January 2003 |
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A Guid New Year Tae Ane & Aw
Key Largo - New years day dawned warm, dry & quiet at least here in the Florida Keys. Florida was having some big time rain but it passed us by. There were 3 English Premier League Soccer games on TV to which Wullie paid a small amount of attention.
Linda had a need to take some pictures of a Keys sunset. The civilised way to view the sunset is with a drink in your hand so we visited a couple of bars who claimed to have good sunset views. 
The first one, located in the Marriott, was inside a thick plastic tent (suppose it is winter?) which was difficult to see through. The next good sunset we took a drive to the marina at Jewfish Creek. A nicer sunset with conveniently situated photogenic palm trees, complemented by an open air bar with thatched roof, better beer and a friendly barmaid.
Key largo library provided free Internet access with 10 PC's, which although relatively old, meant we rarely needed to wait. Since our RV park wanted $3 for 15 minutes (very unusual) this was quite a saving over a 4 week period.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park - This park is internationally recognised and was established to protect & preserve a part of the only living coral reef in continental USA. The park extends 3 miles into the Atlantic and is approximately 25 miles long. It is only 3 miles from our RV park so we decided to make it the venue for our snorkeling adventure. Linda is very excited about this, but Wullie has experienced it before in the Maldive Islands many years ago.
We took the noon tour to the reef, a 5.5 mile trip in a fairly fast boat. Since the water temperature was only? 74 degrees we were advised to hire a wet suit. When we arrived at the reef we were given a short explanation on who to use the equipment, where and where not to swim and instructed to wear a life jacket at all times. Suitably trained we were let loose in the vast Atlantic ocean. At first it looked quite scary with just a small boat in sight and no land, but once we were in the water the trepidation disappeared (especially from Linda) as we started getting used to the mask, fins and snorkel. We swam out to the reef and from then on it was a wonderful experience. Being close up to so many brightly coloured tropical fish you normally only see in aquariums was wonderful. Linda of course (swims like a fish - maiden name Whiting?) soon left Wullie behind and went swimming with a school of fish. So many different fish of various sizes & hues were swimming on the reef. The 90 minutes passed so quickly. Linda could have stayed much longer, it was all over far too soon. This was another first for Linda, but if we ever go near a coral reef again, it will not be her last.
Later that day, while still in thrall to the reef experience, Linda wondered what her next challenge would be? Para gliding maybe? (Better check the insurance covers her!)
Key Biscayne National Park - All the park is offshore and since we had already experienced the reef at John Pennekamp our interest was the glass bottom boat tours of the coral reef. If the sea was not calm the boat trip visited one of the main islands instead of the coral reef. In addition the boat would be in dry dock for annual maintenance for most of the following week so it seems we won't make that trip.
Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge - Before visiting Florida we compiled a wish list of birds to "spot". We have seen many of them but 3 notable exceptions are the Limpkin, Purple Gallinule and Snail Kite. All three are supposed to be resident at this wildlife refuge close to Boca Raton, north of Miami (over 100 miles away). Utilized a coupon from the bargain Motel/Hotel brochure and booked into a Best Western in Boca Raton. Drove to Loxahatchee and called into the visitor center for local information. Apparently the Limpkin is here, Snail Kites are more often seen on electricity poles alongside the highway and if we want to see Purple Gallinule's visit the water board boardwalk at nearby Wakodahatchee Wetlands. After a picnic lunch, armed with local info & binoculars we set off and immediately encountered some woodpeckers and many warblers. On approaching one of the many stretches of water Wullie asked "whats that strange looking bird? bet it's a Limpkin". To our surprise & delight inspection by binoculars confirmed Wullie's hopeful guess. Cut short our visit to Loxahatchee (will return tomorrow morning) to visit the Wakodahatchee Wetlands before dusk. This is a super 0.75 mile boardwalk which meanders through three of the many ponds. In addition to birds other wildlife is present, Alligators and Otters for example and on the day we visited a Bobcat had been spotted. We saw more Sora (supposed to be secretive) in 30 minutes than we have ever seen before but just as we were about to give up we spotted a lone Purple Gallinule walking over the long water grass eating the grass seed. A local lady told us there was usually lots of these colourful birds but the grass seed was nearly all eaten so they had moved elsewhere for feeding. Since we had walked quite a few miles that day, good exercise keeps the weight down, we called into Red Lobster for dinner. Their pre-dinner "biscuits" are delicious and offset the benefit of all our exercise. We revisited Loxahatchee the following morning viewing Hawks, waders, Alligators and got really close to a Wood Stork. On the return journey to the Keys we called into Costco to restock our larder.
