In South Carolina

Most of the day Monday was spent traveling, from central Florida, through Georgia, and to the South Carolina coast, just north of Hilton Head.  We are at Hunting Island State Park.  

I really wanted to like this park.  It's in a great location, with lots of trails and a beach to walk on.  However, the first impression driving in was of how crowded it was: lots of campers with little space between sites and little privacy.  That was in the sites near the beach.  Our site is in the back section, away from the water, and after the storm that went through Sunday night, the site is MUDDY.  It's a pull-through, but as soon as we starting pulling in, the RV started sinking in the mud.  The wheels spun, we sank deeper.  Dan got out boards to put under the tires, but we couldn't even get up onto the boards.  What a mess!  Fortunately, with some rocking and gunning the engine, Dan was able to get us forward, out of the gunk.  NOT a good start to our visit here.

                                                                                

One positive about the site is that it is more private than many of them.  The side door opens onto a sandy berm, covered with palmettos, and not directly onto the road which is the case in many of the sites we passed in our walk around the campground.  

It is an easy walk to the beach, so that's where Ranger and I headed for our early morning walk.  It's much cooler here (mid-60's during the night), and Ranger seems to be enjoying that.

Hiking at Wekiwa Springs State Park

We headed out in mid-morning for a hike, trying to avoid the heat of the day.  We followed the Volksmarch Trail, a little over four miles, going through several different types of environment.  Much of the trail was similar to what is around the campground: Sandhill ecosystem with longleaf pines and wiregrass.

 There were also stretches that seemed more typical of Florida: lots of palmettos, some with Spanish moss hanging near.

We still haven't encountered any armadillos this trip, but we have seen several gopher tortoises.

By the time we got back to the RV for a late lunch, the temperature was back above 90, though with a steady breeze, it's not too bad outside.  I went for a swim at the springs again; then we both had good hot showers and went back to relaxing.  Tomorrow, Monday will be another fairly long day of travel, heading north and out of Florida.

Hot day at Wekiwa Springs

We started the day by biking down to the springs area for a lecture on wildlife photography. The presenter was personable and had some amazing photographs, many taken right here at Wekiwa Springs, but his talk was rambling and disorganized.  At the start of the talk, this guy (a skink) visited, and this is the photo I got of him. (The one taken with the fancy equipment belonging to the presenter was probably a better photo!)

At the end of the talk, he brought out Jolly the Alligator for people to see and touch.

After the uphill bike trip back to the campground and a cold drink, we explored the other end of the park road by bicycle, stopping along the way to see a summer tanager and a turkey, and also to see some flowers along the way.

The road ended at Sand Lake, though that took us only a short way into the 13,000 acres of parkland, much of it accessible only by foot.  

By the time we returned to the RV (where Ranger had stayed in air-conditioned comfort), the temperature had climbed into the 90's, too hot for much more activity.  We relaxed and read.  In late afternoon, I biked back to the springs to take a swim; the water was surprisingly cold.  No alligators in there with us, but there were some turtles.  That area of the park was still full of day visitors, enjoying family gatherings and a dip on a very hot day.  

At Wekiwa Springs State Park

So we have gone from this....

 To this:

...in about three hours' drive today.  We moved from Myakka River State Park, near Sarasota and one of my favorites in the state, to Wekiwa Springs State Park, north of Orlando.  Not nearly so pretty, but this is central Florida.  Lots of tall pines with grasses beneath, an environment that before people populated the area burned regularly keeping the undergrowth down.  

What seemed strange about this park was that until we turned into the park entrance, we were in the middle of big box stores, fast food restaurants, and strip malls.  Then suddenly....a park.

The park is known for its springs, which provided a space for swimming for many day visitors on this ninety-degree day.  After setting up, I went off on my bicycle to find the springs, and there were many, many people in the water, as well as many renting canoes or kayaks to explore the river "trail".  I suspect that tomorrow, Saturday, the day-use area will be full of people.

But this evening, our little site is quiet and feels far from civilization.  If one continues on around the loop in our campground (30 sites in the loop), one comes to sites from which cars and residential areas are visible.  Lucked out on choice of site here, I think!

The park is large enough that to explore it more fully tomorrow, we'll need to head out on the bikes.  There are also quite a few hiking and equestrian trails, so if the weather holds, we'll be well occupied for the weekend.  While the weather forecast called for 80% chance of thunderstorms this afternoon, we had just black clouds and a light sprinkle.  The humidity is very high, however, so we've put on the AC to make sleeping more comfortable.  (Ranger seems very happy to be cooler.  He is still suffering from the heat.  He didn't even leave the RV this afternoon to chase away the local squirrels that were sneaking up to his food dish to steal dog food!)  

The internet at Myakka River was very weak, so  here are a few photos from our stay there.

There were not as many shore birds as in past years, but there were plenty of alligators.

Our campsite under palms and live oaks in Big Flats Campground.  

A good day at Myakka River State Park

What a good day!  Three days straight of sunny weather now, hot but not unbearably so…beautiful surroundings and lots of relaxation!

I finally had a chance to use the bike this morning, riding down along the lakeshore to the birdwalk and back.  Then we relaxed in the shade, reading while awaiting the arrival of Dan’s cousin Mike Collins, his wife Mary, and his mother Ruth (Dan’s aunt).  They all live in Richland Center, WI during the warm months, but Mike and Mary keep a trailer in Englewood, FL, not far from here, which they enjoy for four months or so each winter.  They visited with us for about three hours of lunch, conversation and laughter.  (Lots of stories about “River City” life.)

In late afternoon Dan took the spotting scope up to the lake, and we saw about a dozen types of birds.  Again, no roseate spoonbills, which were so abundant on our first camping trip here, but there were anhingas, ibises, herons, and lots of little shorebirds.

We tested out the AC for the first time this year, and yes, it works fine.  The temperatures have been dropping into the low 70’s at night, but it was really humid, so the AC made for a good night’s sleep.  

Arrival at Myakka River State Park

Yesterday’s drive took us from O’Leno State Park, just north of Gainesville, to Myakka River State Park, near Sarasota.  It was a fairly easy 215 miles, with a stop to restock the groceries.

This is our third trip to Myakka River. The facilities aren’t as new and fancy as at some parks, but the campground itself (Big Flats) is under large live oaks, hung with Spanish moss, but still managing to maintain an open feeling. It’s an easy walk from our site to the side of the upper lake, which in the past has been a great spot for bird-watching.

We took a walk up there in late afternoon, after setting up, and it appears that April is not as good a time for the birds as the usual February.  We did see a number of small shore birds which we will attempt to identify with the scope, as well as an ibis, some cormorants, and both great and snowy egrets. 

The temperature has been in the upper 80’s, with a high of 90 in early afternoon.  Our site has shade, and there was a good breeze moving across the Flats, so it was comfortable sitting outside until late into the evening.  Ranger seems much more relaxed here than at O’Leno, where he trembled much of the time and tried to stay inside the RV; he must have been sensing the presence of thunderstorms somewhere nearby, though we did not actually have any rain while camping there.  (That makes a record TWO DAYS  in a row without rain for this trip!)

O'Leno State Park: Some photos

Suspension  bridge across the Santa Fe River, built by CCC boys in the 30's

Santa Fe River

This convinced me not to jump in on this hot afternoon.

They weren't kidding with that sign:  Turtles plus an alligator.

Ranger taking break along the River Trail at O'Leno State Park