Hikes

Early Fall 2023 Travels

Travels in early September took us north for stops in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Maine for visits with family, friends, college buddies and a Celebration of Life. A short week in Massachusetts brough me to Hyannis, Marthas Vineyard, and Fenway Park.

Beach time in Hyannis

Marths Vineyard

Fenway Park

Sunrise at Portland Head Light

Back in Florida – time for some exercise – first a day hikes at Carl Duval Moore State Forest and Park is located in Putnam County. Carl Duval Moore State Forest is one of the smallest State Forests (336 acres) but still maintains a variety of ecosystems, including sandhill, mesic flatwoods, wet flatwoods, and flatwoods lake. The Forest has two portions – in the north, The Up and Down Lake Trail has interpretive tree identification signs along the route. The trail also provides two areas from which to view the forest’s most notable natural feature, Up and Down Lake, a typical flatwoods lake. The south portion of the Forest is home to the Hardesty Lake Trail a straightforward out and back.

Finally, a visit to Split Oak Forest Wildlife and Environmental Area. Split Oak has more than nine miles of marked trails which wind through a variety of natural communities and features short spur trails to scenic overlooks. I followed the 5.4-mile Split Oak Loop the forests premier trail.

Next up a trip to Hawaii, Singapore, and a 28-day cruise through Indonesia and around Australia and New Zealand – it all starts on the 11th of November.

November 4, 2023 4

Several weeks ago, I planned this trip not anticipating the heavy rains that Florida has been experiencing. Well, I decided to go anyway. I had some early luck getting breaks in the rain or just sprinkles – but as the trip went on the weather got worse. On the 10th I started out at Indian Lake State Forest Hiking on the Bear-N-Oak Trail a 1.4-mile loop circling Indian Lake, a major karst (dissolving bedrock caused sinkhole) feature in the Ocala Limestone and through mossy live oaks. The lake is directly connected to the Floridan Aquifer.

Moving on to Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, encompassing a 21,000-acre
savanna in Alachua County, Florida lying between Micanopy and Gainesville. It
is also a U.S. National Natural Landmark.

Paynes Prairie is unique in many
ways. Nowhere else in Florida can visitors
experience wild-roaming bison and horses. Nearly 300 species of birds also
frequent the park along with alligators, deer and many other animals. We
visited this park two years ago and did not see any horses or bison – this time
very close to horses but only a long distant view of the bison.

Started out at the visitors center and hiked the Wacahoota trail (.8 miles) to a viewing platform overlooking the savanna.

After a break in the rain, I headed to the Bolen Bluff Trail (2.6 mile) trek through an oak hammock and on to the savanna – where you could see other wildlife such as bobcats (no), white tailed deer (yes – but not fast enough with the camera) and wild turkeys (no). Halfway through the hike a monsoon came through and I took my second full shower of the day — more will come.

The rain stopped and the sun peaked through, so I headed to north end of Paynes Prairie, and the La Chua Trail an excellent wildlife watching site, with an elevated boardwalk and lengthy dike out to an observation tower.

Early start on the 11th, heavy rains greeted me but I headed to Newnans Lake SF to hike the West Lake and Sparrows trails. With rain lightening up I went out sans’ camera – smart move about a mile in the rain went from sprinkles to heavy down pour — fortunately only about 8/10 of a mile back to the car.

½ hour drive to my next stop – Goethe State Forest. The rain started to moderate along the way and I dried out some while driving. Good news – when I arrived at the trailhead the rain stopped and there were some breaks in the clouds. The Buck Island Pond trail (1.8 miles) circles the pond, starting at an oak hammock changing to pines and the cypresses along with their knees making footing precarious on the wet trail. Must have been a while since another hiker passed through, I needed to dodge many spiders web along the way.

Off to my last stop – Ross Prairie SF and its Holly Hammock trail – not to be, the rains came back more ferocious than at any time in the last two days. I decided to give it 20 minutes at the trailhead to see if the rains stopped or at least drop to a sprinkle – didn’t happen so I left for home – Any way it was a fun but wet trip.