Bahia Honda State Park - The beach here is rated the best in the Keys and ranked second most beautiful in the USA. This is why we have undertaken the 140 mile round trip again (last time the park was full). Today its hot and the sea is extremely calm and excellent for swimming. We carried lunch, chairs and books to the beach and relaxed, making regular excursions to the aqua-marine sea to cool down. We spent four hours just lazing around (unusual for us) then headed back to the RV. The sun glistened on the Atlantic, on either side of the road, making for many different shades of blue. Today the Keys looked wonderful. We watched pelicans dive for fish with their "Groupie", a Seagull diving in behind. They seem to use the Pelican's ability to detect fish to their advantage. This happens a lot, as with a fisherman and the heron. A lady told us that "when you see a fisherman you find a great blue heron" and quite often it's true.
Key Largo to Collier Seminole State Park - Made our way to Homestead where we had arranged to have new tyres fitted to the RV (2 blowouts in a year, tyres 4 years old, seems like a good idea). The tyre fitters were quite efficient and we were back on the road by noon but over $1,000 lighter in the pocket. A bright and clear sunny day made for a good journey along US 41. Stopped at the Big Cypress Reserve headquarters, administered by the National Park Service, for hiking info. Two large alligators were sunning themselves near the lodge. With a fence between us and them we stroked the tail of one while it slept. It did move it's leg - maybe it enjoyed the attention. The canals and ponds alongside US 41 were rich in wading birds - Egrets, Herons, Wood Storks, Ibis etc. and Alligators of course.
Collier Seminole State Park - This park is situated about 20 miles southwest of Naples and adjacent to the Everglades, Big Cypress Reserve and Fakahatchee State reserve, and was one of the most disappointing state parks we have visited so far. The pitches on the campsite were very close together, so it was lucky that we got on very well with our neighbours Nancy & Skip from Pennsylvania. A boat trip through the swamps was on offer from the boat ramp, and a short interpretive trail were the only form of activity. There was a long hiking trail outside the park but that was closed due to wet underfoot conditions, although we could hike the biking trail we had to be back at the ranger station by 4.00 p.m. so decided against that. The location was the only bonus for staying here, at least for us it was.
Fakahatchee State Reserve - Visited the boardwalk situated alongside US 41 on more than one occasion. Lots of Robins, Red Shouldered Hawks (South Florida strain very pale), Bald eagles and added the American Redstart to our "spotted" list. On returning from one of our visits we saw our first large flock of Roseate Spoonbills in Florida feeding adjacent to US 41.
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary - This wildlife sanctuary is administered by the Audubon Society and had been recommended by two couples we met at Fakahatchee. We had to pay $8 a head for entry to the 2 1/2 mile boardwalk, which we thought quite expensive as there are others nearby that are free. At the very start of our walk we bumped into Nancy & Skip Kinden who we had bade a fond farewell the previous day as they headed for Fort Myers. The four of us took a very slow stroll and one of the first birds we spotted was the pileated woodpecker - the clearest we've seen it until now. Otherwise we did not add any new birds to our list.
Beaches - Visited Naples and Marco Island beaches on separate occasions. Public access to Marco Island beach is limited to either end of the beach and parking costs $4. You can then then wander all along the nice beach but doubt its worth $4. Naples beach has many access points and parking at these is 75c/hour. You can park in the Historic downtown area (15 minute walk) free for 3 hours. Take note of the number of your access point as we didn't and lost the truck for a little while. Naples beach is another nice beach but we still feel the beaches on the west coast of Florida are somewhat oversold and access can be difficult.
Everglades City, Air Boat Tour - Linda had a strong fancy for a trip on one of the well advertised Small Airboat tours. We have already done a couple of swamp tours, and these small airboats are advertised as exciting, they go deep into the swamp where no other boats can go, We paid $30 a head for the one hour trip, and it was a complete waste of money. We did go through a few narrow shallow waterways, but the Airboat is so noisy (not to mention all the other airboats operating out of Everglades City) that the chance of seeing any wildlife is out of the question. We did see a few wild pigs, but these were fed by the boat companies so they did not move too far and could be seen. During the 1 hour trip our guide stopped a couple of times to tell us about the swamps to fill in time. The best part of the tour was the two Pelicans who hitched a lift on the boat for the return to harbour. It may be that the Airboat tours advertised alonside US 41 are better (fewer boats in a larger area) but we doubt it. One amusing conversation took place on our boat between the skipper and a passenger (neither of us). Skipper - reckon we will be shut down within 5 years. Passenger - why is that. Skipper - damage to the environment and wildlife. Passenger - the wildlife will miss the airboats. They are used to them and will miss them if they go. The wildlife is so used to them they are nowhere to be seen. A disappointing and expensive hour we couldn't recommend to our worst enemy.
