Biking and a Canopy Walk

Thursday January 19,2012
Myakka River State Park Site 80

Thursday I was up and out for the run/walk
by 7:30.  Temperature in the 50’s.  GREAT!!
David stayed back to make a sausage and egg
breakfast so we would be well fortified for what
turned out to be a 16 mile bike ride with Bill & Nancy.

We are camped in Palmetto Ridge,
the newest campground just opened this year.
Full hook ups!
Across the road from us is a smaller older campground

And 3 miles up the road is
where Nancy and Bill are camped in Big Flats
another smaller older campground.

Their campground is heavily treed with
live oaks dripping with spanish moss.
They are really close to the services and
the lake and river.  That’s great!
But there are only 3 sites that will fit a 35’ rig although
when David and I looked the sites over, there
seemed others that would do just as well as those 3.
Would an RVer dare lie about his length
in order to have a site in this super location??

Oh yes, and it has a resident flock of nesting
black buzzards every night.  Nancy says they’re
waiting for the old folks.

We left the campground and set off down the road
which is a beautiful ride through a tunnel of gorgeous trees.

We went up to the North Entrance
just to see what was up there.

Bill got the story on work camping at Myakka
from the work camping gate guard.

Nancy has been a GEM for making the plans
for us all.  Here she is checking the map.

Next stop the bird walk at the lake.
No Paul the birds aren’t walking,
we are walking out to see them.

Yesterday Nancy & Bill said they saw hundreds of
birds all over the place apparently hanging out
before the storm which came last night.

Today the winds were up and the temperatures down
so there weren’t as many but still……….

there were a lot of things to see

including
Sand Hill Cranes

Roseate spoonbills

and an artist

Back on the bikes we were off in the
direction of the canopy

The lake off to our right

On the way, we decided to stop by
Nancy & Bill’s rig

and then walk over to the Outpost for lunch.
Here’s the path from their campground to
the Outpost.  AND the spot where the buzzards
roost at night.

The Outpost has both a camp store in one building
and a cafe with ICE CREAM in another!

But before lunch we walked out to the weir
to see who was there.

And look at what we found.
Black vultures, wood storks, roseate spoonbills
and an approaching alligator.
There were egrets, herons, and others as well
but in the interest of not TOO many pictures
on an activity filled day……..

But I do have Nancy getting a close up of black vultures.
YUCK…..see HER blog for that picture!

We walked back to the Outpost.
Finally, time for
ICE CREAM FOR LUNCH!!!
YEA!!

Well fortified, we were off for the canopy walk.

but of course we had to do a little geocaching on the way.

This time David Found it.

We arrived at the canopy structure on down the path
and Bill, who has a fear of heights, bravely went up
on the bridge.

Even after reading this sign

David and I crossed, Nancy got the shot from the other side.

David got me…..notice the cool bridge
and being inside the trees

Bill & Nancy starting across

Bill makes it.  Not exactly a smile
but I don’t think he’s gritting his teeth.
He said it “wasn’t bad”.

Nancy hamming around

liked it just fine.

BUT 25’ up was enough for Bill,
and he went down to wait for us to go up
the 75’ tower.
Can you see him down there?

It was fantastic being in the trees and then up over the tree tops.

Back on the ground we walked the nature trail.

and then headed back to the bikes
and another couple of geocaches
one of which we found (but neither David nor I got pictures)
, and the other of which
was down this path.

Can you guess why we didn’t wade across?
It was shallow enough.

So this is what we did instead!

Another great day at Myakka River State Park!!