PART 2: the finale - christmas camping - suwannee to caverns

~i apologize if i haven't made it over to your place yet.

if you read my previous post, you already know that things have been pretty hectic...

with my youngest son travis moving in with us, looking for work, 

and not having his own transportation. 

so with work, home, and everything in between, i haven't had too much ME time.

BUT the REALLY good news is that travis may have found a job! yay!

i dropped him off earlier this morning at a (hopefully) possible employer!

we'll know more when his work day is done.~

☼

onward we go...the second & final post from our xmas to new years trip.
so lace up those hiking boots and follow us from 

Suwannee River State Park  to  Florida State Caverns Park...our last stop!

one of our Suwannee hikes was along the river trail that lead the way to Balanced Rock.

the days were cloudy and cold.

the nights cloudy and coldER.

reflection of the the sun hiding behind clouds. 

OOoooooh!!  i love these reflections in the river.  hypnotizing.
reminds me of a Van Gogh.  the one below looks like a cactus silhouette.

the shoreline with a cypress knee to the right and the sun & clouds reflecting...

cypress knees & trees reflecting on the river.

the only flower we saw blooming. a Rain Lily.

Balanced Rock...on the Suwannee River...

Balanced Rock and a couple of kayakers paddling down the river.

back at the camper, we let milo out to say goodbye to the squirrels.

they were kind of happy to see her go...although they wouldn't tell her that to her face!

we packed everything up and hit the road.

next stop...Florida Caverns.

along the way, we stopped at a memorial in Greenville, Florida...

a life size statue of Ray Charles at the piano.

after about 2 ½ hours drive time we reached Florida Caverns State Park...

northwest florida...in the panhandle. the ONLY public caverns in florida.

reaching our campsite...we unpacked...let milo out (on her leash)...

and then we wandered to Blue Hole Spring.

we spotted some deer...but unfortunately i just wasn't quick enough to get a picture!

BUT i DID get a picture of their POOP...oh, sorry...let's be professional here...

White-tail deer SCAT!

MORE  'shrooms...(love the purple border...)

trees standing on their heads?!   hanging upside down?
reflections....

BeaVeR ALeRt...on the perimeter of the spring!

evidence of the presence of beavers!

we didn't get so see one in the flesh...or in the fur...

but we were amazed at all their gnaw marks!

i love this one!  focused on the tree's reflection...with a background of colorful fall leaves under water.

while at Florida Caverns park 

we also hiked a trail that took us to the shores of the Chipola River.

the shore of the Chipola

sam standing beside a monster Bald Cypress Tree.

ANOTHER bike and hike we took, was to the Caverns themselves!
but, guess what?  they were closed!


not a big deal, we still walked the trails, saw a lot of huge limestone outcroppings, crevices
and smaller cave-like structures and native plants that live in the acidity of the terrain.

and since i have some pictures from the last time we were here,
you can still see what it looks like.in this underground wonderland!

along the above ground trails...

huge moss & fern covered limestone

Purple Toad Shade (Trillium)

The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man.

a tunnel cave we walked through

False Rue Anemone  (Columbine)

(i THINK)...this is Allegheny Spurge.

WELL, that about does it...

our between christmas & new years road trip.

i hope this becomes a yearly thing!

OH! and on the way home...just after leaving the State Park, 

we pulled over at a small roadside park, in Marianna, FL.

(black legs & feet, yellow eyes and beak...)  a Great Egret.  right?

Adopt the pace of nature:  her secret is patience.  

~Ralph Waldo Emerson 

stay cool & be safe.

laura