Epilogue

I returned to Charlotte to a loving brother and sister-in-law who love me unconditionally. 😍 Such a comfort to be myself without any need to self-edit or “dumb down”.  I am so grateful to all my “family”  who have been my teachers in this regard.  You might ask, ‘what does this have to do with the Florida Scenic Trail?’  I’ll let you answer that question for yourselves.  In any case, I achieved great wisdom on this journey that will serve me always.  You can’t plan a journey like this one. It unfolds organically and it’s best to go with the flow, even though it may be uncomfortable at times and contrary to logic.  Our divine spark always has our highest interests in mind and holding that intention never fails me.  That being said, I’m closing out this blog and will resume posting on the ‘Finding the Way ‘ blog. Thanks to all those who have followed me and given me such encouragement and inspiration to follow my heart and lead with my heart.

Back to Miami

Our trip is almost over—we three fly home tomorrow. So the morning was spent packing, consolidating, letting go of unneeded items we picked up along the way.  We retrieved our pack covers from George, our trip angel.  He also suggested we visit the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, very conveniently located.  It was an amazing place and we spent several hours there. They specialize in palms, orchids and have an amazing butterfly garden. The butterflies were busy collecting nectar and chasing each other, so hard to catch them on camera.  They import chrysalis from all over the world and ‘birth’ new ones daily.   Time well spent and wonderful to share with like-minded folks.

Larry & Penny Thompson Campground

Hett we are on the Atlantic side and at this Dade county campground. It’s still hot but there’s a nice breeze to take off the heat and far less buggy than before.  It’s a pretty busy place and because of the weekend lots of younger people.   They’re all having loads of fun.

We took a trip to the Biscayne National  Park.  Most of the park is on the water, including several  islands(keys) and a coral reef.  This is one of those gems of a park that you chance upon that will be ingrained forever.  Lots to learn about the different ecosystems and how critical they are to human survival. Thanks to a number of activists, this place is preserved from development for future generations to enjoy.  I’ve admired many of the men and especially women on my trip who have gotten involved in the environmental or historical preservation movement to protect these places from development.

Crossing the Tamiami Trail

We headed back to the Atlantic side to be nearer to Miami and hopefully better weather.   We made a few stops along the Tamiami Trail, Hwy 41 which traverses Florida with Big Cypress to the north and the Everglades  to the south. The Big Cypress Oasis visitor center felt a bit nostalgic as this was to have been the southern terminus of our backpacking trip along the Florida Scenic Trail.  Nevertheless we had a chance to learn about the fight to eradicate the  Burmese python and the Brazilian berry, two invasive species that are threatening the very ecology of that region.   The B. Python has eradicated most of the small mammal population and now targeting alligators and deer  as it’s food source.   It had no predator in this area and the female gives birth to about 80 babies each year, most surviving to adulthood.  According to the ranger, biologists are attempting genetic engineering to produce a population of only females without a means to reproduce.

Canoeing on Black Water River

it was nice to get out on the water this morning. I joined a group for a guided canoe trip to the Black Wayer River. It was several miles down and back. Guides talked about the importance of the mangroves, the wildlife inhabiting  the area, history of the indigenous people in the area and the building of the Tamiami highway.   I reconsidered a hike when Alan and Sherry returned from Prsiroe Hammock—not enough shade and very buggy.  

Collier-Seminole State Park

As we head south towards Miami, the temperature’s get hotter, especially at night.  The advantage of staying in a state park is the shower facilities, access to trails and other amenities. The disadvsntage is the increased noise from RV’s. running generators, AC’s, etc.   I find the background white  noise soothing at night and don’t mind it.   At this point I’m choosing comfort and convenience over atmosphere.  You can learn to appreciate whatever situation arises and mske the best of it.  Our journey in Florida is nearly over and there is much wisdom to be gleaned from each moment.  So what happened a moment ago is irrelevant to what’s happening right now.  Some wise person said, “the past is history, the future is a mystery, the gift is now, that’s why it’s called the present”.

The state park is named after Barton Collier who gained fame by financing the Tamiami Trail across the Everglades  His only stipulation was that they name the county after him. He also donated 800,000 acres to create the park.  The picture is the mrmorial erected in his honor.

Myakka River II

Our last day here was hot and sunny.  We got an early start and got the canopy walk, which consisted of two towers connected by a walkway. The one tower was 75’ tall and got your attention at the top. Mostly palm and some hardwood  There was more to see on the way up and down in terms of epiphytes-fern, bromeliads, Spanish moss and assorted critters.  We got a nice hike along the Myakka River and another under the power lines in the hot sun. Lots of water brought out the alligators. The picture is the largest one I’ve  seen in Florida so far.

Myakka River State Park

Fortune smiles once again and we got a campsite in Myakka River SP.   Its a lovely area near the Myakka Lake. Lots of birding here and hiking trails. It dumped rain last night but we were high and dry this morning when the weather cleared. We all voted to go to the Marie Selby Botanical Garden in Sarasota, where I visited back in January. What a difference three months made. Lots of perennials and annuals in bloom as well as orchids. The last visit was the day before a Paul Gauguin exhibit was to open so the conservatory was closed where many of the exotic orchids are displayed.   What an amazing display. We all thoroughly enjoyed our visit, had lunch in the cafe and spent a relaxing day doing something different. We were able to extend our stay here another night fo will get some hiking in tomorrow.

Crooked River Campground

We circled back to Siver Lake and stayed at a tents only campsite at Crooked River. A very quiet place to spend the night but realizing that rain was forecast for Tuesday we decided to head  south to a more established area to hole up for the upcoming thunderstorm.  This site had its issues with bugs, scavenging raccoons and  dirty bsthrooms, so saying goodby was no hardship.  We’re getting a bit picky about our campsites. Hot showers are a nice thing and the fewer RV’s with their generators and AC running all night the better.   We gave up on ReserveAmerica due to their fees and.cancellation policy in favor of “walk ups”. Each campground sets aside  a few campsites that are mon-reservable and available on a first come first served basis. So far we’ve been able to get a campsite, not always the prime spot, but sufficient. It’s nuce to have the flexibility and a more spontaneous experience.

Manatee Springs State Park

Alan and Sherry got flooded out so we decided to pack up and head to drier weather. We drove right into the storm, so stopped in Perry for a bite to eat. After lunch, the sun come out and we had fair weather till we arrived at Manitee Springs. We got the last tent site and after setting up camp  went off for a short hike to the Suwannee River to view the manatees.  The mom and her baby were swimming  in the 74• degree spring water. There’s a nice boardwalk to take you out into the river. Looked like a great place to kayak.  The concession there provided a rack of ribs for dinner along with the Asian salad from Walmart and a bottle of wine ended our first day.

Today we went for a scenic hike with many interpretive stations providing education about the local  flora. It was a very hot day so a cool shower,  cold beer and free WiFi made our day complete.

Driving rain

Ochlockonee River State Park

We headed to the Florida panhandle and Apalachicola National Forest. Most of the campgrounds are still closed due to Hurricane Michael damage last fall. So we settled on this oasis on the  Ochlockonee River. Clean, with all the amenities, although I had to pitch my tent across the road for more space. Tucked in under some gnarley trees, but will due in a pinch.   Rain is in the forecast for tomorrow so the tarp is up.