1 March 2023, Southern Camping Trip Day 55

Salt Springs Recreation Campground

Ocala National Forest, Florida 

A couple of Mallard "snowbirds" at Hawthorne, Florida.

Marc-   We started the day with tennis at the local village tennis courts.  Pickle ball has taken over here at the predominant sport.  The remainder of the day was spent visiting Rawlings State Park and the 17,000 acre Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park.

Sue and I walked around the Rawlings farm that is being maintained as a working farm.  We saw a small orange grove, several chicken coops, a barn and a vegetable garden.  Sue's favorite thing was the smell of orange blossom in the air.  It was wonderful!  

A large field has been converted into a State launching ramp and playground.  The fisherman were friendly and said that the bass catch was good today.

Our trip to Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park was really cool due to the magnitude of the open prairie, marshes, lake and forest that is here.  It is the only prairie in Florida.  It was also very cool to see wild Spanish horses on the prairie along with various birds.  A ranger informed us that bison had been re- introduced here (they were once native to Florida) and also roamed freely but we didn't see any.

Sandhill cranes just outside of the Salt Springs Tennis Courts.

Rawlings Farm.

Orange tree and chicken coop.

Free roaming chicken.

Orange blossom.

Nasturtium (edible).

One of many giant live oak trees with citrus trees in foreground.

Birds at Rawlings Farm Hammock.

Mrs. Rawlings book is still in print.

Bass boats.

A very fast airboat powered by a 450 horsepower V-8 engine.

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Ibis crossing Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park.

Ibis in flight.

Wild Spanish horses of Paynes Prairie.