2/19/22 Gainesville, Citrus, to Forgotten Coast FL

 2/19 Saturday

Waved goodbye to John and Yvonne after a light breakfast and coffee.  We've decided to begin heading back to Texas rather than continuing South.  Too many people and we figure the Everglades will be super busy.  Plus we've been through there and down to Key West before and have seen enough critters this trip.   We've also heard that boondocking gets very difficult this time of year and campgrounds are filled.

We're interested in visiting the "Forgotten Coast" area of the Florida Panhandle, so head north on 75. Today will be a travel day. We take exit 390 at Gainesville and visit Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park to stretch our legs.

 Nice State Park which includes a walk down into a large sinkhole, 120' deep and 500' across. 

It formed when the limestone was slowly dissolved by rainwater and eventually created a large cavern whose ceiling collapsed. 

It is located in upland pine forest, with pines, red oak and wiregrass and there is a swamp at the bottom of the sinkhole with standing water, supporting a more tropical and temperate climate.  A few displays and picnic areas and a few redbud trees beginning to bloom!

We get back on I75 for a little while before turning westward.  We stop and buy some citrus at a stand - honey bell oranges are what is popular right now and they are sweet! We buy a bag to take home. 

 We take some back roads,  looking for a boondocking spot called Goose Pasture, but GPS keeps telling us we passed it.  We finally just take a little side road and make our own spot for the night among the trees.

 The roads are sandy dirt with no traffic - well, we did see one three-wheeler.  We learn later that we stopped 2-3 miles short. Oh well....gps doesn't do well with dirt roads.

Quiet night, but cold, so we add another blanket.

2/18/22 Port Charlotte, Mayaka St. Park

 2/18/22

Sticky buns for breakfast!  These used to be a special treat when we were growing up, and they still are! Thanks, John.

Greg and I are going to go to Myaka State Park today.  John & Yvonne recommend it for the birds, gators and other animal possibilities. They have to take Yvonne's daughter to the airport and we will meet back at their house later.

The days have started rather hazy, but gradually clear, so it is 76 and cloudy when we leave. The park is about an hour away.  There is a $6 entry fee at the park, and it looks pretty busy.  Signs indicate that the campgrounds ($50 and up) are full! The ranger gives us a map and says not to miss the tree top walk and birds around the lake.

Our first stop is near a bridge where quite a few cars are pulled over.  We walk a bit and see why, as several big alligators are sunning themselves below the bridge.  There is also a spot to launch kayaks or canoes - I can't imagine going anywhere near those gators!

Next we come to the Canopy Walk, which is two towers connected by a swinging bridge type walkway. It is interesting to be above the trees, mainly moss draped oaks and palm trees. 

 The highest point is 76 feet tall.  A smiling gentleman asks us to take a pic for him and does one of us in return. Do you think my hat is bright enough?  Had to buy a new one at Walmart 'cause I left my old standby at home.

We drive on to a large parking area.  This is where the boat concession is, as well as restrooms, a cafe and gift shop and picnic area. There are a lot of folks here but we find a parking spot and walk past all the hoopla, to the lake. 

 There is some construction going on, so the trail has a bit of a detour, but soon we come to some beautiful roseate spoonbills, a tall egret, a glossy ibis and some other birds wading around, eating underwater vegetation.   The ibis is a new one to us, but we ID it from a poster we see later.  A large flock of ducks floats nearby. And a couple of alligators are keeping an eye on things.  

This is the ibis, below. We usually see white ones in Texas.

 

We birdwatch for a while and start back the trail toward the car.  Beth spots a pair of sandhill cranes walking towards the woods, so we pause to watch them. 

They seem pretty unconcerned about our nearness, continuing walking and eating, even when they are only five or six feet from us. They are about four feet tall and beautiful.

  Sandhill cranes mate for life and I wonder if this is a mated pair. We just stand and watch - and take pictures - until some other folks arrive.

We pass on the boat ride and instead continue past the campground to the North end of the park.  Part way along the road there is a small pond with many birds. 

 Three huge wood storks, many spoonbills and some egrets and herons. Most of them are sort of tucked in, like they are just beginning to stir.  The area is a bit muddy. 

 That and these prickly bushes force people to give them some room.

We continue along the road and at intervals see some large metal cages, around 5' long and 4' tall.  We learn later from John that these are wild pig traps.  They are an invasive species that causes a lot of trouble, so are trapped and removed.   Signs indicate that there are bobcat, bears, deer and other animals in the park.

We see some more sand hill cranes in a green field and Beth approaches them for a few more pictures.

As we pass the campground, we notice a dump station so take advantage of it to empty our tanks. This is a wonderful state park!

On the way back to 75, we stop at Sarasota National Cemetery which Greg had noted on the way to the park.  It has a nice display called Patriot Plaza and various areas dedicated to the different armed services.

We see a few more birds on the way to 75. The skinny neck sticking out of the water belongs to an anhinga, also called a snake bird because of its' long skinny neck.

We arrive back at John's shortly before they do and relax and catch up on emails and such. 

John grills some terrific steaks on his green egg grill, while Yvonne adds new potatoes and asparagus!  Quite a feast! It's nice to catch up a bit and see them healthy and happy!

We play a few more games of marbles, and tonight the women rule!  

2/17/2022Port Charlotte, Fort Meyers, FL

 2/17/2022

John and Yvonne have quite a variety of tropical and other plants on their property, including a papaya tree, various succulents, bouganvillea, and more; as well as a small vegetable garden!  And Yvonne has lots of gorgeous orchids.

We decide to go out for Breakfast on our way to Fort Meyers, so stop at a Cracker Barrel for some great french toast!  

We arrive in Fort Meyers where we'll visit the Thomas Edison and Henry Ford winter estates. There are lovely gardens and a nursery with plants for sale near the entrance.  

This banyan and other trees are incredible!  Some of them were grown in a search for a material to replace rubber during the war.

Look at this huge stag horn fern behind us!

 We opt for the self-guided tour which allows us to roam the properties and read the abundant signage.  There are quite a few visitors, but they are spread over a large area so it doesn't seem crowded.

The two men were friends and their houses with acreage are next door to each other.  They were state of the art at the time they were built, incorporating water systems, electricity, and even an early above-ground concrete swimming pool.

 Other buildings including caretaker's home and laboratories and workshops are also on display.

Edison's home was originally built in 1886, and was restored in 2007 to its 1929 appearance. The original 14 acres were bought for $2750.

The homes are on the Caloosahatchee River and you can see the remains of the pier where materials and visitors arrived.

 Ford home was built in 1911 and added to.  It had an interesting set of "House Rules" which included "Do Not interfere with the black snakes under the porch - they are there for a reason."  Interesting, because John and Yvonne also have a resident black snake at their house and feel the same - though Yvonne is NOT a fan.

After walking around the grounds and houses, we paused for a drink, then visited the museum across the street where many of their inventions are on display. 

Thomas Edison had 1,093 US patents - more than any other American inventor.  I liked this quote.

Back to Port Charlotte and we decide to try a little Florida Barbq.   It was tasty, but Greg and I prefer our Texas style.

We played a game called "Marbles", which was fun, even though the men won.