Rain, rain, rain....heading home.

We had plans of spending some time in St. Augustine and stopping by the Okefenokee but it was pouring rain and thunderstorms and flood warnings were all over so decided that didn't look great for outside activities and camping. We stopped in the historic section of St. Augustine and decided to head home. We'll catch all that another time. Arrived home safely just as the sun was setting. Another Great Trip!

Walt Disney World - Jean's Birthday

We did not go to Florida so I could celebrate my birthday at EPCOT. It was just a really nice coincidence that we were in the area when the Magic Kingdom was letting the birthday kids in for free! What a grand and glorious day! We decided to go to EPCOT. We arrived early--first ones at the gate--and got all the hints from folks waiting with us. I got a nice big pin to wear and folks were telling me Happy Birthday all day long! We SOARED and we did Test Track Runs and we rode through the Land and watched 360 movies about Canada, China and France and just generally had a delightful time. They were having their annual flower extravaganza and there were topiaries of different characters everywhere and beautiful gardens, as always. It was great weather until about 2 and the skies opened up. Out came the yellow Mickey Mouse ponchos that we had gotten on a previous visit. Those along with the umbrellas kept us pretty dry. We had wandered over to the countries by that time so there were lots of inside things to do. As we were heading over there John checked the messages on the phone and there was a grand singing of Happy Birthday dear Grandma by Colin and Ryan. We had a delightful dinner in Morocco that ended with a birthday cake Moroccan style and more merry singing. Thankfully they didn't make the birthday kids dance with the belly dancer! We ended the day with fireworks and headed back to the motel exhausted. What a way to celebrate!

Morikami Japanese Garden and Amer. Orchid Society Gardens

After we left Ft. Lauderdale we headed for Delray Beach to check out the Morikami Gardens. The gardens are very peaceful and restful. One section, Roji-en, reflects six major historical periods of Japanese garden design, from the 9th to the 20th century. There are resting areas and several buildings, one of which houses the extensive Japanese art collection and history of the Yamato Colony, a Japanese farming community in the area 100 years ago. Unfortunately, the museum was being renovated so we didn't get to see that. There was a wonderful Bonzai collection. We stopped by the American Orchid Society Gardens on the way out...they are on the same grounds. Lots of exquisite flowers inside a 4000 sq. ft. greenhouse and beautiful outside gardens. After that wonderful respite we headed for Kissimmee :-) We secured our motel and headed to one of our favorite places for dinner - FRIENDLY'S. The Willard's have a long love affair with their ice cream and make sure we do quality checks whenever we can. Still as good as ever! Tomorrow EPCOT! Can hardly wait!!

Leaving the Everglades on our way to Ft. Lauderdale

Broke camp this morning. Piece of cake with the new tent. Headed to Biscayne National Park where John was going on a snorkeling trip. We stopped at Paurotis Pond where the ranger had told us we'd there was a wood stork rookery and discovered where all the herons etc in the park were spending their time. There were hundreds of white and snowy heron, white and glossy (black) ibis, wood storks, green herons, rosea spoonbills, etc, etc, etc. Most of the babies had fledged, but there were still a few screaming when Mom came home with food for them. It was really fun watching all the commotion! On to the Royal Palm visitor's center and the Anhinga Trail....a short trail alongside a canal. A few alligators and dozens and dozens of black buzzards. We saw one large soft shelled turtle trying to lay eggs with a dozen or so buzzards around her....ugly. Then John called Biscayne to get a reservation and was told they wouldn't be going out today because the seas were too rough. Boo. Decided to go to the visitor's center there anyway. Not alot there if you don't go out on the water....next time. Then on to Ft. Lauderdale where we are spending the night. Fun day.

