Hikes

Silver Springs State Park – October 9th Road Trip

WORLD FAMOUS!

Glass Bottom Boats have wowed visitors to Silver Springs since the 1870s with views of underwater life and the many springs that feed the Silver River. In fact, the Glass Bottom Boat was invented here! You can take a tour aboard one of the historic Glass Bottom Boats and marvel at the beauty and sheer size of Mammoth Spring, the river’s head spring. You’ll explore many other beautiful feeder springs and see countless species of fish, ancient Native American and Spanish artifacts and even underwater movie props from the days when Hollywood productions flourished at the park!

NOT THIS TIME

I came here to hike – first the Sandhill Trail, a 1.7 mile loop trail, which explores a portion of the park’s longleaf pine uplands.

Then the Swamp Trail (1.9 mile loop) & River Trail (1.3 mile loop, ). Both feature scenic overlooks of the Silver River.

December 2, 2020 4

Mala Compra Hiking Trail – September 14, 2020

Mala Compra Hiking Trail is a 2.8 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Palm Coast, Florida that features beautiful wild flowers, ponds and ocean views and is part of a historic plantation.

Mala Compra Plantation History – (next trip I’ll get to see the plantation)

In the early 19th century, the plantation was home to Joseph Hernandez, who served as everything from a brigadier general in the U.S. Army to a committee member who helped select Tallahassee as the state capital. The site is part of Bing’s Landing, an eight-acre county park. Today, visitors can walk on an elevated boardwalk around the perimeter of the plantation remains and read interpretive displays that explain the site’s historical and cultural value.

November 30, 2020 4

Smyrna Dunes Park – November 23rd Road Trip

Continuing our Monday roadtrips – We headed to Smyrna Dunes Park in New Smyrna Beach, a 2-mile hiking trail / boardwalk, with side trips off the main boardwalk taking you to ocean, inlet and river views. We got to enjoy gopher tortoises, kit surfers, and views of the Ponce Inlet lighthouse. On our way back home we stopped at Hollyland Park in Holly Hills FL to check out the eagles – but only a long distance glimpse. However herons and woods storks were around.

(see https://floridahikes.com/smyrna-dunes-park for more info)

November 28, 2020 4

Jacksonville Arboretum — November 2, 2020

Another of our Monday outings –

The Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens is a 120-acre urban woodland full of trails for you to explore and enjoy. Interpretive signs and over 100 labeled plants enhance the loop. Over three miles of rustic hiking trails wind quietly through a series of distinct ecological habitats. The Arboretum is developed and managed by the Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens, Inc., a non-profit entity that leases the land from the City of Jacksonville.

November 20, 2020 2

Washington Oaks State Park – Revist 11/16/2020

During our last visit the the beachside of the park was closed. Today we were able to visit the Coquina rock formations on the ocean. The parks website defines Coquina —

What is Coquina Rock?
Coquina= (“co-KEEN-a”)

Coquina rock is a type of sedimentary rock. The rock in our area formed in the near shore region, where shells and sand become well sorted by wave action. During times when sea level was lower, these shells and sand were exposed to rain. The rainwater dissolved some of the calcium carbonate (limestone) from the shells, which “glued” together the sand and shells into rock. If you look closely at the rock, you can see the individual shells and sand grains that are cemented together. The coquina rock is part of the Anastasia formation, which stretches from St. Augustine to Palm Beach County, and was created during the Pleistocene era (12,000 to 2.5 million years ago.) The word “coquina” is Spanish for “cockle” and is the name given to the small, burrowing clam that lives in the sand just at the ocean’s edge. The scientific name for the coquina clam is Donax variabilis, as the shells of the clams can be various colors. These clams are also sometimes called“periwinkles” by locals, but true periwinkles are actually snails. Well I went there for the opportunity to take some photographs – after the beach we hiked the trails through the white oak forest and to view the gardens.

November 18, 2020 10

Back in Florida – Hiking Betty Steflik Memorial Preserve & Mala Compra Trail — 9-14-2020

We arrived in Plantation Bay on the 6th of August after a whirlwind drive across country to avoid the Corona virus (the trip was our first on Interstates all the way and in 5 days). We have spent the month unpacking 80 boxes that we shipped from Pasadena, in self quarantine for two weeks and then slowly getting back into the neighborhoods activity. My goal is to start exploring Central Florida one day a week then begin taking multi-day trips moving around the state in the months to come.

Monday I visited an old favorite spot the Betty Steflik Memorial Preserve and its boardwalk thru salt marsh and coastal scrub communities. (https://www.visitflagler.com/listing/betty-steflik-memorial-preserve/270242/)

Then on to a new hike – the Mala Compra Trail. Mala Compra has a hiking trail and mountain bike trail system which I avoided. The trail is a walk thru scrub brush and boardwalks across salt marshes to dunes overlooking the Atlantic. (http://www.flaglercounty.org/document_center/Parks/MALA%20COMPRA%20trail%20brochure%20for%20website.pdf)

September 16, 2020 8

Pasadena Views — 5/3/2020

Stay At Home order continues — walking is my main exercise trying to walk 6 miles everyday. Beginning to see more people out unfortunately also seeing more without facemasks. Weather has been great but this week we will see high 90’s and even triple digits – walking will be early or late in the day — enjoy the pics!!

May 4, 2020 2

Pasadena Views — 4-21-2020

It’s now been five weeks of shelter in place — besides grocery shopping walking Pasadena has been our only outdoors exercise. I have been walking 5 to 7 miles a day and have about run out of new neighborhoods to explore. Hope you enjoy some of the sights that I have uncovered.

April 21, 2020 9

Pasadena Views 4-9-2020

It’s been 3 weeks since we have been under the states stay at home order. In the first week we were able to use golf courses – good walking exercise – but no longer. So to exercise I decided to walk 5-6 miles a day – I found some new neighborhoods that I didn’t know existed. This week southern california has received several days of much needed rain which has shortened my walks to breaks in the rain. While walking I snapped pictures of some of my favorite locals, houses and flowers — ENJOY.