The Florida Trailblazer: Joe Dunn Explores Cracker Culture in Florida

By Gary McKechnie

I’ve met some cool people in my life, but there’s one very cool person I haven’t met yet.

But I’ve seen him.

His name is Joe Dunn and I learned of him a few weeks ago when a VISIT FLORIDA reader asked about the Florida's Cracker culture and, in turn, I asked my facebook friends.

Joe added to the recommendations and suggested I take a look at some of the videos he’s created on his youtube.com channel, Florida Trailblazer.

So I did.

It turns out that while I’m at my desk, Joe is out for a walking tours in the woods, finding things that have been lost to time and faded memories. He’s going to places most of us will never go, but sharing what he finds so we can join in the adventure.

He’s been into the Green Swamp, found the Clay Sink Church and Cemetery‬, hiked trails in the Rice Creek Conservation Area, wandered across the Manning Tract at Etoniah Creek State Forest and has gone many, many more places.

I checked out his blog and learned that Joe has a passion for Florida’s history, geography, ecosystems, and wildlife. He began hiking into remote areas and taking photos and shooting videos and keeping logs of his trips so he can share with you our history and discoveries, such as abandoned gravesites, towns, and Native American Indian mounds.

For this and other outdoors and nature trip ideas in Florida, go to VISIT FLORIDA's Official outdoors guide for travelers.