Drew had not lived a week in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, when I heard about this house.
Naturally on our first visit, we came directly to Eden State Park and toured the Wesley House and the beautiful gardens. The garden paths were lined with blooming camellias.
I walked around and back and forth among them. Trying to decide my favorite. I read a few of the names of the varieties. I watched the bees lose themselves in the petals. 
The house was built in 1897 and brought back from ruin in the 1960’s. It is so elegantly situated among the arms of ancient live oaks reaching out around it.
The park entrance is an honor system deposit of $4 a car and the tour $4 a person. (When the property was given to the State of Florida in the 60’s, one of the three conditions was to retain a nominal cost to tour the home so it would be available to all.) 
I highly recommend a visit….especially during early spring when the camellias are blooming or a bit later when the azaleas are blooming. 
But I believe any visit would be a good time to visit.
Thankful to Lois Maxon, who preserved, restored and donated this estate for us to enjoy.
Katey
Eden State Park and Wesley House
181 Eden Gardens Road
Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
Seeing this brings back many memories from my childhood; we spent many a summer vacation at Seagrove Beach, and i also frequented Grayton as a teenager with a friend and her family at their beach house. These days, sadly, neither of those places resemble anything at all like their sweet old 1960’s-1970’s selves, but Eden looks as beautiful as ever, unchanged from “progress”. I’m glad you had this opportunity to spend some time there… xx
Nina, It is beautiful and such a sweet story of it being brought back from ruin. The camellias blooming was an lovely bonus. That huge tree I am standing under is their Wedding tree. It is 600 years old. I hope you get to see it for yourself one day. You would truly love it if nothing else but to walk under these trees. Love you. Katey
Absolutely beautiful! I have always been facinated with hugh trees with such large branches! The flowers are so beautiful. We had two camalia bushes at our place in Huntsville. They were red, looked like small roses! Sometime the frost would get the ones on the outside, but left me some to pick and share. I love the trips you take and for always sharing them with those of us who are to old to get out anymore. Love you and thank you for loving so much beauty
So very pretty!! Love the setting!! And the camellias! So gorgeous!, happy you got to go there and happy you shared!!
Gorgeous! Thanks so much for sharing. Your pictures & descriptions are so vivid that I can imagine standing under the tree, & those flowers make me want to put my nose to the screen for a sniff. : )