On the Road Again...

It was nice taking some time off from travelling to visit family and friends in the Midwest over the holidays, but after an enjoyable two and a half months, it was time for us to hit the road on the next leg of our journey.  We've made our way to Florida where, in addition to enjoying the warm and sunny weather, we'll be meeting friends from Chicago for a Caribbean cruise during the first week of February.  After that, our plan is to spend about 4 months working our way up the East Coast.



While there is no forest around, Deer such as this Stag are common in Mom & Dad's suburban backyard in Ohio



Dad, Todd, and Mom at home in Ohio



Mammoth Cave at Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky is the world's longest known cave system with more than 400 documented miles of interlinked caves.

Cave formations of stalactites (hanging from the top), stalagmites (built from the bottom up) and columns (where the top and bottom meet) in Mammoth Cave in Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

Sunset from our camping spot near Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky



Cave formations inside Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee.



In 1928, Leo Lambert and a team of excavators found a breathtaking waterfall located over 1,120 feet below the surface of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Lambert named the falls after his wife, Ruby, and opened the area as a public attraction in 1930 in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

At 729 feet, Amicalola Falls in Amicalola Falls State Park, Georgia is the tallest cascading waterfall in the Southeast.  We reached the top after an excruciating climb of 604 steps.  Amicalola Falls State Park also contains the southern end of the famous 2,175-mile Appalachian Trail.

Shonah and Todd biking the trails in Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve in Gainesville, Georgia.  Alafia River State Park in Florida also had some great trails built and maintained by the SWAMP mountain bike club.



Todd, Shonah, and long-time friend Lisa who opened her home (and driveway) in Georgia to us for a wonderful dinner and some catching-up. 



Established in 1929 by Dr. Joel Watkins, the original Fresh Air Barbecue in Jackson, Georgia, is the oldest pit-cooked barbecue restaurant in Georgia still in its original location. It was our first, and definitely not our last, taste of true Southern barbecue.

Todd in front of a beautiful and massive Banyan Tree in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Dale Chihuly is an American glass sculptor and entrepreneur. His works are considered unique to the field of blown glass, "moving it into the realm of large-scale sculpture."  The technical difficulties of working with glass forms are considerable, yet Chihuly uses it as the primary medium for installations and environmental artwork.  While passing through St. Petersburg, Florida we visited the Chihuly Collection at the Morean Arts Center.



Born in 1941 in Tacoma, Washington, Dale Chihuly was introduced to glass while studying interior design at the University of Washington. After graduating in 1965, Chihuly enrolled in the first glass program in the country, at the University of Wisconsin.  He continued his studies at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he later established the glass program and taught for more than a decade.



His work is included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide.  He has been the recipient of many awards, including twelve honorary doctorates and two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts.



Random kite boarders near our Dispersed Camping spot off I-275 just outside of St. Petersburg, Florida



A Manatee enjoying the river behind the Visitor Information Center at Myakka River State Park, Florida.



A typical adult American alligator's weight and length is 790 lb and 13.1 ft, but they sometimes grow to 14 ft long and weigh over 990 lbs.  This is one of many gators we saw travelling through Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park in Florida.



Included in the many types of birds we saw in the Myakka River State Park near Sarasota, Florida were this Great Blue Heron and Great White Heron who were establishing their territory on the pond.



The Great Blue Heron prevailed, eventually chasing off the Great White Heron.



This Great Egret was taunting the Alligator who mostly hunts at night, but would have made an exception if the Great Egret had gotten closer.



Todd on the Canopy Walkway & Tower in Myakka River State Park near Sarasota, Florida

Todd and Shonah at the top of the 70-foot tower in Myakka River State Park near Sarasota, Florida.  Florida is the "flattest" state in the country with an elevation span from highest to lowest point of only 345 feet.

 

A Red Shouldered Hawk in Myakka River State Park near Sarasota, Florida.

A pair of Turtles in Myakka River State Park near Sarasota, Florida. 



We were reminded of Alaska when we saw these two Bald Eagles in Myakka River State Park near Sarasota, Florida. 



A Roseate Spoonbill in Myakka River State Park near Sarasota, Florida. 

 

A Little Blue Heron in Myakka River State Park near Sarasota, Florida. 

A Snowy Egret (with reflection) in Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida.



An Alligator shows off its rough exterior in Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida.

A Great Egret (with reflection) in Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida.



A Great Egret in flight in Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida.



A Little Blue Heron hunting fish in Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida.



A Stork in Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida.  So, this is where babies come from...



An Osprey (with his dinner) in Everglades National Park, Florida.

 

A Pelican glides past a Seagull in Everglades National Park, Florida.



An Anhinga sunning himself along the coast of the Everglades National Park, Florida.



In addition to Mangrove Tree forests (in the distance), the swampy landscape of the Everglades includes Sawgrass Prairies.



Shonah enjoying our FREE Ranger led canoe trip in Everglades National Park, Florida.  We paddled through Mangrove Tree tunnels, directly over an Alligator (who thankfully didn't move) and saw "Croc-zilla".

Croc-zilla, a Crocodile, is roughly 13-feet long and may be about 75 years old.  Crocodiles may look similar to Alligators, but they come from different families.  Crocodiles inhabit salt water while Alligators are found in fresh water.  Due to it's unique geography, Everglades National Park in the only place in the world where you can paddle past both Alligators and Crocodiles on the same trip.