Collier Seminole SP to Manatee Springs SP, Cheifland, Florida .......These 300+ miles were mostly on Interstate 75, bypassing Tampa. When we booked in we were advised that the next couple of days would be very cool with the possibility of temperatures in the teens during the night. They are NOT used to this weather in Florida and it showed - late afternoon (54F) we were advised to disconnect the water and leave the outside tap running a little so the pipes did not freeze. The restrooms were closed as they put brushes down each toilet. . We put a small amount of water into our on-board tank and prepared for a cold night. It reportedly reached 14F but with the furnace on we were snug as bugs in a rug.
Manatee Springs SP - The main attraction of this park is the hot springs (72F) which flow into the Suwannee river on its way to the Gulf of Mexico, just 23 miles downstream. This warm water attracts the Manatee during cold spells and may even save their lives. The spring produces approx. 117 million gallons of crystal clear warm water daily. Manatees can sometimes be seen where the run of the spring meets the Suwannee. The constant 72 degree temperature in the spring provides a warm refuge for the large, gentle mammal during fall and winter months. A boardwalk winds through a swamp of cypress, gum, ash and maple out to the Suwannee river providing an excellent viewing platform. This is a lovely state park, spacious level pitches, nice trees, lots of birds and of course the Manatees.
Birds/Wildlife - One of the first things we did when we were settled was to erect our bird feeder and position it for optimum viewing from within the RV. There was a lot of activity around the RV, especially from the cardinal population. One possible problem is the crowd of very friendly squirrels who also like bird seed. We greased the pole with cooking oil which provided great entertainment as the squirrels took a run at the pole getting part way up, only to slip back to the bottom. Once they had made sufficient attempts the oil was transferred to their coats and we did return home once to find one sitting on top of the bird feeder enjoying the rewards. At least they were not destructive but the pole was re-oiled just in case.
Many different types of birds visited our feeder, Cardinal's, Chickadee's, Tufted Titmouse and Carolina Wren amongst others. By the end of the day they had told all their friends about the free seed at site 96 and they were queuing up for a place at the two feeders.
The paths that meander through the park provided many birding opportunities, as did the boardwalk down to the river. Our "first" sightings were Carolina Wren and Yellow Throated Warbler. The woods were full of Woodpeckers, Pileated (we got close enough for pictures), Red Bellied, Downy and Yellow Breasted Sapsucker. Opposite the end of the boardwalk there were hundreds of Vultures sheltering in the trees, taking advantage of the warm air from the spring water. We also spotted our second Limpkin picking up Apple Snails his main food source. During the cold spell a family of 3 Manatees were basking in the spring run. It was nice to spot the Manatee but you only ever really see their snout as the take in air. Every evening the local herd of deer come around the campsite looking to be fed. Raccoons, Wild Turkeys, and Armadillo were also seen.
Treasure Coast State Park Trail - This multi use trail (hiking, biking, hose riding) runs for several miles through the surrounding countryside. We hiked two sections of the tree lined trail looking for birds. The remarkable feature of this area as far as birds is concerned is the preponderance of woodpeckers. We have seen more woodpeckers here in 1 week than we did in 3 years in the western states of the USA.
Truck Scare - The truck developed a nasty grinding noise when turning right. Hopefully It's just something rubbing and may have happened when we hit a wild animal a few days back. We rise early to take it into the local Ford garage and treat ourselves to a cooked breakfast while the mechanics do their work. Thankfully it was as we had hoped a plate had loosened and was rubbing on the wheel.
Manatee Springs SP to St George Island State Park - you can read about next month..................................
February: St. George Island SP, Florida Panhandle. Alabama, Illinois/Wisconsin for curling.
Miles travelled this trip: 1,569
Total miles travelled since May 1999: 82,409
Interesting Hyperlinks:
Florida State Parks Information
February