28 February 2023, Southern Camping Trip Day 54

Salt Springs Recreation Campground

Ocala National Forest, Florida 

Silver Springs Monkey

Marc-  The last day of February was a day to do chores so to speak.  First we had to move to another campsite in the campground since our original site was not available for our full stay when we reserved 6 months ago.  Move from site # 17 to site # 20 does not seem like much but it does take some time (waiting for #20 occupants to leave, Park Ranger inspection and obtaining the new permit).  Second came laundry at a laundromat outside the Park.  Our truck also needed an oil change and we were lucky to find a garage with availability.  We still had a few hours to visit Gainesville:  a University of Florida college town with 50,000 students and a total population of 150,000.  We returned via backroads stopping only once at the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Park.  Mrs. Rawlings home and farm have been preserved.  She is famous for a novel "The Yearling" that won her the Pulitzer Prize for fiction (the story is loosely based on a true story).  Metro Golden Meyer bought the movie rights from Mrs.  Rawlings and hired her as a consultant.  She convinced MGM to film at the location where the scenes actually took place near Silver Springs.  The film was a success winning several Academy awards.

27 February 2023, Southern Camping Trip Day 53

Salt Springs Recreation Campground

Ocala National Forest, Florida

Wild monkey at Silver Springs Run.

Marc-   We spent the morning at Silver Springs State Park.  First we rented two kayaks and went down the narrow side of the Spring Run (a creek).  It was an adventure in a cypress swamp with a some interesting inhabitants.  The most interesting are the rhesus macaque monkeys (originally from Southeast Asia) that live in the Park.  They were released by a jungle cruise owner who wanted to make the scenery more interesting.  There are about 400 monkeys living in the Park now.   We only saw a few.  Mostly we saw turtles and a few birds.

The water from the Silver Springs is very clear and has a mineral content.

Sue taking the lead in her kayak.

Marc out of control in his kayak.

Snowy Egret.

Turtle log.

Reflections.

Ibis.

Turtle.

One monkey nearby.  They are very agile in the trees.

Cypress Swamp Island trail.

Azaleas in the Park.

26 February 2023, Southern Camping Trip Day 52

Salt Springs Recreation Campground

Ocala National Forest, Florida

 

Great Blue Heron fishing.

Marc-  Today we found an excellent bike trail in a book concerning Florida rail to trail bike paths gifted by Mindy and John Donnelly.  The Palatka to Lake Butler State Trail.  This is a paved railroad right of way through mostly cattle ranch country West of the St. John's River.  We found a small park as a good starting point and met other bikers as well as a family having a birthday party in the Florahome Park.  

A very well maintained bike trail.

Black Angus Cattle here.

Many watering holes for cattle.

Longhorn Cattle.

Birds along the bike trail.

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The heat of the day finally got to us so we headed for the Atlantic coast at Palm Coast.  We found a municipal park walkway along the Intracoastal Waterway with a cooling sea breeze.

Some homes along the Intracoastal Waterway in Palm Coast.

Less developed Intracoastal waterway shores.

Birds who serenaded us on our walk.

Our return route to the campground (the roadways down here are very straight).

25 February 2023, Southern Camping Trip Day 51

 Salt Springs Recreation Campground

Ocala National Forest, Florida

Return to St. Augustine and its castle fortress.

Marc-  We headed Northeast for a little over an hour to visit St. Augustine again (though the first time this year).  We parked the truck just South of the Bridge of Lions on the Intracoastal Waterway.  As soon as we stepped out we knew this was a great idea since we felt the cooling sea-breeze coming through St. Augustine Inlet from the Atlantic Ocean.  Walking over to the city marina we met some friendly boaters and saw some beautiful boats.  Out on the river the police were actively stopping boats making wakes (we saw them stop a sportfisherman).  It was a beautiful sunny day with excellent visibility.  From the city wall we could see the St. Augustine Lighthouse and a large schooner tacking out of the Inlet under full sail.  After walking around the Fortress walls we toured the main downtown streets stopping in several shops and our favorite bookstore.  We also stopped at West Marine to get some parts for our new boat.

Several Sandhill Cranes ran across the highway stopping traffic just North of our campground.

Sue wanted to stop here to see some cats.  I enjoyed the coffee.  This cafe is new since we were last here.  It is the second cat cafe in town.

Some of the cats up for adoption.

Sadly we left without a cat.

St. Augustine Lighthouse behind the mooring field.

The Bridge of Lions (drawbridge connecting downtown St. Augustine to St. Augustine Beach).

Castillo San Marcos in the upper left.

Outside the castle walls.  A party boat was passing by as we visited:  see

https://youtu.be/Divm4_3i658

We parked outside of this Bed & Breakfast (apparently the number 1 rated Bed & Breakfast in the USA).  The porch views are outstanding.

24 February 2023, Southern Camping Trip Day 50

Salt Springs Recreation Campground

Ocala National Forest, Florida

The Ocala National Forest (Lake George in the upper right is 5 miles wide and 18 miles long).

Marc-  Our explorations today were by truck, by foot and by canoe.  We visited three of the numerous "Springs" in the Ocala National Forest:  Juniper Springs, Alexander Springs and Silver Glen Springs.  Juniper Springs was developed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps.  They did excellent work in creating a mill pond (for swimming and as a source of power for a mill).  The Mill has recently been restored and its wheel is turning.  They also created several trails and two large campgrounds.

Mill pond created at Juniper Spring and Mill.

Fully functional mill.

Canoe launching area Just below the Mill.

More Springs at Juniper Springs.

Water appears to "boil" up through the sandy bottom.

CCC trail bridge awaiting restoration.

The Mill Pond Spring was full of minnows and they like to nip at feet.

Our second Spring was Alexander Springs where we rented a canoe and traveled on the Run (river created by the Spring).  It is a winding waterway set along old-growth forest.  We saw various birds including egrets, anhingas, a black vulture and several herons.  There were turtles taking in the sunshine on logs along the way, and even an alligator.  We saw bass as well as some small black fish.

Sue leading the way down Alexander Run.

Lilly pad flower.

We also heard a few birds while hiking.

Our third Spring was the Silver Glen Springs recreation area.  We went here for the Lake George hiking trail.  The Spring here is near Lake George and many people come by boat to swim.

All sorts of boats are here.

The houseboat in the background sells barbecue.

Tropical beach near the end of the Lake George Trail.