2015 TRAVELS

Friday, March 23, 2012

FABULOUS FLORIDA KEYS

Key West lighthouse

Hemingway's home in Key West

Two shifty men at Mallory Square in Key West

I just cant get this fish down!

picture tells it all

my own site in the Keys

any ideas Katy?

Tarpon & Pelicans

Roy and a leaping pelican & Tarpon

Mr Tarpon

We had a marvelous day driving the 110 mile Overseas highway through the Florida Keys. A picturesque journey through quaint fishing villages and quirky communities. In Key Largo we saw the original "African Queen" boat famous in film of same name - a great favourite of mine (memories of my Dad)

At Islamadora the Keys swing clear of the bottom of mainland Florida giving open water views. We watched people feeding huge Tarpon fish while a man with a big stick fended off the pelicans. (Where was he when you fed them Nigel?)
The 7 mile bridge featured in films "Up Close & Personal" "License to Kill" and "True Lies" was amazing. We saw Bahia Honda State park famous for its beautiful beach, there was the most dreadful smell in the area so it spoiled the attraction slightly.
No luck in searching for the Key deer, tiny animals about 26 - 32 inches, but did see the alligator at Blue Hole.
The final stop on this road is Key West, the tiny island at the end of the continent with Cuba just 90 miles away. Famous for its sunsets, celebrated every night at Mallory Square; Gay community; Hemingway's home; part time home of Harry S Truman; Key West lighthouse which we ventured up - probably the highest we have been since we left Arizona!
We strolled the streets avoiding the many cockerills roaming around, saw pelicans and Tarpon fighting for fish scraps, visited the waterfront with a huge cruise liner, schooners and gin palaces.
Back the way we came stopping in Key Largo at Mrs Mac's Kitchen (thanks N & K) for a great meal before we fell into bed, tired but very happy.

7 mile bridge on the Keys

my new friend

gator at Blue Hole

South Beach in Key West

view from lighthouse

Thursday, March 22, 2012

LINCOLN HOSPITALITY IN KEY LARGO & ROYAL PALM

Katy, Nigel and us

Friends from Whitby Yacht Club have a place in Key Largo, they spend two months each year here, so it was great to meet up with them. Their apartment was superb, looking out over a lagoon and an easy stroll to the beach. After seeing the lovely complex We spent the afternoon and evening swapping stories and getting tips on The Keys and Everglades. After a lovely meal and endless wine we arranged to meet up next day at Royal Palm and we thoroughly enjoyed strolling along the Anhinga trail - one of the best opportunities to view wildlife, including alligators and birds, up close.

Walked the Gumbo Limbo trail (don't you just love that name - it's a tree - can be used for making rocking horses - thank you Katy!) - Katy and I almost stood on an Eastern Ribbon snake - not poisonous thank goodness.
After lunch at our trailer they headed off to Flamingo, it was fun spending time with them and sharing our love of wildlife.
In the evening we returned to the Anhinga trail and joined the ranger in a starlight walk with flashlights. Fascinating seeing the gators at night - all you see mainly are their orange eyes - spooky, while the fireflies were so pretty. Another stunning day, the temperature seems stuck on 29oC.

Black Vulture

Anhinga on the anhinga trail

Anhinga fishing

baby anhingas

White Peacock

Gumbo Limbo - that'd be the tree!

Eastern Ribbon snake

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

LONG PINE KEY TO FLAMINGO, EVERGLADES. FLORIDA

tree snail

red bellied woodpecker

Florida soft shelled turtle

look at that set of teeth!

West Lake

Roy at Flamingo

American crocodile

any ideas Katy?

and this one?

Roy shipwrecked in Flamingo

Roseate Spoonbills at Mrazek pond

After getting up at 5am and driving to Long Pine to "bag" a site early, we were somewhat miffed to find the site almost empty!
Still, it gave us a long day to visit all the trails and overlooks as we toured the 33 mile scenic road to Flamingo and back.
Everglades is defined by water, historically, a freshwater river a few feet deep and 50 miles wide crept seaward through this area on a gradually sloping riverbed. Along its 80-mile course, the river dropped only 15 feet, finally emptying into Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. There, fresh and salt water mix in coastal areas, and mangrove forest dominates.
We reached Flamingo on the Florida Bay and saw our first American Crocodile. On the way we spied osprey with babies in the nests, Roseate spoonbills, pretty tree snails plus all the usual waders. We walked in dense jungle-like hardwood hammocks with enormous airplants clinging to anything, sub-tropical pine rocklands, and my favourite - the mysterious mangrove forest.

Roy spotted a turtle at the side of the road, she looked as if she was waiting to cross, as we took photos, a couple of Italian men came up and they encouraged it to cross the road as we were all sure it would get killed. (I was traffic warden even though there were no cars). When we spoke with the Ranger he said they are now starting to dig holes for their eggs, so I'm sure we saved her life!
It is fascinating to see the Everglades in the dry season, I am sure the wet season would be just as amazing but we do not think we could stand the heat, hurricanes or mozzies!
Just in case you think we are being eaten alive by mosquitoes, then worry not - they don't seem to have emerged yet - well not in big numbers.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

BIG CYPRESS NATIONAL RESERVE AND SHARK VALLEY, EVERGLADES. FLORIDA

zebra longwing

strangler fig

Midway campground on the Tamiami trail

airplant

Headed south and drove into the Big Cypress National Preserve and the Tamiami Trail, a beautiful road with the Tamiami canal running alongside. We stopped two nights on the lovely Midway National Park campsite.
From our base we got up early next day and got on the first airboat ride from Wootens Airtours. Luckily we were the only ones on our boat. It was great fun, felt like James Bond as we powered out at 45 mph then stopped in the beautiful, isolated red mangrove swamps. Alligators galore - a superb experience!

In the afternoon we went on the 2 hour narrated tram tour into the sawgrass prairie at Shark Valley in the freshwater Everglades, a memorable time,we saw alligators, wood stork, ibis, herons and anhinga babies in the nest. We walked up an observation tower and looked over the vast area of the river of grass.

Near the end of the tour, there were two alligators sunning in the middle of the road, as they sauntered back into the water there was a splashing and flashing of tails and jaws,was it love or war - not sure which, said the guide - awesome!