“There’s one!” I call out to Eric. An enormous grey blob rises slowly to the surface of the crystal clear river, exhales loudly, and sinks again to the sandy bottom. It’s a West Indian manatee, a roly-poly aquatic mammal that seeks the warmth of Florida springs in the winter. We’re kayaking the Ichetucknee River in […]
Archive for Florida – Page 2
There are a handful of places we’ve discovered in our travels that immediately feel like home. Cedar Key is one of them. A cluster of tiny islands just off the Nature Coast of northwest Florida, Cedar Key is an unpolished gem. And that’s just the way we like it. (Although a good grocery store would […]
In our Florida travels we generally avoid the east coast, preferring the more laid-back “Old Florida” vibe of the Gulf coast. But I’ve long been intrigued by the history and architecture of St. Augustine, and getting there obviously involves a trip to the Atlantic coast. In February, we managed to snag a site at Anastasia […]
I don’t think there’s any more beautiful place to kayak and swim than the spring-fed rivers of Florida. Crystal clear waters—often an astonishing hue of aquamarine—wind through stands of palms and cypress festooned with Spanish moss. Herons and egrets pick their way across watery fields of lily pads; turtles sun themselves on ancient logs; osprey […]
Shhhh….don’t tell my other feathered friends, but I think the wading birds are my favorite of all. Well, at least while we’re in Florida, the wading bird capital of America. Florida boasts 18 varieties of these intriguing creatures, including the showy pink Roseate Spoonbill and the awkwardly endearing Wood Stork. Not only are the wading […]
See that fancy fan dancer? She’s a Purple Gallinule, and she’s been on my list of most-want-to-see-birds for several years. Every year I come up with a few birds that I’d like to find in our travels—kind of a treasure hunt, of the feathered variety. My most recent list included Purple Gallinules (because they’re so […]
For years, I’ve seduced Eric with tales of the Florida Keys. I tell him of days spent snorkeling over coral reefs, paddling lazily through gin clear waters while lemon yellow and neon blue tropical fish dart through an undersea forest of staghorn coral and swaying purple sea fans. I paint images of cerulean skies and […]
We’re in north Florida, celebrating New Year’s on a cool, gray, and rainy day. Spent the morning at St. Mark’s wildlife refuge, where the ducks and wading birds are going about business as usual. They probably aren’t bothering themselves with New Year’s resolutions (such as, “Must get blog up-to-date“). Despite the fact that our blog […]
I looked it up just to make sure. “Adieu” does not simply mean goodbye; it means “Until we meet again.” And that’s how I choose to think of it. We arrived in Florida mid-November and left the first week of April, almost four-and-a-half months later. In between our many adventures this winter (the Keys, Sanibel […]
On the last day of March, we ventured out onto the back roads of north Florida. Our destination: Wright’s Lake, deep in the Apalachicola National Forest. Our mission: To find wildflowers, especially the spectacular native pitcher plants. Our companions: Intrepid explorers and fellow full-time travelers Sherry and David, who were serendipitously camping nearby at St. […]
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If you enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking, birding, art, music, quirky towns, good food, and good friends—you'll enjoy traveling with us. Join us as we explore the backroads of North America—we love company and comments!