widow, Angela Mills Cutting Worden, eventually married Boris Scherbatoff, an exiled Russian prince, and she assumed the title of princess. It is at that time that Cherokee Grove became known as "Princess Place."

Today, Princess Place Preserve is maintained by the Flagler County Parks and Recreation Department -- with the help of the Princess Place Preserve Citizen Support Organization -- and offers outstanding opportunities for a wide array of activities. Trails? Princess Place Preserve has hiking, biking, and equestrian paths that are perfect for day hikes and rides, complete with observation decks that provide stunning views of Pellicer Creek and estuaries teeming with wildlife. For campers, primitive sites are available, with water access to launch your canoe or kayak, making Princess Place Preserve an ideal  basecamp for a paddle along the Matanzas River and Pellicer Creek.

When visiting Princess Place Preserve, make sure to take the tour of the lodge (I wish the Flagler County folks would let me move there), and check out the first in-ground swimming pool in Florida! It's artesian fed and empties back into Pellicer Creek.

Here's a short clip of the pool. My apologies for not getting a video together for the park itself -- but now I have an excuse to go back to Princess Place Preserve!

For more information, visit http://www.flaglerparks.com/princess/preserve.htm.