Camping...the Real Florida

Winter in Florida is the BEST.  Brian and I take advantage of the great weather to explore the award-winning Florida State Parks.  The parks offer camping, hiking and kayaking...a trifecta for me.  All the other activities (fishing, birding, beaches and freshwater springs) are a bonus.  

We started our 2018-2019 Winter Adventure at Myakka River State Park.  I can't say enough great things about Myakka.  I enjoyed bike riding all over the park, stopping to take in the natural beauty...wildflowers in bloom, birds and deer in the woods.  

I enjoyed hiking on the trails and visited the canopy walkway every day.  I guess I am getting over my fear of heights.  

We visited the Birdwalk several times.  Not only did I see a variety of birds, I saw lots of wildlife photographers at the park...big cameras, tripods.  I noticed that some photographers came in pairs.  One to photograph and one to spot the birds.  They were as much fun the watch and listen to as the birds.

Kayaking on the Myakka River was an experience.  Lots of alligators, Roseate Spoonbills...not only are the birds interesting, I love saying the name.

I got adventurous and took the 2.2 mile hike to Deep Hole to see more alligators.  Most of the hike is open prairie, with very few signs.  Deep Hole is a sinkhole on the edge of Lower Myakka Lake.  For some reason alligators are attracted to the sinkhole.  Only 30 permits are given out each day to hike to Deep Hole.  I didn't get close, but I saw lots of alligators and buzzards.

We took a side trip to nearby Siesta Key to see the Sand Sculpting Festival.  What a beautiful beach...white sand, blue water.  An added bonus was the Siesta Key Drum Circle.

Our next trip took us to the east coast, Sebastian Inlet State Park.  I enjoyed the off-road biking and walking the beach...while Brian did some fishing.  As he says...the fishing was great, the catching wasn't so good.  I saw a fish bone that looked like a crucifix.  It is a head skeleton of the hardhead catfish.

Brian and I took a day to explore the area outside of the park.  We explored the Old Florida Charm by taking a drive down the Jungle Trail, visited the Mel Fisher's Treasure Museum and learned about the nearby sunken treasure.  I hike a trail in Captain Foster's Hammock Preserve.  As a reward, we stopped at Crab-E-Bills for a seafood meal.  I had grilled shrimp and stone crab claw with champagne mustard sauce...yum.

My fondest memories of the park are the sunsets and dolphins in the inlet.

In December, we headed back to the west coast to Oscar Scherer State Park.  I got to hike and bike, but the weather didn't cooperate and we didn't kayak.  I did make a couple trips to Venice Beach to collect fossilized sharks teeth.

In January we went to Tomaka State Park near Ormond Beach.  I enjoyed kayaking on the Halifax and Tomaka Rivers.  I took a solo kayak trip (while Brian fished) and saw dolphins.  I tried to keep up with the dolphins, but they just played with me.  I was so busy paddling, I didn't get any pictures of the dolphins.

I like a lot about being outdoors, but I really LOVE trees...old, new, big, small.  I will do a blog just on my tree pictures.  So, I had to stop at the Bulow Creek State Park to see the Fairchild Oak, a 500 year old live oak.

We stopped by to see friends, Don and ET in Flagler Beach.  What a fun time, we had a nice visit and a campfire on the beach.

In March we stayed in central Florida and camped in Hillsborough River State Park, a little over an hour south of home.  Lots of hiking and biking at this park.  But the best part was kayaking on the Hillsborough River.  It is a perfect waterway for Brian and I...smooth water and wildlife.  Our campsite was across the street from the launch area and we could carry the kayaks back and forth.

We took a side trip to Parkesdale Market in Plant City for their World Famous Strawberry Shortcake.

Often camping involves bugs.  But this camping trip had an unusual visitor, furry caterpillars.  They were everywhere...hundreds...dropping from the trees.  It made sitting outside uncomfortable.  Even with these pests, this park was Brian's favorite.

Our last camping trip of the season was to Colt Creek State Park, on the south end of the Green Swamp.  Not far from Hillsborough State Park...and not far from home.  It was our first camping trip without our lovable cat, Lizzie.  Lizzie was the reason we started camping.  She was a spoiled, loved, older cat that didn't do well when we left her to travel.  A camper was the solution...we could travel and take her with us.  She loved the cozy, close quarter of the trailer.  She even handled riding in the van.  Sadly, she died of kidney failure.  Brian and I have had 3 lovely cats and 25 years of great memories.

Colt Creek is a new state park...just a couple years old.  All of the facilities (bathhouse, camp sites) are clean and spacious.  There is a pond on the property but we didn't kayak there.  The first day we kayaked on the Withlacoochee River in the Withlacoochee River Park near Dade City.  The water levels were low and both ends were impassible.  We ended up paddling up and down about a mile stretch.  We checked out the observation tower in the park and I picked up a great shrimp and avocado salad at Mallie Kyla's Café.

The next day we went back to Hillsborough State Park and kayaked on the Hillsborough River.  It is a favorite of both of us.  I fell in love with an old cypress tree.  I couldn't stop taking pictures of it.

We drove to the west coast for our last day to kayak at the Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park.  Even though we brought our own kayaks, a lady from Paddling Adventures was very helpful and loaned us dollies to cart our kayaks over the boardwalk to the launch site.  The springs are not clear, boiling springs...just deep murky holes.  But kayaking the inlet and the mangrove bayou was nice.

Our winter adventures are over and we are preparing for our 2 month 2019 Summer Adventure.  The Florida State Parks live up to the advertising.  They truly are "The Real Florida" and award winning.  That also makes them very popular.  You can make reservations 11 months in advance  The best parks and best sites are difficult to book.  It is easier for Brian and I because we camp during the week.  But I don't take any chances and I have reservations for the next 11 months.  Most are parks we have not visited before, but I have reservations next year at our two favorites...Hillsborough State Park and Myakka State Park.  The rest will be a pleasant surprise.