19. Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve - December 19, 2009

Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve is much like the park Tom currently works at, Atlantic Ridge. Except, because it is a park in its own right, there is no entrance fee. Based on my experience, there is no entrance fee to a preserve if it is not managed by another park. The next best thing about this park is it is only about 15 minutes away from Collier-Seminole, so you might as well ride out there.

The main entrance to the park has an 11 mile trail that goes through some of the flatland. Tom did not want to go very far on this, as it is rather bumpy and he was worried about his trailer. What was cool about this park is a pull-off right next to a Seminole Indian tribe (yes, they were selling dreamcatchers and any other indian gift you would want. No, they do not give tours of their village). The pull-off is called Big Cypress trail and it leads back to an oasis for the animals. We saw alligators, many types of birds, and it was beautiful. It was a little lake they had all to themselves (besides us gawking at the boardwalk).

Something unique about this park we were not able to see were the rare orchids. According to the guide book we picked up, there are several types of rare orchids in the park -- orchid enthusiasts from all over the world come and visit. The trails to hike to them are very difficult, and you have to know what you are looking for. We decided that adventure was not for us.

Til next time,

The camping bug

18. Collier-Seminole State Park - December 18, 2009

I can tell you right now the #1 reason to visit this park - Royal Palm trees. Not the kind that line the side of the road in Miami, no. Those are a sham compared to these trees. These trees are so tall you can barely see them if you strain your neck as far back as it will go. So tall, if you standing right next to one, all of the other trees will shroud it unless you look closely. Their pom frons (leaves?) are long and flowing. This park is one of the only remaining natural Royal Palm hammocks in the United States. Many have recently been knocked down by hurricanes and other storms, leaving only a few survivors.

Other than that, there is not much to say about the park. We were there in the winter, making it a nice temperature. In the summer, it is probably terribly hot and full of mosquitos. They do have the only remaining dredge from the digging of the Tamiami Trail -- which, when it was built at the turn of the century, it was a marvel. To forge a road across the Everglades seemed impossible. The men who made this pioneering trail through Florida had long hours, no bathrooms, and were away from their families for months at a time. Often, they would be up to their knees in mud from th swampy Everglades. Could you imagine us doing something like that today?

They do have two separate campgrounds -- one for RVs and one for tents. Thankfully, we were allowed to stay in the tent one, which had much better shrubbery. It would, however, be a great place for an RV group to go, as there are many campsites all next to each other.

Til next time,

The camping bug

Canaveral National Seashore - November 28th and 29th, 2009

On our second visit to Canaveral National Seashore, we decided to take a stab at the beach camping. It is primitive, and the person on the phone told us it would be a two mile hike. No worries however, we were prepared. Our friend Daniel brought along both of his backpacking bags, excited to try out his new one. Tom and I also borrowed his backpacking tent, preparing for the long hike.

We started on our journey at about 2 p.m., me being a little apprehensive because I too was carrying a backpack, albeit smaller than Tom and Daniel's. Was I going to make the entire hike? Was I going to poop out and have to pass my backpack to one of the boys to finish carrying it? Well, I was never able to find the answer to these questions. It turns out the hike is so short you can still see the boardwalk from where you camp. So short, in fact, that rather than go to the bathroom in the wilderness, I chose to walk back to the trailer where we signed in. Not that I am complaining, but they could have told us the truth. If we would have known, we would have wheeled our coolers and our giant tent out there. Come to think of it, maybe that is what they are trying to prevent.

The best part of this adventure was the peacefulness. Only 30 people are allowed on the beach per day, and they must obtain a permit. There is only one other campsite, and it is quite a distance from ours. We spent the evening walking the deserted beach and sitting beside our campfire in the sand. We fell asleep to the waves crashing against the shore and woke up to a beautiful sunset on the beach. Talk about a great trip. The camping fee is only $10 a night for up to six people. You can reserve only two weeks in advance -- which is nice for us late planners. However, beach camping is only open from Nov. 1 - mid-April, because of sea turtle nesting.

This is an experience I recommend, particularly if you like the beach.

Til next time,

The camping bug