The Choctawhatchee River and Blue Springs!

 

We sure enjoyed our camping trip to Blue Springs State Park in Alabama!

One day we spent the afternoon hiking around the Springs and down by the river.

Clear blue natural underground springs pump 3,600 gallons of water per minute into two concrete ringed swimming pools and then out into the Choctawhatchee River.

The pool is a constant 68 degrees year round and clear enough to see the sandy bottom.

Here it is flowing down to the river.

Don't you love this pretty pond and it's stocked for fishing!

 

I loved seeing the ducks in the pond!

They added to the fun of taking photos!

This playground equipment looked like something from my childhood! (maybe it IS!) 

Some of the old picnic tables are pretty ancient too but it still looks beautiful in every direction!

How about these two trees that have grown together?

We are enjoying seeing so many interesting things when we travel and camp at the State Parks.

We have a big trip planned for this month too so I'll visit when I can get online! 

🎄 Have a festive holiday season! 🎄

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE !

Blue Springs State Park, Alabama

 

We've been camping a lot! And while we were traveling to 'discover the real Florida' we crossed over the state line into Alabama to 'discover' one of their state parks!

When we pulled into the campground and found our space, I thought it seemed like the campsites were close together. But when we got up the next morning and took a walk, we found out there was only one other camper in this big beautiful campground and it was on another loop.

It was a wonderful experience and I wanted to start with this 'campground series' with some pretty Fall photos. 

Who takes a photo of the trash dumpsters?

And it was even beautiful across to the bathhouse.

Of course I found a hiking trail in the forest on the first day.

Grab your pack and camera and let's go!

The temps were perfect, cool at night and in the 70s during the day. The only down side was the newly hatched mosquitoes. I talked with the camp host and he said they didn't have mosquitoes all summer. They had just shown up! I hope we didn't bring them from Florida! Haha!

I saw evidence (as in 'scat') of bears and a bobcat. And I saw lots of small birds like chickadees and this Pileated Woodpecker.

I can't hike without seeing monsters.

Up close, you can see that it's just an old burned out tree but don't hike after dark! 

We were so happy to see some Fall foliage.

I've created some mosaics to share even MORE photos!

Hiking down by the Choctawhatchee River.

It was one of the most beautiful State Parks I've ever seen!

I'll include a link HERE to check out the website. 

Keep Alabama on the camping list!

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE !

Happy Thanksgiving and camping out!

We are enjoying the beautiful Fall weather to take some camping trips.

But hopefully I can blog a little and visit everyone along the way!

I am sharing photos of the second half of the 'half a hike' I posted a couple of weeks ago.

This hike was along the Florida Trails from the Pruitt Trailhead.

It's a trail I hadn't taken in a long time.

But the weather is nicer now so I'm taking advantage of the cooler temps to get out more.

Summer Tanager

Flycatcher

A mosaic of another one that posed for me.

Hawk perched high in a tree

Wooly worm

Has anyone else every heard that you can count the stripes on the Wooly worm to see how bad the winter will be? I never can remember if more stripes means a harder winter or the other way around! lol

There's finally some water in the horse pond so it's been especially pretty lately!

I stopped on the dirt road to get the horse farm pics.

Grab your sunglasses before you get out! 

I hope you are all having a blessed Thanksgiving week!

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE !

Out on a limb (or camping out)!

 

This little bluebird has perched 'out on a limb'!

And he's wondering how to get down, or maybe what's down there!

But he's content to perch.

And there are other pretty bluebirds in the woods at this time of year too.

And don't even get me started on the Warblers!

Every year I'm pleasantly surprised at how many Warblers fly into town.

This one just needs a tasty worm before going his happy way.

One more...with an attitude! 

And isn't this Flicker regal up on this old snag?

I enjoyed watching him

and taking photos from every angle.

I love seeing that dark red patch on the back of his head.

These were all taken on one hike along the Marjorie Harris Cross Florida Greenway!

How fabulous to live so close to the trailhead.

And the Long-tailed Skipper was pretty fantastic too.

We have a lot to be thankful for here in Florida in Fall.

How's the weather in your neck of the woods?

If I'm slow visiting everyone, I might be perched under a palm tree.....

camping at one of our beautiful State Parks! 🌴

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE !

A deer trail, a deer track and a deer tail!

 

I've got them all in this one post!

Two days after I saw the majestic 8 point buck in the previous post, I saw another one!

I was about 10 miles away on a different trail and caught sight of a deer in the brush.

I got off the trail (taking my first photo while walking!) and followed a deer trail.

The buck stopped and took a few steps toward me to warn me to go no farther.

Behind him, was his whole family!

7 deer....which included this precious fawn!

What a neat sighting!

I took a close up of each of the 8 point bucks to see them side by side and they are definitely two different deer.

There goes the tail behind a tree! 

Lots of wildflowers blooming at this time of year.

The Dotted Horsemint is one of my favorites.

It has the best minty scent.

This one isn't quite as pink but it shows the dots better.

It's a beautiful time to get out in the woods here in Florida!

Come on down!

Great White Egret high in the sky!

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE !