Today I was going to follow my nose, and I did. To Myakka River
State Park and it was beautiful! A twenty minute scooter ride 0n country roads got me there. Blue skies, cool breeze. I had considered camping there but they were booked & had been for a long time. Once I got there I could see why.
It's a large, natural lake fed by rainwater. It's full of fish, turtles and alligators, with plenty of birds to fill in the picture. I saw egrets, herons, osprey, hawks, armadillos, deer, feral pigs as well as a multitude of gators of all sizes. It's a palmetto/oak hammock. Lots of water spread around, a few high places. It had once been a prairie until it was overgrazed, under burned & other things overtook the grass. The state is working to restore it to a prairie. Although slow, they are making progress.
Myakka means inland water flowing rapidly in the Calusa language, the local natives until disease from the Spanish wiped them out. I took a tour on a large air boat, then on a tram. The guides were excellent! They were older fellows who obviously enjoyed what they were doing & did it very well. There were 72 people on the boat!
For lunch, before the tours, I had gator stew & it was delicious. It had tomatoes, onions, celery, potatoes, carrots, green beans, collard greens, Blake eyed peas & big old chunks of white, tender, juicy gator meat! I loved it & may go back again just for that. Or I may go back & fish.
The lake has bass, snook, panfish, catfish, gar talipia & several other varieties. It sure would be fun to fish there unless I accidentally hooked ,a gator. That would be awful!
Riding the scooter in the park reminded me of the Blue Ridge Parkway with the scenery, wild life, smooth roads & slow speeds.
I also went for a long walk in a canopy forest. It had oaks, palms, palmettos, moss, ferns, likens & other lovely things. The forest also had a 76 foot high observation tower, actually 2 of them, with a swinging bridge in between. It was quite a fine view.
All in all it was a very good day & was tired when I got home. Sister Barbara called about dinner & I declined just cause I was pooped. Gonna try to watch the heels at 9. Life is goooooooood!!!!
I
State Park and it was beautiful! A twenty minute scooter ride 0n country roads got me there. Blue skies, cool breeze. I had considered camping there but they were booked & had been for a long time. Once I got there I could see why.
It's a large, natural lake fed by rainwater. It's full of fish, turtles and alligators, with plenty of birds to fill in the picture. I saw egrets, herons, osprey, hawks, armadillos, deer, feral pigs as well as a multitude of gators of all sizes. It's a palmetto/oak hammock. Lots of water spread around, a few high places. It had once been a prairie until it was overgrazed, under burned & other things overtook the grass. The state is working to restore it to a prairie. Although slow, they are making progress.
Myakka means inland water flowing rapidly in the Calusa language, the local natives until disease from the Spanish wiped them out. I took a tour on a large air boat, then on a tram. The guides were excellent! They were older fellows who obviously enjoyed what they were doing & did it very well. There were 72 people on the boat!
For lunch, before the tours, I had gator stew & it was delicious. It had tomatoes, onions, celery, potatoes, carrots, green beans, collard greens, Blake eyed peas & big old chunks of white, tender, juicy gator meat! I loved it & may go back again just for that. Or I may go back & fish.
The lake has bass, snook, panfish, catfish, gar talipia & several other varieties. It sure would be fun to fish there unless I accidentally hooked ,a gator. That would be awful!
Riding the scooter in the park reminded me of the Blue Ridge Parkway with the scenery, wild life, smooth roads & slow speeds.
I also went for a long walk in a canopy forest. It had oaks, palms, palmettos, moss, ferns, likens & other lovely things. The forest also had a 76 foot high observation tower, actually 2 of them, with a swinging bridge in between. It was quite a fine view.
All in all it was a very good day & was tired when I got home. Sister Barbara called about dinner & I declined just cause I was pooped. Gonna try to watch the heels at 9. Life is goooooooood!!!!
I
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.