Hiking around the Flamingo Area

John woke up at 5:15 am this morning and saw the moon and stars. They shine very brightly down here--hardly need flashlights! At a more reasonable hour of the morning we headed for the trail to Bear Lake. It was a walk through mangrove forest once again. Caught some beautiful Moon Flowers, night blooming beauties that close up during the day
lots of bromeliads and air plants, a tree snail and a pygmy rattlesnake crossed the trail in front of us...more about them later! At the end of the trail was Bear Lake...quite large. A hispanic family was at the end of the trail with all their fishing gear for the day. They had already caught one fish. We returned to the campground and relaxed the rest of the day. It was HOT, but there was a nice breeze coming off the water and our shady tree! At about sunset we drove to Eco Lake which was essentially dry, but we did find 6 stilts showing their shadows and reflections in the little water there. Headed back for dinner and right before hitting the hay I went to the ladies bathroom and crawling down the pipe at the sink area was another small Pygmy Rattlesnake and he very gracefully curled up under the shelf next to the sink for the night. Left the vestibules open tonight as it was quite a bit warmer. Nice to look up at the big dipper when I woke up during the night! Ah, nature!

On our way to Flamingo area of the Everglades NP

Left that great little time share and headed for the Flamingo Campground this morning. We stopped at the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park hoping to see some of the 14 species of Bromeliads or 44 species of native orchids. We saw huge Royal Palms and butterflies and a lots of non-flowering bromeliads....more dry weather blues! Nice walk through the woods though.






















Then stopped again at the Shark Valley Visitor's Center hoping to see something different along the tram trail--and we did! The ever present gators, the red chested woodpecker peaking from her nest, a limpkin and two very cute river otters crossed our viewing paths! Then on through Homestead and down to Flamingo. Lots of hurricane damage down here in the last 30 years, but there is alot of new growth going on. Water remains the major issue. Many canals pull water off further north for agriculture and developments and they are currently in a three year drought. We went by many ponds that were bone dry. Hopefully the rains will begin June 1st as I was insured earlier this week. We actually happy it hasn't been raining, more for the lack of mosquitos, but also because it's made out trip really good. We arrived at Flamingo and drove into the campground....a very level area (high point in the park is 8' above sea level) with sporatic large trees and a sign that said "Camping is free". Got to love those prices. We set up the new tent and headed for the visitor's center and signed up for the "sunset" cruise into Florida Bay. It was a nice boat trip and a fairly good sunset. Great way to end the day.

North to Venice and Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area

We began the day early with a beautiful sunrise. We headed for Venice today. We went to visit the Venice Rookery. It was noisy and very active. Less than a stones throw from the shoreline, herons, egrets and anhingas pose and repose.


















































Quite a number of them had babies still in the nest so there was lots of squawking and carrying on. Fascinating place. And we are well past the busy season there...it must be bedlam in March and April! We stayed there for several hours and then headed back toward Lehigh Acres. Next stop was Shamrock Park to see if we could find a Florida scrub jay--success! Then off to the Babcock/Webb Wildlife Management Area just a little way from where we are staying and found a drought stricken lake well below it's normal level, but there were lots of shore birds there, sandhill cranes (4.5' tall), morehens, and in the lake about 4' from the cranes a very large alligator! What brought us to that spot were two bald eagles flying overhead. One landed in a tree not far away and we got him too. There were deer, rabbits and armadillos too. We headed home as the rain started to get packed. We're off to the Flamingo area of the Everglades tomorrow and camping there tomorrow night and then Sunday off to Key Largo to the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park to snorkel and spend the night. Then Monday probably head up toward Orlando. We probably won't have email or internet access until Tues. Another great day!

Marco Island Naples

It was off to Naples and Marco Island today. Both were great places. Very nice homes and wonderful landscaping. We headed for Tiger Tail Beach in San Marco. There was a very large lagoon in a mangrove area and when you walked to the end of that you were on the Gulf shore. Nice beach. There was a nest of Osprey as we walked in and they were all hunting most of the time we were there. Lots of immature white Ibis as well as shore birds. Also found a cool crab. We walked down the Gulf beach for a ways and then turned back....started getting hot.

We then headed to Naples and the Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park. It was a small barrier island with mostly mangrove habitat with Turkey Bay on one side and Gulf Beach on the other. There were some Gopher Tortoises near the beach...they're residents here. We wandered through the mangrove down to Wiggins Pass and saw a dolphin and some and a bunch of sting rays on the way back. John decided to succumb to the heat and hit the water. His conclusion was that it was refreshing but too warm. We headed home and downloaded pictures and backed up files. More rain late this afternoon :-)