June 3, 2023 – Silver Springs SP (very unusual sighting)

A Saturday morning road trip back to Silver Springs SP – the last time I went the trails were closed by a prescribed burn. I hiked the River Trail (1.3 miles) and the Swap Trail (1.9 miles) along with some time spent at the Silver River Museum. The unusual sighting was two monkeys running off the trail – never thought I would see these guys outside of a zoo in Florida.

June 6, 2023 9

April 22-28, 2023 – Myrtle Beach SC

Booked this week at a timeshare back in January – little did I know I would be in no shape for a week of golf. It turned out to be a very enjoyable week – great dining and wonderful non-golf activities.

Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach

Located in the Broadway at the Beach complex. The most noteworthy exhibit here is Dangerous Reef, a huge 340-foot underwater tunnel where you move on a glidepath through a 750,000-gallon tank surrounded by sharks, tarpons, sea turtles and green moray eels. Other exhibits include Rio Amazon, featuring animals typical of tropical rain forests, and the Living Gallery, which shelters corals, weedy sea dragons and a giant octopus. Meanwhile, Friendship Flats allows hands-on interactions with some of the aquarium’s creatures.

Heritage Shores Nature Preserve and Conway South Carolina

Conway is known for the abundance of murals throughout the city and the preserve extends into the Cherry Grove Marsh. A series of elevated boardwalks and observation docks provide access through and around the preserve, where more than seven acres of walking paths feature interpretive signage at dozens of stations describing the wide array of plants, animals, fish and bird species that can be discovered here.

Brookgreen Gardens

Brookgreen Gardens is a sculpture garden and wildlife preserve, located just south of Murrells Inlet, in South Carolina. The 9,100-acre property includes several themed gardens featuring American figurative sculptures, the Lowcountry Zoo, and trails through several ecosystems in nature reserves on the property.

May 4, 2023 4

Orlando Wetlands Park — 4/10/2023

Orlando Wetlands Park (OWP) is a man-mad wetland designed to treat reclaimed water and provide a wildlife habitat. The park is in Christmas FL. OWP has nineteen miles of berm built to create eighteen wetland cells. The wetland system provides habitat for over two hundred bird species, otters, foxes, deer, turtles, snakes, and alligators.

April 19, 2023 4

Patagonia and Iguazu Falls Adventure – Day 17

On our final day in South America – since our flight would not leave until 7:00 pm – we decided to hike to Fort Duque de Caxias. It was a great morning workout – about a two and a half mile out and back walk along Copacabana beach then an eighteen story climb around the mountain & up to the fort. If all goes well, we will be back home by noon tomorrow.

Sent from my iPhone

March 19, 2023 6

Patagonia and Iguazu Falls Adventure – Day 15

Today we visited the Brazilian side of the falls walking along winding pathways viewing one of the New Natural Wonders of the World. Viewing from this side provides a clearer picture of the scope and breath of the falls. Iguazu consists of over 280 separate cataracts across a span of two- and one-half miles – wider the Victoria Falls and higher then Niagra Falls. After a full day at the falls, we flew to Rio de Janeiro arriving late in the evening.

March 19, 2023 4

Patagonia and Iguazu Falls Adventure – Day 13/14

Day 13 was an all-day travel day from Buenos Aires to the Argentine side of Iguazu Falls.

Day 14 was our first full day at the falls. Upon arrival at Iguazu National Park, we boarded a train to take us to the central station where the three hiking trails (metal Boardwalks) converge. Our first trail was to Devils Throat named for the thundering waters that drop and spray unceasingly drenching both photographer and camera. Our second trail was the Upper Circuit which gives you a top-down look at the waterfall basin from numerous vantage points. The third trail is the Lower Circuit hiking down to the base of the falls giving a level or upward perspective. These are not short trails we walked over 6 miles. But let the photos speak for themselves.

March 19, 2023 0

Patagonia and Iguazu Falls Adventure – Day 10

Today is a travel day to “The Paris of South America” – Buenos Aires. We had one last morning in Patagonia before our flight, so we visited Reserva Laguna Nimez a bird sanctuary on the outskirts of El Calafate. Another blustery day with few birds visible – they must have been hiding from the wind. An almost 3-hour flight got us to Buenos Aires in early evening for an early Argentine dinner at 9:00 and quick walk around our hotel area to see some of the Friday nightlife.