Manatee Springs State Park, the real and the imagined!

 

We spent a few days at Manatee Springs State Park again this month.

That big clump of greenery in the center is poison oak!

I always see some amazing sights along the boardwalk.

And the Suwannee River is always picturesque!

I had a chance to talk to a fisherman on this particular hike and I learned something valuable!

I asked him what the fish were that we were seeing in the water....over a hundred of them!

And he told me they were Mullet. OK, I am familiar with Mullet. They love to jump high out of the water and are fun to watch. But he told me that after a boat goes through the water, stay put and watch the water. Other fish and sea life will come up to the surface. And lo and behold, it is true! And I've seen some amazing sights by taking the time to stop and watch! I even watched a Manatee come up to the surface at the Ochlockonee River a few days later.

 

Reflection of the Suwannee River

I have a good imagination so I wanted to share some photos of things I saw on this one hike, that are not what they seem....

or are they?

Do you see a Mermaid, or the leaf at the top of the photo?

A bird in the tree?

A shark in the water?

A cute sea monster?

A turtle underwater? (it really is a turtle! lol)

Logs and trees can really fool you!

Do you have a good imagination too?

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE. 

Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center

 Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center is a State Park in White Springs, Florida with a very nice campground.

 

It's perfect for a day trip or a longer camping trip. 

Every park we visit has unique features and things we love about it. 

This one was perfect for walking. 

There were a lot of beautiful historical buildings to photograph

and hiking trails too.

A thatched roof hut in the background on this trail.

And a good trail to hike right down to the Suwannee River.

There's also a big gazebo for relaxing and watching the river.

You could see how far the water had flooded this river looking at the bank.

The biggest surprise I think was the music from the bell in this tower. It has a 97 bell carillon and the beautiful songs can be heard all the way to the campground. 

There's more information HERE about the park and culture center.

I don't want to skip over the fact that there was still a lot of damage to this park from the hurricanes that came through last Fall. Most of the buildings were closed and there were trees down everywhere.

It was sad to see the damage and it takes years to repair and rebuild the State Parks. 

I saw a lot of birds but didn't get many photos.

Carolina Titmouse

We sure enjoyed our stay there and I walked down to the river several times.

White Springs, Florida is off the beaten path but well worth traveling the backroads to spend time there!

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE !

The Wood Stork at Manatee Springs State Park

 

It's always good to learn to identify the birds you see. I find it a challenge but over the years, I've learned a few!

I walked on the boardwalk at Manatee Springs State Park every day that we camped there. 

Sometimes I went more than once a day.

The lighting can be so different and also bird sightings.

I said 'hello' to a couple that I had seen a few times and I noticed his camera with a zoom lens.

One late afternoon, I was on my way back down the boardwalk and saw that he was zoomed in on something in the swamp.

 

So I stopped to look and I said, "Even living here in Florida, it's still a thrill to get to see a Wood Stork."

And they both looked at me with wide eyes and she said, "Is THAT what that is? We didn't know what that bird was." 

So it felt good to actually share that with them. And when he gets home from traveling he will have a bird ID for his photos! It made me smile. I walked on, and when I looked back, he was still taking photos!

This Great White Egret was very beautiful too.

The birds don't feel threatened by people walking on the boardwalk.

So they pose and preen.

The Suwannee River in all of it's glory! 

And my favorite Wood Stork photo!

Do you see his loose feather?

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE !

Manatee Springs State Park on the Suwannee River

 We camped at Manatee Springs State Park just before the manatees came up into the warmer waters of the Springs for the winter. I hope we can go back soon.

It was sad to see all the damage from the hurricanes back in the Fall. There were so many trees down and a lot of the camp sites were closed because of the damage. 

We saw these Blue Catfish right off of the boardwalk.

They were 3 or 4 ft long! And there were a dozen or more that we could watch!

The campsites that are open are well tended but it will take years to clear all the downed trees and debris. 

It's a wonderful campground with lots of wildlife wandering the campground and the river and springs are close enough to walk to, more than once a day.

That little white triangle is another Grebe that this one was chasing off! 

We were happy to see that the boardwalk had been repaired. It was closed in the Spring when we were there.

Comorant

Eagle overhead!

There's such a great view of the river.

A headless Little Blue Heron!

Whew! He DOES have a head after all! lol

And this Great White Egret is trying to hide in the swamp!

I love these Cypress knees!

Isn't the Suwannee River gorgeous! 

It's a beautiful place to camp or spend the day!

It's Florida in the winter time! Come on down!!!

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE ! 

"The Bridge to Nowhere" Old Town, Florida

 

We took a day trip to Old Town, Florida on one of our camping trips for a hike to the Suwannee River. 

And yes, we walked across the "Bridge to Nowhere".

It was a beautiful sunny morning but the trees along the path provided plenty of shade and this was my favorite photo of the day.

Of course hubby and I got into the picture with that beautiful background!

There's so much history on the internet that I will add some links if you want to learn more.

This one HERE told of the supply ship that brought lumber to build the bridge. They sunk the ship when the delivery was made. That seems so odd but you can see the sunken ship sometimes.

Another good article HERE.

We took our time and took photos from both sides of the bridge.

Of course the Suwannee River is a beautiful river and we had a quiet morning.

There were very few walkers and bikes and no boats on the river.

It sure gave us a peaceful time in nature.

There were a few houses and this one was right on the river.

Another house had a longhorn cow and a donkey.

We saw hummingbirds feeding on the trumpet vine too.

These were purple martins I think.

This sign was at a residence along the trail.

It's an out of the way place to visit.

Just what I love!

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE !