Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

Around Jonathan Dickinson

Sunday  February 26, 2012
Don’t forget - MYMO

 

Sunday was an overcast, gray, cloudy day.


David slept in and I slipped out to see Hobe Mountain. 
That’s right, Mountain. 
Made me laugh. 
But they are serious. 
Read the information sign.

 

Mountain???  86 feet!

I walked up the boardwalk to take  in the view. 
No nose bleed from the height though.

 

 

Good views of the park to the North, South, and West.  

 

To the South

 

To the West 

See the little Intercoastal water way in the distance? 

 

Looking out to the east you could see the inland waterway and just past that the ocean.

 

 

 

 

 

Here it is closer and the ocean behind it.  TOUGH LIFE!

 

 

When I zoomed in, I found this little house facing the inland water way.

 

 

 

 

Later in the day we went to Jupiter Beach where the streets for miles are
lined with multi million dollar homes.  Looks like lots of folks aren’t having any recession woes.

 

Coming back down I had to take this shot of a father and son spending some close time together.  Did you ever have moments like this with your dad?  I sure didn’t.  But wish I had.

Lucky boy, lucky Dad.

What great memories! 

After coming down off the “Mountain” I thought I’d check out the other things in the park which are all down by the River Campground. 

 

tours go to Trapper Nelson's 

So I hiked around and saw the Boat dock where the park’s tour boat leaves for its $18.86 per person tour.  And where they rent canoes, kayaks, and motor boats.

 

 

 

No swimmers today

 

 

 

the swimming area in the Loxahatchee River

 

 

 

 

very scenic spot for programs

 

 

 

The amphitheater also on the river

 

 

 

 

There are numerous trails and paths between each of these.  I took this one over to the River Campground

Sandy path

 

Good thing this is a slash pine forest so you can see over most
of the vegetation to figure out which way to go.

take your choice

 

I just love this little campground and all the interesting “campers”

 

Notice the steps in the back

 

Too cute vintage trailer

VW van still at it 

 

this one even has a GARAGE

The camp hosts have everything all set up.  What do you want to bet
they travel with dogs??

these folks have a LOT of STUFF

 

From there I took the short path over to the campground boat
put in which is where I hope we’ll launch for a paddle on the Loxahatchee perhaps tomorrow.

Loxahatchee launch

 

By this time it is nearly 11AM and I’m assuming David is up although he
hasn’t called.  Time to get back and make some late breakfast. brunch? 


On the trail back along the River to the car, I saw this amazing tree.

Still alive, tall  and healthy.   Standing on its tiptoes.

 

How does it do this??

 

David was up and feeling rested. 

After some food thought we decided to go over to the ocean.
Haven’t seen the ocean in FAR too long.
So we drove over to Hobe Sound public Beach.

Ruby in the background waiting by the sea 

 

Hobe Sound and its neighbor Juniper Island
are seriously beautiful and wealthy communities.
The road leading to the beach is lined with
gorgeous banyan trees.

 

Banyans in a row

 

WOW so big you can't hug it

 

lovely drive

 

It was a red flag day at the beach


There were only a few people out.

Red flag means extreme caution but you can swim

Even these folks had come in and were sitting on the railings to get out of the wind.

Too cute!

 

But the water was warm and wonderful.  I could have walked for miles
down the beach but it wasn’t a good place for David to sit.  Too windy.  Maybe another day.

Long time no see Atlantic

 

My happiest place

We drove around on North and South Beach roads being amazed at how lovely all the landscaping was and how hidden the houses.  Miles and miles of oceanfront multi million dollar mansions.  The recession had no effect on these folks that seems apparent.  How is that I wonder?  Don’t they have their money “invested”?  How did SO many people make themselves recession proof??

 

We stop by the grocery on our way home. 
Fix hummus and spinach sandwiches for lunch.  
David takes a nap and I work on the blog.

 

We hike the Kitching Creek Trail

When he gets up, he wants to go out on the Nature Trail so we drive back to the main park area in the more interior part of the park where I had been this morning and hike the Kitching Creek Trail.

 

We did them both

 

It’s more of a very nice walk actually through the Pine Flatwoods.

Original South Florida

 

Aren’t the Slash Pines beautiful against the sky?

So VERY BEAUTIFUL

 

there is an amazing variety of vegetation

 

The trail takes us, of course,  to Kitching Creek.  It comes off of the Loxahatchee and looks like a fine place to kayak.  Very slow and serene.  There are some nice benches here where we sit and wait for a family with exuberant children to hike on down the trail.
We are quiet observant hikers.  That’s pretty difficult for most children.

 

Lovely Kitching Creek

 

I love the long elegant needles of these not so elegantly named pines.

Those are some LONG needles

 

They really are beautiful trees.  Look at this bark.

Beautiful bark

 

Nature's mosaic 

 

It was a very relaxing 90 minute stroll after which we went back for dinner.  
We really made the very best of a marginal weather day.

15 comments:

  1. Love the Pine tree bark! I'd love to walk the beach too!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beautiful pictures of the trees. I loe the pictures of the bark - amazing. Glad you were both able to get out and enjoy the day.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Looks like a really nice park. Love the father/son moment I was lucky enough to have that now & again. Wild wind at the beach, huh??

    ReplyDelete
  4. You wrote a beautiful story with great photos even on a gray day. You did make the best of it! I do especially love your river stories, and your ability to keep upbeat in the midst of the hard stuff is wonderful. Of course it won't always be that way every day, the Ups and the Downs are all part of the living, so glad you are writing about all of it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Glad you were able to get out and share the beauty of the park with us. Nice that David felt rested and wanted to hike as well. Hope you get to paddle before you head back toward Tampa!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm lookin' for the mountain. Lookin' ... lookin' ...

    I read an article on Bloomberg.com that made me laugh out loud, but I'm pretty sure my laughter was at someone's expense. It was about how tough times are for bankers and other 1%ers. Some of them look at supermarket flyers now! One of them can now only afford to rent a beach house for one month a year, instead of four. Some aren't able to buy bigger houses this year. Pretty tragic stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Really love your pictures, and the tree on it's tiptoes, beautiful. It's also nice to hear David did some hiking too.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Glad David was able to get out with you for awhile. Beautiful photos, you made the most of the day. Glad you are doing things for your serenity, too!

    ReplyDelete
  9. hi, its jupiter island instead of juniper. if you go south from hobe sound beach it is a very beautiful drive past the multi million dollar mansions maybe 6 miles or so is a small nature trail on the right and a little further a much more pristine public beach than hsb. the road continues on to US1 in tequesta by the old jupiter lighthouse. from there you are just south of JD park on highway 1. we live close by and like to ride our bike's at JD. also the canoe trip to trapper nelsons is a must! enjoy your stay!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love the trees. I don't know how the one on tiptoes is still alive. Seems like a good breeze would blow it over.
    Syl

    ReplyDelete
  11. Touching picture of the father and son moment. Really interesting pictures of the tree on its tiptoes, banyan trees and colorful pine tree bark. Nature at its best.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I always marveled at those multi $ houses anywhere, even before the recession! What do so many people do for a living that they ALL can afford those??
    Your pictures were wonderful, as usual, and the tree bark awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  13. You certainly know how to make the most of every day. Glad to see David is getting enough rest, is going out and about and enjoying being with his personal tour guide.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Love the picture of the father and son :) And I LOVE the tree with it's root system exposed...Beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Loved the father/son picture - Lucky me to have so many of those moments with my Dad :) Beautiful tree and water pictures too.

    ReplyDelete

Your comments are the best part of this blog for me.
I LOVE hearing from you!